Chapter Twelve
The Cost of Living
Seras lingered in the frame of the castle doors, watching as men loaded her coffin into the back of a truck. They left the lid open, since she would be riding safely inside, to escape the effects of crossing the ocean.
Taking a deep breath, Seras resigned herself to hours of claustrophobia and decompressed cargo holds and started down the steps.
No sooner had she left the interior than something dark and cold wrapped around her, dragging her back into the shadows.
Leaving without saying goodbye?
"Mast-!" she began eagerly, but something in her brain stopped her. This was no longer her master. "Alucard," she corrected with a more stable tone, watching as the shadowy tendrils receded from her body and strong arms replaced them.
She rotated in his grasp and stared up at him intently. "I thought we already said our goodbyes," she murmured. "You seem a little reluctant to let me leave."
I believe that goes without saying, he replied. I do not like risking what is mine unnecessarily.
"I'll be fine," she insisted. "It's only a week. What can go wrong?"
His eyes darkened. I cannot protect you, he said. If something happens, I cannot even bring you home.
"I'll bring myself home," Seras replied. "As planned." She stood on tiptoe, one arm wrapped around his neck, and pressed her lips softly to his. "I promise," she added.
She started to pull away, but Alucard pulled her back and kissed her with all the passion of a man in love. He finally said, Do not confront Integral Hellsing under any circumstances.
"Yes, sir," she agreed.
He finally loosened his hold on her enough to let her extract herself from his grasp and hurry out to the truck. A men held out a hand to her into the back, but Seras ignored it and nimbly leapt upward with ease. She laid herself down in her coffin and folded her fingers across her stomach.
Alucard's face, still standing in the doorway as the lid slowly slid shut was the last thing she could remember, but it was something she would never forget; perhaps it had been a trick of the light, but she could have sworn she saw a faint trail of blood on his left cheek, leading from the corner of his eye to his chin.
Seras slowly opened her eyes and found herself staring into the dark underside of her coffin lid. The world around her was completely still, no voices, no rushing air. Her senses told her that she was very alone.
Deciding it was safe, Seras pressed upward and removed the lid, sitting up and admiring her surroundings. She was in a dim hotel suite, and quite a lavish one at that.
The room she was in was equipped with cushy couches and mahogany tables, with marble flooring that led away into the vast adjoining bedroom.
Rising, she stretched her muscles and looked around eagerly, quickly deciding that she had never stayed in such an expensive room before.
She made a fast dash to the window, and pulled back the curtains, but quickly shut them with a hiss as sunlight poured into the room.
I suppose I'll have to wait until night to figure out where I am, she decided as she walked into the bedroom.
Flopping down on the mattress, she took hold of the in-room movie list and smiled to herself, thinking she could pass the time quite easily.
It was wonderfully fun to feel so human again, to watch movies, and swim in the hotel pool. Alucard had taught her a trick for changing her eye color that made her look no different than any other girl, besides being pale and startlingly attractive.
She spent some time in the hotel bar making eyes at various young men, in case she needed a snack for later.
Admittedly, she had lied to Alucard to get here. She had convinced him that she would not go near Integral when that had always been her intention. Integral was the last of the Hellsing's, and her last hope for freeing her master.
Of course, she did actually want to visit her parent's graves, so as soon as the sun began to seep below the horizon, she emerged onto the streets of London and found a flower shop and purchased three roses.
She took a taxi into the countryside to the tiny church she had attended with her parents when she was younger. She found her parents graves, beside her grandparents, and her great parents. The Victoria's had lived in this area for years, and attended that particular church.
She laid roses on each of them and (despite being a vampire) said a prayer for their peaceful rest in heaven. Then she returned to the taxi and asked it to take her to a village called Cheddar, the place where Sean had died. She did not know where he was actually buried, since she had fled the country right after the incident.
When the cab driver dropped her off, she payed him and told him someone else was giving her a ride back into town. He sped off, leaving her alone in the somewhat quiet village. The shooting had taken place in a pub down the street, but that was not exactly an atmosphere to say her farewells, so she headed to the church.
"Can I help you, my child?" and elderly priest asked when she entered.
"I'm sorry to intrude," she murmured, "but I have lost someone dear to me and wished to pay my respects here, if that's alright."
The priest regarded her with some distrust for a moment, but then softened at the pleading look in her eyes. "Of course, take as long as you need," he agreed, beckoning her forward into the shadowed depths of the empty church.
