The Light and Fallen by Anna White Read Free Book Online Page A

"So you're older and
wiser now?" he mocked. "Here I was thinking we were the same
age."
    "It's not about age," she snapped. "It's
about you! You're reckless, just like you always have been." She
snatched the glass out of his hand and slid it away from him. "I
thought you would age better, but clearly I was wrong."
    Jack slammed his palms onto the counter and
leaned into Desiree until he was so close her hair brushed against
his cheek. "I am better!" he snapped.
    He closed his eyes as he tried to compose
himself, then rocked back on his heels. "I'm the best. No one can
track the Light like me."
    "I know." Desiree slid off her stool and
sauntered around the granite island, trailing her fingertips over
its smooth surface. She was wearing a short black sheath with
strategically placed ruffles that drew his eyes down her body to
her long, toned legs.
    "You're here because you are the best." She
stopped in front of Jack and placed her hands on his shoulders.
With the height of her heels he was able to look straight into her
smoldering eyes. "But just because you're the best doesn't mean you
cannot fail."
    She slid her hands slowly over his biceps and
down his forearms without breaking her gaze, and his pulse
quickened as his body responded to her touch. She shifted closer to
him and her breath tickled his lips. "We're so close," she
whispered. "Finally, after all this time. All you need to do is
focus. Find out what he's doing here and stop him."
     
     
     

Chapter 20
     
     
    Lucian wished he could know for sure who was
human. Not having a way to tell was so inconvenient. Jack had been
strong. Almost too strong. Was he human, or one of the Host? And if
he was one of the Host, which side was he on?
    He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he
drove past Duncan and Sofia's house twice. He was making his third
trip around the block when Duncan stepped out onto the front porch
and waved him in.
    As he turned into the gravel drive he was
struck by how out of place the house looked. All the surrounding
houses were made of light colored brick, had extremely green grass,
and sat close to the road. Duncan and Sofia's farmhouse, in
contrast, had a sprawling front yard blanketed with moss and ferns.
The house wasn't large, but it was graced with an expansive porch
overflowing with chairs and pots of vibrantly colored flowers.
    Duncan jogged down the steps as Lucian parked
the truck under the spreading branches of a large oak tree that
dominated the front yard. "Come on inside," he said. "Sofia saved
you a plate." He clapped a beefy hand on Lucian's shoulder and
guided him up the front steps and through the screen door.
    "In the kitchen," Sofia called. She was
placing a steaming bowl of stew on a scarred table large enough to
feed at least twelve when Lucian entered. He fell into the nearest
chair, suddenly exhausted and ravenous, and realized that he hadn't
eaten all day. He couldn't identify the chunks in the stew, but it
smelled delicious, and he shoved a hot spoonful into his mouth.
    "Slow down," Sofia urged him. "It's not going
to disappear."
    She poured herself a glass of water and sat
down across the table, and Duncan joined her with a slab of
chocolate cake and a pitcher of milk. He knew they wanted to ask
about his day, but they both seemed content to wait.
    He was struck again by their quiet harmony.
They seemed perfectly matched, but there could be few couples on
Earth that looked like they belonged together less. Duncan was six
foot seven with the broad build of a linebacker, dark hooded eyes,
and a large bald head. His ebony skin stretched taut over muscles
that bulged from places most people didn't even know they had.
Sofia was tall too, only a few inches shorter than Lucian, willowy
and slender. She wasn't overtly muscular like Duncan was, but he
knew she was strong. Her every movement exuded a deep sense of
serenity.
    When Lucian looked up again, his bowl was
empty. Sofia carried it across the kitchen to a heavy enamel