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

by Tanisha D. Jones

  Boogie came in as he was preparing to undress her and placed a plastic wrap around her arm.

  “I need to use a special mixture to clean it. Try not to get it to too wet. Go on, I’ll wait downstairs. Clean myself up a bit. Grace went out and bought a few things for you two to wear. They’re on the bed. I think she’ll be fine. She’s strong.” Then Boogie did something that surprised Eli, as well as herself, she gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek and walked away, softly closing the door behind her.

  ***

  He undressed Celeste and slipped her into the bath, before stripping off his blood and vomit stained clothing and slipped into the water behind her. He began to gently bathe her. She sighed and leaned forward as he soaped her back and arms, the bruises from the night before were all but gone.

  “No funny business. I don’t have the energy to say no.” She teased lightly. He kissed her shoulder and smiled.

  “When have you ever said no to me, Doc? How do you feel?” He asked and she granted him a tired chuckle.

  “Like I’ve been hit by a train, my arm is on fire, my head is throbbing. I’m exhausted, I can barely hold my head up or my eyes open, and I must look a hot mess.” She groaned, “And I threw up in my hair.” She closed her eyes and manifested a bottle of shampoo. He took it from her and gently washed her hair, filling the bathroom with her scent, jasmine and lavender, with a hint of vanilla. She moaned and leaned against him, relaxing as he cleaned her with his gentle touch.

  “You have the best hands,” she whispered drowsily.

  Once their bath was complete he wrapped a towel around his waist, and wrapped her in a bath sheet before sitting her on a chair in the corner of the room. Boogie had changed the bed linens and was on her way out, the soiled bundle in her arms. He dressed Celeste in pair a pink and yellow flannel pajama pants with cartoon monkeys all over them and a pale pink tank top. He smiled and shook his head. Grace had the funniest taste in clothes when she didn’t have to pretend to be his grandmother. Celeste sat limply as he brushed her hair and pulled it into a clumsy, but effective ponytail and placed her on the fresh sheets.

  He’d just slipped on his own drawstring pajama pants and t-shirt when Boogie knocked softly on the door. He called for her to come in and watched as she placed another towel under Celeste’s arm, and began to gently cleanse the wound. As the purple black goop was rinsed away, Eli could see that the ugly creeping vines of infection had begun to fade and the tiny holes in her arms were purged of all of the foul black pus. She was already starting to heal.

  “Why don’t you go get something to eat? This is going to take a minute; the worst of it is over,” Boogie suggested. And too tired to argue, he half stumbled down to the kitchen. The doorbell rang as he made his way down. He found it odd that it was the front door instead of the back gate where most people came, people who knew Grace anyway. Groggily, he opened the door to see two uniformed policemen standing before him. One was tall, dark with a pinched birdlike face, the other short and round. Eli rubbed his tired eyes and sighed, “Yes?”

  “Good Morning, Det. Cain?” He nodded at the officer “We’re responding to several calls about a woman screaming at this location.” The taller of the two said. The other was looking past Eli as Grace peered at them from the kitchen, a platter of food in her hands.

  “Eli?”

  “It’s okay Gracie.” He yawned. “They must have heard the television upstairs. I fell asleep with it on. “

  “Ma’am, are you okay?” The stout officer breathed as if he couldn’t catch his breath. He stared suspiciously at Grace who smiled radiantly and waved. “Fine, Officer. Would you like a sandwich?” They both apologized and said no thank you. Grace shrugged but stayed, watching as they spoke to Eli.

  “As you can see, we’re in perfect health, and it is early-” He motioned to close the door; it was stopped by the tall cop.

  “Are there any other women in the house?” The taller man’s name was Wilson, and he was nervous. Not about a being on a domestic call to a cop’s house. He was nervous because he was at the house of the infamous Cain’s. Eli was also known throughout the force as being somewhat creepy. Standing there before him, in his pajamas and barefoot, he just looked tired and exasperated. Still there was something unnerving about the man, something in his eyes.

