A Deadly Embrace
Chapter 7: Beware the Crimson Stare
When Tea was finally satisfied with a bowl of oatmeal prepared the way she'd specifically instructed her captor to make it, Tristan decided it was time to hint at some of things Yami had informed him about.
After all, he reasoned with himself, if I'm gonna be stuck with this girl for a while I may as well see if I can stir up any chemistry. She's fairly easy on the eyes, a little loud and bossy, but otherwise I guess I could do worse.
Clearing his throat he sat down across from her in an armchair adjacent to the bed. "So-Tea, what if I told you that I'd decided not to suck you dry?"
The brunette paused from slowly spooning her oatmeal into her mouth to give the vampire a look of discontentment. "Oh how gracious of you."
Forcing himself to be patient he bit his tongue and tried again, "I mean I've kind of grown attached to you over the last night or so-"
"You mean you like the taste of my blood." Tea corrected him.
"Look would ya just let me get this out?!" Tristan huffed.
The girl fell silent and placing the bowl on the nightstand she folded her arms before her chest awaiting his big announcement.
"What I'm trying to tell you is that I think we might be able to start some kind of a relationship here." he finally finished.
He half expected her to scream or at least hurl something in his general direction for having the audacity to make such a comment. But instead she sat there frozen, her eyes wide and transfixed on his own as if studying him to determine whether or not he could possibly be serious. After a few more elongated moments of awkward silence she seemed to snap out of her dazed state and speak, "Y-you must be joking or something. Why on Earth would a vampire ever want to date his victim?"
A slight blush tinged his cheeks, "I don't know, I just thought it was worth giving things a try. To tell ya the truth, I never had much luck with girls when I was human." Why was he telling her this anyway? He wasn't obligated to inform this human of anything from his past mortal life. Yet here he was, baring his soul to an aggravating stranger he'd just abducted purely out of hunger…or was that all of it? Had he seen something else in this human that made him want to single her out that night? Shaking his head he wondered if her ditsy do-gooder attitude was starting to seriously mess with him.
Tea stared at the floor for a moment considering her options. Choice A: go along with the vampire's idea to try and be more than a late night snack or Choice B: carry on with the empty threats and insults until she finally got the last of her blood drained. Sighing she had to admit that Choice A held a lot more promise than Choice B. "Okay Tristan, I guess it's worth a shot. It's bound to be better than being held captive and bitten all day anyway."
"Really?" now it was Tristan's turn to study her gaze for sincerity. "That's great! You won't regret this Tea! See, I'm even using your name and we haven't argued nearly as much as we did last night."
Arching an eyebrow Tea groaned to herself, He wasn't lying about one thing. This guy has definitely never had a girlfriend before.
Um Tea, Tristan's voice was inside her head, I can read your thoughts.
Blushing deeply she stiffened in front of him. Oh right, sorry!
******
Serenity had watched as Seto left the room to converse with one of the other clan members. Now was her chance to make a move. If only she had some means by which to escape. Dashing towards the window she jerked open the glass balcony doors and stepped out into the chilled night air. Looking over the stone railing she saw that she had a rather long drop to the shadowy garden below.
Hesitantly she stepped out onto the ledge that lined the upper level she was on. If she could make her way along the outer wall until she reached the fountain by the walkway maybe she could-
"AAAHH!!!"
Her startled scream pierced the eerily quiet night. The woman wavered on the ledge nearly losing her balance until the hand that gripped her shoulder spun her back around to face the balcony that she had just barely begun to inch away from.
"So you thought you'd escape me so easily?" Seto sneered as he jerked her back over the railing. "Well think again little Wheeler. I said you belonged to me. That means you don't leave my chambers until I grant you permission!"
"I'm not your property!" Serenity declared with vehemence.
A slightly fang-revealing smile appeared on the vampire's face as he closed his eyes in thought. "Looks like I'm going to have to take a different approach with you."
"What do you mean?" Serenity gasped. The creature yanked her back inside and forced her back onto the bed.
"I got you to be quite submissive once through my spells, don't think I can't do that again." he smirked slyly while looming over her.
