Steal Me From Heaven (37 page)

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.”

“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.

“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.”