Fate's Design Reserved

Judas deepened his bite as he began to see her memories.  He shut his eyes tightly and gripped her throat tighter, holding her in place as he drained her.  He watched her mind play the memories like a movie, but more than that, he began to learn the modern world and all those in it connected with her.  He learned of her distance from her family and the council.  He watched her struggle with the nightmares and the prayers she offered in the hope of his salvation.  At first, he tried to ignore it, but it didn't take long for his conscience to kick in and he let her go.

Dropping her from his grasp, he stared down at her as a single tear fell down his cheek.  She really was the incarnation of his beloved wife, down to the last drop of blood in her.  Slowly, he knelt down in front of her and regarded her carefully.  "Even in the face of death, you show no fear."  He said to her, "So what should I do with you now?" He looked her over carefully....

Ariel looked at Judas a moment feeling dizzy from the blood loss. She says to him, "Why didn't you finish what you started? You wanted to kill me didn't you? You probably won't get the chance to kill me again." She saw the tear fall from his eyes and she was even more confused. She reaches up slowly and wipes away the blood tear. "It is such a shame to see such a handsome man cry." Ariel slowly gets up again and wipes herself off. She says, " I think I should get back home. If father comes home and I am not there, it would cause problems for you."

Judas grabbed at her hand as she got to her feet.  "You will die regardless."  He told her, "If not by my hand, then by your father's.  You have been marked, Ariel Mustang and you will be hunted by your own blood until the day you die.  Yes, I had intended to kill you, once I knew who you were and who's line you came from, but seeing your past, it made me change my mind.  I can far better destroy the council with you being marked."

Arial looks at him a moment confused by the term marked. She says, "I don't understand. This mark on my neck would disappear within a day's time. And if people come after me then why not just kill me? I can't really do anything for you. My father has the Council meetings in a secret place and he never brings that business home. He has never trusted me because I look like your wife." She looks him over a moment. She says, "If you are going to survive in this age, you are going to need some human servants to do your dirty work in the daytime. I know quite a few people that would not mind being servants to a vampire. And I think there is a way for you to get to the council without killing them first. The counsil's financial status and influence over this town and other states requires them to own all the oil rigs of 50 different company. If you were to slowly buy the companies from them they would slowly lose the influence and their power. You could turn the town against them like they did to you back in the day."

Judas considered her carefully, wondering why she would want to help him.  Did she not understand what aligning herself with him would do?  "You speak as though you would see them fall as I would."  He said with suspicion.  "You would turn on your own family and you think such a thing would hold some countenance with me?"  He moved to her again, but this time, his eyes filled with danger.  "And you would presume to know what I will and won't do.  You tread a line far thinner than your foot, child, and you know not what truly waits for you when I am done.  And don't for one single second, think that I would not enjoy turning you into the monster your forebears created.  Perhaps I should and starve you long enough that you only know  your own bloodlust.  Then I would set you loose in their houses to wreak the havoc I design.".....

She looked at him dead in the eye showing her own dangerous anger and emotions with such raw intensity that could easily rival his own. Just as his wife could. After all they were both very strong and warriors even in their own way. Ariel had that same fire and spirit. "You act as if I care if I live or die. I'm not afraid of becoming what you are. We all meet our end eventually. So it is better to embrace life while we can. You have seen what my life has been like. Always knowing their greatest sin. Every night surrounded in death. Literally living a death that was not my own. So in a way the council has wronged me just as much as they have you. Just in a different way. So quit passing judgement on me just because you're angry at them. Giving into your anger leaves you open."

Judas growled low in his throat and dropped his head right down to Ariel, putting her nose to nose with him.  "Again, you presume to know me."  He snarled, "And you think to order my line of thinking.  Were you truly anything like Talia, you would never have done so.  You may be my equal in spirit, Ariel, but you are far from my equal in life.  I have had two centuries to plan my vengeance, to consider that which led me to my internment and that which led my only beloved to her death.  Living the death of another is a far cry from being there and despite what you may or may not believe, there is no redemption where I go and my anger is all I have left.  Now wear your mark with pride, human, for it won't be long before you feel that death for real and I will be there to watch it happen.".......

