The First to Fall: A Fallen Novel (The Fallen Series)

by Tanisha D. Jones

  “Your hair is burned,” he whispered close to her ear, before he took his time, separating the tangled waves with his fingers, his lips on one bruised shoulder blade, and then the other.

  Finally, the towel dropped to her feet, his lips touching each of the bruises on her back, then he was still and silent. Turning to face him, not saying a word, her eyes searched his face. He kept his eyes down cast as she kissed him softly on the cheek, trying to get some reaction, something from him other than silence. Instead, he reached for the robe, wrapping her in the thick terrycloth that smelled so strongly of him, she inhaled and snuggled into its warmth. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped.

  “It’s okay. I’m okay.” She whispered softly against his lips, her warm salty tears mingled with the sweetness of her mouth on his. She moved closer until he embraced her, holding her tighter and tighter, he buried his face in her neck, dropping gentle kisses on her cool skin.

  Again his lips brushed hers, “I’m sorry. I was so stupid. You are not a monster, I didn’t mean that. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you.” He whispered, before kissing her again; a real kiss that she felt from the top of her head, to her toe nails.

  “I’m sorry. I should have been there. It was just so much-” She pulled away to look at him, searching his eyes.

  “Grace told me the truth, the whole truth.” He kissed her neck and shoulders, his hands moving inside of the robe.

  “You’re soaking wet.” She said, running her hands under his shirt, pushing it up until he was able to tug it over his head.

  “I’m sorry,” He lifted her off of the floor, holding her so tightly she could barely breathe. Her bruised and battered body sang with pain as he held her, but she remained silent, reveling in the feet of his body so warm and hard against her own. She wrapped her legs around his waist, the robe falling to the floor. His large hands spanned her back; he rested his head on her breast, listening to her heart beat. As his grip tightened, she let out an involuntary whimper of pain. He looked at her bruised and battered body.

  “Broken rib,” She hissed. “Almost healed.” She assured.

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He mumbled, and carried her up the stairs to his bedroom where, he laid her on the bed. She sank into the comforter, watching as he started a fire in the fireplace that mirrored the one in the living room below. He seemed to be taking his time, calming himself as he stoked the fire to life until an amber glow was cast. The smell of burning wood filled the room, the rain outside falling sharply against the windows in a disjointed rhythm. He turned to look at her in the soft glow of the firelight. He slowly and deliberately undid his belt buckle, kicked off his shoes and slowly unfastened his jeans, kicking the damp denim off before advancing toward the bed.

  He lay on the comforter with her holding her close. He kissing her urgently, his fingers sinking into her damp hair. He pushed her back onto the bed, his eyes boring into her.

  “I was stupid and scared and you were – you could have been killed. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you. I love you. I’m in love with you, Doc. I think I’ve been in love with you since the day we met. Maybe even before. I will never ever hurt you again.” She wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed against him. He hovered over her, his heart swelled and he was suddenly filled with a burning need for her. He kissed her hard, his hands barely touching her taut nipples. Her body arched into him, her fangs extended, her eyes glowing in the firelight. She reached up and touched his teeth in wonder and relieved amazement, a sexy smile on her lips.

  “Gorgeous.” She breathed and he was inside of her, their bodies rising and falling in a frantic rhythm, until she shook uncontrollably, a deep moan escaping her, but Eli’s frantic pace continued. He couldn’t stop, he wanted more, he needed more. In the darkness their eyes met, and she could see the question in his eyes. She smiled and turned her head, pulling her hair away to expose the delicate skin of her long bare neck. He could smell the blood pumping through her, feel her pulse race and leaned closer, his lips barely brushing her skin.

  “Do it. It’s okay, you won’t hurt me.” She urged, gently pushing his head down. He tasted the tender skin of her shoulder for a second. She tasted faintly of vanilla; he though just before his teeth sank in, and he began to drink of her. She gasped excitedly, her heart stopping for a second, as waves of delight assaulted her. She gripped the sides of the mattress, and writhed beneath him.

