“Almost. Her spells are working.”
“I am going to Jessica. Her breathing is slow, and she is in pain.”
“I’ll be there soon,” I say. Jacob has one talon manacled and is securing it to a tall tree.
In a few minutes, I am able to get to my feet. Rebecca helps me maneuver around Lilith to get to Malachi and Jessica.
“She is dying. Lilith cannot save her,” Malachi says. I pinch my nose to block the smell. She is unrecognizable. “Marion.” I look at him. “Hand me your necklace.” I cannot move. I can barely understand his meaning. He stands and comes over to me. “You must offer it back to me. I cannot take my gift from you.” I do not say anything as I unhook the chain and hand it to him. He places it around Jessica’s neck. When he raises his hand to her chest, I know that she will take all of his essence to heal herself.
“Malachi,” I whisper, “I love you.” A tear escapes his eye and runs down his cheek. When he calls out his light, I see the source of his soul pass from his palm and into Jessica. When the transfer is complete, he falls to the grass. Jessica’s flesh begins to heal, and her breathing is increasing.
I look towards Jacob. He is working on Lilith’s other foot and chaining it to a large tree to the side. He has two more limbs to go plus the crisscross of chains on her chest.
I see a lightning bolt flash from the sky to the ground. A cloud of mist forms and heads in our direction. Adam walks out and comes to our sides. I think he is here to offer me his blood.
“No, child, I am here to take your Guardian home.”
“You can hear my thoughts?” I ask.
“Yes, I hear everyone’s thoughts and prayers.”
“Will he be in Purgatory?” I ask.
“No, he is redeemed. His home lies in Heaven once more.”
“I will never see him again?”
“It is not final, but there is a chance that he will not return. He has longed for this day for many years. If you want to say goodbye, you should do so as he ascends.” I look down at the place where Malachi was lying, and he is gone. I turn back to Adam, who just looks up in the sky. Following his gaze, I see Malachi rising just above the tree line. With no hesitation, I leap to the air and catch up to him. He catches me as I reach him.
“So, you love me, huh?” he asks me.
“You know I do. I will miss you. I wish there was another way.”
“This is what I’ve always wanted, to be in favor with God again. Do not be sad for me.” I look down and see Jacob is talking with Adam. Lilith is thrashing in her chains. She is unhappy that Jacob has stopped. I see Jacob and Adam looking up at us.
Malachi raises my chin to look at him. “Drink, Marion, I am Angel now. My blood will heal you.” I stare at him for a moment before I sink my teeth into his neck. I swallow three times before I feel my flesh tingling all over. His blood is too rich for me.
“Malachi, what have you done to me?” I ask. I start to slip from his grasp, but he tightens his hold.
“I told you that I can heal you, but it only takes a drop of Angel blood. I do not wish to leave without you. My blood will make you Angel once more. I am not going to let you stay here to perish because of him and his actions.”
“I can handle Jacob,” I say. “Let me go.” I see lightning flash across the sky and a warrior Angel appears. His hair is cut in military style and it is as black as the night. He has come to take Malachi the rest of the way home. I kick and scream. Jacob grabs hold of my ankle and is pulling me out of Malachi’s arms. I am in a tug-of-war.
“She is mine. Let her go,” Jacob yells.
I look at Malachi. “I will never forgive you for betraying me.”
“Betraying you? I am trying to save you. Don’t you see that?” Malachi is going to lose me. Jacob is pulling with all his might. “Michael, let me go.”
“No, you cannot fall back to earth. If she does not survive the taking of your blood, she will join you soon. Come, my brethren,” the Archangel replies.
“Marion, I am sorry. You deserve better than him. I love you. Come with me.” He lets go of my arms. My skin is turning pale, and my wings are shining a bright white. Jacob falls quickly to the earth, holding me tightly in his arms. He lands beside Adam and lays me gently on the ground.
Lilith is speaking in tongues. I hear her call the name Lucifer. “Finish the bind, and I will save her.”
“Quiet, Demon,” Adam calls forth. “You are not fully bound. Your call will go unanswered.” She obeys.
“Jacob, you know how to save her. You have the knowledge and the power.”
