Steal Me From Heaven

by Crawford, Toni

  “I killed the King,” Jacob continued, “thanks in part to you stabbing him, and then I turned to Merlin. He begged for his life. He said he was finally free from tyranny. He gave me the hair and blood that they stole from you. I gave him his life. You were under an anti-aging spell up until then. I followed your smell to the waterfall. Men were chasing us, but I could easily outrun them. When I caught you, we jumped. You were injured. I gave you my blood but could not heal the wound in the water. You bled out, but not enough to kill you. I knew I had to turn you.” He shudders against my teeth. “Please, Marion, retract your hold on me. I have loved you for over fifteen hundred years. Remember me.”

  I summon the poison back into my fangs. What he speaks is the truth. I can feel it. I may not go by Guinevere anymore, but I know I am her. He is my Lancelot, and he is my Jacob. I am his Marion, his Vampire bride. I am dead now; I will wake tomorrow with a new heart, a different heart, one that belongs to my husband. I sleep knowing that I am his forever.

  Chapter 3

  I wake up at sunset the following night alone in bed. After putting on my white silk robe, I walk over and slide the doors open to the sitting room. I sit down on the couch and stare around at the room.

  Jacob walks back into the bedroom and turns his head towards me. Come. I do not hesitate at his command even though I feel like I am being ordered like a dog. I turn to close the doors behind me when they slam shut on their own. When I look back at Jacob, he is standing face to face with me. He is not dressed. I back up until the doors are molded into my spine. He advances. He tells me I should run. Then his features start to harden more than I’ve seen before. His eyes widen and appear darker than I’ve seen before. Next his teeth lengthen to almost two inches long. He lets out a primal yell. His bulging neck and shoulder muscles ripple under his skin. I fear him, and I fear that he hasn’t shown me the truth about what I have become. My ears are pounding as he silences his scream.

  “I thought I told you to run,” he grunts at me. I knee him in the groin and spin to the right. In the blink of an eye, I am standing behind the chair. He leaps towards me. I jump and find myself on the ceiling holding onto the wooden crossbeam. He looks up at me and smiles. What game is he playing? I look at the open window, and I think to jump through it. He is getting ready to pounce. I make my move towards the night sky. He sees me, but it is too late. I soar out the window and fall. I hear him shouting as I see the ground fast approaching. I feel a gust of air as his arms wrap around me. He cradles me against his chest as we land. I do not look into his eyes. He seeks out my lips but I turn away. He lets out another primal yell as I hear his bones cracking. I smell his blood as it fills my nostrils. I turn my head to his neck and bite him. I close my eyes. The blood is making my head swim. I feel like I am flying on a current of bliss. I open my eyes and see large black wings above Jacob’s head. We are rising above the ground. I release my fangs and lick the remaining blood from my lips. I do not want to drink too much and cause him to falter in his flight. He does not look at me. I now know how he feels when I act like a child and pout. He flies across the estate just above the tree line.

  When we get to a large pool of water, he takes care in landing. My legs are released, and they fall to the grass. I look into his eyes and see that they are large and dark, with glimmers of light reflecting like a cat. He spreads his wings above our heads and folds them inward towards the center of his back. I hear his bones breaking, and he grimaces with discomfort. I walk around him and look. All I see are two red lines of blood trailing down his shoulder blades. I lick them. He arches his back as my tongue moves across his flesh.

  “If I wasn’t already in the process of transforming, you would have hit the ground,” he tells me. “The change takes time to complete. I expect you should be able to do this soon. I wanted to show you another lesson. Number six; you can jump and land from great distances. Number seven; you can fly in time.”

  “You scared me and told me to run. Really, you should get better teaching skills. At least let me know when school is in session.”

  “I opened the window. I wanted you to jump. I thought the free fall would make you transform. When I saw that you panicked, I jumped after you.”

  “Why wouldn’t I panic? No one told me we could fly.”

