Steal Me From Heaven

by Crawford, Toni

  “Control it. Call it into your body, past your flesh.”

  All I feel is the pain. It is killing me. I feel his lips press to mine, and he exhales his cool sea breath into my body. I start to relax. My skin feels better. I feel radiant. I feel the sun for the first time in several weeks. My skin will fry, but my body welcomes it. I just have to draw it into my center and away from my flesh. Malachi is all smiles as he spins me in the air. He releases me, and I fly out to the ocean. He tells me to head over to that rock ledge. I shake my head no. I do not want to be fondled up against the cliff again. He goes in that direction anyway. I will tell him no when I get there. After he lands, I see him pressing on a rock. A small cave door opens and he goes inside. I land on the ledge uneventfully.

  He closes the door. The tunnel is dark. He tells me to try to glow. I do not know how to begin.

  “Think of love,” he tells me. At first I think of Jacob—I couldn’t help it—but I did not glow. Next, I think of Malachi, but I still did not glow. And then I see the faces of my boys. I light up immediately. “Now you know what does it for you. That knowledge is yours alone. I do not need to know and do not ask me how I do it.” He pauses. “This tunnel leads back to the house. The door is under the area rug in the living space. Use this to escape if we are surrounded. Otherwise, just do not leave the house.”

  “How am I to win this war when I do not know everything there is to know? I feel I am weaker than you and Jacob put together.”

  “My dear, you should not doubt yourself. Why do you think a hybrid is so taboo and unheard of? No one knows what you can do. Some among the races believe that you are unstoppable, that you cannot die. An Angel cannot be killed by anything alive or dead. Your Vampire side makes you strong at night, yet you have no aversion to sunlight, silver, or wood. You have control over sun, night, air, earth, water, and fire. The combinations are deadly. We have much time to learn everything that I know. We will step up our training now that we are coupled.”

  We make our way back up the stairs and into the living space. He spends the next several months teaching me. My stamina has been tested time and time again both outside and in the bedroom. My knowledge of Demons and Angels has vastly expanded. I think less and less of Jacob. I do not know when or if I will see him again. He is my first love, but I feel that Malachi is my greatest. My choice is getting more and more blurred as time goes on.

  One evening when we come home, there is a note nailed to the front door. It is from the committee. There is a hearing. The time is for tonight at three in the morning. We cannot make the time. Malachi pulls me into his arms and starts his inner glow. He tells me to do the same. I light up quickly. Once we are fully charged, he hugs me tightly and tells me not to fear. I feel disconnected from my body as I see particles of light flying around us. We disappear. Materializing again, we are standing in front of the committee building. It is raining outside. Malachi holds his jacket over me so that I do not get very wet. We make it to the top of the steps before we are pulled apart by the guards.

  We are put in separate rooms. I am nervous about seeing Jacob for the first time. I have practiced lying so much that the word no should roll easily off my tongue. I pace back and forth as I wait for my appointment with the committee. I think they are going to talk to us one by one. I hear someone talking to the guards, and then the door squeaks open. I turn and see Jacob standing there. He is wearing all black, the color of his eyes. My heart skips a beat and I gasp in his presence. His hair is longer and touches his shoulders. He looks good, but his face is hardened.

  “We do not have much time. Take off your clothes.”

  After all these months apart this is the first thing he says to me. I blink at him. “Get undressed or I’ll do it for you.” He closes the door and turns the locks. I remove my shoes and slide my pants onto the floor. He watches me. After unbuttoning my shirt, I slowly draw my arms from the sleeves. I stop and look him in the eyes. “All of it,” he says. He wants me naked.

  “Jacob, I don’t know…”

  “All of it.” His voice grows louder.

  I take off my bra and panties. He stares at me. I look away. Walking over behind me, he pulls my hair through his fingers until it all lies upon my back. He runs his nose up my neck and into my hair. I feel the air being pulled away from my skin as he inhales. Still behind me, he strokes his palms up and down my arms before lifting my hair and tenderly touching my shoulder blades.

