“Where is the finish line?” I ask.
He laughs. “You cannot outrun me. You must outsmart me. I will catch you every time.” He pulls out a watch of some kind from his pants pocket. “You have ten minutes each time. Go.” I hear the click of the watch, and I run for the trees. He is still standing on the porch. I make a beeline for the cliff. When I get there, I will jump and transform. About a minute later, there is a loud howl coming from the house. He is after me. I never make it to the ledge. He wraps me around the waist and tackles me to the ground. Once down, he has his way with me, but as usual, I do not climax. I stand.
“I guess I know what prize you are after.” I put my underwear back on. He clicks the button on his watch again. I run. He gives me two minutes to get away this time. I make the cliff easily enough and jump. As usual I scream when my wings emerge. He is right. I need to work on that. I just gave away my position. He is after me again. I see him above me in the sky. I fly for a rocky ledge. I land safely but he quickly slams into my back. He slides down my underwear while I am pinned to the side of the cliff. His wings hold us up on the small landing. I am flustered that he keeps winning. Although I am more than willing to give him his earnings, I want to win. When he is satisfied with what he has done to my body. I pull up my underwear once more. He beats his wings and retreats back off of me.
“I guess the dress is working nicely for your easy access,” I say.
“At least you are covered up top so I’d say the dress is a good option for transforming. Now quit stalling. Again,” he says as he starts the timer. How does he expect me to think with a clear head when all I am thinking about is his cock? I fall from the ledge and look back to see him hovering in the night sky. He is patiently waiting to assault me again. Who knows when this will stop? I make my way back to the trees, hoping to lose him in the woods. Several minutes later, I still do not see him. I swerve back and forth dodging the branches. I run smack into him. He is in front of me.
“How?” I ask as I remove my panties for him.
“Think,” he tells me as he backs me into a tree. My heart is thundering. When he is done, he picks up my thong and hands it to me.
“What’s the point? Just leave them here,” I say.
He puts the garment to his nose and inhales. The word think comes to mind. He is smelling out my location. I shake my head. “You are cheating.”
He puts my panties in his pocket. “Use everything you’ve got,” he tells me. “Go.”
He does not give me time to rest. I guess this is the stamina part. I run back towards the cliff, taking flight before I get there. I fly higher and higher into the sky. I am not going to like this. I stall out and fall back towards the Earth. Turning over, I nose dive towards the ocean. I fold my wings tightly to my back as I hit the water. I sink further and further. The light is nonexistent. I cannot see. Using my instincts, I slow down and upright myself. My feet touch the sandy bottom. I have never felt so vulnerable or so alone. I almost swim to the surface, but I really want to win one. Thinking about my choice of prizes, I already know what I would pick. I feel like I have been down here for hours. Time is ticking by slowly as I continue to stay hidden. I hear him calling my name. It must be my imagination. There is no way that I could hear him from underneath the sea. I close my eyes and search for his voice in my head. No, he cannot talk to me that way. I hear my name again. I know it is him. I bend my knees and jump. I plunge several yards upwards and begin stroking with my arms. Kicking my legs, I make good time. I am a good swimmer. When I break through the surface, I see him circling up in the night sky.
I hear a piercing sound that sounds somewhat like my name. I wave my arms in the air. Since my wings are soaked, I cannot fly. I may have won this time, but I am the one all wet. He sees me and comes down to the water. “What were you thinking?” he asks me.
“I won, didn’t I? You hinted to me that you were following me by scent. No one can track smell in the water.”
“You look like a drowned rat. Darling, I cannot smell like a Vampire. Scents are useless for tracking. I just did that because…”
I interrupt him before he has a chance to finish. “How could I hear you under the water?”
He considers my question. “Some winged animals have sonar. I was searching for you. After I looked for about an hour, I knew you had to have gone into the ocean.”
“Are you going to help me out?”
“No,” he says. “You got in, you get out.”
