Chapter 34: Chasing Echoes

Disclaimer: I do not own Hellsing, but any OCs are mine.

Note: Some heavier adult content towards the end of this chapter. If you are sensitive to this, please feel free to skip it. Read within your limits, please!

"Quick question: what the actual fuck?!"

Elis stormed into my room behind me, slamming the door hard enough to make the floor shake before sitting down on my bed roughly.

I paced, unable to sit with the new information buzzing around in my head like an angry hornet. I'd summoned the cleaning crew and, much to my chagrin, we were missing one of the women.

As it turned out, she had been seeing some mystery man that she talked about non-stop for the past few weeks. After a while, she started showing up later and later to work. Eventually, she stopped showing up altogether.

"And you don't think that was important information for me?" I deadpanned, leveling each maid with a dangerous glare. "Did you ever see the man she talked about?"

One of the staff, a short and wiry woman with frizzy chocolate hair, wrung her hands nervously. "Once…but we were preparing to close up. He was hooded, mind you…"

"Christ!" I threw my hands in the air in exasperation. "And you didn't think for a moment that was a little odd? Get out of my sight. You'll get your severance in the mail within the week."

The poor maids scrambled out of my sight, murmuring half-assed apologies as they went.

"Arthur's going to take this personally." I mumbled, ignoring Elis's outburst. I'd convinced the old retainer to take the nights off to go see his family. He was getting older, and I knew he appreciated getting to see them.

"Who cares about that? You told them to report suspicious activity and now look at the mess we're in!" He growled, still visibly upset.

My shoulders sank as I approached the window and scanned the lawn stretching around the estate. "I should have been here. But I can't change that now. Now…we have a vampire to track. And if right…he's no slouch."

"And not afraid to provoke you." He added.

Strangely, a smile came unbidden to my lips. "Its been a while since we've been so openly challenged. Good, I was beginning to wonder how much longer Assurance would collect dust."

"You're entirely too excited about this." The pilot groaned, casting his gaze to the ceiling in exasperation.

I tilted my head at him with a sinister smile. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Some of us don't survive getting shot, stabbed, bitten, shot again…" Elis began listing all of my obvious injuries off his fingertips.

"You said shot twice." I pointed out, unable to fight the widening grin.

"I thought it needed to be emphasized." He waved me off nonchalantly. The unspoken intent was clear, however, and my grin faltered. The little round scar on my back prickled, and I had to suppress the urge to scratch it.

"At least this is a lead." I swiftly changed the subject before Elis could launch into a lecture. "After the Round Table meeting, we'll scope out the maid's house. There's bound to be something there we can use to track this freak."

"Varris's nose could do it better." Elis pointed out casually. "You know he'd jump to help you out again."

I was shaking my head even before Elis finished his thought. "No, I won't interrupt this pivotal moment in their lives just to track a stupid vampire. Besides, with Dagna here, the freak can't get far."

The pilot opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by the sharp buzzing of my phone. Closer inspection of the number had me groaning in annoyance.

"Hope?" Elis guessed, an intuitive smirk on his face.

"I was supposed to instruct her yesterday." Guilt ate away at my insides. Any progress I'd made with her would mean nothing now. I'd finally gotten her to dial back her aspect, and that had taken months of lecturing. Desiree was going to kill me for disappointing her.

"Smooth, Ryder." He growled.

"I didn't plan on being here this long!" I snapped back, surprised by his sudden show of temper. "Duty comes before training. They know that already."

"Then don't make promises you can't keep. She thinks the world of you, even if she wouldn't show it."

Sighing, I finally sat down and buried my face in my hands. "Fuck!"

While I silently berated myself, Elis switched gears. "Why didn't you let Walter handle this one? He's capable."

"I never said he wasn't capable." I hedged, avoiding the pilot's questioning gaze.

"Then?" He raised an eyebrow and folded his arms over his chest.

A knot manifested itself in my stomach and twisted uncomfortably. "I can't let those items fall into the wrong hands. They were…are…important to me."