  “Can you fly?” he asks me. I do not know if I should lie to him. I do not.

  “Yes.”

  “When did you learn?”

  “After the last committee meeting, Malachi let me go from the sky. It didn’t work the first time, but when I told him that my spine felt like it was twisting, he took me higher and dropped me again.”

  He laughs. “And here I was trying to get you to transform from jumping out a window. Do you know what you are?”

  “Yes, Malachi told me”

  “Has anyone else seen your wings?”

  “No.”

  “Have you coupled with him?”

  “Yes.” I close my eyes. Jacob kneels before me and smells my scent. I open my eyes when I realize what he is doing. He lifts my leg and drapes it onto his shoulder. He steadies me as I balance on one foot. His face gets closer to my center, and I hear him draw in a deep inhale. I think he is going to stand back up but he takes his tongue and runs it along my opening. I hold onto his shoulders, getting ready for him to make love to me. He only licks me once more before standing up. My hands are still on him.

  “How is it possible to couple without having sex with him? Did you find a way?” I do not know how he can tell.

  “Malachi told me that there are other ways and that we could try those first,” I inform him.

  “He is a fool, but an honorable and noble one. I may just start to like him. I wish that I could touch you more than this. The other committee members will know. Do not say that you have wings. Do not mention what you are.”

  “I know what I must do,” I tell him. “Do you think that we will be together? Will they rule in our favor?”

  “No.” He does not offer any other words than that. I do not know why we are here then. “Have you drunk from Malachi recently?”

  “Yes, last night,” I answer.

  “He will not say anything to endanger you, but if they ask him directly, he must speak the truth. I will do my best to intervene if need be.”

  “How is it possible that I am an Angel?” I ask him, not knowing if he will tell me.

  “You were not sleeping like I told you, at least not entirely. They killed you over two hundred years ago. I lost you. I was so struck with grief that I was listening to my Demon side more and more. Deborah got worried. She offered me a choice. She would bring you back if I made her my Vampire bride. I did not think my actions through because I was blinded by my love for you. I would have done anything. That very night, I started the transformation process with her. She had always wanted me. She believed that once turned she would become the hybrid. When she refused to bring you back to me, I never touched her again. She went back to her Demon lover, and they planned my death. When I learned of the news, I threatened to kill her mate. She offered me the choice once more. I told her that it couldn’t be done. She told me that she did not have a special flower petal that was needed for the ritual. I told her that I did not believe her, but Angels cannot lie, not even the Fallen.”

  “Rebecca was able to cast the spell to help Deborah get into Heaven and bring you back, but it didn’t work as it was intended. Rebecca protected your body by magic but you were not inside. I banished her Demon lover out of my anguish but let her live in exile. When Deborah came back to bed me again, she tried to kill you. I stabbed her. I just didn’t know at the time that Vampires could not kill their Guardians. As soon as she vanished, your body became more alive, yet you still slept. About a decade later, Jessica advised me to start giving you my blood. I put an IV catheter in your arm an
d gave you a small dose each night. The rest you already know.”

  “I thought that no one could travel between realms.”

  “Adam and Lilith can easily. Deborah had a spell that only halfway worked.”

  “Can you?” I ask, thinking that he is on the panel also.

  He pauses before speaking. “I have never tried.” He steps up to me. “Bite me. I want my blood in you once more.” I struggle with my choice. He will be in my mind again. As I near his neck, I feel my heart wanting to explode. I have longed for him. Seeing him standing in front of me within reach is more than I can handle. I sink my teeth into his flesh. I drink his blood too quickly for my liking, but we have little time left together. It is almost three.

  “I’m sorry that I have caused all of this. I just couldn’t live without you, and I cannot live without you now. This time apart has been torture for me, knowing that you were in his arms and not in mine.” Vampires are jealous creatures, and territorial. I know he must be in pain. I take hold of his hand and run the backside along my cheek. He sighs.

