Steal Me From Heaven

by Crawford, Toni

  “You almost were lost to me forever. I do not care in what shape you return to me as long as you return alive.” He leans down to kiss me, and I return the favor. He slows his advances, and I know that he smells Malachi’s ocean breath inside of me. I do not act like anything is wrong, but before he speaks, I turn and leave.

  “Marion. Wait,” he calls after me. I do not look back.

  Malachi is waiting on the front steps. When he sees me, he smiles. I just give him a smug look and take to the sky. Jacob had closed down the estate, saying that there was an emergency water break and portions of the house were flooded. Only the members of the staff who are paid for blood donations are here. The house is extremely crowded and I am glad to be able to leave. I need to think and get my head on straight. The other Vampires cannot stay in their tunnels anymore. Lilith could break in from underneath and massacre them all as they slept. The house is the safest place.

  When he flies up to meet me, he is still smiling. “Why are you so happy? There are many bodies that turned to ash last night. This isn’t a time for rejoicing.”

  “We are alive, you and I. I have plenty to be thankful about.”

  “Malachi, there is no you and I. Even with what went on down there, I am still not yours.”

  He flies over the top of me and turns me on my back to face him. I fold in my wings so we do not tumble to the ground. I cannot maneuver against him. He is too big and my wings cannot compete. He hugs me tightly to his chest. “You still responded to me like you never left me.”

  “My body responded. I did not. It wouldn’t matter who was between my legs. The result would have been the same.”

  Malachi responds to my insult. “You know as well as I do that you lie. I saw it in your eyes. I could have taken you then and there, but I will not disgrace your flesh in front of others, especially the Demon Lilith. You do not know the level of my restraint. I thought that I convinced myself that I was over you, but I know now that I never will be. Can you live without me, Marion? If your answer is yes, then it is I who will leave and never come back. This is your home, but I will not be your yo-yo anymore. I deserve all of you, and I will wait until I get it. If you recall, I am a patient man. If he ever should falter, I will be there to pick you up.”

  I sigh against his collarbone. I do not wish to lose him, but he is right, being this close is torturing both of us. I admit that having him touch me again showed me that my feelings for him are deeper than I thought and so much closer to the surface that it is dangerous. “I love you, Malachi. My heart holds places for both of you. I know that I could never love each of you with all that I am.” Before I speak another word, his mouth smashes down on mine. I already smell like him anyway. I will give him this moment. Parting my lips, I let him in. His hands move along my back, and he pulls my hips into his pelvis. I arch against his rising need. My arms move up his sides and caress his flesh where his wings meet his shoulder blades. He moans, vibrating my lips with his sound. He lifts us higher towards the sun.

  I feel his hand under my halter shirt, and he is raising it higher against my skin. He pulls my strapless bra down and exposes my right breast. When his mouth covers my nipple, I panic as my feelings start to blur. One hand is behind my head and the other is on the small of my back. “Malachi, wait. No, we can’t do this,” I whisper as his teeth pierce my flesh.

  When he is finished drinking of me and I am panting, he lifts his head to look in my eyes. “I’m tired of being the one who is left waiting.” His irises blaze bright blue against the white clouds of the sky. I have to fight him now while I still have the will to do so. I open my wings to pull against the current air flow. He sways in the wind. Beating my wings back and forth, I pound them into his sides. His grip on me is weakening. “Marion, no.”

  “I have to get away. I cannot be what you need. Not anymore. I’m sorry, Malachi. I wish I could love you with my flesh as well as my heart but I choose Jacob. How many times must I tell you? I cannot keep reminding you every day. My answer will be the same. Let me go. Yes, you did have another chance in Hell, but you know that our union was ordered and that was not me. I should thank you for not using my daughter’s life as an excuse to have sex with me. I never would have forgiven you when I knew we could have escaped before anything happened.” When those words leave my lips, I know they are true. “Why didn’t you fly me out of there sooner? You had the ability as soon as you drank the blood that was seeping out of my body. Yet you stayed to play Lilith’s game as long as you could.” The look on his face is enough for me. I slam my knee into his groin and do a nose dive back away from him.