  “Then you must have thought about it or you wouldn’t have jumped to start with. That’s your instinct. Listen to it.” He is standing over me pointing his finger into my sternum. Then he spreads his fingers out until his palm lays flat against my cleavage. Rising higher towards my throat, his hand grips my neck and turns my head to the side. He takes his other hand and pulls down my white robe exposing my bare shoulder. He kisses me softly on my collarbone before piercing my flesh with his teeth. I moan and slither in his arms. My robe falls to the grass, and he takes me down with it. We are on our knees, and he is still suckling on my neck, but he is drawing my blood out very slowly. He lifts me up until I straddle his thighs as he leans back so his groin is positioned for entry. I exhale as he slides me down onto his solid stick. I rock against his flesh as it probes deep within me. The night air is cool against my bare flesh. I look up through the trees and see the stars shimmering above us, the moon reflecting off the water as it makes a radiant glow streaming towards us as we make love. I close my eyes and lower my mouth to his neck. I drink from him as he drinks from me. I have never felt this satisfied. We climax together, our bodies convulsing as we hold onto each other.

  His hand entangles in my hair, and I feel as though he is combing it with his fingers. He gathers it to one side and places it across my shoulder. I move away from him and break his love hold on me. He hisses.

  “We need to talk,” I say to him. “I love having sex with you, don’t get me wrong, but it seems like that is all we do.”

  “I have been without you for so long,” he starts to explain. I—”

  “Please, don’t interrupt me. Let me finish. You have all these memories, and I have but a few. I feel like that is all I am good for. I need to be romanced, need to feel like a woman, a friend, and then a lover. I want your heart, mind, and body. I hope you want more than my body as well.”

  He closes his eyes as I finish speaking. “I am sorry that I have treated you this way and made you feel like I didn’t love you. I will do better.” He takes me back to our bedroom. “My lady, I take leave of you now. Call if you need a drink. I will pick you up tomorrow night at nine. Until then, farewell.” He steps forward and kisses me on the cheek. I start to open my mouth to say something, but I remain silent. I watch him go to the closet, get dressed, and pack a bag. He leaves without saying another word to me. Our eyes meet as he bows his head to me, and then he closes the double doors to the sitting room. I am alone. I start to cry.

  I page Jessica to see if she wants to come over. She arrives five minutes later. I am slumped on the couch in the sitting room. Taking one look at me, she rushes over and asks me what is wrong.

  “I’m afraid I have offended him,” I say. “I told him that I should be more than an easy lay for him and that he should romance me. All we were doing was having sex. It’s great and all but I need a break. I want to experience things and see new things. I don’t know this world that I am living in. The technology alone is daunting. I am catching on very quickly. Some things seem familiar to me; others Jacob explains in my mind as I look at it, and still there are things that I have never seen or he doesn’t explain. The only places that I have been are in this bedroom, your bedroom, and the dungeon. I saw how big this house was when we were flying around the grounds.”

  “Shush. Don’t talk of flying. Not many Vampires can do it. No one around here knows that we can, Jacob and I, and soon you will join us when you are stronger.”

  “But how can I when I am not old in Vampire years?” I ask.

  “Because he created you, he made you his bride, and he chose to give you his powers. Most of the others that he created do not share in his gift, only a select few,” she says. “What di
d Jacob say when he left?”

  “He will pick me up at nine tomorrow night,” I explain.

  “Then I guess it’s a date. Wear something nice. I can fix your hair and makeup if you wish,” she offers. I accept graciously.

  “You knew who I was, didn’t you?” I ask her.

  “Yes, I knew he found you and stole you back from King Arthur. I knew he had you hidden away during your deep sleep. I was the one who suggested that he give you some of his blood, knowing the healing qualities in it.”

  “But how did Arthur find me once I had awakened?” I cannot understand that.

  “I do not know. Jacob thought it was because of Merlin, but I think we have a traitor among us. How else would they know how to get to you and make their escape?” Jessica has a point.