Horrified by his implications Serenity answered in a small and intimidated voice, "You really are a mons-"
"Am I?" Seto's question was simple enough but the reply was caught in Serenity's throat as she gazed up into his alluring cerulean eyes.
"I-I…" she trailed off, her own eyes half-lidded when Seto closed the distance between them with an open-mouthed kiss.
With an insuppressible moan of delight Serenity allowed the demon's hands to roam freely over her quivering form. Truthfully she was now in a state of mind to let Kaiba do whatever he wished to her. It wasn't that Serenity didn't find her new behavior odd, but she couldn't concentrate on her reactions long enough to decide to fight against them. Her mind was clouded and the only clear sensations were those invoked by her charismatic captor.
Part of Kaiba was screaming for him to pull out all stops and take his prized possession now. Yet another, slightly more dominant, part of him was scolding him for using a spell to lure Serenity into intimacy. He wanted to win her heart not blind her with spells.
With a growl of self contempt he pushed himself off of her thereby breaking his own incantation. "Curse you Wheeler and all the power you've given my conscience."
Blinking and gasping for air the chestnut haired woman tried to make sense out of what had just happened.
"I can't take you this way." Seto admitted.
"Wh-what are you talking about?" Serenity breathed heavily.
"If you were anyone else, I could've just used magic to make you do whatever I wished." Seto explained still angry about his morals, "But I can't bring myself to seduce you with spells. I'd much rather you come to me willingly."
Eyes full of confusion Serenity stared at the vampire in disbelief, "You were going to make love to me? And use your dark magic to get me to go along with it?!"
Oh how she wanted to be angry with him! To throttle and berate him for what he had almost had her do with him!! But for all her would-be fury something prevented her from all out despising him. Blaming the difficulty on her kind and forgiving heart she sat up as he rolled off of her and onto his back and stared down at him with gentle eyes.
"I'm glad you didn't take advantage of me like that. Thank you." she said in a tone near whispering.
Looking up at her Seto brushed his hand through a few strands of her lovely straight hair. "I really am quite taken with you. I only wish you'd give me a chance. Fighting is the last thing that I want to do."
Smiling down at him in spite of herself she didn't attempt to bat his hand away from her hair. She merely let him repeat the motions until not the tiniest of tangles remained. This was the guy who had killed her older brother. Seto Kaiba the cruel hearted businessman a bloodthirsty vampire who was now combing his fingers lightly through her hair. She thought back to a few moments before when she had woken up. Had it really been that bad to be in someone's embrace? To awaken to a pair of eyes watching lovingly as she returned to the physical world from her dreams? Her mind was ordering her to maintain her distrust and hatred for the vampire but her heart was begging for her to show the poor man some compassion and understanding. And when it came to making decisions, Serenity always trusted her heart.
******
Inside Joey and Mai's bedroom…
SMASH!!!
…another object shattered against the wall.
"Mai I'm serious!" Joey hastily shouted as he dunked to keep from getting his head bashed in by an antique vase.
"Don't you pull that crap with me Joey Wheeler!" Mai snapped angrily searching for something else to throw, "I'm not stupid and I know exactly what you're up to!"
"Huh?"
"Don't play innocent with me! I know your real motives!" the blonde woman was furious.
Honey brown eyes studied infuriated violet ones with extreme confusion, "Mai it's like I told ya, Yami just dropped by and explained that you and the other vict-urr-women are all part of some big thing to unite the species or whatever. And all that means is-"
"All that means is that you're trying to get laid!" Mai hissed, "Well I'm not buying one word of that phony story Joey! You're such a pervert! You'll say anything to get me into bed with you!"
"You're taking this all wrong," Joey insisted.
"You're sick!" Mai huffed.
Sighing Joey waited until Mai slumped down on the sofa before he approached and took a seat safely on the other end. "Mai I wouldn't ask ya to do anything like that honest. I'm just telling you what Yami told me." Joey put up his hands defensively and flashed Mai a large smile, "Don't shoot the messenger eh?"
Glancing back at him for a second Mai resumed her crossed arms pose, "I don't care what that other vampire said Joey. No one's using me as some guinea pig for a prophecy made ages ago."