Ariel could not help but laugh. "You are all bark and no bite just as she said. You should work on your people skills a little bit more." She then walked past him out of the tomb. She did not need to say anymore. Plus the more she was around him the more something else stirred in her like a wildfire. She didn't even know why. But she was determined to fight against it. He had no room for her. She walks to her house keeping her neck covered. If this was what Talia wanted of them she was going to be disappointed. He did deserve justice for what was done to them but it did not help when he did not want to accept help from someone else

Judas waited until Ariel had left and then began putting his plan into motion.  He tracked the others to their homes and began scoping them out.  Each had families that he would make suffer before killing.  After scoping out the houses, he came to the Mustang estate and stared angrily from the boundary as Mustang's limo pulled up to the house and he got out.  There was a number of hours yet before dawn, so he decided to move in closer and peer in to see how the other half truly lived.

The trophy wife was laughable, the adoring son, more a selfish suit and Mustang himself, the self absorbed tyrant that ruled with an iron fist.  The only one he didn't see was Ariel.  She would no doubt be hiding in her room, waiting for his mark to fade enough that she could be seen again.  What she didn't know yet was that he intended to mark her again and again until she could never hide what he had done....

Ariel was in her room but she was not asleep. She was sitting in front of a mirror watching as the mark disappeared from her skin. She grabs one of her books and says reading the chapter about reincarnation aloud, "Reincarnation is part of a soul bound with a new soul. Usually results in an identical appearance and memory sharing. But the new soul will be more guarded and have a different personality. But some traits can be shared. Such as a similar taste in lovers."

Judas scouted the house until things went quiet and then climbed a tree to watch what happened upstairs.  He found the usual disgust there too.  In Mustang's own bedroom, he was happily beating his trophy wife for whatever she had done wrong downstairs.  That made him lift an eyebrow.  She could be of use later down the line.  Across into the next window, the son was tapping into something a little more dream inducing.  Judas could smell the sickly scent from the branch he sat on and grinned.  Another way to make Mustang suffer.  And then, he finally came to Ariel's window. 

Hearing the girl reading aloud about reincarnation, he smiled and sat to listen further.  Yes, she had many traits that were similar to Talia, but there were also many that were different.  Her open defiance was one, her ignorance another.  He sat for a while longer until he heard the house quieten fully and went to Ariel's window.  He opened it and stepped in without fuss.  "You should lock your windows."  He said quietly, moving quickly to her.  He grabbed her before she could run and turned her neck so he could see what healing she had already undergone.  "Perhaps I should repair my mark before it can heal proper."......

Ariel looks at him and says, "A lock could not keep you out." She looks back at the book and says, "I am not meant to be a copy of her you know. I have my own heart. My own mind. I am my own person. You have been comparing me to your wife since you saw me." She gets out of the hold and puts the book on the shelf. "Just do what you are going to do and get it over with."

Judas growled and followed her to the bookcase.  "You pale by comparison."  He snapped and took her up by the throat again.  Without another word, he sank his fangs in and began drinking from her a second time.  Only, this time, he didn't intend to stop until she was at death's door.  It would take longer for her to heal then and she wouldn't be able to hide his mark from her family.........

Ariel tensed up and pulled away from him. "I know I don't okay. She was your goddess. Your light in the darkness. I will never compare." She holds her neck. "You have tormented me all my life. I think you can just go." She goes to her closet and looks away from him. Her neck bleeds heavily. First she was used by her family now him. She says, "I am not a tool."

Judas smiled as it was clear her neck would not heal at all this time.  He would get to watch the first part of his plan come to fruition.  Only, if only she hadn't spoken.  Her voice pins in his head and he narrowed his eyes as he followed her to the closet.  "I will never go."  He said with hatred, "I will make sure I haunt your family, every last one of them for all eternity.  Your suffering is his suffering and when I am ready, I will see his soul condemned to the pits of hell.  His plans for you will fail and I will see to it."...