Elis's face fell at my admission, and he averted his eyes. "Yea, I think I get it." The hurt was palpable in his tone.

Jealousy. It was a hell of a drug. The years hadn't dulled it for Elis. It showed itself in the moments when he moved too close…brushed a lock of hair out of my face or lingered too long while adjusting the straps on my armor. Every time I stepped away, I could see it written all over his face. And it killed me that there wasn't a single shred of me that could give him what he wanted. He deserved better. Why he stuck around was far beyond me.

"I'm sorry. But I have to do this." The misery in my tone couldn't be masked. I need to get this over with so I can go back to pretending everything is fine…get back to routine.

Silence weighed heavy over us for a few moments before Elis took a steadying breath and turned to the door. "You should go. Wouldn't want to keep the Queen waiting."

He turned and left before I could reply, leaving me feeling sick to my stomach. I gritted my teeth and shook off the feeling. All the more reason to get this over with fast.

The meeting took as long as I expected it would. At this point, it was only a formality because the incident had occurred on the Hellsing's estate. In effect, the slayers didn't have true jurisdiction here. Of course, Sir Irons took full advantage of this fact. The man talked himself hoarse with bylaws and small contractual agreements to try and get me off the case. Fortunately, the rest of the group didn't fully agree. It helped that I had Sloan in my corner on video chat.

"Fucking asshole." I grumbled as I slammed the passenger door shut to the Rolls Royce and leaned back in the seat.

Arthur winced as the car shook slightly in my rage. "He never was a pleasant chap."

"But this goes beyond that. I know I haven't exactly been around…but he can't keep me from situations that concern my family."

"It's never stopped him from trying before. He's toothless and you merely proved it." The old retainer smiled serenely.

A smile crept to my lips. "That was all Sloan's doing. I was just there to look pretty and make faces at Sir Irons behind his back."

Arthur huffed in exasperation. "I see the years haven't stopped your antics, at least."

"Can't stop now. I've got a reputation to keep." I winked at him playfully. "How soon will we arrive at Miss Sevenson's home?" Arthur had the addresses of everyone I ever hired, and it had been a simple task to track down the wayward maid's house.

"Not long. She chose property closer to the manor than the others. That may very well be why she had been singled out." He considered, his wizened eyes narrowing at the thought. "Disappearances are common in this area."

I gritted my teeth at that. This freak had obviously done his or her research. I don't like this…it feels like I'm missing something.

When the car rumbled to a stop, I shook myself out of my thoughts and stepped out onto the cracked sidewalk. The place was small, but well maintained…aside from the wilting plants in the window boxes. Stepping up to the door, I tried the knob gingerly. Locked, of course.

Grunting in annoyance, I drew back before slamming my shoulder into the door. The wood splintered and gave at the force, throwing my body forward into the room. A horrid stench assaulted my nostrils immediately, and I leaned over to gag. My eyes watered as I regained control of my twitching stomach.

When I finally managed to control myself, I considered the living room of the little house. The floors were a dingy hardwood covered by a dark grey shag rug. By all accounts, aside from the upturned desk in the corner of the living room, everything was rather normal.

The same couldn't be said for the bedroom, however.

If I had recoiled before, it was nothing compared to this. I took one look at the scene before me, and swallowed back a wave of bile. Marie Sevenson slumped against the opposite wall, sunken eyes forever fixed in terror and jaw slack. A trickle of dried blood slashing across her face originated from a neat hole decorating the middle of her forehead.

The back of her head…was a different story. Bits of bone and brain still clung to her matted dark hair. The splash of blood on the wall behind her almost looked like a macabre halo.

However, my stomach dropped to my toes as I really regarded her. It was subtle, but one who didn't know might think we were related. While I took a step back to control my haggard breathing, my boot kicked something metallic across the floor with an audible ping.

Bending down, I reached for the offending object and cradled it in my hand. It was unmistakable. A 13 mm casing. My blood ran cold, and I resisted the urge to throw it away as if it were a cursed object. And then, fury overtook my shock.

