The Fallen Read online

  The Fallen

  By

  Toni Goode

  The Seduction Series, Book One

  Chapter One

  The ground was cold and hard as she sat on it. She was listening for sounds, any sounds of life out there but it was quiet. Almost too quiet as she held the long dagger in her hand. She rubbed her thumb absentmindedly on the wooden handle. The letters NM were etched into it and she ran her fingers over it as memories swelled in her head.

  Thirteen Years Ago

  It was her thirteenth birthday when her father gave her the dagger. She hadn’t been like other girls who played with dolls or wore makeup. She was always a daddies girl and a tomboy even though her mother would make her wear a dress to go to Easter service at the church. She hated wearing those dresses and the second she got home she would rip it off. One year she actually ripped her dress while taking it off and she hid it in her closet for months so that her mother wouldn’t see. On this particular night she was anxiously awaiting her fathers arrival home. He had been out of town on business and she missed him terribly. He always brought something home for her and her brother Sam, but Sam was too young to even appreciate any gifts from their parents. He was half her age and at times she wished she was an only child. Sam could be a bit much most days and their mother babied him too much. Their father use to say that if he didn’t learn how to be a man now then he would never grow into one, but their mother thought that he was too young to worry about being a man right now. He was a child and she would let him be a child as long as he wanted. The world was too cold of a place to rush things like childhood. Natalie agreed with her father though, Sam needed to grow up. He would too and much sooner then either of them would have expected.

  The sound of the house door closing made Natalie jump up as she took off her headphones and she ran over to the front door. Her father stood with a tired smile on his face as she ran over to him. “Daddy! I’m so glad your home!” She said as she hugged him tight.

  “You know I would never miss your birthday.” He hugged her and then he pulled back and smiled at her. His blue eyes big and wide. “School ok this week?”

  “Yes, I got detention because Brian kept pulling at my hair and I punched him in the nose.” She said quickly, and he smirked.

  “Now I know you wouldn’t be condoning this behavior Charles.” Her mother Liz said with a shake of her head. Her blond curls bouncing around as she spoke. Sometimes she resembled a barbie doll especially when she wore her blue apron in the kitchen. Natalie and her barely saw eye to eye. Natalie knew that she resented the fact that Natalie didn’t wear dresses or ask her how to put on makeup. She would rather go hunting and fishing with her father. She liked to get dirty and she always had a skinned knee. She had broken six bones by the time she was ten, mostly from falling out of trees.

  “Absolutely not condoning Liz, I wouldn’t dream of it.” Charles smiled as he pushed back his long salt and pepper hair. Most times he kept it in a pony tail but times like these he looked like a rugged hippy especially when he grew his beard out. At only forty years old, he was greying quick, but Natalie felt like it gave him a fitting look. She loved her dad more than anyone in the world. Charles walked over to Liz and gave her a quick kiss. He kept his fingers crossed behind his back and Natalie couldn’t help but laugh some as Liz rolled her eyes.

  “Oldest trick in the book with the crossed fingers Charles.” Liz said with a shake of her head. “It’s really serious about the punching. The principal had to call me about it and he even said she is bullying other boys.”

  “What? Bullying? Principal Taylor is a chauvinistic ass!” Natalie said quickly as her mother looked at her.

  “And that language. Seriously Natalie, you will never get anywhere in life with that mouth.” Her mother snapped.

  “Go put a dollar in the swear jar.” Her father said as Natalie sighed. “But hurry up because I have something for you.” He added with a smile as Natalie ran into the kitchen and nearly knocked little Sam over.

  “Get out of my way you little twerp.” Natalie said as she ran past him.

  “Mom, Natalie is calling me a twerk again.” Sam said with a loud whiny voice.

  “It’s twerp son.” Charles said quickly. “ You look a foot taller since last week.”

  “He is growing like a weed. He has outgrown his third pair of sneakers this year.” Liz said with a shake of her head.

