Steal Me From Heaven

by Crawford, Toni

  “Missed me,” the scarred Demon remarks.

  “Yeah, but I hit your friend.”

  The Demon turns to see his friend is gone. When he faces me again, I am in flight and coming down on his head. My dagger buries into his back, but I miss his heart. The second Demon throws me off, and I roll to the ground. I know there is at least one more that came out of the water. I cannot find him. When he grabs me from behind, I realize my mistake. I am too close to the water, and with two Demons in front of me and one holding me from behind, I have no room to fight them off. I grab my blade from my thigh and stab the one behind me. He screams but does not let me go.

  When I try to reach for the other blade, he stops me. I call forth my light and shock him until he drops his hold on my arms. I turn around quickly and dispose of him with a blade to his heart. As I withdraw my silver, I am kicked from behind. I land face first in the water. I spin around and stumble to get to my feet. The scarred Demon kicks me again. I hear the water rippling behind me again. The portal is open but I do not know if it is meant to let me in or more Demons out. I feel a talon pierce my shoulder. I now realize Lilith is on the other side close to the surface.

  I hear a yell from above. The flash of metal catches my eye as Lilith’s limb is amputated. Her talon still clenches my flesh around my bones. Before the two remaining Demons reach me, I see Malachi land in the water in front of me. His spears from his wings are dripping with Demon blood as they hang down to his calves.

  Taking out two daggers, he throws them at the same time and kills both Demons. He turns and offers me his hand to help me up. When I stand, he comes behind me and pries Lilith’s dead bird hand off my shoulder.

  “Where did you come from?” I ask.

  “You needed me, so I came,” he says. “Is she ready?”

  “Yes, where is Jessica?”

  “If she needs me, I will know it, and I will go to her.”

  “Are you feeling better?” I ask.

  “Are you?”

  “Yes, I feel fine. My shoulder hurts now. I do not think it is healing.”

  “Let me see,” he says.

  “You are avoiding my question.”

  “Maybe,” he says as he stretches my top down. “It looks bad. I cannot heal it.”

  “Didn’t you recharge?”

  “I have no light. I told you I gave it to you.”

  “You said you would recharge as much as you could.”

  “And I did. I cannot lie. I’ve used all I’ve regained.”

  “Take it from me,” I plead.

  “No, you need it more.”

  “If you are about to die, you will take what you need from me. Do you understand?”

  “If it comes to that, and I know that you will be okay, then I will.”

  “We are ready,” Rebecca interrupts. We walk out of the water. Malachi goes to hook up the many hoses and water pumps. I stand by Rebecca, who starts chanting her spells. I hear a howl coming from the battlefield. The wind picks up, blowing the leaves from their branches.

  “They are coming but so are the Demons,” I call out. Malachi turns on the pumps. Jacob and Jessica land beside us.

  “Now that you are here, I must go,” Malachi says to Jacob.

  “Go where?” I ask.

  “The Fallen are to stop the Demon retreat as the Vampires advance from behind. Are the sprinklers set?”

  “Yes, they will start in ten minutes,” Jacob says.

  “Why must you go?” I ask Malachi.

  Jacob takes my hand and answers for him. “He is their leader. It is his place.” Malachi nods his head at Jacob.

  “Lilith pierced her shoulder with her talon. Her skin is starting to darken once again. She is close to the gateway. She will enter before it closes.” Jacob turns to me and looks at my flesh.

  “Thank you for saving her,” he tells my former Guardian. They may not like each other but at least they respect one another.

  “If you hurt too badly, use the light to heal yourself. You have plenty.” Malachi leaves through the air.

  “The ghosts are here. Stay close to me,” I say to Jessica and Jacob. I start to glow large enough to envelop all of us. The ghosts try to break into my enclosure but they cannot. As a large quantity gather, Rebecca cast a light on the first mirror that starts a chain reaction. The beam goes around to each mirror, which reflects it to the next one. After the circle is completed, the ghosts disappear into the largest mirror closest to us. They are trapped inside.

  “It’s working,” Jessica says. The pond is about one-third emptied.