Flames licked up my arms as a strangled yell escaped my lips, shaking the walls of the house. Seething, I prowled back and forth across the room, trying to control my breathing so I wouldn't burn the damn house down. The idea that the gun had not only been taken but was being used for treachery had me tasting metal…a common occurrence before the emergence of my lightning.

Control it…breathe…breathe… I repeated the mantra in my head until my heartbeat slowed. When I finally had a grip on myself, I scoured the rest of the building. There wasn't much more to see besides a few receipts from a pub and her hairstylist. I stole a few glances at the body between my perusals, still shaken by her appearance. Something niggled at the back of my mind, but I couldn't quite pinpoint the cause.

I exited the building in a daze, feeling rather in need of a shower and a nap. Arthur's complexion paled at my expression when I neared the car. "Sir?"

"We won't be needing to send Miss Sevenson a check." I grimaced, fingering the casing in between my fingertips. "Drop a tip to the cops and let's head back. I've got a million reports to file now and a shower with my name on it."

I stomped into the manor unimpeded and immediately stripped down once the door to my private bath slammed shut behind me. The water was searing hot, but I barely felt that as I stood under the spray and watched the blood wash off my hands.

Dagna will be here soon…and then we'll catch this son of a bitch. I hope.

"Ryder? You in there?" Elis's muffled voice came from behind the door.

"Be out in a minute." I huffed, hurriedly pulling on a pair of leggings and a t-shirt.

Once I was decent enough, I exited the bath to find the pilot in question lounging behind Integra's desk. I glowered at the sight of his feet propped up on the desk as he leaned back in the chair…dangerously close to tipping it. "Get your goddamn feet off the desk!" I snapped as I neared him.

Elis blinked at me like a wounded puppy. "Sorry."

"You should be. If she were here, you wouldn't be keeping those feet." I snorted. "Any particular reason you couldn't wait for me to be done with my shower?"

The pilot held up the 13 mm casing, and I sighed. "Arthur told you?"

He nodded, examining the casing with thinly veiled interest before turning a worried gaze to me. "Are you alright?"

A sigh passed my lips as I crossed the room and leaned against the polished desk. "No."

I then proceeded to tell him about the eerie resemblance I noticed between myself and the maid.

After several moments of contemplation, Elis finally spoke. "Maybe you're reading too much into it. I mean, that's got to be a coincidence, right?"

"You could be right. But why leave the body and the casing behind? Whoever this is, they've proven to be smarter than the average vampire already."

Elis suddenly sat up, his earthy eyes widening. "Of course!"

I raised an eyebrow as he stood up abruptly, knocking over the chair in the process, and swept past me. "What?"

"…can't believe I forgot…bloody hell." Elis muttered to himself as he swept down the hallway and descended the stairs.

Following behind curiously, my earlier worries forgotten, I chuckled. "Are you having a stroke?"

The pilot stopped abruptly and turned to glower at me. "For fuck's sake, I'm not that old."

"Ok, then what?" I prodded as he turned once more and yanked open the door to the filing room.

The small room had clearly been overlooked by the cleaners. Several layers of dust coated the tops of the filing cabinets, obscuring the labels. The papers strewn across the small oak desk in between the cabinets had begun to yellow at the corners. Using his sleeve, Elis began frantically wiping away the grime to examine the labels. After a few tries, he made an "ah" sound at the back of his throat and yanked open the drawer. He deftly flipped through the folders until pulling one free and carrying it to the desk. "So much happened that day. I think we all forgot."

"Slow down and tell me what's going on!" I finally demanded as he laid the folder open. My stomach dropped to my toes as I looked upon the pictures staring back at me. All at once, it came back to me. The mission that started it all…the opportunity I so desperately needed.

"That doesn't make any sense. It was 13 years ago…why wait this long." I babbled, trying to make sense of it all.

"It checks out…right down to selecting the victim."

I shook my head fiercely, unwilling to think how many women this psychopath killed while I was galivanting around the states. How could I have been so irresponsible? "Shit's going to hit the fan fast when the Table figures out that I let this guy go."

