Wilton Grey

Wilton Grey—"Will" to his friends—is one of the major supporting characters in The Book of Falling by Rob Pegler.

Sixteen years of age, Will was born with a strong affinity for magic, apparently inherited from his father Cyrus. Not much is known about Cyrus Grey and his activities, except that he vanished ten years ago under unexplained circumstances, and is presumed dead. Will has always maintained that his father is still alive, and actually managed to travel though a portal to another world.

Growing up with his overworked mother and three older step-sisters, Will became what his teachers referred to as a "troubled boy." Taking up his father's interest in the occult, Will began to find ways to utilize his unusual talents, learning several simple defensive spells to keep the bullies off his back. His occult activities amounted to little more than innocent teenage dabbling until he stumbled across one of the few surviving copies of the Occulo Dominatus, and his hobby took a more serious turn. Working more and more powerful magicks, Will finally became convinced that he could breach the gulf between worlds, and finally discover the fate of his father. Unable to control the powerful energies he was unleashing, Will made a connection with something else entirely, and sparked off what has become known in occult circles as "the Downsfield Incident."

After the matter was resolved, Will was expelled from Downsfield High School and placed under a court order to refrain from any occult-related activities until his eighteenth birthday. Unable to enrol at another school, and with his home situation becoming increasingly strained, Will found a mentor in Meliad, who agreed to become his legal guardian and academic tutor. Mel had an ulterior motive, being more concerned with teaching Will to control his dangerous and ever-growing power than with his grades. After some initial teething problems, Mel took steps to ensure that Will's talents are properly contained.

Will's apparent importance has recently been highlighted by his experience with Molech and the Filth.

Will first featured in the story "Shades of Grey", and has subsequently appeared in "Learning to Walk", "Agenda", "Gravity Always Wins" and "Molech and the Filth."