Sanctus
Lucy St. John was being followed. Even without the aid of her vampiric senses, the woman would have been painfully aware of it. It was just after midnight, and the full moon cast a pale and eerie glow upon the world. If only the moon knew of the terrors that lurked in the darkness, she never would have shone so gaily.
As the stranger continued to follow her, Lucy was tempted to stop and face her stalker head on, but resisted the urge. Let the fool follow her for as long as he pleased. She wasn't worried. For if he tried anything, it would be the last thing he ever did. . .
Purposefully, Lucy let her footfalls land heavier on the cobbled street. The gentle click of her heeled boots made her internally smile. Somehow something as simple as the sound of walking could lull a human into a false sense of security. It was a simple hunters trick, and she knew that if this man was the one she sought, that he'd pick up his pace naturally. It was an unconscious reaction, and one that she'd tested many times in the past. When a certain type of human male saw a lone female after hours- when he heard her retreat and saw the alluring swing of her hips, he was lost. Lucy wasn't one to sashay her hips, but the males with darkness on their minds found her irresistible anyway.
"Come little man," she thought with a barely silenced laugh of disgust. "Come and play. You'll find no helpless prey here. But a predator with claws and teeth of her own~"
The vampiress moved faster now, flashing a fake look of fright over her shoulder. It was solely for her stalkers benefit. She was eager to see the man's true intentions, and now was the time to end this charade. If he was after her, he'd pick up his speed and give chase, if not, then he might be innocent of the heinous crimes she had assumed.
She turned into a side lane out of sight, and stopped walking, instead tapping her foot to maintain the sound of movement for the man. She heard his steps as if they were her own, and smiled as he drew nearer. But at the last second before he entered the pitch black alleyway, he stopped in his tracks. He was just out of her reach, but she could see him clearly now, and to her surprise his eyes seemed to pick her out of the darkness too. He saw her. . . Lucy felt a thrill erupt down her spine as it all clicked into place.
The man had never been chasing her. He'd been leading her, studying her; acting the part of the imbecilic human to lull her into a false sense of superiority. Smart play for a vampire hunter.
"The hurried footsteps, nice touch. Almost had me there."
From beneath the brim of an impressive hat, she could see the corners of the man's mouth twitch. He answered immediately and without preamble. "Likewise. You almost got me to enter that death trap. . . What gave me away?"
Lucy lifted a brow. "I was about to ask the same question, Hunter."
"I'll answer if you do," came the somewhat cheeky reply, in way of a deep rumble. His voice was a flowing baritone, full of matured confidence, though he didn't strike her as the 'gentleman' type in the slightest.
"Hunters first, my dear~" she crooned, as she eyed the odd weapon he held casually in one hand. It looked to be a crossbow of some sort, if her scrutiny hadn't betrayed her. Wooden bolt arrows. . . Smart. They could injure or kill a vampire without ever getting close. . . He was a veteran, by the looks of things. Just her luck . . .
"You're too beautiful to be human. And you knew exactly where you were going in the dead of night. A normal dame wouldn't be able to see so clearly without proper light. There's a reason people don't go out after dark."
Lucy thought on his words before dipping her head. "But only a Hunter would think such things in such a short span of time. You were only chasing me for a minute or so. Most men would have been lost in other trains of thought where my beauty was concerned."
"Beautiful or not, I don't distract easily." He said, challenge and slight humor tinting his tone. Lucy laughed at his boldness, before she returned the favor and offered her own critique. What did she care if he knew how she'd spotted him. It'd make for interesting sport if he lived long enough to used the gained knowledge anyway.
"A normal man would have followed me faster than you did. I was alone and appeared to be unarmed. . . And he surely wouldn't have stopped shy of a dark alleyway where he wouldn't be seen doing whatever he wanted with me."
The Hunter's interest was peaked now, she could see it in his body language. He straightened, looking her dead in the eye. His eyes were deep chestnut with flecks of lighter shades of brown mixed in. Truly unique and beautiful. She wondered if he knew how appealing his gaze was, or if he remained oblivious to it.
"Why would a vampire care about what humans do to each other?"
"Why indeed, little Hunter," she thought without humor. In truth he'd hit a sore spot without knowing. Humanity had always been Lucy's weakness.
Lucy smirked to recover her ground, showing her fangs in a fiendish grin, to set him off sorts. But all that moved was his eyebrow, lifted in challenge again... Well, the Hunter wasn't jumpy, she'd give him that.
"I care because I have an arrangement to attend too." She answered simply, telling him the truth, even if it was vague. "And I keep my promises, even if I am undead."
"What arrangement?" He wondered, slinging his crossbow across his broad shoulder as if it weighed nothing. If he wasn't pointing it at her, perhaps they wouldn't have to try and kill each other after all. It was a naive thought that Lucy wished to believe, though sincerely doubted. She'd never met a Hunter who'd backed down yet. It wasn't in their creed.
"Free dinner, in exchange for cleaning up the streets at night." She batted her eyelashes coyly and smirked. "And before you ask, I'm not going to give you a name. Wouldn't be professional."
At her admission, the Hunter's stance relaxed even more. He flashed her a smirk of his own, catching her completely off guard. Normally admitting that someone was allowing her to drink their blood, would have triggered an attack of some sort, or a sermon of how she was evil. . . But she wasn't getting either. Instead he seemed . . . pleased.
"You're Lucy Sin-jin," he said knowingly, though he butchered her surname.
