Part II
(Final Part)
The couple slowly walked into the large abode. It was an impressive architecture with high ceilings and vast windows—a castle in nearly every sense of the world. The floors were white granite which exacerbated the wealth of the home.
The healer had pushed the deal to an entire season's harvest of the Crocus flowers in exchange for her and Alucard's services.
Not long after the new deal had been agreed upon the herbalist had told them to make themselves at home in his dwellings, except for a deep blue door across from the cellar. He said it was his lab, a delicate arrangement where he studied and practiced herbalism.
She could feel the gaze of her lover burning into the side of her head, she spared him a look, "What?"
"Don't you find this man suspicious?" he raised his brows, "He invited two strangers into his home and agreed to give us his entire harvest, simply if we act as his event planners. Not to mention how protective he was over his lab."
She sighed and quickened her steps, "It is very suspicious, Alucard. But for one moment, I don't want to worry about such things. Besides, he's rich. Those such people are gullible and naive."
Of course, everything was suspicious but when hadn't it been? Alucard had been suspicious of the villagers from Danesti originally and they turned out to be fine people.
"I wouldn't be too sure," he said.
She stopped walking and turned to look him in the eye, "Alucard, for once let's not look the gift horse in its mouth. When have we ever gotten the luxury of obtaining something without violence?"
"I'll keep an air of caution for the both of us then."
The couple silently stared at each other.
The young woman could understand why Alucard moved with an air of caution, however, she was so tired of looking over her shoulder. She had been doing so for nearly her entire life.
A pang in the pit of her stomach caused her to lose the staring contest, her gaze falling to the shiny floors.
"Y/N?" she felt a palm on her shoulder.
She quickly straightened herself up, "I'm fine. Just a little tired from the travel."
As a result of the lack of blood in her system, she began to experience the emergence of her innate primal impulses. It was tiring, holding back her bloodlust daily.
His gaze pierced through her, "You need to feed."
"I understand," the woman exhaled with a solemn countenance. "I sense the insidious nature of this affliction slowly corroding my being."
The tall blonde held his hand out to his companion, she placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her to their temporary lodgings.
🧭
The vampiress smiled as she pushed her willing victim onto the plush comforters. She shifted on top of him so her legs would bracket his waist.
His shirt was already unbuttoned allowing her eyes to zone in on the unblemished spot of his neck, the past bite marks she had gifted his skin were gone.
It wasn't unusual for vampires to feed off of each other, it was rather common in close friendships and romantic relationships.
In the healer's particular case, she had the pleasure of feeding from a dhampir. Blood was sweeter than most vampires due to the human additives.
"Enjoying the view?"
She drew her gaze to his eyes. "Quite. You know how caught up I can get in your beauty," her smile grew as she soothed the red of his cheeks with her thumbs. She leaned in to whisper to him, "Your heart is beating faster."
He looked away from her, "I didn't know you liked to play with your food."
"Only for you," she captured him in a seething kiss.
The couple carried on in this manner for a few moments before the allure of Alucard's blood called out to the newly turned vampire.
She pulled away from the kiss and allowed the tip of her nose to trace the path of his vein, before she had been turned into a vampire she didn't know that Alucard had a heartbeat. However, with her newfound abilities, she was able to hear the delightful delicate thudding of his heart.
The sound was just for her.
She pressed kisses along the column of his neck and her tongue laved over his lightly thumping pulse, his breath hitched.
A smile graced her lips before she sunk her teeth into his unblemished skin. The dhampir tightened his hold on her waist, his fingers sinking into the plush of her skin.
Her hands languidly soothed over the plains of his shoulder and chest.
Alucard tasted sweet... like the pies she used to make.
A heavy breath left the dhampir as her teeth sunk deeper into his skin.
Thud!
Alucard hissed as she hastily withdrew her fangs, "What was that?" she looked over at the closed door.
"What?" he rubbed her back.
