The Falling (Book I)

Fracture

William

I woke up in the early morning, the birds just beginning to stir. I sat up and a slender limb fell into my lap. Looking to my left, my lips quirked up seeing Mel's slumbering face. Her mouth was partially open and her eyes fluttered beneath her lids. Like all the times I looked at her, I marveled her small stature that made me feel so gangly. Carefully, I traced the new scar that bisected her face, swallowing around the fury when I recalled Lucifer turning on her with the whip.

I got up, mindful not to disturb her. She muttered incoherently in her sleep and snuggled into my pillow. I checked out my wounds and was relieved they were mostly healed before I went down to the kitchen.

"Hello, William."

I spun around at Luke's voice. He stood in the doorway with his arms crossed.

"Luke! I was not expecting you today." My body tensed as I stared at my brother's unreadable expression.

"I was nearby, so I decided to drop by. There is a demon in the Human World; it has been here for the last eight hours. You would not know anything about that, would you?"

I stared dumbly at him, trying to figure out just what to say. A knowing flicker in his eyes made me reconsider lying.

He added, "You have yet to tell me where you went. You get dodgy whenever I mention it or your injuries. Care to tell me why?"

Dread iced my insides and gripped my heart. I felt my Adam's apple bob as I swallowed. When I finally came up with a possibly viable excuse, Luke gestured to the ring hanging around my neck.

"What is that?" he inquired sharply.

My words died in my throat, my mouth opening and closing like a fish's. There was movement behind him and my eyes flicked to his right shoulder, where Mel was standing. She took a small half step back, her eyes filled with fear.

"William." My eyes snapped back to Luke, tapped his foot. "You are hiding something from me. What is that around your neck and where did you go for three days? Also, pray tell, why you were seen walking through the town with a demon a few days ago?"

That certainly caught me off guard. Genuine surprise seemed to help me as Luke seemed a little less certain. He still had yet to notice Melanie, who was nearing the stairs on cautious feet.

"How do you know it was me?" I nearly smacked myself for asking such an idiotic question. Luke looked like he was thinking the same thing.

"William, you are almost seven feet tall, you glow, and you have obnoxiously red hair. It certainly was not your father." His eyes suddenly widened and he appeared before me, grasping the ring.

Melanie had stopped retreating, her face now worried. Luke sniffed me and he snarled. "William, what were you thinking?! Is this demon the reason why you are so injured?!"

He punched me in the face and I staggered back against the counter, my mouth filling with blood. Healing wounds flared in pain. I flashed my eyes in warning at Melanie when she began to approach, her lip curled off her teeth.

"Well, now I am injured because you punched me! Luke, I can explain—she is not like the demons we have dealt with." I wiped the corner of my mouth.

He paused and stared at me incredulously. "Do you hear yourself? She has twisted your mind! Where is she?"

Before she could hide, he turned around. He was in front of her in a blink and she scrambled backward from him.

"Leave her alone, Luke!" I grabbed his arm before he could strike her.