  “I do not know if the Fallen can hold them off long enough for the water to recede,” I wonder out loud.

  “You have never seen them fight,” Jacob informs me. “The water from the sprinklers that we installed will help them heal faster.” I hear the rotating heads of the gadgets start and water mist rise up in the night sky. Horror sounds erupt as the Fallen attack from the sky. The Demons try to retreat but the Vampires attack from behind. The plan is working perfectly. More and more spirits are falling into our trap.

  I feel the ground quake beneath our feet. Rebecca grabs the large mirror and takes off running in the direction of the hotel. If the mirror shatters, then all the spirits will be set free. She must secure it somewhere safe. The water has receded from the pond to where there is at least a twenty-foot circle of mud before the water meets the grass.

  A mighty squeal comes from beneath the portal. Lilith is coming. Jacob pushes me behind him. With her red wings ablaze with fire, she ascends into the night sky. She does not land to fight us. She is going after Rebecca.

  I see someone else emerge from the gateway. It is Arthur. He turns to face Jacob one on one. I jump to the air to chase the red Demon down. Jessica is close behind me. When I see Rebecca, I do not see the mirror or Lilith. I land in front of her. “Is it secure?” I ask.

  “Yes,” she replies. “It is whole and in place.”

  “Good. Did you see Lilith?”

  “No, she is here?”

  “Yes. She was chasing you,” Jessica replies. We all take to flight and head back towards Jacob. When I notice a large shadow above us, it is too late. Rebecca screams as Lilith pierces her shoulders with her talons and drags her away. I guess she has recuperated from losing her limb earlier.

  “No,” I scream. “You want me, not her.” I try to chase but she is too fast. I climb higher in altitude and notice their direction. She is headed towards the mountains. I narrow my vision and darken my eyes to allow for more light to pass through. I see her perched on a tree limb but I do not see Rebecca. I know she will torture her in order to find out the location of the mirror or use her to get Jacob to bind her.

  Jessica flies up to meet me. The altitude is too much for her to handle. “Come, I know where they are. She will wait for us. We need Jacob and Malachi if we are to get her back.”

  The pond is completely drained now when we land. Jacob and Arthur are fighting in hand-to-hand combat. Male egos once again get in my way. “Pull out your blade and finish him. We have more important matters to attend to,” I yell at Jacob.

  Arthur reacts first and slices into Jacob’s stomach. Jacob rolls and stands back up with a dagger in each hand. He uses my trick of throwing the daggers in the air while charging Arthur with new blades already in his hands. When Arthur notices his folly, he sidesteps, causing the first dagger to miss his heart and land in his shoulder. The second dagger lands in his throat as Jacob runs his right hand all the way through his heart. Arthur falls to ash.

  “Why is he not bones?” I ask.

  “Lilith must be protecting him. He is Demon now. He will need to find another portal before he can return since this gateway is closed. It should take him a while.”

  “We need to find Malachi. Lilith has Rebecca. I do not know if she will break and tell her where the mirror is located. She made it to secure it in the manner in which we instructed.”

  “You find Malachi, Jessica and I will go t
o Lilith. Where did she go?”

  “She rests on a branch high in the eastern mountain side. Maybe Jessica should get Malachi?”

  “No. He will not leave his people for anyone other than you.”

  “Oh.” I do not know what else to say. “Be careful.”

  We all fly off in different directions. I know Jessica will come in from behind the mountains. They work well as a team. I can tell that Jacob had trained both his sister and Rebecca to fight. Their styles are all identical.

  When I find Malachi standing amongst the dead bodies and remaining warriors and Demons, his body is severely bruised and bloody. I land behind him. He turns his blade on me but stops when he recognizes me.

  “Marion, why are you here?”

  “We need you. Lilith has Rebecca.”

  “Jacob can handle her,” he says as he buries his sword into his adversary. “He will not let harm come to his daughter.”

  “He doesn’t know,” I admit.

  “What? Marion, why would you keep that from him? If Lilith tells him, he will surely bind her to keep her safe.”

