Summary:
It has been over a thousand years since Juliet Ambrosia had last seen her one true love; then again if it weren't for him, she wouldn't be the monster she was made to be. Nevertheless, once news reached her ears that vampires were at war – fighting to kill one of the Original Vampires so their sire line could rule, Juliet decided it was time to reveal her existence to protect her sire line; Klaus. Secrets come to light and a love reignites but will it last long?
Disclaimer:
I do not own any character from CW's The Original, nor the story line of vampires fighting for 'strongest sire line'. I do however own Juliet Ambrosia and any plot that involves her. Please have respect and do not, under any circumstance, take or plagiarize my work for I have worked hard to write this fanfiction.
Dead Angels pt. 2
Once Juliet arrived at the church, the Stryx associates had already entered the facility, watching as Elijah and Aya stood on opposite sides of the caged platform, sending glares toward the other. The scroll resided in the Original's hand, and it was to stay there until midnight; at least, Elijah intended to hold onto it until such time. If everything went according to plan, there would be a new leader; one fit enough to rule valleys. Marcel, unamused by the pissing contest between the older vampires, rolled his eyes as the Stryx members cheered on their longtime friend. The ridiculousness of the matter forced his head to shake and a bout of laughter to bellow out from his mouth, his chest bobbing up and down.
"We're really gonna do this? Oldest, most sophisticated society of vampires in the world, and we settle our disputes like kids on the playground at recess?"
"It's pathetic." All heads turned to the darkness where Juliet walked out from. At the sight of the woman, Aya rolled her eyes while Elijah stared in confusion. Everyone continued to stare as Juliet walked into the fighting cage, her hands stuck in her pockets.
"The infamous leader coming to claim the scroll?" Aya inquired, her obvious annoyance dripping in her tone. Elijah glanced to Aya, still confused with the woman's words. Aya saw this and realized the Original vampire was not aware of Juliet's status within the Stryx; his own organization. "Oh this is priceless," Aya continued, despite a warning from Juliet. "However, I'll leave it to you, Juliet, to inform our dear Elijah how you've been playing Puppet Master all these years." Elijah's head snapped toward Juliet, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"Juliet? Is this true?" Taking a step forward, Elijah's grip on the scroll lessened. Juliet noticed this as her eyes briefly averted toward it; wanting to make sure she had it in her eyesight at all times.
She didn't answer – right away that is. Instead, the woman exchanged glances with Marcel for a quick second before she found Elijah's deafening stare. "Fine," the woman revealed. "Yes, it has been me all along taking care of your failed leadership and transformed this organization into what you call 'savage'. Of course, back then I couldn't very well take charge as I was not from your blood line … so, I picked Tristan up from the rocks you dumped him on and trained him to be a better leader you would have never been. I took this group of vampires - which you abandoned - and made it my own. Call it your gift to me for leaving that night." As the information fed to him continued, Elijah's fury grew. All this time and the real enemy was living under his roof, sleeping in his sister's bed, drinking his expensive bourbon. Blinded by what he thought was an unforgotten love, Elijah realized he really wasn't as careful with Juliet like he thought he was being.
"Oh come on Elijah, don't act like you're surprised," Aya instigated, her mouth twisting into a sarcastic smile. "You must have known on some level Juliet was not exactly who she said she was. I mean, I've been part of the Stryx for so long and I still don't trust the wench." Juliet's eyes narrowed into slits at the woman's words, wanting nothing more than to feel the bones constructing her neck breaking under her fingers.
"Your commentary isn't necessary Aya; in fact, it's rather tiresome now. But, by all means, I'm not here to stop you from trying to gain the power you've been wanting all this time. Be my guest," Juliet barked, her arms folding against her chest as the two women glared at each other. Aya's brows furrowed as Juliet spoke; confused as to why she was eager to hand over the crown knowing the cunning Heretic for as long as she did, Aya knew Juliet was up to something. "May the best man or woman win," Juliet finished, nodding to Marcel. The woman turned to leave the cage but was stopped by Elijah's booming voice calling for her to stop.
"We are not finished," he demanded, taking a step closer to the departing woman. "You came into our lives after centuries of silence to not only lie, but stay under my roof with the knowledge that you were working and sleeping with the enemy."
"Correction," Juliet interrupted, whipping around to face the Original. "I slept with Tristan in the past, that all ended once I realized he was going behind my back and using the organization for his personal gain. And I never lied to you. If you had come to me with the correct questions, I would have told you about my affiliations."
"Really?" Elijah inquired in disbelief.