Lucy felt her curiosity peaked. "The one and only~ But it's St. John actually. Pronounced Sinjin."
"Heck of a moniker to be stuck with."
"Yeah, but you get used to it." She laughed. "So, how does a Hunter know me by name? Has the Holy Order upped the bounty on my head recently?"
"I've been tracking you for quite sometime," he replied with an unrecognizable twinkle in his eye. "But stopped sometime back when I heard your M.O . A vampire who wants to be a human. . . You don't kill those you drink from, so I decided to stop hunting you. Quite the crazy coincidence crashing into you here in Florence."
Lucy was happy to hear that her reputation had preceded her, and found herself offering a genuine smile. "Perhaps it's fate, Hunter. Especially if we both want the same thing."
"Which would be?" His tone was engaging yet somehow guarded. He wasn't going to attack her, but he still wasn't an idiot.
"To protect the humans that the church can't get to in time." She answered evenly. "My current prey here in Florence is proving difficult to find. I've been here a week and I'm still drawing a blank."
When he stared at her with interest, she divulged. "There have been eight murders this month. A serial killer that only targets beautiful women, stalking the streets of Florence under Holy Rome's nose."
"That's why you were out here trying to honey trap me." He said in understanding.
"That's one way to put it." Her eyes crinkled with humor. "But he hasn't taken my bait yet. . . I thought perhaps it might have been you. But Van Helsing isn't known for murdering so many targets in one city."
The Hunter's gaze lifted in a flash, and she showed him her fangs again. "Oh come now, you don't think I didn't recognize you? Your wanted posters are all over Europe. The Hunter known as a murderer by all but Holy Rome and the residents of Transylvania. They still sing your praises over there, you know."
"...They have quite the memory," Van Helsing sighed with an odd look plastered to his face. "That was years ago. . . I haven't been back to Romania since."
Lucy studied the renowned Hunter for sometime, allowing him to gather his thoughts before saying simply. "So, what brings you to Florence? I assume you're tracking a beastie down for the Church?"
"Something like that," he said noncommittally, shifting his gaze back to her. "But I find myself with some time to spare tonight. If you wanted a second pair of hands to catch your killer?"
Lucy finally moved from the darkened alleyway out into the lane where Van Helsing stood. He watched her approach with guarded appreciation, and a smugness that made her want to laugh. She'd heard horror stories about the infamous Van Helsing; about his violent past and 'taste for blood'. If only the human's knew the sort of 'things' he killed, they might celebrate him instead of putting out warrants for his arrest. But the world was rarely fair, and she didn't linger on it.
"I'm sure I could do it myself, Van Helsing. But if you're bored, feel free to join me. I wouldn't mind the company. . . I actually have an idea of how to draw him out."
Van Helsing watched her with alert eyes, as she linked her arm into his. The large coat he wore covered his arm completely from her touch, but she could still feel how rock solid his muscle was. Her grip was loose and easy, and she looked at him patiently, waiting for him to pull away. But once again that night he surprised her. Instead, he began to walk back the way they had come, his arm allowing hers to remain.
"What's this idea of yours, St. John."
"Lucy." She corrected as they turned into another deserted street.
He glanced down at her, before returning the courtesy. "... Gabriel."
"Handsome name for a handsome Hunter," she teased, ignoring his amused grimace. "My plan is simple. The killer has taken eight lives in a month. . . He might be looking for something more challenging."
"Like what?"
"Perhaps he'd be more willing to strike a woman who has just left the company of someone else. . . It'd be a risk. She could scream or get away, unless he's quick and efficient. His killing style suggests he's no novice. A challenge like that could be his undoing."
Van Helsing nodded in agreement, as they walked towards a darker part of the city. "Sounds promising. What do you need from me, Lucy?"
Lucy was pleased as he used her name for the first time. She thought for a moment, as they settled in a secluded spot that was just off a main square of the city. They were in plain sight for any prying eyes, which was exactly what Lucy wanted.
When the vampiress finally answered the Hunter her smile was coy again. "Well, Gabriel I can think of one thing that would help me."
"Which is?"
Lucy's fangs momentarily protruded from the corners of her mouth, as she leaned against the nearest stone archway and pulled Van Helsing with her. As their lips crashed together, she chuckled as he stiffened.
Pulling back from his lips she whispered, "The killer has to find us. And what better catch for him than a woman who is clearly desirable to another man?"
"Strange logic," he said with a strange look. "But I'll play along for now… Just don't bite me, or ally or not, I'll take your head off."
"Alright, handsome. No biting, got it." Lucy chortled with amusement, before Gabriel grabbed her and kissed her again, effectively cutting off her laughter. As they sank back against the wall, deepening the kiss, Lucy could feel a foreign pair of eyes watching them. But found herself enjoying the kiss just a little too much to pull away. . . Let the killer wait for a minute. After all, it wasn't everyday a Hunter and a Vampire 'kissed and made up'. . .
A/N: This was originally a commission over on Deviantart, but I had to post it here too. (And yes, Lucy is a total shout out to Lucy Westenra from the original Dracula story.)
For those of you who have read my other VH universe fic {Dancing into the Night} this should be a fun little easter egg. I consider this story to take place years after the whole Lynara/Vlad incident, and that's why Gabriel hasn't returned to Romania. If you've read that story you might recall how his view point on his work changed. ^^ Just some fun food for thought.
I hope you all enjoyed! I think I might add some more to this story if there is interest. Please drop me a review if you guys would like to read more for Lucy and Gabriel.
~Lyn