"They don't have to know. And you're not the only one who forgot, remember?" He slammed his fist down on the table, making me jump. "Let's just fix this, alright?"

Numbly, I nodded. Things had impossibly gone from bad to worse. Can only go up from here…hopefully.

"Sir?"

I craned my neck to find Arthur standing in the doorway wearing a distinctively nervous expression. "Yes, Arthur?"

"There's a young lady here to see you. She's quite impatient."

Relief swept through me like a tidal wave. Dagna…finally. "Take me to her. I'm ready to hunt."

Despite years of being the family retainer, I could see Arthur's fingers twitching. Something was bugging him. However, as I opened my mouth to ask, we rounded the corner to the foyer and I spotted a blonde haired figure standing before a beat-up duffel.

"Oh, fuck." Elis whispered, backing away slowly…almost mirroring Arthur's action.

Golden hair…not fiery red. A spark jumped between my fingertips as I recognized those cornflower blue eyes and that smug grin. "HOPE!?"

I silently seethed as the young recruit had the gall to salute and wink at me. "Reporting for duty, Phoenix."

Electrical currents were racing underneath my skin at this point, and it was taking everything in my power not to release a surge that would likely plunge the entire manor into darkness. "Why…are you here?" Breathing slowly, I struggled under the weight of my aspect.

She shrugged easily…completely unaware of my mounting anger. "I hacked the network and redirected Walter's email to my mom's. It wasn't that hard."

My hands jittered, and a small surge broke free to strike the floor, causing Elis and Arthur to back up even further. Hope seemed to finally noticed, and her smug expression faltered.

"You have exactly 30 seconds to explain to me why you thought you could take a high priority mission from a Proven slayer." I hissed through my teeth. "And I suggest you lose the attitude."

"You never came back, so I thought I'd take things into my own hands. I still want that private lesson, ya know." Some of her bravado seemed to return. "I'm tired of flipping tires and running laps."

"Elis, Arthur…please leave the room." I spoke as calmly as I could muster.

The two near scrambled over the top of each other to leave the foyer. Once the door shut, I rounded on Hope. "What the hell were you thinking?" Azure flames finally burst through the floodgates, licking up my arms as I stared the defiant young recruit down.

"Me? What about you? You give me a phony lecture about 'taking care of myself' and then you leave?" Hope gushed, glaring at me with about as much ire.

I had to admit, for a moment, I gave in to a bit of pride. She was either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid to stare me down without flinching. "You know the rules! Recruits can't participate in missions. I'll chart a plane ride home for you…and I will decide disciplinary action when I return."

Hope's bright blue eyes lit up with rage. "You can't send me back! I heard you say it yourself…we don't know what its like to be in a real fight. I'm the best recruit you have!"

"I most certainly can, and I will." I jabbed a finger in her direction. "Do you even realize what you've done? Damien is probably worried sick, not to mention what your mother must be thinking!"

Contrition flickered briefly across Hope's cornflower gaze before determination once again took its place. "They know I can handle myself…besides…"

"No, you can't!" Embers floated into the air as I bellowed at her. "You have no fucking idea!"

The young recruit took a tiny step back as my temper peaked. "I…I didn't think it would hurt anything. Walter said it wasn't a big deal…" Her voice quavered slightly as she timidly met my glare.

A heavy breath escaped through my nostrils as the sight of her fearful expression doused the flames inside. That tiny voice in the back of my head reminded me of a time when I was the exact same way…impulsive and stupid. I could see that old defiant spark in her eyes that reminded me of the way Desiree looked when we left the states.

"It'll be better…anything's better than this." Desiree reasoned, turning her passport over in her hands a couple times before glancing back at Alex and Glinda.

The two were leaning against each other, reading silently from a book. Alex's hazel eyes were still puffy and tinged with red from last night's argument with her parents. It had been an ugly affair, but ultimately, Alex could not be swayed to stay. She'd been close with her mother.

My fists curled as a tiny seed of resentment manifested itself in my head. At least she still had her parents. Glinda and I were on our own. "Don't promise me anything." I mumbled back.