"Really. I told you before that I never intend on lying to you." The two glared at each other, creating a harsh tension. Elijah took another step forward, loosening his grip on the scroll. Both Juliet and Marcel noticed this as Aya began laughing. "I don't appreciate the theatrics Aya," Juliet spat. "And believe me, when I say you will get yours, but today I'm intrigued to watch you get your ass kicked one way or another." Aya snarled, her smile quickly fading into a scowl while her eyes narrowed toward Juliet. However, Elijah had his own plans.
"Actually, Aya, if you wouldn't mind. I would like to have this round with Juliet," he stated, setting the scroll down onto the chair behind him, setting his jacket over top of it. Marcel's eyes stayed glued to where the scroll was being kept while Juliet let out a sarcastic laugh. Aya, putting her hands up, happily made her way out of the cage, closing the door behind her.
"You really want to do this now?" Juliet asked; a little offended Elijah was calling her out. "This isn't supposed to be a battle between you and I; it's supposed to be a pissing contest between you and yet another one of your many lovers -"
"I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!" Elijah bellowed, his finger pointing toward her. "Stop holding that against me!" Juliet's eyes widened for a brief second as the man yelled; impressing her. For centuries she had witnessed his malicious personality from afar and through the eyes of others; never receiving the spectrum of his anger personally. This time, Juliet rather enjoyed seeing him eyes rage with anger and disappointment. "None of this is my fault; if you would have just come to me after your transition things would have been a lot different."
"Not your fault?" Juliet repeated, her own ager flaring up. The woman took a step forward, her eyes narrowing. "Who was the one who dared me to enter that cave in the first place, Elijah?" The man's brow rose, his hand falling to his side while he continued his aggressive stance. "Who was the one who claimed to have been in the cave before; the cave which was known to harbor mythical creatures? You pressured me into conquering my fear of the darkness and the mystery of that cave and look what had happened." As an aging vampire and millennia of memories being held within one cranium, Juliet knew there were certain periods of time blocked to make room for all of the incoming information. And though his mother had done a fantastic job in opening his eyes to some of the memories he had kept hidden from him, Juliet wished Ester would have shown him the memory of Elijah sentencing Juliet to death; unbeknownst to him.
Nevertheless, Elijah couldn't remember; he merely remembered the blood, being afraid of what was coming and leaving with Rebekah pulling him away. Juliet stood where she was, her nostrils flared with anger and her eyes dripping into the terrifying red vampire color. "If you want to fight, we'll fight. But don't for one second believe we are fighting because of me; this was all you." He didn't move. Instead, Elijah froze, his brows furrowed as his mind tried to scramble itself for the truth. Was he really the cause of her death? Was Hayley correct in stating everyone they touch dies? Aya, getting impatient walked into the cage once again as she let out an exaggerated huff. "Big bad Elijah Mikaelson," Juliet spoke, taking a step back showing she was not in the mood to fight. "More like coward."
"This is your issue Elijah; you allow others to get in your head easily when you should be reacting." In a swift movement, Aya gripped onto Juliet's body, pinning her against the fencing. With her hand around the Hybrid's neck, Aya raised her other arm, cocking it back for a forceful punch until both women were knocked onto the ground – Elijah included. Confused, all three vampires rose to their feet only to find Marcel standing on the balcony with the Stryx Charter in his hands.
"I thought you three were gonna talk each other to death. But, since this is my city, I say we play by my rules. So, catch me if you can. If not, come midnight, I'm in charge." With one last smile, Marcel sped away without another word, leaving Elijah, Aya and Juliet in shock at the unexpected turn of events. Or rather, Juliet mimicked her surprise as Marcel was exactly the man she had trained for such a thing.
"Just make sure you have that damned Charter with you come midnight so we can be done with all the theatrics; I need Elijah trusting me again and I want Aya out of the picture." Ending the call, Juliet let out a soft but exasperated sigh. What she thought would be an easy and done with plan turned out to be even more complicated than she had imagined. Of course, it shouldn't have been a surprise to the woman as the Mikaelson's were full of surprises and they weren't necessarily stupid either. Juliet knew eventually her affiliation with the Stryx would come to light and soon, her affiliation with much older and stronger powers would come to light as well. But in the interim, the woman knew she had to continue playing the game whether she liked it or not.
Entering the Saint James infirmary, a man played a beautiful jazz number on the piano residing in the far corner of the building. On the other side, Elijah sat quietly with a glass of scotch in hand. In the other, he held a string of gold Mardi Gras beads; mindlessly running his fingers over them while he waited. After a brief moment, the man turned to investigate his uneasy feeling finding Juliet standing at the doorway, staring.
"You don't seem all that concerned," Juliet pointed out, walking further into the room.