  “My girlfriend is upstairs asleep, she has the flu. I can wake her if you’d like, but that won’t be necessary.” He asserted, his eyes locking with the muddy brown eyes of Carter.

  “No,” Carter agreed, his voice was small and seemed to come from a far-off place.

  Eli caught the eyes of both men in succession, as Carter continued to stare at him sleepily. Wilson seemed to sway slightly, his eyes suddenly heavy. Then as if on auto pilot Eli’s voice took on a low deep monotone.

  “We‘re fine. There is nothing to report here. I fell asleep with the television on. My–sister,” He said, trying to remember Grace no longer fit the role of grandmother, “is fine. My girlfriend is asleep. Nothing more.” They nodded dumbly and smiled.

  “Sorry to have disturbed you sir. You have a good day.” Wilson mumbled, dumbly. They turned and walked away. Carter looked at Eli as if he had just laid eyes on him. Eli smiled and closed the door, his head swimming. That was the first time he had glamoured someone. First time he could remember anyway.

  Glamouring, Eli came to realize, was a handy little tool, and easier than he thought it would be, and surprisingly guilt free.

  ***

  He found Grace sitting at the kitchen’s center island with a pretty woman with honey colored hair and skin. She looked at Eli with warm brown eyes and he gave her a tired smile. She wore blue jeans and what looked to Eli, like a man’s sweater, which hung loosely past her knees, her short blond hair disheveled. She was quite pretty, he thought.

  “Lisette?” He asked. She rose and embraced him.

  “How is she?’ She was shaking. He figured she’d heard her sister’s cries of pain, and she had been as terrified as whoever had called the police. He had been up there with her and he had been terrified.

  “Better. Go on up, she’ll be glad to see you. Boogie’s just finishing up. Third door on the left.” He pointed up and she rushed off. Eli sat heavily across from Grace, his face tired and worn. Grace slid a sandwich over to him and got up to pour him a cup of coffee.

  “I called Jonas. He said the boys took down the giant. He’s locked up in the Collective’s chamber.” Grace said and he couldn’t help but smile.

  “Remy did seem to get off on that,” he chuckled. “They are as crazy as shit-house rats.” He sipped his coffee, relishing the warm richness as it went down.

  “She’s going to be okay.” Grace assured him. “Boogie said that if you would have waited any later, it could have been much worse.” She gave his back a pat and gently rubbed his head as he sipped the coffee.

  “Is Boogie the witch who bound me?” He asked absently, rubbing his tired eyes.

  “Yes. Boogie is very old and very strong.” She answered his next question before he’d even thought to ask it. He gave his daughter a weak smile and pushed the sandwich away. He held the coffee mug, the warmth seeping into his fingers and stared down into the dark liquid.

  “I love her, Grace. And I love you. I need you and Boogie to make me a promise. If anything were to happen to you, any of you, Riley included, I want you to bind me. You tell Boogie that I want her to completely bind me before it gets bad again.” He spoke in voice so low and even that it scared her.

  “I know you love her, love us, but isn’t that a bit extreme-” He clutched her hands, his eyes dark and intense.

  “I need you to promise. There are people out there who are waiting for me to break and if anything happened to any of you, I would be destroyed. And I think it would be the worst possible thing that could ever happen. I think it would be worse than before. Worse than when your mother-” She nodded, her own eyes filling with tears.

  “Okay, Okay. I promise. And Boogie promi
ses. Okay? But we’ll be fine.” He kissed her knuckles before releasing her hands. Slowly, he moved to stand near the patio doors. He stared blindly at the garden, inhaling the sweet smell of her winter annuals.

  “I don’t remember your mother, Gracie. Was it like this with her?”