Inching closer at a very slow rate Joey slid an arm across the top of the couch. "Look no one's asking you to do anything you aren't ready to do. I won't allow it, you know that. All I'm sayin' is that it couldn't hurt to try. We were plannin' to get married after I finished high school anyways right?"
"And what about Serenity?" Mai reminded him. "Isn't she a part of all this too?"
Joey's eyes flashed red for a moment, "Yeah, but if that creep Kaiba tries forcing her into anything, I'll make him wish one of those slayers had gotten to him first."
Mai grinned while Joey brandished a fist in front of himself for emphasis, "You're cute when you care."
Joey's attention turned back to his girlfriend, "Just part of being the handsome Joey Wheeler!"
Valentine rolled her eyes, "And there you go killing the moment with all your bragging."
"Sorry," Joey had inched his way all the way over to her now, wrapping his arms tightly around his girl he nudged her ear with his cheek, "so what do you say to giving this prophecy thing a shot? It's better than sitting back and watching humans and vampires keep killing each other."
"I just don't know Joey," Mai sighed, "if it's fate, then I guess things will find a way to work themselves out."
Rubbing his hands up and down Mai's forearms Wheeler nipped at the back of her ear and neck. "Sometimes for fate to happen the way it's supposed to, two people gotta be willin' to help it out."
Joey…Mai stared down blankly at her feet …what have you gotten us into now?
The vampire proceeded to plant kisses along Mai's neck and shoulder while carefully tugging off her lavender jacket, Nothin' I didn't think we were ready for. Lifting the concentration he found he needed to effectively read Mai's mind he battled a conflict in his own, At least, I hope we're ready for this. With Mai as a human and me stuck as a vampire-I don't see any other way.
******
Marik entered the chambers which he shared with his 'newer' self. A quick glance in the direction of the first bed showed him that Malik had already managed to put their captive into a tetchy mood. Regardless of how their prey was feeling at the moment he wasn't going to alter his plans in any way.
Deciding that the direct approach was the best way to go about it he half-walked, half-glided over to his counterpart who was presently sitting Indian style on the floor. "Malik, rise to your feet. We've got work to do."
The younger vampire looked up at Marik quizzically for a moment then did as told. He followed Marik's gaze and was pleasantly intrigued when it fell upon Taylie.
"Now Detective," the darker of the two vampires spoke in a tone that seethed of malicious intent, "it's time that you were finally of some real use to us."
Taylie's eyes narrowed on the spiky-haired vampire. "So you've finally decided to finish me off huh?"
"No," Marik grinned, allowing a few pearly white fangs to glisten out of the corner of his mouth, "your use will go beyond that of a meager meal. For you shall be our mate, and a key instrument in bringing about the unification of vampire and human kind!"
"WHAT?!" Taylie's pupils enlarged to the point where they nearly consumed her two-shaded blue irises. "What the heck are you saying?! I'm not going to be responsible for unleashing a hoard of nearly unstoppable vampire crossbreeds on the world!"
Before the woman could object further Marik swooped down upon her slender form and pinned her down atop the sheets. Once he had managed to restrain her with one hand he used his free one to draw out and unsheathe the dagger within his Millennium Rod.
Malik watched with interest as his mentor sliced himself across the neck, dropping the item afterwards, and bringing Taylie's face up to the wound. The fresh cut bled with Marik's supernatural blood which streamed out invitingly towards Taylie's mouth.
The frightened and bewildered detective clamped her mouth shut in hysteric defiance but the vampire's weight now allowed him to use both hands. So with one hand pushing firmly against the back of Taylie's head and the other mashing her cheeks in, crushing them together to the point where she couldn't help but lower her jaw, the terrified woman was forced to swallow the blood as it poured over her tongue and oozed its way down the passage of her throat.
No!! Taylie's frantic thoughts screamed in outrage and self-loathing for her lack of control over the derisive actions of her captor.
Once he felt that a sufficient amount of his blood had been consumed by the victim Marik drew back from the woman's face and released his painful hold upon her. Taylie fell backwards onto the pillow, narrowly avoiding an agonizing collision with the thick wooden headboard.