  “I thought I could tell him in order to keep him from binding her, not to have it used against me.” I cup my hand on his cheek. “Please, Malachi, I need you.”

  “Gerald,” he yells to his friend. “You are in charge.” Malachi jumps to the air, pulling me up with him. He hugs me pressed against his bloody body. I have to fold in my wings for him to fly safely. “I need my light back now,” he says to me.

  “Take it, I offer it to you.” He picks up the blue pearl necklace and holds it in his fingers.

  “I’m glad you still wear my gift,” he says as the chain slips back down to rest on my neck.

  “Always,” I say. He leans down and kisses me. He parts my lips with his tongue but he doesn’t enter. I feel him withdraw my breath into his body. I release his light back into him. When he is finished, my lips are still parted, and I am left shivering in his arms.

  “You okay?” he asks. I just nod my head and snuggle my face into the crease of his neck. From the change in the scent of him, I know his wounds are healing.

  “Don’t leave yourself vulnerable ever again,” I tell him. After I motion to the spot where I last saw Lilith, he lets me go to fly on my own. She is no longer in the tree. I look down below and see Jacob and Jessica fighting her.

  “Where’s Rebecca?” I ask.

  “I have her. Go to Jacob,” Malachi yells as he nose dives swiftly through the tree branches. I see a shadow leap from somewhere off to my side. Before I am able to lay eyes on it again, I am hit and we roll together through the air. She has me pierced up under my rib cage. I know her face.

  “Ariel,” I say. “My Demon protector, aren’t you on the wrong side?”

  She laughs. “You are no longer my charge with you being a Guardian yourself. Lilith saved me from the Abyss. My loyalties are to her. Demon to Fallen, I can kill you with a twist of my knife.”

  “She didn’t tell you, did she? I am not Fallen. I am Angel. You cannot touch me.” I see her frown as she realizes the truth. She twists the blade into my heart. I pulverize my electric charge into her body. She is thrown backwards through the air, and she falls to the ground. I expel the knife from my chest. I am still alive, but it definitely has slowed me.

  I recover enough to chase after her. I descend to the ground. I see Rebecca is tied to a tree, dangling above a blazing fire. Lilith can make her fall at any moment. Arthur is there protecting her. He must know of another portal. The fighting is getting closer. I can smell Lilith’s foul stench.

  “Hello, Arthur. It looks like it is just you and me,” I say. “I’m not the little housewife you remember me to be. Let go of my daughter, and I might let you live.”

  Rebecca stares at me. “You knew? Since when?” she asks.

  “Since Malachi drank your blood,” I say. “How did you know, and why didn’t you say anything?”

  “I am a wizard. I see and know things that I shouldn’t. I didn’t want Jacob to treat me like a child. I prefer to be on equal grounds.”

  “But Jessica said that her friend wanted him for herself.”

  “That was not me. She was talking about Shayne. She is the one who called for her, remember? I only said things to Jacob to fluster him. I found it entertaining. He must not know.”

  I lower my head to the ground. Arthur starts to laugh. “This is going to be a great family reunion that ends with the death of another one of your children.” I hear Malachi smashing his metal sword against another blade from beyond the trees.

  “Ariel,” he hisses as he backs her out of the woods.

  “Angel warrior let me be your diversion once again as Arthur finishes the family off.”

  “You led me away on purpose.”

  “You would think you would have learned your lesson after failing so miserably the first time. But that is not all. Who do you think told Arthur where they lived?”

  “No, you were sworn to protect her.”

  “You made sure that I never got that chance. She means nothing to me. You always had to be the one to guard her. Look, you fail her even now.” When Malachi goes to strike her, I feel the wind of Arthur’s sword slicing towards me. I turn and block his strike with my arm band. I go down on one knee, but I am able to stand to push him off. He comes back quickly, but I jump up in the air and land behind him. I give him a cheap shot to the kidney. When he leans over, I jab my dagger through his lung. He coughs up blood. I pull out my blade as he swings his sword towards my head. I duck and pierce him low in the abdomen. I do not have time to pull out my silver this time. When he opens his wings, I notice that they are twice as large as Jacob’s. He removes the blade from his flesh and hurls it at me. I am able to avoid his throw easily enough. When I turn, I see that I was not the intended target. Malachi has Ariel pinned to the ground, and the blade is headed straight for his heart.