“I beg of you, Adam, please help her.”
“I cannot get involved. You saved her once in the same way. I must deal with Lilith. You take care of your Vampire bride.” With that said, Adam leaves our side to talk with the red Demon.
Jacob smiles down at me as he wipes the stray hair from my face. “It’s all right, love. I know what I must do.” He leans down. I think he is going to kiss me but he turns my head and latches onto my throat. He drinks the blood out of me. I feel his skin turning hot and smell the burning of his flesh. He is going as fast as he can while trying to ignore the pain rising in his body. When he feels the vacuum of my vessels against his teeth, he knows that I am as empty as I can be.
He stands up. His flesh is smoldering, and I see sparks of embers. Doubling over in the grass, he starts to regurgitate my blood. His burning stops, but he is slow to heal. He collapses on the ground. I see a streak of light flash across the sky. I know that Malachi is gone now, but he waited long enough to see if I would live or die. I muster what strength I have and crawl to Jacob’s side. I use what light I have left to heal what I can. Jacob does not move in my arms. Jessica makes her way over to us and falls beside her brother. She takes her teeth and slices her wrist. I part Jacob’s lips as she squeezes out her blood from her wound. He starts to stir and raise his head. Latching onto her arm, he drinks quickly. She holds still as he continually bites into her, reopening her blood supply. When he regains his self-control, he stops. He offers her wrist to me.
“Not much,” Jessica warns me. I take her wrist and drink slowly. When I no longer feel that my insides are eating away at my flesh, I stop.
Adam is still standing in front of Lilith. Jacob rises and goes to his side. “I will unbind her. I know that I am the only one who can.”
“Tell me, Jacob, would you have completed the ritual?”
“To save my family, I would do anything,” he says before pausing. “I needed to buy them time to heal. I was going to try to decapitate her with the chain.”
“You cannot defeat her, only an Angel can, and we will not get involved.”
Adam’s comment does not go unnoticed by me. I am just not strong enough yet. Jacob proceeds to unchain the Demon from the trees. He will not go near her body to undo the manacles. Adam holds her still with his power. When Jacob is done, Adam lets her speak.
“Lilith, for your attack on these people, I hereby banish you to your realm for a sentence of ten years.”
“I second that motion,” Jessica says.
“Then name your replacement for the committee panel,” Adam says.
“I name Ariel,” Lilith responds.
“I am surprised you did not call on Arthur,” I comment.
“He cannot be trusted. He is Vampire. Ariel is Demon.”
“The sun is upon us. I suggest you make whatever gateway you can to drag any survivors back to Hell with you,” Jacob warns her.
“You all will pay for this one day. You may have saved her from my curse, but mark my words, I will see to it that she joins her former lover in Heaven.”
“Do you make threats in front of me? I can strike you down with one wave of my hand,” Adam remarks. “Know your place, Demon.”
Lilith backs away and bows her head. Her body shrinks down to her human form. She is naked. “I am sorry for my actions here today. Thank you, Adam, for your leniency.” Ariel and Lilith take their leave.
“We better make it fast back to the estate,” Jacob says. “Those that are still alive will have to stay the day with us. We will celebrate with a party tonight. Ethan is putting the plans in place. He’s quite the party planner. The Fallen will rejoice for the return of one of their own to God’s grace. Then you can choose anywhere in the world you would like to go for an extended honeymoon. I did not have the opportunity to plan a trip until now.”
“I thought Ethan was dead. He was not at the house.”
“He stayed in the tunnels. Daylight had him trapped down there.”
I think about where I would like to go. “I want to go to England, to our new home.” The renovations to the house alone will occupy my mind. Jessica needs to grieve on her own. I look at my blue pearl glowing around her neck. I know part of Malachi’s essence or soul is inside. I smile. He is finally hers at last.
We start our travel back to the estate. I fly holding onto Jacob’s hand. He turns and looks at me. “I love you, Mrs. Alexander Jacobs.” I roll underneath him and fold in my wings. I wrap my arms around his shoulders and grab the nape of his neck. He meets me halfway to embrace our kiss together. For whatever reason, I know this man loves me.
The End
Steal Me From Heaven Page 28