"Hey." Desiree's hand landed on my shoulder, distracting me long enough to give her my full attention. "We're going to make a difference. No more rules to keep us down. I promise."

I hadn't been one for optimism lately, but I couldn't deny that she made me hopeful. "Let the Council chase us…I'm not afraid."

A smirk wound its way to her pink lips as she tossed her golden hair behind her head. "Let them come."

I deliberated for a few moments, hating how the teen standing in front of me brought back such painful memories. "I can't let you stay."

Hope must have sensed my doubt, and hurriedly moved to capitalize on it. "I won't get in your way. I can help…really."

A noise of frustration left me as I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Fine."

"Yes!" She punched the air in celebration.

"Hold on!" I halted her victory dance abruptly. "You can stay on two conditions."

Shifting her weight from foot to foot, she sobered.

"First, you will do exactly what I say when I say it. Mistakes in the field could cost you your life. Understand that I won't gamble with your life. And second, you will keep me updated on how your aspect is behaving. Am I clear?"

Her head bobbed, and it was clear she was barely containing her excitement. Seemingly sensing she was in the clear, her eyes wandered around the interior of the manor. "This place is enormous!"

"I should hope so…it was built to house a small army after all." My annoyance at her stunt was slowly ebbing away at the sight of her child-like wonder. "We even have a shooting range in the basement."

Hope's jaw popped open. "No way."

"Way." I grinned, before launching into the more innocent tales about the manor. Hope fired off question after question as I located Arthur and unlocked one of the bedrooms for her. The old retainer looked relieved that we weren't bashing heads. I couldn't very well blame him. Between the two of us, we'd tear the place apart if things had escalated into a fist-fight.

As she unpacked her things, she paused for a moment and regarded me. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before a faint dusting of pink graced her cheeks.

After a few more moments of watching her struggled with an amused smirk, I finally rolled my eyes. "Spit it out, kid."

She dropped the leggings she had been folding and flushed deeper. "Sorry. No one's ever been brave enough to ask. And now that the younger group isn't around…I was wondering…"

"About?" I curved an eyebrow at her verbal stumbling. It wasn't like her at all.

Biting down on her lip, she seemed to gather her courage. "Did you really work with a vampire?"

Of all the things she had to ask, she chose that. Of course she did. I breathed in slowly, wondering what would be better: an elaborate lie or the cold truth. I doubted Desiree would like it much either way. "Where did you hear that?" I hedged, hoping to avoid the subject altogether.

"Well…Kai talks a lot of sh…I mean, smack." Hope hurriedly corrected herself. "So, I didn't really believe him…"

I sighed. "It's true."

Hope stared at me like I'd just grown two heads. "The vampire?" She asked hesitantly.

The innocent question nudged open the old scars on my psyche, and it took a herculean effort to keep my expression neutral. "Yes." I whispered.

She turned back to her clothes, looking particularly uncomfortable. "Mom never talks about it. Walter doesn't tell me anything either."

I winced. "It's not particularly something I like to advertise, Hope."

"Why?" Her curiosity had her forgetting her clothes again, opting to lean against the dresser as a little v appeared between her eyebrows.

"Because its not the pretty story everyone's been feeding you. It was grisly and raw. I'm only telling you this because your mother respects me too much to tell you this herself." I explained, biting the inside of my cheek to stave off the stronger emotions pushing against my aspect. "And Walter…well, I expect it's a tough topic for him as well."

Now that was the understatement of the century. I was so caught up in myself the first few months that I didn't even stop to think of what the whole thing had done to him. I'd worried about his mental health plenty before his relationship with Desiree became apparent.

"But…Walter is good…right?" She shuffled her feet nervously. "He's nice to me."

"Walter is an exception to the general rule." I argued. "He owes me just as much as I owe him."

"And Varris." Hope grinned.

I rolled my eyes at her antics. "Alright, two exceptions to the general rule, smartass."

The young recruit giggled and returned her attention back to her clothes. "Thanks for sharing that. You still kind of suck though."