Seras felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as she followed him into the holy place. Probably the effects of being in a church, she decided, hugging herself defensively. Her fingers clutched at the rose to the point where it's thorns pierced her soft flesh, trailing blood down the dusty green stem.
"You seem nervous, Child," the priest observed. "Is this your first time in a church?"
"No, not at all, Father," she said quickly. "I'm just not from around here."
"Is that so?" he murmured, more to himself than to her. "And . . . do you have friends waiting for you back in the village?"
"No," she replied without thinking. "I came here alone."
"Then . . . no one will ever notice if you disappear."
"W-what?" she said, startled by the sudden words. But before she could even fully process their meaning, the priest had whipped around in a whirlwind, snatching her by the throat. "I'll be gentle, I promise," he snarled, his face contorted with hunger, his eyes glowing an unmistakable red.
"Vampire," she breathed, and then she began to laugh.
"You find your situation funny?!" he snapped.
"I find it funny that a vampire would disguise himself as a priest and then attempt to attack another vampire in his stupidity. So it was you I was sensing, and not the church after all."
"What?" he hissed.
"Don't you know the scent of your kin?" she asked innocently.
His eyes grow wide with shock. Seras seized on his hesitation and slammed her fist deep into his gut, ripping right through the flesh. Blood spurted around them like a shower. Seras wrenched her fist upward and seized hold of his heart, before giving him a forceful kick and sending his empty body crashing to the floor. The heart disintegrated and spilled like sand between her blood soaked fingers.
Curiously, she licked the blood from them. "You taste awful," she said to the pile of ash. "But waste not want not I suppose."
She proceeded to lap the blood from her hands, but just as she had switched to the other, the doors burst open, and the room flooded with soldiers.
Seras' eyes widened in shock as the men filled the room. At their head was a beautiful, sleek youth, with silver like hair that cascaded around his shoulders like a veil. His eyes found hers instantly, and she knew it was all over. This man wasn't human. And he wasn't on her side either.
"Hullo, pretty," he said, halting the progress of his men with a finger. His fanged grin crept across his face frighteningly, like a wolf that had cornered a rabbit. "We were told we were looking for a priest. We didn't expect to find you."
"The priest is dead," she replied, and to serve as a warning to the humans, she took another lick of the blood that stained her hands.
The strange vampire grinned like he had just won the lottery. "And what business did you have with him in the first place?"
Seras bent forward and scooped up her fallen rose. "Him? He was just in the way. I came here to pay my respects to someone I've lost. It seems I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but who expects to find a vampire hiding in a church?"
"The wrong place at the wrong time?" the vampire repeated, laughing softly. "That's quite the understatement. It's been so long since I've seen a specimen like you, and here I'll have to kill you."
"You hunt your own kind?" she inquired curiously.
"It's nothing personal, love, but I have no choice."
Seras's eyes flashed to the soldiers. They all bore patched with large red 'H's on their sleeves.
"Hellsing," she said quickly. "You're with Hellsing."
"You've heard of us?" he said, his eyes dancing with interest.
"I came to England to find you," she replied. "And not with ill-intent. I wish to speak with Integral."
He burst out laughing. "That's quite a steep demand, but I cannot let filth like you within a thousand feet of my master."
"Filth?" Seras hissed angrily. "Aren't we the same?"
"You, an artificial vampire? And me?"
"Your senses are dulled," she growled. "You've spent too long curled on the lap of human that you can't even recognize a true monster."
He actually seemed taken aback. "You're natural born?" he inquired.
"What other kind of born is there?" she demanded.
He faltered, sensing that he had told her too much. Seras blinked. It was strange, but he seemed to become less threatening. Rubbing his temples, he said, "Move and I'll kill you. Everyone else, out."
"But sir-" a few of the soldiers protested, but his eyes turned so fierce that they dared not argue further.
The church emptied of soldiers until only she and the other vampire remained. He stood in the open doorway, the moonlight on his back, watching her closely.
Seras did not move, only stared intently back at him. Her eyes then trained on the open door behind him, where two figures had appeared, one of which she recognized instantly.
"Farran, why did you feel the need to call me here?" Integral demanded icily of her vampire. "Just kill the bloody thing."
"It's murder," he shrugged. "She's natural, and she hasn't fed on English soil. I won't kill her."
"I gave you an order," Integral snapped.
"Wait," Seras said swiftly. "My reason for coming to England was to speak to you."
"I don't talk to filth," Integral snapped.
"Then just listen," Seras replied. "My name is Seras Victoria, and I am the child of a vampire called Alucard."
Integral's eyes widened for half a moment. "Kill her now, Farran."