I want to curse at him, but I realize that it would not be very Angelic of me. I laugh inside until I see him fly off, leaving me where I was, treading water. All I know how to do is swim. I am mad. I think I should ask for another prize than the one I had envisioned. I make it to the shore and climb up the rock surface. My wings are heavy to carry. They cannot fold into my body this wet. My legs and arms shake as I climb. I reach the summit of my mountain and head towards the house. It is almost daybreak but I cannot go any faster. I am exhausted. I wonder if he will come and get me back into the darkness safely if I am trapped. My white dress clings to my body. If I still had on my panties, I would take off the dress and just wear my underwear. I will not give him the satisfaction of seeing me coming home to him wet and naked.
I break the clearing of the trees and see him standing on the front porch. The sun is to my left, not quite high enough to break over the cliff, but enough to hurt my eyes. “Were you just going to leave me out there to fry?” I say as I walk up the steps and past him. I reach the doorway but stop. I cannot go in. He touches my shoulder and pushes me through the entrance. I shake his hand off as soon as we break the threshold.
“I was on my way when I saw you coming through the tree line. I will not harm you, you know that, right?”
“I need a bath,” I say.
“The ocean is where I bathe. There is no bath.”
No wonder he smells like the sea all the time. “But there is sand and dirt on me.”
“Do you want this back?” He pulls out my thong from his pocket. I walk over and snatch it from his hand. I turn from him quickly. “What is your choice of prize for winning the last race?”
“I do not know. Let me think about it,” I tell him.
“You mean all that time under water, and you still need to think about what you want?”
I turn on my heels to face him. He is closer to me than I thought. “I want you.” He kisses me before I even finish the last word. His force on my lips is so strong that I start backing up. He follows and does not let up. I cannot be angry any longer. We pass through the bedroom door. He pulls my dress off, and I help him remove my bra. I reach for his pants. He does not stop me. His hands are all over me. When we reach the bed, he quits kissing me and turns down the covers. I climb in, expecting him to follow. He does not.
Drawing the covers over my body, he kisses my forehead. “You’re tucking me in, but what about my reward?” I am tired of his hot one minute, cold the next games.
“Tonight, we couple. You are ready.” He goes over to the door. “You will not see me until then.” I close my eyes and try to go to sleep. My body is tired enough, but my mind is raging with fantasies.
Chapter 8
Waking up alone, I stretch my legs and look around for something to do. It is early afternoon and I dress and head into the living room. I notice that all the windows are now covered for my protection. The air is cooler today. I walk over to the chest with the quilts in it and open it. Under the blankets, I see a notebook bound in leather. The pages are very old and yellowing. I see more notebooks in the bottom of the old trunk. I realize that Malachi has written years upon years of journals, and I know that my past is in these pages.
Flipping through the first book, I see mostly words about Arthur and Merlin. He has spells written down. I do not wish to recall my time spent with them. I know most of it anyway. When I start to close the book, I see something that catches my eyes. I walk slowly to the couch, reading the pages as I go. I snap the book shu
t. I close my eyes when I realize that he has written the truth. I was pregnant with Jacob’s child when I was first kidnapped by Arthur’s men. Hiding my secret well, Arthur thought the child was his. I never had much contact with my baby since Arthur took my child away from me as soon as I delivered. I do not know if I had a boy or a girl. What happened afterwards, the journal does not say. As much as I want to read on, I find that I have stumbled upon too much information. Jacob and Malachi were right. I should try to remember on my own. I am distraught by this new discovery.
I almost fall back asleep on the couch, but I decide to read some of the books on his shelves. I pick out a book on mythology. Opening the pages, I turn to a section about Angels. I glance and see the word Angel-hybrid. I am shocked to see the phrase mentioned on paper. I read:
“The Demon will break through the barrier of Hell and bind Lilith in silver chains, thus, making her call forth Lucifer, setting him free to save her. Once freed, Lucifer will make the World his domain. An Angel-hybrid will take it upon her shoulders to stop this event from taking place. A war will follow. It is believed that this war will be the end of days if Lucifer is unbound from Hell. The future outcome is nowhere found in any literature, text, or documents.”