I snorted at her. Some things would never change. "Get settled. We have work to do."

"Tea, Elizabeth?"

My pen hovered over the page as I glanced up at Arthur. I'd been so absorbed in my task that I didn't hear him come in. Pushing aside the paperwork, I smiled weakly. "Sure. I could use a break."

He poured my tea and stirred in a little sugar. "If I may be so bold, it is good to see someone using that desk. She would be proud, you know."

Bringing the cup up to my face, I let the soothing aroma of the herbal tea waft into my nostrils. "I'm not so sure. Am I doing the right thing? Hope may hate me, but she would be safer back home."

"All birds must leave the nest eventually. I gather you know that better than anyone." Arthur remarked as he gathered the completed papers into his hands and separated them into folders.

I sighed. "Now its either fall or fly…it never seems fair, does it?"

"Life is rarely fair. But, given you've been teaching her, I see no reason why she won't fly."

"You always know what to say." I accused, sipping the hot tea thoughtfully. "Desiree is worried. And I can't blame her. Trouble has a terrible habit of finding me." At first, it had stung hearing her doubts about leaving Hope with me, but then I realized it was just the parent in her talking. Eventually, she relented…but only after talking with her daughter first.

Arthur hesitated, but a sharp knocking broke the silence of the manor.

I blinked. "Is that the front door?"

"I believe so." Carefully, he sat the papers down and made for the foyer.

My back prickled uneasily, and I rose from my seat. With my tea forgotten for now, I quickly followed the old retainer. The uneasy feeling only grew as we neared the door. Spidery legs skittered over my skin, and I threw out an arm to stop Arthur as he reached for the knob. "Allow me." I suggested as I drew out the Jackal and swiftly threw open the door.

"Is this usually how you answer your front door?" A familiar bell-like voice asked. A perfectly manicured hand pushed away the barrel of the gun.

"Anna?" Slowly, I lowered my weapon as Arthur peeked over my shoulder at the visitor.

"Missed me?" A delicate blonde eyebrow curved upward as she sauntered gracefully past us and stepped into the manor. Her dusty-rose colored dress hugged her curves and her sharp heels made her slender legs even longer. Her golden curls were artfully styled, hanging softly around her pale face.

"More like confused." I gawped at her. "I didn't expect to hear from you again after…"

"Hmm." Anna hummed as she cast her ruby eyes around the manor. "I suppose I never thanked you for that."

Sensing that I had control of the situation, Arthur excused himself from the room. It didn't pass my notice how flustered her appearance had made him. I couldn't very well blame him. After all this time, I'd forgotten how beautiful she was. "I get the feeling you're not here just to thank me."

"Nope." She popped the p with a knowing smirk. "I've got an important tip for you."

"A tip?" I questioned her as I walked us up to the office. At least in there we'd have some privacy. I'd hate to see Elis's face if he saw me speaking with one of the Brides again.

Once the door shut behind us, the ancient draculina turned and leaned against Integra's desk. "Are you missing anything, Hellsing?"

"I don't follow." I narrowed my eyes at her casual tone. She had no real reason to come back. Our deal was made and carried out. End of story. The only thing her presence brought was a reminder of what I'd done.

"Does the name Mitica mean anything to you?" Anna continued, crossing her legs and rapping her sharp nails on the desk as if she were impatient with me.

I shook my head.

"Well, he knows you." She pursed her lips. "And its never good when he fixates on something."

"Who is he?" I pressed. "And how does he know me?"

"He's trouble, even with other vampires. And he has something you want." She leaned back and eyed the black gun in my grip.

"Wait a minute. This freak has the Casull? Where is he? How do I find him?" I advanced on the draculina, forgetting my caution with her momentarily.

Anna held her delicate hands up in surrender. "He hasn't exactly been subtle. But you should know something before you go after him…he's a hunter."

"Aren't you all?" I asked, unable to keep the teasing tone out of my voice.

She shook her curls in exasperation. "It means he makes a sport of hunting slayers. It's an obsession. Or, at least it used to be. The things he's dabbling with now are starting to even scare me."