  “No. No, she’s special. I don’t doubt you loved my mother, but Celeste, I think, is your soul mate. You and my mother were so different. She was soft spoken and very agreeable, delicate. You loved her, but not like this, not like her. ” She moved quietly to him and lovingly stroked his cheek, a wistful smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

  “Don’t look so worried. I have had a long time to deal with mother’s death. I’m not going to get all evil stepdaughter on Doc. I like her. I think you’ve met your match.” He was silent for a moment, taking in her words and contemplating his next question.

  “I saw Nicky Sky last night. I was dreaming, I think, and he said that the Dark Fae are planning on releasing the beast. Truthfully, Grace was I that much of a monster?”

  “You were so different back then Elijah. We all were.”

  “That wasn’t an answer,” he said.

  “Sure it was.” She winked and sipped her own coffee. “Oh don’t pout. You aren’t an evil or malicious man, Eli. Death is sometimes the only viable option.” She said without emotion. Eli stared at her for a long time, a smile starting to form on his lips.

  “Tell me,” he said, “What are we going to do about you?” She lifted a brow.

  “What about me? I’m great. Look at me, I’m fabulous. I have excellent genetics,” she said.

  “I mean, how we are going to explain you and the absence of grandmother Grace? No one is going to believe you’re my daughter. We look to close in age.” He sipped his coffee and bit into his sandwich, suddenly aware of how hungry he was. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten. She waved a hand dismissively.

  “It’s already handled.” She sighed, obviously proud of herself.

  “Really?” He asked around a mouth of bread, ham and cheese.

  “You see, I am Gracie Cain, little sister. Grace Babineaux, grandmother, passed away peacefully in her sleep last night after a long battle with cancer the night of her annual Thanksgiving dinner. I returned home from New York to help my big brother grieve. I was sent to live with relatives when our parents died, and after burying Grandma Grace, in two days, I will decide to stay. The obituary runs tomorrow.” He was duly impressed and it showed on his face.

  “Like I said, it’s been handled. Boogie and I have been at this for a very long time. I’ll get Boogie to put a protection spell on the house. You get some sleep. I have a feeling that it will get a little-difficult in the next few days.” She kissed his cheek before rising to remove their dishes.

  Difficult, he thought, that was the understatement of the century.

  ***

  “Hey baby,” Celeste said dreamily as Eli eased into the room. “Boogie gave me pain killers.” She slurred as Boogie chanted something low and rhythmic casting the room into a dim darkness.

  “She’s a little punch drunk, but she’ll be fine after some rest. She’ll need to sleep for a few days, her body has to recoup. No strenuous activities, Elijah.” Boogie leveled him with a stare that spoke volumes. “Make sure she drinks lots of water; blood will help her heal faster, your blood. That’s all you give her, Elijah. You keep that snake in your pants.” Boogie gave him a quick hug and kissed Celeste’s cheek before she left.

  Lisette had moved a chair to the side of the bed and held Celeste’s hand. It was obvious that she’d brushed her sister’s hair because now it hung past her shoulders in a neat braid. Lisette smiled tiredly at Eli.

  “I should get going, too.” She stood, stretching her tired limbs, her eyes on him the entire time. She watched with great interest as he leaned over Celeste and kissed her feverish forehead. Celeste managed a tired smile, before drifting off to sleep. It amazed Lisette, the ease in which they fell into a comfortable pattern. He wanted Celeste with him, and for the first time, her sister was comfortable sleeping in a man’s bed. They belonged, and she couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy.

  Eli felt it all.

  “You’re welcome to stay. I can sleep in my old bedroom; you’re more than welcome to sleep in here with-” She raised a hand to stop him.

  “It’s just enough that you offered. I will be staying with Gaston at the St. Charles house, he really wants to know that’s she’s okay. I can’t say the same for your house.” She smiled apologetically. “My brothers do love a fight.”

  “So I saw,” Eli agreed as he walked her down to the front door. Boogie and Grace peered at him from the kitchen door. When he looked at them, they scurried away like little mice tittering with laughter.

