“We both know that this isn’t over,” my Angel says to Jacob. I think he is talking about me.
“Where is she banished to?” Jacob asks him.
She? Who is he talking about?
“If we are struck down, we are to be punished accordingly. We are sent to Purgatory. Demons are sent to the gates of Hell and have to claw their way back out. Once free, some are reformed and able to stay here on Earth, others are forever wicked. If they do not change then the Abyss waits for them where they are ruled by Apollyon. Most Angels are given a penance that they have to pay before they can return. If an Angel’s crimes are severe then they too can find themselves in Hell or the Abyss.”
“What are you talking about?” I look at both men.
Malachi stares at me. “Your husband’s wife, Deborah, is not dead, and when she returns to this realm, she will retake her place by his side. He can take it to the committee, of course, but they take their sweet time making decisions, sometimes decades even. As of now,” he says, addressing Jacob, “Marion is your wife by law. You know that you cannot protect her from Deborah, only I can. You have relinquished the only one capable of sending your Angel to her death for good and that is Charles, your Demon. I told you to think of your actions.”
I pull my hand free from Jacob and place it over my mouth. Jacob starts pacing the floor in front of us. The situation is dire. “How long until you make her yours?” Jacob asks.
“What? Jacob, no, I am not leaving you.” I run over to him and wrap my arms around his bloody and bruised body. His stains soak into Malachi’s jacket.
“That is your intention. Am I correct in saying so?” Jacob asks him.
“Yes,” Malachi answers. “But I cannot marry her. I can better protect her if we are coupled. No Angel, Demon, or Vampire can harm her. Deborah has been in her penance for several decades. I do not know when her sentence is served. I was there only once, when I first fell from grace. My banishment was for five hundred years, but my crime was much more severe. I will leave you two in peace. When she breaks into this world, I will know it. I will come for Marion. Until then, cherish her. She is too good for your black soul.”
I do not say goodbye to Malachi. I do not leave Jacob’s side. I watch as he places his daggers carefully back into their positions in his wings and then goes up to Jacob. Jacob extends his hand. Malachi accepts the peace offering.
“Thank you for your Guardianship. You did not take advantage of her even though you easily could have. I know you have loved her for over fifteen hundred years, but so have I. Never leave her, even now. Please stay.”
Malachi pauses before speaking. “I cannot stay and take a front row view of your love for each other. Maybe I could bear it before, but not after I have drunk her blood and she has drunk mine, not after I have held her body and have tasted her sweet kisses. Not even an Angel could survive such torture that you ask of me now.”
“Please stay. I beg you not to go.” I feel torn inside.
“Our time will come. It has been foretold. If you order me to stay, then I will obey.” His eyes were pleading with me to let him go.
“Will you know if I am in trouble?” I ask.
“Always,” he says, reminding me of the word he used to say he loved me. “Now that I have had your blood.”
“Will you come for me?” I ask, wanting him to repeat his previous answer.
“Always.” I like to hear him say it. I close my eyes, trying to hold in my tears. I will grieve for him, but when I am alone. He comes forward and kisses my lips as Jacob stands beside me. His fingers brush my hair away from my face. I kiss him back.
“Then Malachi, I release you. Go in peace.” To my surprise Jacob remains silent. We watch as he leaves through the same way we came in, the chimney. I do not know when I will see him again, but I know this is for the best. Jacob believes that I am drawn to him because he is my Guardian, the protector of my soul. I know otherwise. I love him.
Chapter 5
I feel a great sadness descend upon me as Malachi flies further away, distancing himself and severing our bond. I will grieve for him later. I feel fingers rubbing up and down my spine. Jacob.
“I’m afraid we will have to stay down here today. It seems we are trapped by the sun once again. I have sent for Nadia to bring me a couple of humans to drink. I should be back to normal by tonight. I’m sorry our first date turned out so bad. I will do better.”