"Master-" Farran protested.
"Now!" Integral barked. "She is a child of Hell itself."
"I want to trade!" Seras yelled. "I am here to free my master from the curse your ancestors placed upon him, and I will offer myself as service for this. Bind me to your blood as you bound him."
Integral paused. "You are a loyal fledgling."
"I am not a fledgling," Seras whispered. "I am only in love."
"I am sorry, but a vampire like that must never be free," Integral replied coldly. "And young though you obviously are, I cannot risk that you will become like him. Farren?"
The other vampire did not protest this time. "It'll be better if you don't struggle," he said to Seras, and he seemed truly regretful to have to kill her. His advance was slow and careful, as though he was trying not to frighten her.
"I won't roll over," Seras growled. "Come at me with all you have!"
But even as she launched herself forward, something captured her wrists and ankles and held her still.
"It will really be better if you don't struggle," a new, silky voice put in. An elderly man was advancing towards her, winding what looked like thin strings around his fingers. Seras felt the other ends digging into her flesh, dousing the floor with blood.
"A human?" she laughed, glaring at him.
"Underestimate me if you will, but it won't save you," he replied calmly.
With an angry hiss, Seras spun, snapping the wires. Farren, at that moment, sprang as well, tackling her from behind and sinking his teeth deep into the flesh of her shoulder. "Delicious," he murmured, before punching her hard in the ribcage. Seras felt blood spurt from between her lips, but still managed to flip herself and lash at him with her claws. However, thin wires caught just above her elbow, and this time they did not hesitate.
Seras screamed as her arm was cut from her body. She collapsed to the ground clutching her stump of an arm, crimson tears streaming from her face. In her heart she knew it was over. She had no hope against opponents such as these.
"Forgive me, my master," she sobbed.
Something seized her by the hair and dragged her off the ground. "It's no use to cry for him," Farren growled. "Death finds us all."
"But surely only when we no longer wish to die," she said with a bitter laugh.
"I'll make this swift," he said softly.
Seras closed her eyes, awaiting his killing blow. In her mind, she could imagine that the hands in hair were Alucard's, tenderly stroking her like one would a cat, letting her know that he was pleased and proud of her.
He would never forgive her for betraying him, so perhaps it was better to die anyway. But some small part of her longed to survive through this, and to return to his embrace once more.
Yet she knew it was too late. She was useless in the hands of a strange creature, awaiting the hand of death.
Waiting, and waiting, and . . . why wasn't it coming?
Slowly, she opened one of her eyes. Farren was staring at her with wide eyes, his nails just inches from her chest, pushing forward with all his strength, though somehow, he could not pierce her.
Seras looked right back at him with shock.
"That's enough playing," a familiar, frightening voice called. Seras felt pleasure ripple through her at the sound of it. Already she could sense his aura, though something was drastically different. It was amplified to an alarming level, causing her to shiver where she stood.
"Master?" Seras whispered.
"I thought you were past the formalities, Seras."
"V-Vlad," she choked out.
"So close, and yet no."
Seras didn't dare to believe it. "Alucard . . ." she murmured. "How is that possible?"
"We'll talk later," he said dismissively. "For now there is the issue of that scum touching you."
Seras watched in horror as the most frightening thing she had ever seen in her life burst through the floor, it's jaws open wide as it engulfed Farran in a swift motion and bit down, devouring all but the arm that clutch Seras. Seras gasped as the bloody limb fell to the ground in front of her, scrambling away.
The creature spun round and siezed the remaining flesh in it's sharp teeth, it's many red eyes glinting hungrily as it downed the left overs.
Seras was too petrified to move, at least until she saw the glint of silver in the air, and the subtle hand flick of the elderly gentleman.
"Alucard!" she shrieked.
The great creature began to laugh hysterically as it disappeared into a cloud of shadow that spread across the room, blocking out even the light of the moon. The silver wires fell useless on the stone, before retracting to the hands of their owner, who had leaped backwards to the side of his master.
Seras suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder as the tall, intimidating form of Alucard materialized beside her, his clothes and hair still fanning in some unnatural, nonexistent breeze.
"So you see," he said in a voice like velvet, "the curse has begun to die. What will you do, Hellsing's heir?"
"You're dying," she replied coldly. "The curse was never meant to be broken. Surely you can sense this. It's only a matter of hours . . ."
"But think how much destruction I could wreak in London with so much time on my hands," he said maniacally. "And then my revenge would be complete."
"Wait, vampire!" Integral said, and she truly seemed nervous. "I can save you."
