Prickly thorns, tender roses

Hidden knowledge

"Well, is it the seventh shelf or the eighth?"

Ravenna peered into the immense register, her finger trailing down a page with embellished swirling writings, searching under the letter 'A'. "It should be the seventh," she called to Adrian, who was currently facing one among thousands of towering shelves making part of the Belmont body of knowledge.

The young woman lost herself in her reading once again, but without intending to, her eyes strayed from the yellowed veal pages, searching for Adrian. He was approaching, carrying several tomes.

Since her wrists were in no proper working condition for her to be carrying things or climbing precarious stairs, he'd agreed to aid with her pursuit and retrieve the heavier materials needed for her studies.

Dust rose from the stack of books as Adrian placed them on her reading table. "Anything at all yet?"

Ravenna sighed and shrugged, resigned. "I've not found any pertinent piece of knowledge to aid me, no. But there must be something here. There must." She looked towards the endless shelves burdened with works she may never get to read. "This is going to be awhile..." Ravenna then turned an apologetic gaze on Adrian, but his face was as impassive as usual.

"Take the time you need," he said, one long finger reaching to trace the cover of one tome stacked on top of the pile. His gaze slowly drifted back to hers. "You once said you may have use of transmutation for your attempted serum."

Ravenna slumped her shoulders forward in another sigh, her hands in her hair, ruffling the strands in circular motions. Her eyes were closed and a tired frown creased her brow. "Yes, a by-product from the transmutation of the prima Materia."

"The first matter, used among other things to create the philosopher's stone," Adrian said thoughtfully.

"Yes," Ravenna met his eyes, somewhat intrigued her host was privy to the details of this. "Which leads to another issue. There is no surviving knowledge on the transmutation of prima Materia."

"None at all?" Adrian raised an eyebrow.

Ravenna crossed her arms. "Well, not unless you have a decrypted copy of the Emerald Tablet." She knew it was impossible. The ancient work had never been accurately deciphered by any known scholar to date, its secrets disputed but never fully revealed, or demonstrated.

Seeing her disappointment rankled him peculiarly. "I think it is time I left you," Adrian said, then looked at her wrists. "I do not believe you can lift the platform latch—"

Ravenna looked at the manuscripts splayed before her. "No... I'll come up with you." She regarded the darkened vault, sparsely lit by the artificial lights, which Adrian had told her were fueled by lightning. He'd explained the method used was one inspired by a work that had once belonged to the vast library of Alexandria, and somehow survived its burning and subsequent destruction; how his father had come upon this knowledge during his many centuries of travels.

As she joined him, Alucard said nothing, but followed her with his gaze, placing the latch back when they had both stepped onto the wooden platform.

The need Ravenna felt in his presence was not as compulsive as before when she had to actively avoid him for fear of doing something ghastly. But it was ever there in the back of her mind and chest. Despite this, she could still barely keep away from him for too long, and Adrian did appear less reclusive and hesitant where she was concerned. That was progress, she supposed. As were most midnights Ravenna would fall asleep curled onto the divan in the study, rather than her chamber. It was warmer there, not as removed from the strategic kitchen area, and it was certainly comfortable. There was also the fact that he spent his time there most evenings, and ever since the encounter with the hunters, Ravenna found it was better when he was near. She could not exactly tell the reason or fully grasp it in mind or spirit, but she heard and felt him differently when they were close. She often thought she heard barely discernible, repeatable sounds, not her own, reaching as far as her lower abdomen.

"Hungry?"

She refocused her vision to find Adrian staring at her, half a smile on his lips.

Ravenna shrugged. "Is that an offer or merely taunting? I have not had time to find any eggs or—"

He waved her thought away. "I have something in the making. But first..."

Their eyes met.

As before, and ever since the recent happening in the woods, Ravenna felt something raging in her ears, her throat, down her chest and belly whenever she stared into those unique beams of gold.

"Join me," Adrian urged, stepping off the platform when they reached the outside world.

Her curiosity piqued, Ravenna followed him as she shielded her weary eyes from the blazing sun, noticing in passing that it was midday.

Soon enough, they were walking the castle corridors together and Ravenna saw they were heading to the library.

"This way." He led her to the eastern side of the curved dome structure, pausing before a line of racks. He then took a wooden stair and climbed it to the top, his gaze searching.

Following his catlike movements, her traitorous mind began its dribbling anew. Her eyes lingered on his well-knit frame, his deceptively frail appearance. The elegant way he moved and touched things. The way he'd touched her when circumstances had demanded it.

She still vividly recalled the copper color of his eyes then, the rigid set of his shoulders. Ravenna debated whether to ask if the blood sharing had any effects in the aftermath; if it had done something to her, to them both. But then she blushed and buried the notion, thinking she would need to explain the effects and sensations plaguing her.

"This one here," Adrian's voice brought her back to reality.

He took a green tome in hand and descended to face her, presenting the item.

Her eyes widened when reading the authorship. "Hermes Trismegistus... this is a copy of the Corpus Hermeticum!" Her gaze locked with his, her heart pounding with newfound strength.

"An alternate version Trismegistus himself wrote, annotated, among others, with the deciphering of your Emerald Tablet."

Her head was spinning, and Ravenna felt faint. "You... you had this all along?"

He was smiling, now of all times. "Apparently I did. And now you have it."

"This is a treasure in itself!" Her voice was full of wonder. Then Ravenna frowned, eyes cutting to him. "Again, you let me..." Then realization struck. "You did not trust me enough."

Alucard crossed his arms in a detached shrug. "I allowed you your research."

Ravenna was too happy and grateful to be upset. All her attention reverted to the manuscript, fingers reverently tracing the faded illuminations. "There is yet more to do, but this saves me months, possibly years!" She wanted to embrace him so much but somehow succeeded in reining herself in, thinking he may not appreciate it. "Thank you, Adrian," Ravenna said with honesty.

Adrian only watched her, and there was that bizarre silence again where each appeared to have something to say, but none would speak. Ravenna noticed how light streaking through the window played in his hair, over his features. He was alight with the sun indeed, this unusual creature she at first feared and even loathed. It was cruel and bitterly amusing at the same time to think she could barely keep away from him now. Did he see it? Did he know? She thought it wouldn't matter either way.

"I will see you later, then? For the evening meal?"

The words took her by surprise. "Yes... yes, certainly," Ravenna blurted after a moment of hesitation, still shaken by the discovery and now duly intrigued by this unexpected offer.

"Until then," Adrian turned away, his long stride taking him toward the engine room.

Ravenna followed him with her gaze until he disappeared from view, and for moments unnumbered stood still in the endless library of the once greatest of vampire lords, holding the invaluable tome to her chest.