The healer looked around the room. "I thought I heard something," she looked at the dripping bite mark before licking up the blood and pressing a kiss on the mark, she felt a quiver go through Alucard. She moved off of the blonde to sit beside him.
"Get some rest," he gently nudged her before buttoning the top of his shirt.
"And where are you going?" she licked her lips.
He grabbed his overcoat and slipped it on, "A walk. Don't wait up for me."
She nodded before slipping under the covers.
The healer felt a faint kiss on her forehead before she heard the closing of the door.
It wasn't unusual for Alucard to go on what she called 'Nightly Walks'. He had begun taking them after Trevor was found and the town of Belmont had started expanding.
'Safety precautions' he would call them. After everything they had been through, she didn't find it unreasonable. However, she hoped that for once they had stumbled across a normal man.
She sighed before closing her eyes, gifting herself sleep.
🧭
The days had gone by fast.
The young woman idly lit candle after candle. It had been two days since the couple had arrived and it was now time for the event that Emil had been planning.
The healer was tasked with lighting candles while Alucard toted heavy boxes from the foyer into the ballroom.
The room was draped in reds and gold that screamed affluence and importance.
"Y/N!" Emil walked over to her, "Could you go down into the cellar and get a bottle of wine? Any would do." He handed her a set of keys.
"Of course," her eyes met Alucard's as she walked past him.
The newly-turned dhampir began her descent into the cellar after traversing through the expansive hallways and seeing the infamous blue lab door.
The room was pitch black so the healer quickly set upon the nearby candlestick and lighting it. Hundreds of bottles were illuminated by the single candle.
Y/N briefly read the names of some of the bottles, all in fancy French that she couldn't pronounce let alone understand. She grabbed one at random before going back up the concrete stairs. She quickly blew out the candle before setting the candle stand on a nearby table. When she got her bearings she noticed the deep blue door right in front of her.
She narrowed her eyes at it.
The entire time she had been attempting to cast away all suspicions however Alucard's words began to ring in her ears.
Suspicion.
Everyone was owed it.
Especially in their line of work.
She look down at the keys that were given to her before looking at both sides of the hallway. What was the harm in a little curiosity?
The healer quickly cycled through the keys on the ring before one finally made a satisfying click. She opened the door and stepped inside the cold dark room. The door gently shut behind her and she quickly lit the candle near the door.
Her face paled at the sight. Papers about vampires, dhampirs, and blood magic lined the walls from floor to ceiling in the small room.
On a nearby table sat vials of blood marked with the letters V, H, and D. Beakers and needles were scattered around the room.
She shined the candle onto a diagram that explained the biological structure of vampires.
More snooping provided her with newspaper clips about a 'good witch' and the heroes that dethroned Dracula.
Who is Emil?
The seemingly stupidly rich man seemed to have more to him than she thought. Maybe she was the naive and gullible one all along.
The fascination that Emil had with vampires was obsessive. A startled gasp escaped her when she turned to leave, her foot got caught on a book that was open and face down. She reached down and picked the book up.
The cover read:
Vampyr Origins
The chapter that the book was opened to read:
The Dhampir
The dhampir is a special case of vampirism. Not truly vampire whilst also not being fully human. These creatures can be born or created when a human drinks the blood of a full-blooded vampire or procreates with a vampire.
Had Emil been studying them?
A book with a familiar title caught her eye.
It looked like one of the books that Sypha had back at the castle, specifically a book that they all had used when trying to diagnose the villagers.
Strange. Everything about this room was strange.
The candle went out with a blow of her lips and on shaky legs, she made her way back to the ballroom.
🧭
His lover had been gone for some time now.
Where is she? The blonde stared at the doors his intended had walked through moments before. Surely it didn't take this long for someone to retrieve a bottle of wine.
"Water?"
Alucard snapped out of his daze and turned to look at ravenette next to him, who was holding out a glass of water.
He took it from the man, "Thank you."