She gets in his face finally getting mad. She says, "You stop acting like you are my master! I am not your property! I am not your slave! I cared about both of you! I was even willing to give her my body you idiot! She would not take it! It is not my fault she left!" She looks at him. "I tried to get her to do it. I even forced out my soul when I was 17. She was in control for a week. But she made me come back."

Judas heard what she said, but didn't entirely believe it.  Raising his hand, he slapped her viciously across the face, "You will not speak to me that way!"  He almost shouted.  He didn't want to risk being found here so soon, but he did have to admit the girl had serious brass to say what she did the way she did.  Taking her by the throat once again, he pulled her to him.  This would test her to the limit.  He kissed her with passion and force, dragging his fangs across her lips.  If she fought him off, he would kill her and put the rest of his plan into action.  If not, he would adjust.....

Ariel tensed up some as he slapped her. She says, "Bet that made you feel like a man." She focused on that memory as he kissed her and cut her lip. Blood went into his mouth and memories of Talia being in control for a week. The argument the girls had. Ariel doesn't fight the kiss. But she doesn't act on it. She was not good at things like this. But she did lean into him a little bit. She had not been kissed with passion before.

Judas kept the kiss and deepened it as she began to respond to him.  No, hitting her did not make him feel like a man.  There was little in this life that would.  But he did have to admit, those brass stones Ariel had shown thus far were beginning to wear down his resolve towards her.  Pushing her hard against the wall as he continued the passionate bloody kiss, he began to adjust his plans. 

The council had always taken great pride in the virgin blood sacrifice and it had been this before that had been his downfall.  He had already tasted it in Ariel and so he knew Mustang would have used her to get to him.  There was something about the pure blood that had always been a weakness in vampires, especially the lesser ones.  To him, it was like a fine wine and he thoroughly enjoyed it, but he did not crave it.

The memories continued to flood into his mind, but he also began to trade hers with his, showing her the violence that he'd endured under her family ancestors.  He flooded her with bloodshed and heartache at having to watch his love die.  The other memories of Talia, he would keep to himself for now.  Those were indeed his private thoughts and emotions and would serve him no good in this.....

She wraps her arms around him and then strokes his body gently. She saw his memories and pulled away slightly before kissing him again. She says in his mind, "I'm sorry you had to see that." She did not know what was going on. She was not used to it. She takes the shirt of him. She says in the kiss, "No offense but you need clean clothes." She pulled away to get a look at his body. She runs her fingers over his chest. "I could feel everything you and her felt." She kissed him deeply.

Judas allowed her to remove his shirt and when she then instigated the kiss, he knew his adjusted plan would work.  He would use her for everything he could and not only that, he would take her purity and ram it down Mustang's throat.  "Then you understand why I must do what I am to do."  He told her before he pushed her hard into the wall and kept her there, pressing his body to hers until he knew she couldn't breathe.....

Ariel moans softly but pushed him off when she couldn't breathe. She says, "I can't do that. I can't..." She was blushes something fierce. She says, "I am not like that. Please don't toy with me like that." She wipes her face. "Please go." She goes in the bathroom. She leans against the door. "What am I doing? He's not mine." She washes her faces.

Judas growled, but refused to leave.  Instead, he followed her into the bathroom and grabbed her as she washed her face in the sink.  Turning her, he kissed her again passionately.  "Talia or not, you will be mine."  He said darkly.....

Ariel blushes deeply and says, "Judas..." She kisses him back slowly. She wraps her arms around his neck pulling herself closer to him. She did want him. There was no doubt about that. She just had a feeling he was going to use her. The part of Ariel's soul that was part of Talia says in his head, "You hurt her I won't forgive you." Ariel felt a shock against her lip and she pulled back.

Judas growled low in his throat as he heard Talia lay down the law with him, but if he wanted his vengeance, he had no choice but to use Ariel.  As she pulled back, he went forward, anchoring his hand about the back of her neck to stop her pulling back again.  He pushed her hard against the basin and then lifted her to sit on it.  This left her at his mercy and he used the advantage brazenly as he squeezed himself between her thighs and pinned her against the mirror......