"Well, I have my sources searching for Marcel. They won't be long." Elijah faced forward once again, dropping the golden beads onto the bar counter. "Still, I can't imagine that this turn of events is at all a surprise to you." He was right and this told Juliet the man was at a point where he no longer trusted her; with good reason. However, Juliet wasn't an enemy to the family and one way or another, Juliet would prove it to him.
"Not necessarily, no," Juliet answered honestly, rounding the counter corner. Placing herself in front of the Original vampire, the woman allowed her palms to lazily rest against the marble counter, her eyes patronizing. "Of course, Marcel is very popular with the locals. You understand that if he seeks refuge in any one of the many residences around here, neither you nor Aya may enter." Elijah hesitated for a moment having obviously been bothered by the notion before.
"Why only come now?" Elijah asked; his grasp on his glass loosening. "Why, after all these years, intersect yourself in our lives now? And please … the truth." Juliet kept her gaze on him, emotionless. The real and true answer as to why she had waited was a truth that could not have been revealed just yet; however, there were other reasons.
"By the time I was ready to face the lot of you, I was already too much affiliated with the Stryx; an organization who vowed to shun you. If I wanted to keep my power with them, I needed to stay away. But the amount of time I spent hating you for what you had done to me, I understand now, should have been spent forgiving you. You weren't aware of the werewolves living within that cave and you were newly turned into a monster in which you had no idea the amount of power you had; there was no saving me. I will always be in Klaus's debt as his actions were noble, but I know it wasn't your fault." Hearing the words finally fly from her lips caused a sense of peace in her heart as Elijah's expression softened. "I forgive you Elijah."
The Original rose to his feet, his gaze still glued to Juliet as his legs walked around the counter. Standing in front of Juliet, Elijah lightly placed a hand on her cheek, moving her hair from her face. The woman didn't move but kept her gaze linked with his. Her lips parted as her breathing increased from the sudden closeness. His reaction wasn't what she had expected. Knowing Elijah, Juliet figured he'd respond with some kind of sarcastic remark resurrecting his ego in an attempt to intimidate the woman. Instead, Elijah's affectionate touch sent shivers down her spine. Regardless of how many times Juliet wanted to fight her urges; the emotions which coursed through her body, anyone with a heart and an understanding brain would know it was hard to forget and resist your first love.
Elijah leaned in; lightly pressing his lips against Juliet's feeling a sudden wave of familiarity. Had anyone told him he'd be holding his first love tightly in his arms once again as their lips moved in sync, Elijah would have deemed them crazy. The very thought of the woman had crossed his mind so many times throughout the long years, and now, having her back in his life during a time of uncertainty and pain was rather confusing. Hayley had been distance since the death of her husband and Elijah was seeking comfort elsewhere. And this Juliet figured.
Nevertheless, Juliet returned his kiss as she placed her own palm against his cool cheek. It was an odd sensation that waved over her as her other arm snaked around his neck; she had originally spoke with the vampire in an attempt to gain his trust back and yet, she began to feel some kind of beating in her once broken heart. Her darkened mind began to slowly open up a bit as their tongues danced together; shivers running down her back. It was the type of kiss one would see in an old Hollywood movie where the girl was expected to raise her foot up, indicating how much she enjoyed the kiss. Instead, Juliet pulled away from the kiss and stared up longingly at the Original vampire, her lips still parted. "I know where he is," she spoke softly as she reluctantly stepped back.
In the French Quarter streets, Elijah pulled out his cellphone as he looked up to the home Juliet instructed Marcel would be occupying. With a raised brow, the man held the device to his ear; instantly Marcel picked up. "Well, this little escapade has been very cute indeed, Marcel. Why don't you come outside and give me the charter?" the Original inquired, more so commanding the vampire. Marcel, who was sitting inside the home, let out a soft but sarcastic laugh.
"Mmm, no. No, I'm fine right where I am. I got about three minutes until I'm the new Grand Poobah. Until then, good luck trying to find me." Elijah, rolling his eyes, let out a sigh as Juliet smiled beside him. She had always admired the way Marcel was – his attitude toward everything. Even when he was completely clueless to everything around him, the man kept a hard exterior.
"Look outside," Elijah instructed. Marcel's satisfied smirk was instantly wiped off his face as he turned his head toward the window. Standing to his feet, the man walked toward the window. "It's not difficult to track your enemies when you have a powerful Hybrid witch on your side." Marcel pulled back the curtain from the window, surprised to see Juliet standing patiently besides Elijah. The woman looked up to Marcel, her usual hard glare shooting up. However this one was different; her brow twitched and Marcel caught it.
"Well in that case, good luck getting in without an invitation," the man responded, his sarcastic demeanor immediately showing again.