“Well, all things considered, there’s nowhere to go but up.” Our first date consisted of me almost having sex with a human as I drank his blood, falling in love with my Guardian, Jacob groping a woman in front of me before being tortured and almost killed by Charles, discovering his first Vampire wife is still alive and when she returns, our marriage will be over, and Jacob banishing his Demon, who was the only one who could help us. We are both without protectors.
“Does this dungeon have a bedroom and bathroom?” I ask, looking around.
“No, unfortunately, this one is for torturing,” he informs me. I do not ask how often he uses it.
I spot the water hose on the floor and laugh. “My turn,” I say as I walk over there and turn on the spigot. I run my fingers under the ice cold nozzle. It is as cold as I remember. I motion for Jacob to come to me. He hesitates before he takes his first step.
“You’re going to love paying me back,” he says as I lay the hose down and work on unfastening his jeans. I slide them down his thighs. He removes my jacket and throws it on the floor. I tell him that there is no point taking off my clothes because I don’t plan to get wet. He just smiles at the comment. He leans in to kiss me but stops. “Your breath smells like the sea.” I know he is referring to Malachi.
“I’m sorry. I am drawn to him. I cannot hide it, and I do not wish to.”
“It’s all right, love. You have only been a Vampire for less than a week. I told you that we are very sexual creatures. Frankly, the fact that you haven’t assaulted every man, Vampire, Demon, or Angel on the premises surprises me.” I do not tell him that my feelings for Malachi go deeper than just lust.
“What will happen when she returns for you?” I ask.
“I’m working on a plan,” he says to me.
“What?” I ask.
“I have to work out the details, but it is better if you do not know. Leave it to me.”
I pick up the hose and trickle the water down his body. He does not shiver or step back. The blood turns liquid again as it flows down his legs. I run my hands across his broad chest and try to wash away some of his pain. I see scars stretched across his flesh but no wounds remain. They will heal completely once he feeds. He unties my halter top and it hangs to my waist. With his hands he pushes the dress past my hips and it falls to a heap of fabric in the red pool at our feet.
I am left standing only in my black thong and he is naked when the door opens at the top of the stairs. I squint against the bright sun streaming into the dark room. Two women enter. Jacob tells them to take a seat and face the wall. He will be with them in a moment. He tries to grab the hose from my hands, and I struggle with him but lose. Suddenly, I feel my nipples constricting to even tighter buds as he sprays my breasts. I jump and hold my hands up to block the water. One hand grabs my waist while he cups my breast in the other, rubbing his thumb across my nipple. He drops the water hose and takes me in his arms pushing me up against a wall.
“Bite me,” I plead.
“No. I cannot,” he tells me.
“Why?”
“You have the blood of your Guardian in you. If I drink his blood, then I will die. It is an unwritten law that protects them. I should have known that only Angels and Demon could kill one another. It is my job to know.”
I now know why he spit out Malachi’s blood at the restaurant. He knew what he was the moment his teeth pierced his skin. I do not ask to bite him. I know that he has no blood to give. “Wait,” I say. “Not here, not with them watching.”
“They are facing the wall,” he says to m
e like it is all too common.
“They still have ears,” I say. He places my feet on the ground but does not let me go. He leans in and kisses me deeply, sucking my tongue into his mouth. After I am hot for him again, he stops and leaves me there panting. He walks behind the women, who are sitting closely together on the floor. He kneels behind them and smells them one by one. He chooses the first one, and stretches her shirt down off of her shoulder and bites her. I watch intently at his throat as his Adam’s apple rises and falls with each swallow. Realizing that my body had been drained by Malachi, I rise and move closer to them. I sniff the second girl’s neck and discover she smells appetizing to me. Jacob left her for me. I do not kneel behind her but come around to face her.
“What is your name?” I ask as my fangs extend.
“Claudia.” Her voice quivers.
“Do you give your blood freely?”
“Yes.”
