Read Online Fall From Grace by Ciara Knight - Free Book Online Page A

demon? What
choice did he have? He couldn’t go back in and say he felt better.
It would be too suspicious.
    His phone buzzed at his side, and to his
relief, Boon texted back he’d keep an eye on Gaby. If anyone could
handle things, it was Boon. He’d fill him in more after school, but
for now he needed to talk to Grace.
    The gravel spun up under his tires as he
pulled out onto Old Highway Nine. Not too many cars on the road
during the day so he sped home in a matter of minutes. The thought
of leaving Gaby behind still gnawed at him.
    He stopped by the side of the house and
jumped out, taking two steps at a time up the front porch. “Mom!”
He swung the door open and heard a dish shatter.
    “In here.”
    Alexander maneuvered around the dining room
table and into the kitchen to find Grace on her hands and knees
cleaning up a broken dish. “Sorry, did I startle you?” Wait, she
should have sensed he was there. “Grace?”
    Grace gave a warm smile. “It’s alright, son.
Just a dish.”
    “That’s not it. Why didn’t you know I was
here?”
    Grace patted his hand. “No worries, this
happens. My human frame will age, and some of my angelic abilities
get a little spotty.”
    “But you were so powerful the other day.”
Alexander flashed back to her single handedly putting out the fire
and restoring the Earth. He helped her up from the floor and picked
up the remaining ceramic chards.
    “Yes, I’m still gaining strength. It’s just
I have some episodes. Think of it as angel dementia.” She chuckled,
but Alexander didn’t see the humor in it.
    “Don’t worry. I’ve still got a few years
left in this body. Trust me, last time I lived into my 90s.” She
sat down on one of the kitchen stools and steepled her fingers.
“Now, tell me what is troubling you.”
    He tossed the broken dish in the trashcan
under the sink then leaned over the counter. “Something happened at
school. I think The Prim, I mean Principal Mastema, is a
demon.”
    Grace held up a hand. “Wait a minute. That’s
a big accusation. What makes you think that?”
    “I overheard her telling Avery to remember
what she had to do to Gaby. I sensed terror from Avery. Something
wasn’t right.”
    Grace pressed her lips together. “Hmm, well
that doesn’t mean she is a demon. Did you smell or sense
something?”
    “Her perfume was so overpowering I’m
thinking she used it to mask her demon stench. Also, I didn’t sense
anything, nothing. If she was human I’d be able to feel something
from her.”
    Grace gave a forced smile. “Alex, she could
just wear strong perfume. As for sensing something, you could have
been distracted. Avery’s terror would have been strong; sometimes
dominant human emotion will block anything else.”
    “But even after Avery left, I felt nothing.”
Alexander gripped the countertop to steady himself. All he wanted
to do was march into the high school, grab Gaby, and whisk her away
to safety.
    “Naturally your thoughts would have been on
Gaby. We both know when it comes to her, you have some difficulty
filtering your emotions.” Grace reached out and patted his
hand.
    “We need to protect her.” Alexander pulled
his hand away and paced the room. “Grace, trust me, she isn’t
human.”
    Silence filled the room and Alexander waited
for her argument, but it didn’t come. He finally turned to find
Grace rubbing her forehead, hunched over the counter. “Tell you
what, I’ll pay Principal Mastema a visit later. If you feel that
strongly about it, I think we should be cautious.”
    “Won’t that make her suspicious?”
    “No, she’s called to express her concerns
about Bruce and his condition. I need to go reassure her that he is
well, or it could be a real problem. She mentioned involving social
services, and the last thing we need is someone investigating and
agitating Gaby.”
    Memories of the fire flashed in his mind.
“Mom, how dangerous are Gaby’s powers?”
    “If we don’t find a way to keep her