  In that first bite, he knew her life, he could feel her coursing through him and they were completely one being; and he was overcome with the heady feelings of love, peace and joy. It was like a drug that opened him to every bit of her world, every emotion, every fear, every dream, she was completely his.

  Her taste was familiar to him; sweet and warm, and full of life. The flavor was unmistakably Celeste, a heady combination of sweetness and light, purity and sex. The more of her he took, the more he needed, the more he wanted, he wanted all of her, every piece of her and tears flowed from his eyes. He felt as if he were drowning in the pure essence of her soul and from that moment on, they would be irrevocably connected. In that moment she was his, only his, forever.

  His body reacted, moving faster and harder as his mouth worked on her shoulder. She squirmed against him, her body convulsing her nails digging into the flesh of his backside, leaving long bloody scratches. He continued to drink, filling himself with her, until she felt herself going weak. “Not too much.” She whispered and with mammoth effort, he released her.

  When he released, so did everything else. And he came long and hard until he collapsed on top of her still trembling body, still comfortably inside of her. She looked at him, blood dripping from the corners his mouth, and she kissed him. The combination of her blood and the taste of her tongue made him weak. He held her, his body shivering, teeth chattering.

  “Are you cold?” She asked breathlessly wrapping the covers around them in the fire lit room.

  “No.” His teeth chattered, a smile on his face, his eyes alight with a new kind of elation. He felt light headed and slightly dizzy, as if he were floating in a thick cloud of contentment. Every worry, every fear, everything disappeared until there was just the two of them and his overwhelming euphoria.

  “No.” He brushed the hair out of her face and kissed her, the taste of her still in his mouth; he wanted her again.

  “Did I hurt you? How are your ribs?” He ran a finger over her rib cage.

  “Better, sore but better.” She assured.

  The whistling of the tea kettle drew his attention. Slowly; he stood, and padded down to the kitchen completely naked. He returned with two steaming mugs of tea. Handing one to her, settling next to her under the covers, they stared silently into the fire.

  ***

  “Finish telling me what happened. How did you get here?” He finally asked. She looked up at him and wiggled her nose like Samantha from Bewitched and he smiled. “Cute.”

  “I didn’t know what else to do? I had to leave before the cleaners came and the smell of it-” She shivered at the memory of that sickening wet smacking sound as its head landed with a thud. “But you know what? I don’t think it was the same thing that killed Nicky. I mean, it was- bigger,” she muttered, before sipping her tea. “And its breast- it seemed more male this time. It was still nasty, but there was something different. Everything happened so quickly-” She tried to remember why she’d felt that this creature was different, but she couldn’t put her finger on it right away. “It smelled different.” She mumbled into her mug.

  “Are you sure?” Eli asked. She nodded as it dawned on her.

  “It smelled different. It still stank to high heaven, but it wasn’t the same. And it spoke in a deeper voice. The one that killed Remy’s friend at Jonas’ was smaller almost the size of an eight or nine year old. This one was taller, stronger. It moved differently,” she said. “Didn’t you say you saw it that same night? How did it look?”

  Now that he
thought about it, it was larger, leaner. “Is it possible that there are two of them?” She asked in a low voice, her lips still on the rim of her cup.

  “That’s it. You’re moving in with me until we figure this out.”

  “Excuse me,” She placed her mug on the night stand before turning a wary eye to him.

  “I will not have you alone in that apartment. If one got in, then so could the other. I mean what if it’s more than two. Who knows how many of those things are out there? You’re staying with me until we get this sorted out and that’s all there is too it.” She backed away to look at him full in the face. He had to be kidding. Was he seriously trying to tell her what to do?

  “No, I’m not.” She said.

  “Yes, you are.”

  “So, the mighty Elijah Cain has spoken and I’m just supposed to cow to your will? Are you forgetting who you’re talking to?” She asked, now on her knees, her arms folded across her bare breasts. He stifled a smile.

  “I know exactly who I’m talking to. Do you forget who you’re talking to, Caelestis?”