  “Well you sure look like it kiddo.” Charles patted the top of Sam’s brown hair. “Want to see what I got you buddy?”

  “Yes! Is it candy or a new remote-control car? I saw that Bobby down the street got a new one and he said it goes a hundred miles and hour!” Sam said with wide blue eyes.

  “Wow, a hundred. That’s pretty fast.” Charles grinned.

  “It doesn’t go a hundred you bird brain. Gosh you believe everything!” Natalie huffed as she came back it.

  “You’re a bird brain!” Sam pushed her, and she shoved him back.

  “Hey, cut it out you two. Get cleaned up for dinner.” Liz said quickly as Natalie huffed.

  “But.” Natalie said quickly but her father cut her off now.

  “Presents after dinner. Go wash up, both of you.” He said as he looked at them and Natalie sighed dramatically.

  “Good going butt head.” Natalie pushed Sam as she walked past him, and he yelled out and then ran after her, but she ran faster.

  “I really hate when you’re gone this long. It’s hard being here with the two of them alone. I swear Natalie hates me more and more every day.” Liz sighed.

  “She doesn’t hate you Liz.” Charles put his arm around her. “I got you something too by the way.”

  “Do I have to wait till after dinner?” She smirked at him and he grinned big.

  “Absolutely.” He laughed as he hugged her. “I’m glad to be home.”

  Their family dinners always consisted of her father telling stories about his customers. He was a traveling drug rep and he was constantly running into crazy characters. His stories were always so detailed, and they told of epic adventures. He made being a drug rep look like a dream job. Who knew that selling overactive bladder medication could be so exciting!

  Natalie always waited for his stories, she loved it as much as she loved spending the day with him. Sam always found a way to ruin dinner though whether it was over some food that he didn’t like or his constant whining. Natalie could barely tolerate him sometimes. They fought more than anything, but this night Natalie tried to hold back from fighting with him. Their father was finally home after being gone for a week and she really wanted to keep him in a good mood.

  By the time they were done eating they all made their way into the living room where Natalie waited patiently for her birthday gift from her father. He gave Sam his present first and Natalie was happy to get his out of the way that way he would run off and play and it would leave her more one on one time with their father. Charles had gotten Sam another hot wheels race track. Sam had ran off with it before barely saying thank you even though Liz yelled for him to not be rude.

  “Oh, he’s excited Liz, let him play.” Charles said as he handed a long rectangular box to Natalie. “And for the birthday girl.” He smiled as she looked at the long red box. It had a removable lid and Natalie could barely contain herself as she pulled the top off. Her eyes got wide as she looked at the long silver dagger. The blade was serrated and sharp. Her heart raced as she picked it up and looked at the Initials etched in it. NM for Natalie Matthews.

  “Now this is not a toy Natalie. It’s a big responsibility.” Her mother added before her father could. She was actually surprised that her mother wasn’t mad about the dagger.

  “Your mother is right. Definitely not a toy. It was handcrafted by a friend of mine.”
Charles smiled as Natalie kept looking at the dagger. It fit perfectly in her hand.

  “I love it. I love it so much!” Natalie said as she quickly hugged her father.

  Natalie ran her fingers of the jagged edges of the dagger. She had just sharpened it again that morning. All she had left of her father was that dagger. It was hard to think that it had already been thirteen years since she had lost both of her parents in horrible murder.

  It was that night that not only did she lose her parents but her and Sam lost everything. If it had not been for their Uncle Joe, then they would have been thrown in the foster system, but the foster system was the least of their worries because that fateful night they both learned what the world really consisted of. It was a dark, cold and unforgiving world full of monsters that did go bump in the night.

  Images of that night still haunted her even though she refused to speak of it to anyone. That night changed their lives forever. They were both forced to grow up quick.

  She had been sleeping in bed when the earth shattering scream woke her up from her dreams. At first, she almost thought that she was dreaming because it was quiet again but then she heard something loud, a crash perhaps.