I hear two car doors shut outside. Looking out the window, I strain against the setting sun. Malachi is talking to someone. I do not know his origin--Angel, Demon, human, or Vampire. They are walking around the cabin, discussing some renovations. I feel that he is doing this for my benefit. Next I see them walk over to the spring house. Malachi points down at the ground, drawing an imaginary line with his finger towards the house. I hear the word bathroom. Now I know that he is doing this for me. My heart melts from the gesture. I decide not to pry any longer and go to bed to rest.
When I awake, Malachi is lying beside me. He is stroking my hair and surprisingly nothing else. I look in his eyes and see a softness there that I did not recognize before.
“Now?” I ask. “I need to freshen up, change, and brush my teeth.”
“You are fine the way you are, relax. I’ve done this before,” he informs me.
I had not really thought about it. He has been mine since the year I was born, five hundred eighty-three. If he has been around since the beginning of creation, then he has had plenty of charges in the past. I don’t know why, but I am bothered by the news. I push my way out of bed and head towards the wash basin. I pick up my toothbrush and clean my teeth. He is watching me.
“Can you give me five minutes?” I ask, wanting him to leave. He does not answer, but gets up and goes into the living space. He leaves the door open. I remove my clothes and wash my body. There is nothing that I can do with my hair so I pull it back off my neck and clip it up. I walk over to the drawers and take out one of my lingerie purchases. I don’t want to wear white even though I know it is his favorite color. I would only be reminded of the two times that I married Jacob. I see the bag that he picked out for me. It is a light blue lace gown that is a tight, short baby doll slip with spaghetti straps. He will be able to see straight through it to my body underneath. It matches my necklace.
I hear him enter the room and I turn around. He smiles at my nightgown.
“You look amazing,” he says as he walks slowly over to me. I notice that he has changed from his pants to a thin white cotton pair. The fabric clings to his body. I do not look away. He throws the covers up to make up the bed. I guess I cannot hide in the sheets. He reaches up to the back of my head and removes the hair clip. Picking me up in his arms, he carries me to the bed and lays me down. He covers the top of me with his body. I hear him cracking his bones and his wings emerge. I did not expect him to do that. He is beautiful.
“Just look into my eyes. Do not look away no matter what happens. I will not let any harm come to you. You are safe here.”
I did not think this was going to be painful. What do I have to fear? He slowly beats his wings to lift slightly off my body. His abdomen and muscles harden as he keeps his body straight. I do as he asks and look directly into his eyes. After a few minutes, I see him starting to glow. He encases me in his light. I feel the energy, the heat, and the electricity flow through my body. After several moments of staring into his eyes, I see inside him. I see his soul.
He is standing against a bright blue sky on a grassy knoll. In front of him is a wooden cross. Nothing else is around. His hazel eyes stare at the cross, never to look away. He cannot close his eyes, and he cannot blink. Tears stream down his face. The sun disappears beyond the hill. A whip cracks across his back. Still he cannot move or look away. The torture does not stop until the sun rises behind him. His hazel eyes turn crystal blue, the color of his tears.
I am crying now. I know that this is his penance. Realizing that it was for five hundred years day in and day out makes me weep uncontrollably. He is crying now too. His tears fall onto my face and hair. I do not look away. A salty drop lands in my eye and burns. I do not close them or blink. He raises his hand and places it on my forehead. His wings are still moving the air around us as he continues to hover above me. I feel a jolt resonate in my mind. I project the one memory that is blocking them all.