"Now my young apprentice," Marik turned his attention towards Malik who had been regarding the scene with intense fascination, "it's time that you claimed this foolish mortal with your essence as well. For when the two are combined, she will belong to you as well as I and should we will it she will never again see the light of day!"
Madmen, Taylie's sobs choked even her mental voice as she started to weep over her loss of freedom and purity. These vampires where going to pay for their actions! Whatever they were doing to her it was going to come back to them tenfold! So much for Malik's little speech about almighty power; a staked vampire posed no more of a threat than a sword with no blade.
Malik had climbed onto the enraged girl just as soon as Marik had pushed himself off and back to his feet. How I have ached for this moment. Malik admitted to himself, A chance to make this mortal mine for all eternity without draining the life from her spirit. A mindless puppet wouldn't have been much fun either. Nothing could compare to claiming her as a personal slave who I can manipulate to fulfill my every desire.
Malik was confident of his ability to make this woman desire-even love-him. All he needed was time and this new turn of events would provide him with more than enough time to employ his more 'convincing' techniques to gain Taylie's submissiveness.
"Dear Detective," Malik smirked down at the writhing form beneath him, "your feistiness has not only made you one of my more intriguing victims, but it has earned you a place as my most favorite plaything."
Taylie flinched slightly as Malik lowered his mouth to her ear. Brushing back one of her royal blue tipped bangs of ebony hair he whispered in his most seductive tone, "Never fear my beloved toy, I don't intend to break you. No, not when I can teach you to enjoy my little games..."
And with that said Malik raked his fangs along his bottom lip and drew Taylie into a one-sided kiss. The young mortal screamed into the kiss, thrashing wildly against the vampire who was now laying his claim to her as well. When Malik finally broke away he laughed insanely while Taylie choked upon the last of his essence as it coursed through her being.
"Damned vampires," she growled through clenched teeth.
"Enough pleasantries," Marik shrugged off his grayish-purple cape and tugged at the golden chains on the front of his black sleeveless top, "we vampires have a destiny to fulfill. The prophecy my sister made shall come to be and you Detective Opel-our mortal mate-have no choice but to assist us!"
Malik shivered with delight while Taylie looked on with horror and disgust. Marik removed his shirt then turned to toss it aside, exposing his oddly tattooed back to the pair on the bed.
"The ancient markings of the pharaoh's secret." Malik explained, "They have been passed down, embedded on the backs of the head tomb keepers of my family for generations."
"Then you have them too?" Taylie shifted her gaze distrustfully to Malik. Maybe there was a way that she could use this information to regain some of her lost control.
"Yes," Malik answered solemnly, removing his own cape and lavender shirt, "these scriptures tell of the immense powers hidden within the Pharaoh Yami, now the leader of the Scarlet Clan. He has the power to unify the world. We now know that means that he is to lead us in uniting vampires and humans, bridging the gap between long time enemies."
"Heh, the pharaoh has no interest in making allies of these worthless humans." Marik chuckled while moving towards the bed, leaving his leather pants behind him on the floor. "He only seeks to exact revenge upon the mortals for tormenting us since before the days of his rule."
"True the pharaoh does not seek a truce with the humans," Malik agreed watching as Taylie cast her eyes on the far wall, refusing to look at him as he shed the last of his clothing, "but there is more than one way to unite two enemies."
Taylie felt the corner of the sheets beneath her lifted as the vampire Marik slid under them, roughly wrapping his arm around her waist and drawing her near. "Time to embrace your destiny my dear." Marik's laughter made the woman's blood boil and her hands ball into fists which clutched tightly to the sheets by her sides.
I will NOT do this. she declared vehemently, You will NEVER take me, not alive!
A soft sigh followed by a few brief tongue clicks reached her ears, You should feel honored you know? To be chosen as a mate for such a superior species. There are a lot of benefits to being the bride of a vampire. Besides...you have no say in the matter.
Snapping her head up Taylie met the younger vampire's gaze. "I said no, and I meant it. I won't be raped by a pair of demented night crawlers."