I kneel in front of her and place my hands on her shoulders. She is wearing a deep purple V-neck top. She recoils as I lean in. “I will not hurt you,” I say to reassure her. She closes her eyes and stretches her neck up for me. I close in and bite her flesh. I open my eyes and look at Jacob. We are positioned face to face, and he is watching me drink her. I find the exchange very erotic. When our dinner leaves, I will not deny him access to my body again.
My bare breasts graze against her large chest. Jacob notices. I feel his lust. I place my arm around her and pull her tightly to me. My hips move closer. She moans in my arms. Jacob stops drinking and closes the puncture wounds on his prey, but he does not release her. I raise my head and let Claudia’s blood trickle down to her shoulder. Slowly I run my tongue up and down her neck making small circles. He licks his bottom lip. His eyes are following my every movement. I grab a handful of her hair and pull her mouth to mine. I bite her lip with my kiss and suck on it. I expose her right breast, but know better than to caress it. Her moans get higher and stronger. She raises her hands to stroke me, but Jacob grabs her wrists very quickly.
“Leaves us now,” he hisses low in his throat, drawing his breath in faster and faster. I feel like I have upset him with my tease. The girls do not make it halfway up the steps before he pounces on me. My head is pushed up against the wall. His tongue tastes her blood in my mouth as he flicks it across every nook and cranny. I lean my head back and open my mouth wider for him. I moan. He puts his hand on my waist and in a flash we are lying on the stairs. The risers push painfully against my back. Reaching down between my legs, he rips off my panties. He hovers above me on his elbows as he seeks entry to my center. I gasp as he stretches me with his girth. He cradles my head in his hands as he thrusts harder and harder. I scream.
“You shouldn’t tease me like that,” he says. “I may just let you go through with it next time.”
I do not argue otherwise. Let him keep his fantasies. I run my hands up his back and grip his shoulders. I dig my nails into his flesh. He arches from the pain and pleasure of it. His blood draws to the surface. Opening my mouth slightly, I suck on my fingers and run my tongue seductively up and down as I lick his blood. My body moves underneath him. I no longer feel the pain in my back from the stairs. He continues to send orgasmic ripples through my core. I shout out his name. I shatter inside and pulsate uncontrollably. I don’t notice that his desire still lingers below the surface. I can no longer move. I push him away. He stands and helps me to my feet. I see that he is still hard.
“Come,” I say as I lead him over to the concrete dungeon wall. I push him forcefully against it and kneel in front of him. I take him into my mouth. He tastes and smells like me. I find that I am not repulsed, but intoxicated instead. Running my tongue up and down his shaft, I clean him. His mind goes wild with my thoughts. I feel his hands entangle in my dark hair. He does not try to guide my movements, only holds me as I work. I look up and see him stretch his head towards the ceiling. He lets out a primeval howl. I smile and continue to please him. My thoughts are turning more and more erotic. I feel my teeth lengthen. He yells.
I do not sleep until late in the afternoon. He is lying on the steps, and I am cradled against his shoulder. I hardly noticed that there wasn’t a bedroom last night. We made do. Nighttime comes all too soon, and he stirs beneath me. I run my hands down his body and lower down his abdomen. He stops me and moves my arm to enclose his waist. He kisses my head. I wake and smile at him. He is watching me sleep.
“Did you sleep well?” he asks me.
“Yes, and you?”
“No, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of you.”
I try to stand but falter in my steps and have to hold the hand rail. I hurt from too much sex. He steadies me in his hands as he rises to his feet. I notice his lower body is covered in his blood. Realizing what we did last night, I feel the heat rush into my cheeks and look away from him. I almost lose my balance again.
“Easy, love,” he says to me.
“I’m sorry that I did that to you,” I say as I look once again into his black eyes.
“I’m not. I look forward to returning the favor sometime.” My legs involuntarily close together. He laughs. “It appears that I have hurt you as well. Can you walk?” I nod my head yes. “I have some blood in storage. I’ll have some sent to our room. I don’t think I could risk watching you drink from another man, let alone a woman, anytime soon. You about drove me mad.”
“All in good fun, nothing more than that. How are we going to get to our room without our clothes?” I ask.