  I let myself fall as long as I can. I know he will catch me since his weight will sink him faster in the sky. When his body slams into mine, I feel my shoulder crack. I let out a scream. He holds me tight in his strong arms.

  “Don’t fight me. I heard your bone break. You cannot fly.” I relax and let him take control. “I’m sorry. You are right. I could have gotten us out of there sooner. I was selfish in my actions. Please forgive me.”

  “I cannot, not yet. Take me back to the house. I need to see my husband.”

  “Will you tell him?” he asks.

  I think about it for a long time. Not knowing the answer myself, I do not give one to him. When we land, David is outside. “Took you two long enough. Jacob has everyone gathered in the great room. He wants to discuss the plan again before everyone rests.” David looks at us both. “Why are you carrying her?” he asks.

  “Her shoulder is broken. It is already healed but it is not aligned. I will fix it.” Malachi lets me go to stand on my own.

  “No. I will take her. You have done enough already.” David gently takes my good arm and leads me to the patio. Malachi hesitates but follows. He places me in the lounge chair. “I do not have to tell you not to scream as I break your bones.” I nod my head at David. Malachi takes off his belt and places it in front of my mouth.

  “Bite down on this,” he says. I turn my head to the side. I do not wish to have anything of his in my mouth again. “It will hurt you just as bad as when I broke your wings.” I shudder as I remember the feeling. I open my lips and grip his belt in my teeth. Malachi holds my shoulder to the chair as David takes my arm in both hands. He pulls and twists so quickly that my vision goes white. I pass out. When I open my eyes, Malachi and David are both healing me with their lights.

  “I didn’t drink his blood, did I?” I ask David since he is in front of me, and I prefer not to speak to the other one.

  “No. How did this happen? It was a bad break,” David asks. Malachi lowers his head.

  “It is my fault. I collided with her in flight,” he explains.

  “Very careless of you. Are you sure you were not chasing her?” he asks.

  “It was an accident,” I say. “He would never hurt me intentionally.”

  “I’m sorry,” Malachi says. “I will see you later tonight.”

  “No, everyone is in the great room. That includes you as well,” says David.

  We get up, and I roll my shoulders one by one. Malachi goes to touch me and I flinch. It doesn’t go unnoticed by David. “You two need to get your act together before you stand in front of him.”

  “What do you mean stand in front of him?” I ask.

  “Jacob wants to know how you got into Hell, what happened, and how you escaped. Everyone does.” David walks away and leaves us there speechless.

  I go to shower and get dressed. I put on a pair of jeans and a silk shirt. After I blow-dry my hair, I curl it with the curling iron. I put on my red lipstick. If I am going to go down, I am going to look good doing it.

  When I see Jacob standing at the head of a long table, I gulp. He is clean shaven and sharply dressed as well. He looks delectable. I take note of all the people present. I am happy to see so many friendly faces. I do not see Ethan among them. I know that Jacob is hurting from the loss of his dear friend. Malachi comes into the room wearing dark brown pants and a cream-colored shirt. He
sits beside Jessica and takes her hand. I go to sit at the head of the table near Jacob.

  “Who helped you get into Hell?” Jacob starts his questioning.

  “I knew that you would not warn the Demons not to help me so I sought the information from them.” I feel like I am in front of the committee only with a large audience this time.

  “Did you know that opening a portal from the outside would keep it open for three days and nights and would allow Lilith and her Demons to cross over in the night anytime they wished?”

  I gasp. “No.”

  “Did your Demon helper know?” Jacob asks.

  “I will not reveal him to you.”

  Ashley speaks. “It was me. I did not know. I am a new Demon. I did not know if my knowledge would even get her in and back out.”

  Jacob doesn’t attack him like I thought he would if he found out this information. “I am not mad that you helped her. I am furious that the two of you did this behind my back.”