I am being held by two knights, and I am struggling to get free. On the ground several feet away, I see Jacob on his knees with his hands bound behind his back. He is screaming at the top of his lungs. His face is strained and his muscles are flinching. Looking in the direction that he is yelling, I see two small boys being led out of the house. They are mine. I scream as they are brought before Jacob. The knight draws his sword. I hear Jacob tell our children to look at him. I am looking back and forth and trying to get free. My guard hits me over the head. I get dizzy but do not go down. Jacob is struggling to free his hands. I see blood seeping through his shirt and realize that he has been stabbed. I look back to my boys as the blade is drawn out to the side, ready to kill them.
Something is blocking my vision. I think it is the blow to my skull. I cannot see my kids. I try to look around. All I see is Jacob crying and screaming. The pain and anguish on his face is unbearable. I hear the slicing of the blade against their necks. I hear them gurgling for air as they die. Jacob never looks away. I try to look but I am blocked. When I no longer hear them breathing, I turn to them and see a quick flash of a bright light. There on the ground lie their tiny broken bodies. I scream and kick but I cannot get free. One knight throws me over his shoulder and carries me to another man on a horse. I am laid across the saddle horn looking at the ground. When I look back, I see that they have set fire to our house. Jacob is crawling his way to our children. He is knocked unconscious before he gets to them. The pain that I feel inside is unbearable. I pass out. I didn’t even get a chance to tell him about the baby on the way.
When I finish recalling this tragic event, I realize that I have been holding my breath. I let out a sigh. Looking into his eyes now, I know that Malachi was the flash of light that I saw and the one who was blocking my view. He told me that he got there too late. My mind sees other images from the past. I still feel Malachi’s hand on my head, and I know that he is healing me. I cry and cry. I do not stop. My memories are flooding back to me. I see glimpses of Malachi here and there. He has never left my side. I just did not know that he was there. Several hours pass and we are still in the process of coupling. I am feeling completely connected to him. I do not know where he ends and I begin. Our bodies, minds, and souls are one. We are coupled. I am now his at last.
He lowers back down on top of me. I did not know that you could couple without even touching each other. From day one, he has been working up for this night. The night he was going to have sex with me, yet there was no sex. We lay there in silence for the longest time. He tells me to go look into the mirror. I am almost too weak to stand. I go and look in the mirror and I too have crystal blue eyes.
“Will they glow?” I ask.
“I do not know for sure, but I believe they can once you energize. I think that they will be brown at night.”
> “Can we try in the morning?” I ask. There is no point putting it off.
“Yes. Come lie down.”
I climb back into bed with him and we snuggle in close together under the covers. “Since this worked, you will not have to worry about betraying Jacob. I do not have to touch you anymore. I will not please you again.” I am hurt by his words. I start to cry.
“What’s the matter? I didn’t mean to bring him up, but I thought you would be happy,” he tells me.
“Maybe I don’t want to stop. I love you. I don’t know if I am ready to have sex, but you better not stop before I am finished the next time you touch me.”
He laughs. “You are asking for it. No mercy.”
“None,” I demand.
He dips his head under the covers, and I feel my nightgown rising. I am in trouble now. We do not have sex but he brings me to orgasm again and again. He doesn’t stop. He was worth the wait.
The sun appears, and I am ready for bed. I protest when he reminds me that I wanted to take a lovely stroll about to see if I would fry in the light. I take off my nightgown and go out onto the porch naked. There is no point burning my clothes to a crisp. He comes up beside me and holds my hand.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“I’m not going to let you go out there alone.”
He calls forth his wings, and I start to transform as well. My own wings spread forth and flap behind me. They seem bigger to me somehow than before. I jump off the porch and fly low in the shadows of the trees. Malachi closes in on me quickly. He warns me to move slowly. He comes in front of me and stops me in flight. Straight up we go into the sun, his back protecting me. He takes me to the top of the trees and spins me towards the sun. Opening his wings, I feel the rays on my back. For a brief moment, I do not feel anything but the heat. Then I hear the crackling of my flesh. I scream as I am burning.
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