  Natalie jumped out of bed now as Sam came barreling into her room. He was crying and carrying on as the sound of things crashing was heard again.

  “Get in the closet Sam and keep the door closed.” She said quickly as Sam continued to cry and shake his head. “God damn it Sam, in the closet!” She yelled now, and she dragged him by his arm and pushed him in the closet. The sound of her father yelling something made her heart race as she looked at Sam. “Stay.” She closed the door as Sam began to protest but she didn’t listen to him as she quickly ran out of her room and into the hallway.

  The sounds that came from downstairs quickly came to a halt as Natalie began to make her way down the stairs. She immediately saw the large potted plant that was in the foyer had been turned on it’s side and dirt was all over the floor.

  She was too scared to speak as she walked into the living room. It was so cold. Her arms trembled. Her eyes took in the damage that was done. The tables were over turned. The television was broken. A picture hung crookedly on the wall. Her mind couldn’t make sense of what she was seeing and then she heard a sound behind the couch. It was then that she saw something red all over the floor. She walked closer to the couch. Realization began to fill her head as she saw that the red stuff was blood. A lot of blood.

  She couldn’t speak as she walked around the back of the couch and she saw her mother laying lifelessly on the ground. Her neck grotesquely ripped open as she gasped and backed up. The blood on the floor made her slip as she covered her mouth. Tears falling now as she stood in shock. Her mother was dead. Her eyes stared lifelessly up at the ceiling. Natalie backed up more and then she heard her father’s voice and she turned to look into the dining room.

  He was laying on his stomach, his hand out stretched towards her. Blood everywhere as he made an awful gurgling sound. Natalie screamed now as she went to run at him, but a tall blonde-haired man stepped into the door way. He looked nearly seven feet tall to her. His eyes were red. He looked like a demon. He had blood on his face and his clothes. It was everywhere.

  Natalie screamed again as he smiled at her. She spun and ran towards the stairs. She could hear him laughing. She ran as she cried. She got up the stairs and to her room where she ran right into a startled Sam who was crying nonstop.

  Natalie didn’t know what to do, she grabbed his hand and ran to her bedroom window. She tried to calm herself for him. She had to. “Sam, we have to go. Were going to jump down ok.” She said as her hands trembled.

  “Where’s mommy and daddy?” Sam cried as he looked at her and then he looked at her feet. “What’s on your feet Natty?” He said with tears.

  “It’s nothing Sam. Don’t look at my feet ok. Were going to jump. We have to jump.” Natalie said as she pushed the window open all the way. The sound of footsteps made her turn to her bedroom door. She ran to it and slammed it closed. She locked it. “Sam now we have to go.” She said frantically as someone shook the handle on the door.

  Sam let out a high-pitched scream and Natalie grabbed both of his arms as she shook him. “Sam, I need you to be a big boy ok. Were going to jump on the count of 3.” She began.

  Sam shook his head at her. “Natty I’m scared. Is that a monster?” He said as he looked at the door as someone shook the handle more violently now. Natalie didn’t wait another second as she grabbed Sam and pushed him towards the window. He began to cry louder, and she knew they had to get out of there. She grabbed him, and she began to climb out the window. They were only on the second floor. She had jumped from there before but now it was dark, and she couldn’t quite make out the bushes below not to mention Sam was freaking out and trying to run from her.

  The bedroom door swung open hard as Natalie looked at the red eyed man. Sam screamed, and she didn’t hesitate to jump with him. They landed hard on the ground. Her ankle immediately twisted as she cried out in pain. Sam was unhurt, but he cried as though he was being tortured. The neighbors light came on and Natalie ran over to their house. Even with her twisted ankle she ran. She didn’t look back. They never looked back.

  Natalie felt the familiar sting of ice cold air chilling her bare arms. She sat completely motionless on the ground, her back to a large oak tree. She focused on the faint sound coming from her right. She had been trained to hear these sounds. Sounds that most people wouldn’t think twice about but she knew better. She knew what lurked at night.