"Have you two been on the road for long?" Emil poured himself a glass of water from his bejeweled pitcher.
"Long enough," he lightly divulged.
"Life on the road can get lonesome. I know that from experience with all the traveling I've done," the man traced the rim of his glass, "It's good that the both of you have each other. You guys don't get lonely?"
A frown threatened to pull on Alucard's lips but he resisted. This man was strange and he could sense something off about him.
The dhampir tilted his head, "If you don't mind me asking, what is your profession?"
Alucard didn't believe that for one second a simple herbalist would be able to attain such wealth.
"I don't mind at all," he smiled as he placed his chin on his clasped hands that were held up by his elbows on the table. "I am an entrepreneur, a herbalist who cultivates high-quality herbs. I also dabble in a bit of the science. It piqued my interest after my parents moved up north."
Creak!
The vampire immediately turned his gaze to the door.
His dear stood in the doorway with an unreadable expression.
"Y/N," the magnate tilted his head at the woman, "Where is that bottle of wine I asked you to get?"
"Oh, yes," she fixed a smile on her face. "I came here to ask what type of theme you are going for with the party, so I can grab the bottle that best fits the occasion."
He shrugged his shoulders, "It's going to be classy. Like I said before the bottle doesn't matter."
"I'll be right back," Alucard watched as the healer disappeared behind the set of doors.
He wondered what spooked her.
🧭
The sun had kissed the horizon once more leaving the earth in darkness. The warm glow of the flames danced on the faces of the couple.
"You were right," she whispered to her companion, "I went into that room across the cellar. It was filled with books on vampires and ancient plagues. It was like the books at the castle."
He nodded, "There is something off about that man."
"Not to mention that his event was supposed to happen tonight and no one has shown up," she narrowed her eyes.
Alucard blew out the candle and threw on his overcoat. He passed her bag over to her, "Pack your things. We shall stay here no longer."
She grabbed her bag and filled it with the little things that she had taken out of it.
Something was wrong with Emil and the couple refused to see how it would all play out.
🧭
Strange. That would be the word she used to describe Emil.
The man stood in the foyer with his tiny army of guards, "Leaving early? Or are you both simply on time for the event?"
Alucard frowned, "We assisted you with your event, now it is time for you to keep up your end of the bargain."
"Well, I would like to make an adjustment to our deal," the ravenette cracked open a bottle of wine, "My event is actually my enthralling."
The healer's eyes widened.
Emil wanted to be turned into a vampire?
"No."
"No?" he glared at Alucard, "I refuse to give you the saffron you so desire. Your people will die and they will die a burning putrid death."
"How did you know?"
"What?"
Her gaze hardened, "How did you know our people were sick? That we needed the saffron for a medicine."
His eyes widened before a smirk settled onto his face, "It is no mere coincidence that you have found yourself here." Emil gestured to the guards behind him, "So what will be? My vampirism or the deaths of hundreds."
"No deal," the blonde said simply.
The magnate waved his hand and the small militia around him launched into action. They catapulted holy water at the couple and enveloped them in a circle of fire.
It burns
The thought echoed in her mind. It was hot and red all over. She swiped at the guards with a terrifying ferocity before conjuring a blade, their blood splattering all over the walls and herself.
The saccharine smell enthralled her. She felt like a child in a bakery with all the sweet smells surrounding her.
y/n
Y/N
Splat!
She snapped out of her daze to see a crumpled body in front of her, "Don't give in!" she heard from behind her. The voice brought attention to the arms around her and the eerie silence that surround them.
Red smeared the once pristine white floors.
"Give in!" the ravenette roared before revealing a knife and slicing his palm. A disturbing smile pulled his lips taut. "Feed."
She could feel her fangs break from her gums, puncturing the inside of her mouth.
Alucard hissed at the human before tightening his hold on her and placing his hand over her mouth, "Don't listen to him."
"FEED!" Emil gripped his knife before thrusting it into his stomach over and over and over... "Let me join you both. Sweet desire, lust incarnate, I can be your third!"