My eyebrows knitted together. "What do you mean?"

The draculina sighed. "Usually, he picks a target and relentlessly pursues them. But with slayers…he lures them out. I imagine he couldn't lure you out, so he's resorted to more extreme measures. Don't tell me you haven't noticed the disappearances."

I nodded. "I had a feeling there was a connection, but I was out of leads. But, why obsess over me specifically?"

Anna snorted. "You're kidding right? Even before you slew Alucard, you turned heads. How many people do you know of can sling fire from their fists?"

I flinched at the use of his name, feeling like I'd been punched in the gut. It had been quite some time since someone was bold enough to use it around me. The way she simply slung it around as if it carried no weight bothered me more than I cared to admit. "He's had about a million opportunities to waste me. Why bide his time?" I spat, ignoring the uncomfortable twisting in my gut.

She visible tensed. "I don't know. Just assume its not good. If he's willing to senselessly slaughter people and risk exposure, he shouldn't be trifled with."

My mind whirled with the implications. If this were true, then this monster had been chasing me for years. But there had to be a reason why he wanted a personal audience with me. "How do I find him?"

"You won't. He'll find you. But if you're eager to kick that hornet's nest, I've overheard some of his followers hanging about the clubs. You could…persuade one of them to give up his location." A secretive smirk took up residence on her ruby lips.

"Why bring this up to me?" I asked after a long stretch of silence.

She shrugged her narrow shoulders. "I figured I still owed you. And…I would be lying if I didn't say I was hopeful that we could spend some time together when the dust settles." Leaning forward, she ran a sharp nail lightly up my arm and winked at me.

Heat rushed to my cheeks at her insinuation and I struggled to find the connection between my mouth and my brain. "I…uh…you don't…wait…"

Unable to keep a straight face any longer, the draculina finally succumbed to laughter. "You should really see your face. Honestly, you could loosen up. It could be fun." Her tone dropped an octave as her eyes flashed mischievously.

I rolled my eyes at the attempt. "If or when I decide to become someone else's meal, I'll call you."

"Promises, promises." Anna purred as she straightened. "Well, it was good to see you, Lizzie-Beth. Do tell me how it all turns out." Her expression morphed slightly in concern. "One more thing…don't underestimate Mitica. He's ruthless."

A smirk came unbidden to my lips. "So am I. I guess we have that in common."

"Be careful." She cautioned before stepping to the office door. I showed her out quietly, thankful that Elis was sound asleep at this hour as the click of her heels vanished into the night.

I crept upstairs, carefully avoiding the creaking spots in the floorboards as to not wake Hope or Elis. Once in my room, I stripped down and threw on a nightshirt. Pressing my head into the cool sheets, I tried to relax. The day had been a literal rollercoaster, and I honestly hoped that was the last of the surprises for now.

Shivering against the sudden chill in the room, I pulled the sheets up to my chin and tried to reclaim sleep. I couldn't tell how long I'd been asleep at this point, but I couldn't bring myself to care enough to check my phone for the time.

A knock at the door disturbed me momentarily from my attempt at sleep. Annoyed, I cracked an eye open to find the room still awash in bright moonlight. "It's too early, Arthur."

The retainer didn't respond, so I huffed and rolled back over. Hopefully he got the hint.

Again, an incessant knocking woke me just on the cusp of sleep. Now beyond aggravated, I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed. "Someone better be dying!" I barked as I yanked open the door.

My tired eyes narrowed into the empty hallway. Probably just Hope playing a prank on me. Still, I couldn't shake the heavy silence that had fallen over the manor. Shaking myself, I shut the door and slunk back into bed. As I shuffled to get comfortable, I heard a floorboard creak.

Suddenly wide awake, I inched my hand towards the dagger I always hid underneath my pillow. There was definitely someone in the room now. Heavy boots…likely outsizing me. Breathing slowly to feign sleep I reached further, frowning when my questing fingers did not meet a rough leather grip.

"Looking for something?"