  “Thank Grace for calling us, Eli. Even though she’s older than us, she’s still our baby sister. And after meeting your family, I know you’ll take care of her. I can see why she loves you so much.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek.

  When she pulled away, Eli received a spark of sexual energy from Lisette. She openly stared at him, her mind racing through scenarios in which she would see him again. There was something about him she wanted; she wanted to be alone with him. She wanted to belong to him.

  Seemingly embarrassed by her own thoughts, she averted her gaze and her cheeks flushed. There was something about him she found irresistible, and she was ashamed of herself for lusting, albeit briefly, after her sister’s boyfriend. She glanced at him again, and he could see that she really didn’t care that he was with Celeste or that she was engaged. She wanted him. He stared at her uncomfortably, and she gave him a weak smile, remembering that he could read her mind.

  “So I will be seeing you again soon? The both of you, I mean.” She smiled nervously, taking a step away from him. Eli thought that Lisette was more than pretty, in that moment, she was beautiful and deceitful, a dangerous combination. He had an uneasy feeling about Lisette, even though she exuded lust there was something else, something beneath the surface that made his skin crawl. She wasn’t what she portrayed herself to be, he realized. He waved goodbye as she backed down the front steps and stumbled to her car.

  Be wary of pretty little birds, he thought.

  He watched her car turn a corner, before he went back inside, securing all of the locks and turning on the security system. He knew that it was an exercise in futility, the house was protected. Grace had assured him; they would be safe here for as long as Boogie’s protection spell was in place. Knowing Boogie as well as he did, he knew that would be for a very long time. Finally, he trudged upstairs, too exhausted to think anymore.

  Celeste was half asleep, her freshly bandaged arm on a pillow. She lay on her back, her eyes closed, and her chest rising and falling gently in sleep. He smiled at her for a moment, before sliding beneath the covers next to her. She moaned and turned to nestle her head on his chest.

  “Boogie says you should drink from me.” He put his wrist near her mouth and she managed to bite, sucking weakly for a moment, before she had no energy to continue. His reaction was instant; his body had a mind of its own.

  “Drink,” he growled, his erection pushed into her lower belly, his fangs brushing her neck.

  “Too tired,” she whispered and drifted off, her head snuggled into the crook of his arm. He sighed, letting his own heavy lids close.

  In a matter of days his whole world had turned inside out and upside down. He had a feeling that in the days to come things would only get harder. There were battles being waged and wars being planned, things that had been set into motion from the moment Nicky Sky had taken his last breath.

  Celeste stirred, nuzzling closer to him, her bandaged arm, resting on his chest. He kissed the top of her head and listened as Boogie and Grace spoke in hushed tones. Boogie was chanting a protection spell, the scent of burning herbs filling the house. He drew Celeste closer, after a few minutes; he too drifted off into an exhausted sleep.

>   Tonight, he yawned, they would rest. Tomorrow’s battles would come soon enough.

  ***

  Before she found him, she loved another,

  Before she met him, she was already his...

  Discover Celeste’s story

  Coming in August 2016

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  About the Author

  By the time I reached middle school, I’d developed a love of writing, creating my own teen based series that passed around school in colorful spiral notebooks. I am the single mother to a teen daughter, have a full-time job and college senior. So between Lupus flairs and the ongoing saga of 7th grade, I write. Yes, while mortals sleep, I dwell in a world of dangerous women, mythological supermen, sexy supernatural mayhem and all things in between. And yes, I am Wonder Woman.

  Recently, my short story Serenity was featured in the Women in Horror Annual Anthology. I am a member of the RWA and the Southern Louisiana Chapter of the RWA.. In 2013,I completed my first novel, The First to Fall, the first in the Fallen series. I recently completed the second book in the series, Mark of the Fallen.

  Tanisha D Jones, Author of The Fallen Series, Urban Fantasy, Sci-Fi , Horror and Paranormal Romance

  Read more at Tanisha D. Jones’s site.