  “I have to go. You and I each need to shower. We have touched each other too much. They cannot know that we have spoken. There is so much more that I would love to do with you if we only had the time.” He pauses. “I love you. Whatever happens out there today, do not fear. I will hold you once more.”

  “Alexander.” I call him by his given name. He steps away from me.

  “I haven’t been called by that name in a very long time. Do you remember?”

  “Malachi is healing me. Soon I will know everything.” I do not tell him that I know everything already or that I was pregnant when I was kidnapped. Our children are long gone anyway. I kiss him once more before he lets go of my body. I reach for his hand but his fingers slip through mine. He does not look back as he leaves through the door. Standing there all alone, I look around for a bathroom. I pick up my clothes and try a couple of doors before finding the one I need. I take a quick shower and dress. I do not have a hair dryer so I pull my hair tightly into a bun upon my head. I hear the knock on the door and get back into the room before the guards come in. It is time.

  When I see Malachi again, he is wearing only a pair of tight white pants. I can tell there is nothing on underneath them. His wings flutter behind him slightly as I approach. He notices my wet hair. His eyes flash with a brief moment of anger. Not being able to look at me, he turns away. I walk over to my place on the floor. Speaking without being spoken to by the committee is a crime. I know he thinks that I have just made love to Jacob. He needs to regain control of himself before he ruins everything.

  One by one, the committee members enter, and I see that Jacob’s hair is also wet and slicked back away from his face. My tongue involuntarily licks my lips. I hear a muffled noise from Malachi. I do not know if he will believe it when I tell him that nothing happened.

  Adam begins. “Alasdair has called this meeting to appeal the earlier verdict on the status of your union. Marion, have you coupled with your Guardian, Malachi?”

  “Yes,” I say. I know not to divulge any more information than is required.

  Lilith speaks next. “It has been only seven months since we were last here, and yet Jacob was celibate for over two hundred years without you. Tell us; on what night did you couple?”

  I swallow hard before speaking. I want to kill her for her implications. “Night five.”

  “Who do you choose?” she asks me.

  “Jacob. I will always choose him.” I have spoken too much. Adam squints his eyes at Malachi before speaking.

  “You have coupled with her. She has said as much. You have made her yours completely?” Adam asks. I see the corner of Jacob’s mouth rise. He looks down and away. He knows the truth before it is spoken.

  Malachi cannot lie. “In all ways but one.”

  Lilith speaks as Jacob remains silent. “How can you be certain in your choice if you have never truly been with an Angel? You cannot make an informed decision without experiencing it firsthand. Jacob should know. Frankly, I do not believe him when he says that he only did it once with his Guardian Angel, Deborah.”

  I smolder inside. “Malachi has pleased me many times in bed and I him. He loves me and I….” I do not want to speak the words.

  Jacob talks for the first time. “Say it.”

  “I love him.”

  “But you cannot love Jacob with all that you are if you do not know what you are leaving behind. You will always wonder in your choice. You hold Malachi back when he could do so much more to you. Only a few people in existence have made love to an Angel.”

  Adam, surprisingly, is agreeing with Lilith. He tells me, “I cannot make you. If I could then I would order your union.” Adam looks at Jacob. I guess Jacob is the only one who can order it.

  “Can you fly?” I didn’t expect to hear that question coming from Jacob. I have never lied to him.

  “I can only jump high and fall far.” I stare him directly in the eyes.

  “Do you know of the legend?” Adam asks.

  “Yes, Malachi told me,” I answer.

  “Some believe that you are the hybrid. It is too coincidental that both the leader of the Vampires and the leader of the Fallen are in love with you.” Lilith pauses before continuing. “Remove your shirt.” I see worry stream across Jacob’s face. I do not know what she is doing. I obey her request. I will die if I do not. She motions for a death punisher to come over. “Turn her back to us.” She must not believe my lie. “Slice her open,” Lilith demands.