The raven haired girl gasped as a hand flew up and grabbed her throat. Marik held her arms to her waist with his opposite hand and drug her beneath the sheets with him. Malik soon followed on the other side. With the bedclothes pulled over the three beings on the bed it was hard to make out anything but a faint outline of each person. Taylie tried to focus her vision and wriggle free.
A barely audible chuckle emitted from deep within Marik's throat that was soon echoed by the maniacal laughter of his lighter counterpart Malik. Taylie was stunned by what happened next...
Both vampires raised their Millennium Rods up before their faces and then became submerged in the items' eerie golden glow.
Trying to regain her composure she pushed herself back a ways on her elbows thankful that she was still clad in her disheveled clothes. "Whatever you're doing with those things it won't work! No vampire gets the best of Detective Taylie Opel!!"
"Ah but you're no longer an Opel," came a voice that sounded as though it were a mixture of both Malik and Marik's tones, "you're an Ishtar now and you belong to us!"
With widened eyes and a slack jaw Taylie saw the two figures merge into one body. This combination formed an extremely powerful creature with the strength of two vampires. Now it all made sense to her. That's why the two look so similar. They're the same person, just split into different halves. Malik is the 'lighter' half who's out for power and dominance. But Marik is the 'darker' half who's seeking revenge and the human race's destruction! And when their Millennium Rods join the two soul versions in one body...there's no limit to the chaos they can create!!!
"I see you've finally figured us out my dear." the single voice echoed in Taylie's ears, "Too bad it took you so long to comprehend the warnings I gave you about my invincible powers!"
"Y-you said I-I was nothing to you!" Taylie reminded him. She'd run out of room to run. Being trapped by the newly joined halves of the intimidating creature before her didn't give her much hope of escaping. Nothing in the force's training had prepared her for this!
"Exactly," the blood sucker smirked, "you were nothing to me. But fate can be cruel. Now you are crucial to my kind's very survival and my destined soul mate." A sinister laugh caused Taylie's small frame to quiver with fear, "Now cease your delays foolish girl, nothing and no one can save you from me!"
If evil had a face then Taylie was certain that she was now staring upon it. Fixed by piercing lavender eyes she shrank back against the pillows as Malik and Marik pounced. Digging their shared set of fangs into Taylie's flesh and ripping brutally at the skin of her neck, blood gushed forth onto the satin sheets and the coppery essence delighted the taste buds of the vampires' mouth.
"You're sick," Taylie whimpered from the sting.
The creature only chuckled into the fresh wound as his victim's blood stained his deeply tanned face. Their hands roamed over the length of her body, tearing at clothing wherever they felt it. Taylie's screams of fury where music to the pair's twisted ears. Their nails-like claws-tore into her sides and raked down her thighs as she thrashed about in a vain attempt to free herself of their clutches.
"I think that's enough foreplay," the creature chided finally removing his nails from her sensitive flesh and running his hands up Taylie's bloodied body.
To say that the detective felt dirty and violated would be an understatement of immeasurable proportions. Taylie was so disgusted with her lack of strength and the vampires' despicable maneuvers that she lashed out with every fiber of her being not caring of the harm that could befall her for it.
Taylie screeched as the body of her two tormentors positioned itself before her in preparation to strip her of her virginity and any innocence that she might still possess. This wasn't happening! She couldn't bare the injustice of it all! She had done nothing to deserve this!! She would rather have died!!!
Something warm and soft made its way up her shoulder then, it traveled along the length of her neck, and finally came to a rest just under the lobe of her left ear. Taylie forced her eyes open then for the first time since facing the newly joined body of the vampires. Her predators stared back at her wearing an odd expression on the face that they both possessed. It almost looked like...concern.
Malik, Taylie thought hopefully. He had given her that look once before when Marik was about to overpower her soul with his Millennium Rod.
I don't know exactly how well you remember your mortal life Marik but humans are much frailer than our kind. Malik spoke to his darker counterpart.
Don't worry Malik I know enough about mortals so that I can tell when I'm pushing one too far. Marik answered, This one can stand a little extra blood loss. I'm not getting carried away, just having a little fun.