  She lifted a brow as a smirk teased the corner of his mouth that damned dimple making a surprise appearance.

  “Oh, really? So, am I supposed to bow down to the great and powerful Fallen one? Should I kiss the feet of the First to Fall? ” She asked in a mocking tone. “Don’t believe your own hype, Detective. I can still kick your ass.”

  Without speaking, he placed his own cup on the table, his eyes on her face. Slowly, he moved closer, deliberately running a warm hand up her inner thigh. She chewed her lip in an effort to stifle the sigh that was threatening to escape. She couldn’t let him win this argument. If he won this one, he would think he had the upper hand, and that was not true, by any means. “Like it or not, you are very important to me, lady. If anything else happened to you, I couldn’t live with myself. Baby, I need you...”

  She was taken aback by his intensity, and distracted by his roaming fingers. She licked her lips. A tiny high pitched sigh escaping her and he pulled her down to lay beneath him, the weight of him on her always clouded her judgment.

  “You need me to what?” Her voice broke and she closed her eyes, relaxing into his touch, sinking deeper into the pillows. When she opened her eyes again, he was lying on his side staring at her, his expression unreadable, his eyes studying her face as if he were burning her into his brain. His fingers stopped their slow creep.

  “I need you.” He said simply. She reached for him, holding him close, kissing him with a fervor that he hadn’t experienced before. He touched his forehead to hers and smiled.

  “Are you ever going to say it back?” A slow cheeky smile played across her lips and her face lit up. The apprehension seeped out of her and was replaced by a mischievous glint in her eyes. He watched in fascination as they brightened to a blinding shade of cerulean.

  “Say what?” She teased.

  “I told you that I’m in love with you. I love you.”

  “Yeah, I caught that.” She stretched and faked a yawn.

  “And?” He waited. She looked at him from the corner of her eyes and feigned disinterest.

  “And it was very nice of you-” He began tickling her sides and she squirmed, laughing that delectable chuckle of hers. It reminded him of something magical, which he assumed was just about right. He couldn’t decide if it reminded him of wind chimes or Christmas bells, but it made him love her even more. She finally relented when tears flowed down her cheeks.

  “Say it,” He kissed her cheek and brushed away a stray tear.

  “I love you, Elijah.” She ran her hand over the soft low cut dark curls on his head; they felt like silk beneath her fingertips. A current of electricity ran down his spine and he kissed her.

  “Say it again.” He hovered above her, his face inches from hers, his breathe against her lips.

  “I love you,” she whispered, he entered her slowly, his eyes on her face. She made a low gasping noise and seductively bit her lip.

  “Again.” He kissed her moving his body against her.

  “I love you,” she gasped.

  “Again,” he choked, and repeated the motion. She repeated it again and again, each time he pushed into her, until she could no longer speak.

  ***

  “Do you want to talk about it?” She asked cautiously, she lay on her back, her head on his shoulder as she stared at the fire. It was the wee hours of the morning, and they lay silently for a while, too drained to move. She was too sore from her fight and Eli’s decathlon of love making that she didn’t even want to try.

  “How did you know?” He asked finally.

  “I had a feeling when we met the first time that you were preternatural, but there was something different about you, that you weren’t strictly one thing. You weren’t like anyone I had met before. I felt drawn to you. It’s magnetic. I knew for sure when we went to Jinxie’s because after you drank the nectar you became very-”

  “Horny.” He finished and she nodded. “But I think I was horny before we got there.” He ran a hand up her leg.

  “I know.” She turned to face him, moving to share his pillow, resting her still tender arm on his chest. She looked so young, her caramel skin line less, her eyes dancing in the firelight and any vestige of make-up completely absent. She could easily pass for her late teens, he thought.

  “How old are you?” He asked cautiously.

  “I’m legal. But if you need a number, I think am about 3,460 years old, give or take a century,” she said. He whistled and stared at the ceiling, trying to wrap his mind around that little fact.

  “According to Grace, I have no age,” he sighed, still astounded by that little revelation.

  “I always wanted to date an older man,” she teased, nipping his chin with her teeth.