  She waited another second before jumping to her feet and spinning around as she flung her dagger through the night sky. It flew until it hit flesh and bone. The skull to be exact. Standing before her was a rogue vampire that had been feeding on the citizens freely, an act that was not only forbidden but illegal according the National Supernatural Defense Team.

  The vampire screeched loudly before exploding into the dust as her knife fell to the ground. She walked over nonchalantly and picked it off the ground. At least now there was one less of those bastards out there. The world was full of supernatural beings. Most of them stayed in line and kept themselves hidden from the public eye but occasionally one would test the boundaries. That would be a grave mistake because in this world there was no second chances. You either follow the rules or you become an example.

  Natalie wiped the blade on her jeans as she stood there but the sound of something breathing heavy behind her made her spin around. Before she could even react, another crazy looking vampire grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up. Most people would panic in that situation, but it only pissed Natalie off more as she used the dagger to stab the bastard in the chest as she began to slice upwards. Her blade got stuck in between the ribs as she yanked her hand violently. Her need for air becoming somewhat of an issue but then a shot rang out and the head exploded with the rest of the body as Natalie fell to the ground with a grunt.

  Standing behind the flume of vampire dust was a guy by the name of James, one of her exes.

  “God damn it James, I had this!” She snapped angrily as she got back to her feet.

  “Didn’t look that way to me. One more second and you would have a broken neck.” James said as he ran a hand through his short-cropped hair. “But hey, your welcome.” He said sarcastically.

  “I didn’t need your help.” Natalie huffed angrily as she went to walk past him. He reached out and grabbed her wrist. She yanked it back.

  “Oh, come on Nat, don’t be like that. I was just helping out.” James said loud but she kept walking as she flipped him her middle finger.

  The world was a crazy place these days. Vampires were just the tip of the crazy supernatural world. Werewolves, shifters, demons and witches. The world was becoming a melting pot of evil beings though her boss who happened to be her Uncle Joe kept trying to reinforce the peace treaty to her.

  Basically, the supernatural world had rules to follow and when tho
se rules were broken that is when Natalie’s elite team of ass kickers came into play. They were all members of the National Supernatural Defense Team, an army that was made by United Nations back in the early 1900’s. They worked closely with the government and with the supernatural leaders. It was a tight knit unit though Natalie could barely stand the sight of any of them. She didn’t care if they claim to be good or follow the rules, she knew better. It would only be a matter of time before one of the supernatural groups decides on anarchy and when that day happened she would be ready.

  It was when she was thirteen that she had learned of what the world had become. Her Uncle Joe had educated her and her brother Sam on the ways of the world. Her parents had been part of the elite team as well and their service to that group had ultimately cost their lives. A brave sacrifice her Uncle Joe would say but Natalie didn’t see it like that. It was stupid and naïve to think that anyone could control groups of supernatural beings. The thing that killed her parents had been a demon and she had hunted for him but to no avail. Rumor had it that he was a top demonic leader and that her father had gone too deep into his world. It cost her parents their lives. She would not rest until that demon was dead and gone.

  “Nat can you hold up.” James said as he continued to run up to her. It had been nearly six months since she had called things off with him. At first it had been one hell of a relationship and the sex was amazing, but he became clingy like the rest of the men she had been with over the years. She didn’t like the clingy type. She was a free spirit. She didn’t want to be held down and she sure as hell didn’t want someone fighting her battles for her. She fixed her pony tail that held her black hair as she got to her motorcycle. “Jesus Nat can you just give me a second.” James said as he got up to her.

  “I’m not in the mood James. Why are you even here?” She snapped angrily at him. He didn’t answer right away, and she huffed. “He sent you to watch after me? This is bullshit.” She said as she got onto her motorcycle. She loved her Uncle but at times he would piss her off. Like now for instance, occasionally he would send someone to watch her when she was on the field. She hated that he still felt like she couldn’t handle herself. She had over a hundred kills under her belt, way higher than any of the others.