"Oh?" he said, feigning interest. "That's sounds awfully generous, Christian."
"It would be at a price, of course," she said coldly.
"I see," he said.
"I am now without a vampire, yet the freaks are still rampant in this country, and I dislike wasting men."
"So one curse for another?" he laughed.
"You won't die this way," Integral replied. "And the girl will be able to stay with you."
"A-Alucard...?" Seras whispered. "I don't understand."
"A new dawn," he replied. "A new challenge for us. Come, Seras, greet your new master."
"You are my only master," she growled.
He chuckled, curling an arm around her body and pressing her to him. "And will you do what ever I say?"
"Yes," she said without hesitation.
"Then I am commanding you to obey the Hellsing heir."
"She must be bound as well," Integral said, but Alucard bared his fangs possessively.
"As long as I live and serve you, she will not falter," he replied. "But you will not lay a finger on her or I will drink in the blood of London in an hour."
Integral gritted her teeth angrily. "So those are our terms."
"Yes," he grinned, his hair falling across his eyes and leaving only his white fangs glittering in the dark.
"Very well," she said, sighing. "Kneel, and prepare yourself for something excrutiating."
Alucard looked down at Seras intently and released her, before crossing the church and kneeling at the beautiful woman's feet, his head bowed, his lips still upturned in a permanent smirk.
Seras stiffled the growl that wished to emerge from her throat. It felt so very wrong to see her master bow to anyone.
"Fledgling, stay clear," Integral instructed.
"Y-yes, ma'am," Seras forced out, lowering her head submissively and reluctantly backing away.
"Walter," Integral called, holding out her hand.
The elderly gentleman placed in her hand a small black bible.
Integral crossed herself. "In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forever bound to my bloodline, as long as it exists." She bit down on her thumb and stooped, drawing a circle with the blood on the ground, and then within it a star.
"Cut yourself," she ordered.
Alucard obeyed, slitting his wrist with a fang and holding it above the circle. His dark blood dripped down and onto the earth, mingling with the blood of the human. Instantly, red light burst forth in the shape of blood she had drawn, and the circle expanded until it engulfed them both and Seras could no longer see at all.
She hid her face in her arm to block out the blinding light. There was a yell of pain from Integral, and a rawr of agony from Alucard, and then the light began to fade.
Walter rushed forward to catch his mistress even as she began to collapse to the floor.
"Alucard!" Seras gasped, darting forward to the fallen body of her master. Smoke rose from his clothes, his hair scattered across his face.
She pulled the limp form to her with her remaining arm, resting the head in her lap and pushing back the long black tresses so that she could see him better.
"Alucard," she whispered. He did not respond. "What have you done to him?!" she barked, but the Hellsing heir was unconscious as well. "Alucard," she called again. "Alucard!"
And suddenly he began to move. "Why so loud, Police Girl?"
"Alucard!" she said again with relief, stooping so that her forehead pressed against his.
"Your voice sounds fine all the same," he murmured. "Like fragments of a shattered memory."
Seras pulled back slightly so that their eyes locked. "This is all my fault," she whispered. "I disobeyed you."
"You saved me," he replied. "Only you could so bewitch every part of me that I would do anything to keep you alive, even set aside all pride and unite with myself."
"But Alucard, I don't understand," she said. "If the curse was broken, then why were you dying?"
"It was a curse unlike any other. Hellsing designed it to torture me for eternity, giving me even less of an unlife than I already had. And, if by chance I should ever manage to break this and become one again, the curse would kill me."
"Is it alright to call you Alucard?" she checked.
He chuckled, pushing himself upward off the ground and leaving her at his feet. "Vlad Draculae is a name that died years ago."
"I see," she murmured, breathing out. Her body suddenly felt very weak, having lost most of it's blood.
"Seras," he said fondly, scooping her into his arms and holding her too him. "Drink, and regenerate."
Seras placed her remaining arm around him and pulled herself closer to his throat, biting into the cold flesh. She drank hungrily, until he pushed her away, saying, "You're overestimating my self control."
Seras smiled, licking her lips sleepily.
Alucard laughed, pressing his cold lips to the top of her head. "My beautiful little draculina," he said affectionately.
Seras curled into his arms, never feeling more safe or happy than she did just then.
Sincerest apologies for the delay in getting this final installment to you all. What with school and all, I found my free time cut into drastically. However, it's summer now, and in addition to an epilogue to this story, I will be resuming my writing at a more regular pace, and hopefully will be able to offer you many more AxS stories, potentially even a sequal to this.