The disturbed man continued on in his ramblings.
The dhampir gripped her as they made their way out of the mansion, the sounds of squelching and odd pleas for help, following them out.
🧭
Drip
Drop
Drip
Drop
Drip
She stared at the ripples in the water, murky with a tinge of red.
The couple had hastily made their way to a stream to rinse off the telling of their deeds and the scents of their foes.
Splash
The healer turned to look at her lover wringing the water from his long locks. They had spent the last hour in quiet silence, both not quite sure to talk on how to talk about the previous events.
A shiver ran through her as she felt his light touch on her bare skin, tracing the path of her spine, and stopping to rest on her shoulder. "How do you feel?"
She reached her hand up to place it on top of his, "Like I've just been burnt."
It felt like she was splashed with liquid fire when those guards unleashed the holy water upon them.
"It should heal in a few days," he intertwined their fingers, "Before we get back to the castle."
She turned her head to look at him, "Should we tell the others?"
"If they ask," he pressed a kiss onto their intertwined fingers.
She hoped they didn't ask.
🧭
The wagon slowly thumped down the dirt road, the horses were being strained with the extra weight of the crocus flowers. The two had been on the road for a few days and their scars had all healed.
It was as if the strange encounter never happened.
But it did.
Their memories and the pounds of flowers in the back of their wagon proved that.
Before long they had finally reached their destination. It felt like a ghost town as opposed to the bustling town they had begun to love.
The two got off of the wagon and each grabbed one of the crates of crocus flowers.
"Y/N? Alucard?"
The couple turned to see, Sypha and Trevor standing at the doorway of the castle.
"We're back with the last ingredient," the healer made her way to the castle, "We need to get started on this immediately."
Sypha nodded quickly before following after her, "Of course."
The four of them went inside the castle and got to work.
🧭
"You all are miracle workers," the brunette smiled at the four heroes, "Nearly everyone's fevers are gone and some are even walking again. It's a true miracle."
The group was inside the village hospital with Greta and Terena, discussing the improvements in the people's health due to the cure that they had created.
"We're just glad that everyone is okay," Sypha smiled at Terena.
The healer handed them a slip of paper. "Keep this in the medical office. It's the recipe for the cure. Alucard and I will send the crates of Crocus flowers down to the village tomorrow."
Greta took the piece of paper. "Nonsense," she beamed, "I'll send someone up to the castle to fetch it. You all don't understand how grateful I am for everything you've done."
"It's truly no issue," the young woman shook the brunette's hand, "Well, we'll be leaving. Don't hesitate to send someone to the castle if you need us."
The group once more said their goodbyes before making their way back to the place that all of them had called home.
Trevor gestured to his arm which was still held in the sling. "My arm is nearly healed," he looked over at her with a giddy smile, "We should spar next week. Test out the capabilities of your vampiric powers."
Sypha frowned before shaking her head, "Your arm is not nearly healed. You couldn't lift the cup of tea you had yesterday."
"It was filled to the brim!"
"Your body still needs to heal," the blonde dhampir lightly chided the hunter, "You aren't ready to do daily chores let alone combat."
Trevor rolled his eyes before muttering, "The cup was full and it was made of thick china. How could anyone hold it for longer than a second."
Sypha raised a brow, "I could."
A smile bloomed on the healer's face.
Even though her previous journey was an awful experience, she found solace in the people around her. She knew that no matter what happened, Trevor, Sypha, and Alucard would always be there for her to help pick up the pieces and she would easily do the same for them.
She was glad to be home.
.
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Woohoo! We're finished with Alucard's story section. I am planning on doing short stories for the other main characters but I do not know when. I want to write for a different fandom for a bit but i don't know which one (I literally say as I have like 3 other stories fully planned). I just want to say a big thank you to everyone commenting and supporting this book. Y'all really pushed me to sit down at my computer and finish this. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it.
~xoxo Pink