  “Malachi,” I yell. I see a fast blur running in his direction. Jacob appears in front of him and takes the dagger hit to his shoulder. He is shorter than Malachi so it would not hit his heart. Jacob came through with his promise not to let him fall. I breathe a sigh of relief as Jacob pulls the silver from his chest.

  Arthur pulverizes me with his wings. I cannot defend against them. They are too fast and too strong. I am knocked over, and he covers my body with them. I hear Jacob yelling as Arthur’s body is taking a beating outside of his cocoon that he has me trapped inside.

  “He cannot break through to get to you. I hope you fight well on your back. I know of a lot of things you do well in this position.” I spit in his face. He slaps me hard. His sword is lying on the ground outside of our bodies. Since he has no weapons of his own, I feel his hand reaching into my feather. He pulls out one of my daggers very slowly.

  “I wish we had more time, but your husband is relentless in his attack. I cannot hold him off much longer.” He stabs the dagger into my heart. I gasp and start to glow. My pulse charge does not fire. Arthur laughs as he stabs me repeatedly. He is killing me. One hit may not do it, but I cannot survive several. I scream. I see the tip of Arthur’s sword plunging out the front of his neck. He stops moving and falls off of me. Jacob twists the blade and decapitates him.

  He sits down beside me and pulls me into his chest. “Hang on, Marion. Don’t leave me.” I feel so sleepy. My wounds are not bleeding much because there is no blood left in me. My shoulder, abdomen, and thighs hurt from Lilith’s mark.

  “I do not know if I can do what you ask,” I say to Jacob. “I am sorry.”

  “No,” Jacob yells. I look to the place where I smell smoke. The forest is on fire. I see Lilith emerge from the flames. She has Jessica in her hands. Her skin is burning from the contact with the red Demon.

  “Looks like tonight you will lose everyone you care about. We will start with your daughter.” Lilith motions towards Rebecca. I close my eyes. Jacob looks back and forth between Rebecca and me. “Oh, you didn’t know, your wife did not tell you.”r />
  “Marion, is this true?” he asks me.

  “Yes. I was pregnant when Arthur stole me. Rebecca is our daughter. I didn’t know until you were banished to Hell, when I refused to let Malachi drink from me. He drank from her and tasted our blood in her.”

  Jacob places me gently on the ground. “You will not hurt any of them.”

  “Do as I ask of you, and you all will live,” Lilith says as she throws chains down to the ground.

  “I will not bind you,” he says, enunciating each word.

  “Very well,” Lilith replies. Rebecca screams as her rope snaps and she falls towards the flames. Malachi kicks away from Ariel and barrel rolls just in time to catch her. He unties her. “Can you heal her with your spells?” he asks while looking at me.

  “I can make her live.” She runs over to me and takes my hand.

  Lilith sets Jessica on fire and throws her behind her. I hear her hit the ground hard. She is screaming.

  “Stop,” Jacob yells.

  “Do you yield?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you obey?”

  Jacob looks at me. “You heal them both, and you have my word.”

  “Jacob, no,” I yell through my strained voice.

  “I love you, Marion. Mankind may suffer for my actions, but those I love will not. We are already dead. The Vampires, Fallen, and Demons shall inherit the earth.”

  “That is not the way it is supposed to be. I’d rather be dead.”

  “I will never let that happen again,” Jacob snarls at me.

  “Deal,” Lilith says. Jessica’s screams stop. She is no longer on fire, but she is not healing either.

  “I will heal them when you complete your task, but I will not harm them while you do.”

  Jacob grabs the first chain from the ground. Malachi goes to stop him, but Lilith shoots a fireball from her mouth. He is tumbled backward and is on fire. He puts out the flames and flashes his blue light to heal his burned flesh. He comes over to me.

  “Can you walk?” Malachi asks me.