“Fly,” he says as his shoulders shrug forward. I see shadows crawl up the wall behind him before his black wings appear. “We have a couple of horses to catch,” he says, recalling what I wanted to do tonight.
We jump into the shower and against my better judgment, we have sex. So much for slowing things down. He doesn’t linger in the act, but brings me to my apex before he quickly follows. When we step out in our towels, there are two wine goblets of blood for us waiting on a silver tray. I pick them up and hand him one. We sit down on the couch and each take a sip.
He looks pensive. “Come, let’s get dressed.” He downs his drink very quickly. I do the same and follow him to the walk-in closets. I pick out a pair of jeans and boots and pull a lacey low-cut tank top over my head. There is no need to wear a bra. He will like that. Pulling my hair into a ponytail, I step out to find him in a pair of dark-wash denim jeans and a cotton button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, showing off his muscular forearms. I look him up and down. He looks good in jeans. My eyes linger on the bulge pressing against his zipper.
“Careful, I’m starting to feel like a piece of raw meat.” He pauses. “I love your top.” The last time he told me that he liked my dress, my nipples were poking through my silk dress without my knowing it. This time I knew they were very visible through the thin cotton and lace. “You do like to tease me. The way you’re going, we may not make it to the stables. I plan to make love to you once more before I take my leave again.”
“You are not staying in the morning?”
“I have some matters to attend to later tonight. I will not be far from you. I will hear you if you call and I will bleed if you are thirsty. I will satisfy if you yearn. I will be back here before you slumber.”
I cannot stop the tears this time, and they fall to the floor. “I love you,” I whisper under my breath. He glides up and embraces me. As he spins me around in his arms, my feet lift off the floor. He asks me to say it again.
“I love you, Jacob,” I say before he kisses me.
“I have been waiting over two human life spans to hear you say that again to me. I love you, Marion, never forget that.” He kisses me again before setting me back down. His smile embraces his entire face. I love to see him this happy.
We hear a knock on the door. “Come in,” Jacob says.
A man who looks like a butler enters. “The horses are out front, sir.”
“Thank you, George.”
“Sir, if I may say, we had to close portions of Bil
tmore today. I’m sorry, we lost some revenue. Apparently there were noises and screams coming up from the center chimney. It appears that the hearth has caved in. I called someone in to fix it, discreetly, of course. We have used his services before with no problems.”
I have to turn around. I cannot stop myself from blushing and snickering.
“Thank you, I trust your judgment. Do what needs to be done. You have made my arrangements for later?”
“Yes sir.” George closes the door behind him.
Jacob heads over to the window and opens it. He motions me over to his side. “School time,” he says. I roll my eyes. “What? You told me to tell you. Lesson six; you can jump and land great distances. Lesson seven; you can fly, but apparently not yet.”
“Yes, I figured out six, seven, and lesson eight; I can move objects with my mind.”
“When did you move anything?” He sounds surprised.
“Yesterday morning when I was forced to close the blinds on my own accord. I opened them again at dusk.”
I look out the window at the ground below. We must be about five stories up. My knees get weak. I feel Jacob’s hand on my lower back. “Don’t you dare push me,” I threaten as I turn to look at him. He has a smirk on his face, but pulls his hand away. I climb out onto the window sill. There is nothing to it. I try to talk myself into leaping. It is not working. “You go first,” I say so I can see how it is done, but mainly so he can catch me if needed. He climbs out to join me.
“We can go together if you wish.” He takes my hand in his.
“No, I want to try on my own.” Smiling while he lets go of my hand, he steps off the ledge. Okay, so he didn’t jump up in the air, he just fell. I look down and swallow. I close my eyes, and I fall.
“Open your eyes,” I hear him shout at me. I do just in time to see the ground as it fast approaches. I brace my feet for the landing. My legs bend, and I go down on one knee, but I am fine. He does not help me up. I stand. He takes my hand, and we walk around to the front side of the house.
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