  “You shouldn’t have tried to follow in after me. I could not have brought the both of you back,” I say.

  “Well, I could only hope that you would choose me.” I see Malachi shift in his chair. “I lost my arm trying to pull you back through the portal.”

  “I see that you found it again.” I am not going to listen to him berate me.

  He huffs. “Malachi, did you tell Lilith what she wanted to know?”

  “Yes,” he says.

  Jacob places his hands palm down on the table and leans over it. “And she wanted to know where Charles’ bones were located. I am safe to guess that she used Marion to get the answers from you.”

  “Yes,” he repeats.

  “Did you tell her a single location before Marion got there?”

  “No.”

  “What was your torture?” Jacob asks.

  “Each man is different. You should know. I prefer not to speak of it,” Malachi says.

  “Very well. I do know.”

  “Marion, tell us, how did you escape?”

  “I was able to move the earth to create a tunnel, and Malachi flew us out of there until his light gave out, and he started to burn. Then I flew us the rest of the way to the water. That is when you pulled us out.”

  Jacob thinks for a moment. “Were you not in chains?”

  “No. We were not.”

  “Why would she unchain you? I certainly do not believe that she would be so arrogant as to untie Malachi.”

  “Could we speak of this in private?” I ask. “It is personal to me as well as you.”

  I hear people grumbling around us. Malachi is on the edge of his seat, probably ready to defend himself if necessary.

  “People wish to hear how two souls could escape from Lilith’s prison. Why did she untie each of you?”

  “She wanted to reward Malachi for telling him all of the locations.” I hesitate before looking at Jacob, who is back resting his hands on the table, listening to my every word.

  “What was the reward for betraying all of mankind?” Jacob asks.

  “Me,” I say.

  “What?” he asks. He is going to make me say it out loud.

  “Lilith wanted to see two Angels make love.” I look at Jacob to see his response. His eyes lift off the table, and he stares at me.

  “I guess you were rewarded as well.” Jacob slams his fists into the table, causing a crack.

  “We escaped. Malachi drank the blood from my wounds to heal himself, and then we busted through the earth when she was distracted. He flew us out while my Vampire blood healed my body.” I am about to tell him that we didn’t have sex but he interrupts me.

  “Perhaps it is best if we speak in private from this point forward. Lilith can now raise Charles from the dead.” When people start to leave, Malachi comes to the front of the table.

  “I need to speak to you about Charles,” he says.

  “Maybe when I am done repairing the damage you have caused to my marriage, I can find time for you.” Jacob turns his attention to me. “It’s time for that drink now,” he says.

  “She speaks the truth to you. You should not drink her blood. I touched her, I caressed her, I had my mouth on her flesh, and she cried out my name once more, but she is still your bride. I would not dishonor her vows to you.” Jacob does not punch him for his brave words.

  “The reasons for her blood have nothing to do with you. I have to hear if she is in trouble tonight. My first obligation is to the safety of my wife. If she wants me to see what happened in Hell, she will offer it to me. I will not take it.”

  Malachi bows his head slightly. “Lilith knows all the locations except for one. She cannot get to the last location as long as I am alive.”

  “You lied?” I question.

  “No, she just didn’t ask the right question. She asked if there was anywhere on Earth that I didn’t tell her where I buried one of his bones, but I wasn’t on earth at the time.”

  “You have a bone inside you,” I say as I marvel in his genius.

  “Yes, but no one else must know. The two of you will not break to her. Others will. If I should fall, you must dig the bone out. It is the hyoid bone, and it lies along my sternum. Promise me you will bury it inside your body if I can no longer protect it from her.” Jacob and I both nod.

  Malachi leaves and Jacob and I wait a few minutes before going upstairs. Our bedroom is finished with all of its renovations as well as the décor from the interior designer. I take in the beauty of the room. “You got a new bed,” I remark as I walk over to it and run my fingers along the expensive covers.