  “Tell me, honestly Doc, are you okay?” He tilted her chin up so that she looked into his eyes. She was still bruised but they were fading fast to the yellowish green hue of healing wounds. He brushed her hair away from her face, letting his fingers linger over the bruise at her cheek, a haunted look in his eyes.

  “I’m doing better than the other guy,” she yawned and he gave her a light shake.

  “I’m serious, Celeste.” She kissed him lightly on the lips.

  “I’m fine, I promise. I’m a war goddess and Amazon, after all. A little bite won’t hurt me.” She assured him.

  Eli let the tips of his fingers skim her skin, barely stroking the fine hairs on her arms. She had never realized such a small motion could be so sexy. It raised gooseflesh on her warmed skin and sent a chill down her spine. They lay silently, cuddled together under the warmth of the blankets, the occasional crackle of the fire the only sound in the room, the rain falling softly outside. She stretched and yawned her body molding to fit his, their limbs entangled.

  “How’d you get the bruise here?” He asked, absently stroking the sore spot on her breast.

  “Fucker hit me in the titty,” she grumbled sleepily, and Eli burst into a sudden fit of unbridled laughter.

  ***

  Remy and Gaston stood silently by as Adrian stared at the gory scene before them. The room was in complete shambles, furniture overturned and broken, blood splattered on walls, floors and ceiling. The entire scene looked like something out of a slasher movie. Walls and furniture smoldered from an acid that filled the room with a sulfuric stench that burned their nostrils and eyes. On the floor near the foyer, a once gleaming sword was corroded and eaten through from tip to hilt, the handle still shining a pristine gold. In the center of the macabre landscape was the decapitated and rather rapidly decomposing body if the demon. It lay in a pool of the black acidic blood that had eaten through the surrounding rug and hardwood floor, exposing the cement underfloor.

  “Well?” Gaston asked in his French accented English.

  “Well,” Adrian said with a heavy sigh, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jeans. “It’s human. It started out as human anyway.” Adrian took a step closer
but made sure that his expensive leather loafers stayed clear of the corrosive blood. Squatting, he picked up the discarded Bō staff and jabbed at the head.

  “Stop poking and get on with it.” Gaston admonished and kicked the staff out of Adrian’s hands.

  “Really, is that necessary? Honestly.” Adrian sighed and rose to his full six foot three. Though he was born a demon, Adrian was a delicately pretty Asian man with smooth tanned skin and dark almond eyes. He dressed impeccably, even at this ungodly hour.

  Gaston gave him an insolent look before turning his back on the demon to answer his cell phone. “I love it when you’re mean to me, daddy.” Adrian purred and Remy couldn’t suppress the smile that quirked at his lips. Gaston rolled his eyes and walked further into the foyer ignoring the jab.

  “Ok, what is it?” Remy asked, folding his arms across his chest. Adrian’s sighed and turned his attention the creature.

  “It’s nothing I’ve ever seen before. Not one of mine,” he assured. “It looks like some sort of combination of human and Gallu demon but it smells like a basilisk, maybe. But there are some other things in there I can’t make out. This is some sort of super-hybrid.” He griped. “Honestly, Remy, I have no idea what or who this thing is; or where it came from.” He glanced back at the monster on the floor and shook his head.

  “I think Lilith needs to see this. She’s older than I am, she may have seen this bugger before.” Adrian ran a hand over his face and sighed. “I don’t even think the eaters will touch this one.”

  Remy shuddered at the mention of The Dead Eaters. Though he’d never seen one without its head to toe dark shroud, he’d heard them eat, a gluttonous noise of smacking toothless hungry mouths. Again, he shuddered. “Good. Those fuckers creep me out. Let’s move it before the cleaners come.”

  “It’s almost dawn, they should be here soon.” Adrian agreed and turned to look at the disembodied head once more and gasped. Remy turned to see what had elicited such a reaction from the unflappable demon. The dead demon’s face had returned to its human state and it was Remy’s turn to gasp in shock.