  We talk about Jacob some more, and I tell Jessica that I am getting hungry. She tells me that it is just my hormones, and that I should lie down. Morning is coming soon. She tells me good night. All I think of is Jacob, his body and his blood. I head over to the phone that I paged Jessica on earlier. I pick up the receiver and push a button that says ROOM SERVICE. I tell them that I would like Jacob to come feed me in my room. I do not know how else to do it. They tell me that it will be about fifteen minutes. I say thank you and hang up. I walk into the bathroom to make myself presentable. I am going to apologize to him and ask him to stay with me. He told me he wouldn’t leave me again, but here I am alone.

  There is a knock on the door several minutes later. I open it with a smile on my face, which immediately turns into a frown. Standing in front of me is a man in a suit with a silver tray holding a large wine goblet. Inside the glass, I smell Jacob’s blood. I take the glass and slam the door shut. I sink into the couch and hold the goblet to my nose. I swirl the blood inside as if it were a dark brandy. Raising his life source to my lips, I part for him to enter. I have never tasted him this way, but still I enjoy it. His liquid is still warm, having been newly bled out for me. He is serious about not wanting to see me. I savor every drop as it slides down my throat. I search in my mind for his thoughts that are always present deep within but I am met with only silence.

  I take several books down from a bookshelf in the sitting room. Opening the pages, I begin to read. I find that I am reading faster and faster as I go. The only thing slowing me down is turning the pages. The knowledge is endless. After finishing one book, I pick up another. I start to yawn.

  I leave the glass on the coffee table and walk over to the big bed alone. Daylight is breaking through the horizon. I look for the remote to close the blinds, but I cannot find it. I throw the covers off the bed as I frantically search. The sun is creeping across the fields and soon will be streaming through my windows. I walk over to the drapes but they are so tall and heavy that they do not budge. Light is now even with the floor of the room. My foot gets caught in the rays and starts to burn. I scream and run for the bathroom. I put my foot under the water, but my flesh just falls off.

  I notice the sun is reflecting in the bathroom mirror. I did not shut the door. I am trapped. I yell for Jacob. He does not come. My second day as a Vampire, and I will die. My energy soars. My mind echoes deep inside me. CLOSE. NOW. The blinds start closing and the darkness shadows over me. I am safe. My instincts do know what to do, just as he told me. I can move objects in my mind. That makes lesson number eight. I rise up from my crouched position and wonder where he must be. Why didn’t he come? Is he shutting me out?

  My foot is slow to heal without access to fresh blood. I am lucky that I just drank a glass or I would be worse off than I am. I head for the closet and put on some pajamas. I snuggle under the covers as my eyelids get heavy and close. I decide that I enjoy sleepwear very much. The darkness consumes me, and I drift off into nothingness.

  Nighttime comes around seven thirty. I open the blinds in the same manner in which I closed them this morning. It comes more naturally to me now. I rise from my slumber and head to take a bath. I see my peeled skin in the tub and decide a shower would be much better seeing how I am short on time anyway. When I am washed and dried, I walk into the closet to find an outfit for my date. Choosing a silk halter top dress, I put on my clothes as the door to the bedroom bursts open. Jacob is shouting something in another language. I hear Jessica’s panicked voice, and then I hear Rebecca saying that I must have perished in the morning sun. She heard screaming coming from my room. I am about to step out of the walk-in closet when I hear a gut-wrenching scream coming from the bathroom. I run towards the yell and embrace Jacob in my arms. He breathes in my scent and holds me still to his chest. He smells of expensive cologne and looks exquisite. My wet hair is messing up his jacket. I pull away to face him.

  He cups my face in his hands. “What happened?” he asks me. I look into his eyes and relay the story to only him so the others cannot hear. He then turns to me. “I’ll be right back.” He leaves me standing there alone in the bathroom. I have questions for him but perhaps when he returns. Realizing the time, I take out the blow-dryer and fix my hair. I decide to braid it in one long piece tucked over my right shoulder. A few strands are too short and fall to embrace my face. I decide to leave them down and not pin them back. I apply my makeup and head out into the bedroom. Jacob is sitting in the oversized chair. I must not have heard him come back. The remote to the blinds is lying on the now made-up bed.