  “The old one just didn’t feel right anymore,” he comments. I remember my hysteria over someone else being in my bed with Jacob when I was deceased. He did this for me even though I no longer feel the need to be upset.

  “Thank you,” I say. “It wasn’t necessary.”

  “I only want to share my bed with you for however long of eternity we are fortunate to share.” He runs his hands over my shoulders.

  “I’m sorry,” I say.

  “Why? I made you tell me even though you wanted privacy. I should have listened to you. I am sorry that you had to go through that with her watching. At least you didn’t have to follow through on it. Lilith never stopped with me. At least Malachi did.”

  “It was difficult for him. She kept stabbing me with his daggers until he spoke. Then she offered my body to Arthur and was going to make Malachi watch.”

  Jacob growls, “Arthur was there?”

  “Yes,” I say.

  “Did he touch you?”

  “Some. Lilith stopped him when she thought of her plan to force you to kill us when she proved to the committee that Malachi and I were having an affair.”

  “That was her plan?” he asks.

  “Yes. I guess I didn’t get a chance to tell you.”

  “I would never order your death. You must know that. No matter what you do, I would never harm you.” He kisses me as I start to cry. I was so sure that Lilith was telling the truth and that Jacob would kill himself like he almost did before when he thought he lost me.

  “Would you like that drink now?” I ask as I lean my head up for him.

  “Yes, but I would prefer the femoral artery in your thigh.” Hunger flashes in his eyes, and I know that he is after more than my blood.

  I start to undress. “You know, I prefer several locations all over my body,” I say as I lie down on the bed and slide off my jeans. I do not realize when I take off my bra that my body does not have enough blood in it to heal my skin and that he will see Malachi’s mark on my breast.

  Jacob’s breathing increases, and I know that he is holding in his anger. “He dares to mark you, to drink from my wife. I will kill him myself.” I start to back up on the bed. “Where are you going? Are you afraid of me?”

  “No,” I say.

  “Maybe you should be. I will have that drink now and you will let me know everything that happened with him.”

  “I told you what sh
e made us do.”

  “I’m not talking about Lilith. You let him drink from your breast, and you were not in Hell when you did.”

  “Jacob. Stop. You cannot do this to me.”

  “I told you that I would not share you again,” he says before he bites my neck.

  Jacob stops drinking and lifts me up against the headboard. He leaves my panties on but bites my thigh, drinking in more of my blood. I do not feel him in my mind this time. I am mad at him. When he reaches for my flesh, I zap him with my protective light. I hear his voice start to vibrate in his throat. Feeling him about to growl, I beat him to it. I have never growled at him. My teeth clinch together and my heart starts pounding out of my chest. My vocal cords snap sharply together as they rub back and forth. He is taken aback and looks at me as my voice rattles the windows in the room.

  I get off of the bed and go into the bathroom. Taking a washrag, I clean my leg and throat. He follows me in there. “You crossed a line just now.”

  “And you didn’t?”

  “Yes, I did. He felt good in my arms once again. I did not resist him touching me again when we were flying out there this morning. I told you that I was confused. When I came to my senses, I fought him off. I got a broken shoulder to prove it.”

  “He broke your arm?” he asks while tensing his jaw.

  “It was an accident. He was chasing me, and we collided. Why do you have to be so angry all the time over small incidents that do not matter to the whole equation?”

  “You do not think that you matter to me?” he says.

  “I do not know what you care about—ego, pride, strength, winning? You won me already. Stop fighting me or him.”

  “You go back and forth. You are so confused so how do you think I feel knowing that you are everything to me and yet I am this close to losing you? I fight for you every day. I think that you will go to his bed at any moment. I had countless nightmares about you and him. Even now, you throw it in my face. “

  “You made me go to him. We could have run from the committee. We’ve lived in hiding before from Arthur. I cannot keep telling you every day how much I love you, how much I want you, or even how much I need you. We can leave this place after this is over. It can be that way again. If I am not here, Jessica will have a better chance at bonding with him. He will soon forget me. You have to believe in our love.”