  Malachi is helpless. If he steps towards me, he will die. Jacob stands. I feel the blade slice my flesh, making a V shape with its sharp edges. I cry out in pain. I hold my wings tightly in their secret hiding place deep within my bone structure. They do not emerge.

  Lilith smirks at my pain. “Bring me the blade.”

  “No,” Malachi yells. Adam stands up beside Jacob.

  “You dare to speak out of turn?” Adam’s face registers with the knowledge that we are trying so hard to keep away from Lilith. “I have had enough of this. My ruling is the same. Deborah is Jacob’s Vampire bride. Unless she wakes up and declares him otherwise, you are not to be together. We will review the issue in five years’ time.” I see Jacob sink down in his chair. He could barely stand our seven months apart. He cannot make it without me for five years. I see the pain expressed on his face as Lilith hands down the same verdict. He is outvoted again. Adam asks Jacob if there is anything else he would like to say.

  “Marion, Malachi.” He looks at us one by one. “I accept your union. You are to fully be a mated pair. I cannot ask you to wait for me any longer. Only after you have sex with him will I accept your decision to be with me and me alone. I will not share you after you make your final choice.” He stands and backs away from the tall table. “There is one more matter of business to be addressed. I, Alexander Alasdair Jacobs, hereby vacate my seat on the committee and announce Jessica Elizabeth Jacobs as my heir.” Just then, Jessica enters, wearing a black robe. Her wings maneuver through two slits in the fabric. She glides up to Jacob and kisses him on both cheeks. She looks like she has been crying and is about to break down at any moment. Both Adam and Lilith acknowledge her before she sits in her newly appointed seat. Jacob backs away and comes down the steps towards me. He takes my hands.

  “Do not fear. I will come back to you. You must obey my ruling and live out your days and nights with your Guardian. I can no longer make you mine. I told you once that I have a plan. Maybe it is not the right thing to do, but it is the only solution that I have found.” He kisses me strongly on the lips. I embrace him in my arms. Tears are rolling down my face. I hear people shouting at us and the death punishers are closing in. Jacob removes his soft lips from mine and takes my throat in his mouth. I struggle to break free. I am poison to him. Malachi’s blood is in me. He bites down on me quickly. The bite is hard and not one of pleasure. Jacob pulls me closer and holds me tightly pressed to his chest. I feel him trembling in m
y arms. He swallows three times. The death punishers pull him off and in doing so, rip my throat slightly open. I clamp my hand to my neck. Jacob is held still with his arms behind his back. Malachi steps away and has a look of horror on his face. Adam and Lilith both stand. Jessica is sitting in her seat with her head in her hands, crying.

  I look at Jacob. His skin is burning before my eyes. I can tell he is holding in his screams. He does not want to upset me or his sister. He is dying. I hear his pain in my mind and feel as though I am on fire. I lunge forward towards him to hold him one last time. I scream as he falls to ash.

  Chapter 9

  “Go to her.” I barely hear Adam’s voice above my sobs. I feel Malachi’s arms embrace me. I slump against him. Just then a door opens, and I see a short blonde woman with white wings enter the large banquet room. I know that she is Deborah. She does not look like a warrior to me. I do not know how she could battle Charles and win. She is led over to face the committee.

  “What are your intentions, Deborah?” the Angel asks.

  “I wish to release Jacob from his commitments to me and I to him. Marion is his, I acknowledge her.”

  Lilith makes an evil laugh. “If you’ll excuse me, my time here is done. I have an important matter to attend to. Deborah, I release you. Marion, when and if Jacob can return to you, he is yours and you are his.” She laughs again before vanishing in plain sight.

  Jessica and Adam both release Deborah and Jacob from their union. Adam stands and walks down to Malachi. “Take the sword with you. I will not ask you if she has wings. I do not want to have the burden of that knowledge. You know what you must do if my assumptions here are correct. You must take her to the ice mountain and make her a warrior like you. Teach her the sword quickly. Through love, you must teach her pain. Protect her blood and that sword that bears it with your life.”