  “I found this in Rebecca’s room. I will question her for what she has done to you. I am so sorry.” He finally looks up at me.

  “Where were you? I called for you. You did not come,” I ask him bluntly.

  “After I emptied some blood for you, I went to the dungeon to see Charles. I was in a different mindset and could not hear your requests. Again, I am sorry.” He rises from his seat and comes over to caress my face. I don’t know what I feel inside.

  “Did you shut me out because of what I said earlier?” I search his eyes for the answer and all I see is his love for me.

  “No, never, I had to go someplace dark, somewhere deep inside me for what I had to do in that dungeon. I couldn’t come out of it.” A flash enters my mind of what he did to Charles. I see silver instruments and blood, dark and inhuman, scattered about the cold stone floor. Charles is hanging in chains. He is disfigured and crying out in pain. My heart goes out for him, for Jacob. I know he loves Charles. I can end both their pain with a single word: Stop. Maybe, in time, I can free them both.

  “I hope our evening isn’t ruined. I have many things planned for us tonight,” he tells me as he scoops up my black sweater. “You may need this, but I will wait until then. I really like your dress the way it is.”

  “You just like that I don’t have on a bra,” I say before realizing how rude that must sound. “I’m sorry.” I blush.

  “Don’t be. You’re right. I can’t help what I am,” he says as he leads me out the door and down the hall. “There are still visitors here, but don’t worry, I won’t let you attack them.”

  “Thanks.” I look around the massive hall at the décor and the paintings. He takes me to a hidden door and it opens automatically. We are greeted by a servant who leads us down some steps and into a guest room. We wait until the coast is clear and cross the red velvet ropes. Mingling with the others who just entered the room, I am getting my first look at the tour of our mansion. He tells me that they have several tours a day, and in the fall and winter months, they have a night tour that showcases Christmas decorations and the massive fireplaces. It is now October, and the beginning of the holiday season. I wish we were alone so that I could get a more detailed explanation of what I am seeing. We make our way down the grand staircase. The scent of pine enters my nose, and I crinkle my face to it. It is too strong for my Vampire senses. Christmas music is being played by a small orchestra. We walk down a pathway of ropes from the dining hall. I see several large fireplaces, all lit except the one in the middle. It is the largest.

  “Why is that one not working?” I ask him.

  “I ordered the supply li
ne cut to it. It has never been lit. I may need to enter or exit in case of emergencies. I built it large enough for my wing span. There is even fake smoke coming out the chimney. Only I know the right one to enter from the roof; the rest lead to death,” he whispers to me. I look at his face in awe. He is a smart, cunning creature with many tricks up his sleeve. I should be quick to learn them.

  We are ushered through some doors that lead to a patio. No one is allowed out to follow us. The man closes the doors as a horse and buggy pull up onto the cobblestone out back. There are steps leading us down a walkway. He shows me a solid oak door with iron markings on it. It is hidden below the patio stonework.

  “This is the way into the dungeon. It is protected in the day by the sunlight and guarded by Vampires at night.”

  “How did you get here on that day?” I ask.

  “I flew from our window up there. Not many people know I can fly. My wings protected me somewhat.” He holds my hand as I enter the carriage. He takes his place by my side and the driver lightly taps the straps to the horses’ back. We lunge forward then settle into a nice pace. I shudder. He looks at me and hands me my sweater. He wraps me in his arm and pulls me into his chest. I lay the sweater across my lap.

  “Maybe you ought to put the sweater on. It’s getting a little chilly out.” He looks down at me. I feel as though he is groping me with his eyes.

  “You’re keeping me warm. I’m okay,” I say to him as I snuggle in deeper. The horses’ hooves click on the pavement, making a rhythmic dance sound echo into the night air. I love the smell of horses. I used to love riding them as well, I remember.