Malik growled as he scanned Taylie's shaking and bloody form through the eyes of the body he possessed with his mentor. Well just see to it that your fun doesn't cost us our mate.
You could always join in. Marik offered with a laugh, She's not so weak now. And you've still yet to test your mastery of the Millennium Rod...
With a grin Malik realized that his darker side was right. He would use the manipulative powers of the Millennium Rod to force Taylie to desire him and yield to his every devious whim.
Another glow from the Millennium Rod gave Taylie the false hope of thinking that the two vampires were splitting apart once again. But she had no such luck as she felt the horribly familiar tug of the item's brainwashing powers upon her mind.
Not again! she mentally hissed as she drew her concentration away from stopping the creature's roving hands and towards blocking his control over her mind.
We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Malik's voice rang out in her mind. Either way, I shall get what I desire.
Get out of my head! Taylie demanded.
Your efforts are no match for my abilities! the younger vampire bragged. Behold, already you yield to my wishes.
To Taylie's dismay the boastful parasite was right! Her hand move from the chest of the creature which she'd been desperately trying to push back and up to caress his face and draw him downward towards her own.
How much more deranged do you plan to get?! Taylie demanded. It's one thing for you to strip me of my innocence, but to force me to comply and aid you is unthinkable!
I can do anything I want with you now, Malik snickered while Marik moaned into the kiss his younger self had made Taylie initiate, Mrs. Ishtar.
Several more minutes into the act Taylie realized how futile her efforts were and submitted to the torture. The strain on her mind was simply too much and she shuddered to think of what else would happen to her if she were to black out from mental exhaustion and be left at the full mercy of the two maniacs inhabiting one incredibly powerful vessel.
A scream of terror, pain, and shameful pleasure resounded off the chamber walls when the body of Marik and Malik finally slammed into hers, ripping at her insides, and sending waves of searing pain and ecstasy washing over her. The motion was repeated countless times until the mortal's body relaxed from its tension and the only sensations remaining were those of rapture.
The two-toned voice rang out over Taylie's heavy pants, the scream shattering the near dead silence in the rest of the chamber before it broke leaving the creature's mouth hanging open with no sound to express its inner emotions.
Long slices of fabric hung from the tips of Taylie's nails where she'd clawed apart the bed cover beneath her. The vessel above her collapsed bringing the sheets down around the two bodies while the Millennium Rod rolled off the bed's edge and hit the floor with a few loud clanks. Sweat caused the sheets to cling to the two bodies raveled in them, shrouded by the night's eternal shadows. Malik and Marik were spent, exhausted but not nearly as tired as their lover.
Idly Taylie wondered when the two nightwalkers would return to their separate forms. They couldn't very well stay this way, possessing the same body forever, could they?
Those other women, the victims captured by the rest of the clan, are they tied into this too? Taylie's worries would not let her rest and she figured she was safe from her captors' mind reading powers now that they were lying atop her slumbering. What about those other two...the slayers? Are they even still alive?
The dark and light blue-eyed woman forced herself to refrain from further thought. She was barely stable minded as it was and didn't consider Malik and Marik the type to let her catch up on any sleep she missed due to her worries for other humans.
Hesitantly she brought her arms up off the bed and slid them around the back of the body above her. It was heavy, yet not as cold as she'd remembered their vessels to be. She figured she had their recent activities to thank for that. With a somewhat contented sigh she allowed her eyelids to droop down and her breathing to even out. As she fell into a deeper sleep she could almost imagine that she heard the heartbeat of the vampires' heart. In her drowsy state it seemed to make sense that the vampires' would have hearts, it was only logical because a stake through one would turn them to ashes. But had she only been aware of the fact that a vampire's blood can fine tune even the dullest of the human senses she'd have known that the heartbeat she was drifting away to, was one within her own body.
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*Do I take forever to update or what? Sorry about that, ^_^ don't let that stop you from reviewing! Dang, nearly 12 full pages here and I haven't even gotten to Bakura(Y.B.)/Dina and Yugi(Y.Y.)/Rebecca yet! Eh well, save the best for last right? Mwuhahaha! This story's far from over though so keep reading and find out just how twisted this alternate universe can be! P.S.-No flames!*