"If you think I'm above burning this place to the ground, you are gravely mistaken." Juliet turned her gaze to him, her brows furrowed tightly at his words. Whether he was bluffing or not, she couldn't tell, but there was no way in hell she would allow Elijah to burn down another building – killing another innocent being.
"Well that's not very civilized, is it?" Marcel taunted, his arm resting against the window frame. His eyes still lingered on Juliet, waiting for instructions, however, Juliet's eyes shifted to her left which told Marcel to shift his gaze further. From a different angle, Marcel was able to see the large crowd of Stryx vampires heading their way and his expression shifted.
"Outside. Now," Elijah commanded once again hanging up his phone. Marcel grabbed the charter and tapped it nervously against his hands in front of the window where both Elijah and Juliet could see. Then, a friendly looking middle-aged woman opened the door to the house and looked to the both of them.
"Elijah? Juliet? Please come inside," the woman invited with a smile. Juliet's legs immediately began walking toward the home while Elijah, hesitant, scanned his surroundings for a brief moment before he followed closely behind Juliet. The man walked into the home as Juliet stood by the doorframe, keeping her eyes out toward the Stryx vampires. Aya, looking annoyed and betrayed; stared back at Juliet with such hatred; Juliet simply smiled at her before she rushed off with her vampire speed.
Elijah, rather displeased with not finding Marcel within the home, was not pleased to find Juliet missing and Aya waiting for him by the corner. "It's midnight, Elijah. Time's run out. According to our own laws, the contest is complete." As her words trailed off, Marcel and Juliet appeared behind the Original vampire, Marcel sporting a confident smile as he tightly held onto the charter.
"Guess that makes me the winner," he spoke smugly – Juliet resisting an eye roll from his overzealous behavior.
"Ridiculous. This wasn't a contest. This was evasion," Elijah fought, his dark eyes glaring toward Juliet.
"I had a little time to read your charter. The Ludum Regale was never meant to be just a fistfight. Aspiring leaders face off in a contest that requires cunning. Why? Because you want a leader with more brains than brawn. Reason I beat you all is because I know every nook and cranny in the Quarter. Underground tunnels, secret passageways between properties … and, since I'm so charming, I get invited everywhere." Elijah became more furious by the moment as Marcel explained why he won the position as Stryx Leader. Juliet watched as Elijah moved to plunge his fist into Marcel's chest; stopping him. Appearing in front of Marcel, Juliet's hand palmed Elijah's fist, holding it tight enough to break a few small bones. "Hey you kill me, you are in violation of your own damn charter. Nobody's gonna follow your rules if you can't follow them yourself."
"Why?" Elijah asked quietly as Marcel spoke, his pleading eyes looking down to Juliet. As she held onto his fist for a brief moment longer, the woman harshly stared back, pressing all of her strength into his large hand.
"It was time for the Stryx to have a leader who wouldn't resort to such … theatrics. Plus," Juliet continued, releasing his fist. "I keep my word, and I promised Marcel he'd be king of New Orleans. And with Klaus throwing a temper tantrum previously and taking the crown, I gave Marcel another one." The two stood where they were; Elijah trying his best to get a read on his former lover. "No hard feelings Elijah; this war has brought out the worst in everyone." Elijah sneered at Juliet, but before he could react, Aya placed a hand on the man's shoulder.
"Let it go Elijah," the woman spoke softly, a hint of defeat in her voice. Elijah hesitated for a long moment before taking a step back, showing his own defeat in the matter. Seeing this, Marcel also took a step back and addressed the large crowd of Stryx vampires surrounding them.
"I'm not the strongest one here, but I won the game. I've been watching the Mikaelsons my whole life; studied them since I was a kid. That's how I drove them out of New Orleans in the first place." Juliet's eyes rolled, knowing full well he was not fully behind the Mikaelson's fleeing the city. "I rebuilt this city in my image under my rules; offered alliances to all of my friends and got rid of everybody else. This is my city because I took it! That is what a leader does! If this prophecy that you're all afraid of is gonna happen, it's gonna happen here, on my streets. And if we're gonna stop it from killing us all, who's a better leader that me?" Elijah, following close with Juliet's actions, scoffed and rolled his eyes to the younger vampire's words.
"This is absurd."
"Marcel has won," Aya began, unsurprisingly okay with the new leader. "Better to stand with him and fight to live than stand with you. You'll be little more than an afterthought." Scowling at Elijah, Aya turned to Juliet and gave a curt nod. Juliet, happy with the way things are going, turned to address the rest of the Stryx.
"To the new leader of the Stryx; Marcel Gerard."
Author's Note:
I'd like to take this time and grant a thank you to those who are reading this story. I really appreciate your time. Please review as it is very motivating and inspiring whenever an author receives a review – even if it's just saying 'job well done'.
Jewels Jay xoxo