Everything inside me locked down at that oh-so-familiar, smooth as honey voice. Impossible. No…you're hearing things. Just go back to sleep and he'll go away.

"Not until I have what I want."

Before I could blink, I was flipped over onto my back roughly. A sharp gasp rattled to my lips as I found myself gawking at a familiar pair of crimson irises.

"You…you're…no…" I stuttered frantically, unable to slow the unsteady galloping of my heart. "You're dead."

"Did you think so? I admit, it was a valiant effort. Oh, I hadn't had that much fun in ages." He replied huskily, his cool breath washing over my face.

I couldn't stop the panic rising inside me. It should have been a relief that my plan had failed, but I all I could feel was a deep desperation. "No…no…"

"Relax dearest. And here I thought you missed me." Alucard crooned softly in my ear before nipping it lightly. His hand released my own and slowly reached underneath the hem of my nightshirt. As his hand traveled lazily up my skin, I turned my head to the side to hide how this was affecting me. His wintery fingertips seemed to leave trails of fire in their wake.

When his hand finally claimed my bare skin, my back arched off the bed at the sensation. It surprised me that my aspect didn't respond when he began gently rolling my nipple with his thumb, sending shockwaves down my spine. The protest that had bubbled to my lips died when he grasped my nightshirt tightly and rent it down the middle. My breaths came quicker as his serpentine tongue snaked out to lave over the exposed skin.

Unanswered questions whirled in my head, but I couldn't give voice to them…not when he was touching me like this. The worst part of it was…I wasn't sure I could come up with a good enough excuse to stop him.

He ceased his ministrations on my chest and before I had a chance to breathe, he claimed my lips in a devastating kiss. The sharp pricks of his teeth brushed my bottom lip, and I nearly frowned at my body's sudden lack of self-preservation. By now, my sixth sense would be sending me all the warnings to draw back.

Seemingly sensing my disquiet, he bit down harshly on my bottom lip. I cried out at the quick sting of pain before he latched on again, thrusting his tongue into my mouth to lap up the spilt blood.

At the same time, he used the distraction of the pain to glide a hand into my underwear. I held my breath as his wintery hand settled over my sex. He made a small rumble of approval and began trailing kisses down the column of my throat.

Despite the sinful sensations, I still couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. "W-wait."

Either the Count didn't hear me, or he was choosing to ignore me…because he continued to kiss a path down my body, pausing only to dip his tongue into my navel briefly. A few soft strands of midnight hair tickled my belly as he neared my sex. The action had me biting back a hysterical laugh.

My veins seemed to pulse in time with his heavy breaths as he hesitated…hovering over the most intimate part of me.

I had no hope of stopping the breathy moan that escaped me when his tongue swiped over me. The next pass had me pressing my head into the pillow. The movement must have disturbed him, because he raised his head and snarled deep in his chest. "Keep still." His gravelly voice was a sharp warning.

A shudder passed down my spine as he resumed. Unfortunately, I could not comply with his request…not when his tongue dipped languidly into my opening.

"I believe I said, keep still!" He snarled and suddenly pulled back to sink his teeth into the pale skin of my thigh.

White hot pain shot up my leg, and I tried to jerk away from him. But he didn't look like himself anymore. The planes of his face appeared sharper, and his eyes burned with an unholy light as his hair appeared to have morphed into a mass of twisting serpents.

"Stop!" I pleaded, trying to reach for my dormant aspect in my desperation.

Alucard acquiesced, but no sooner had his teeth released my thigh, that he was surging to my throat. An ear-splitting scream rent the air, and it took me several moments to realize that it had come from me through the haze of pain. Worse though, was how quickly heat pooled in my nether regions as I felt him draw out my blood.

His fingers wound in my hair and yanked my head back further, exposing more of my throat to him. A small part of me had registered that he'd lost control, but the bigger and louder part of me didn't give a shit.

The bite of his sharp nails digging into my hips startled me before he finally pulled back, laving his tongue over my neck. My breath hitched at the sight of my blood dripping down his chin. With a smile that would make the devil shudder, he leaned into my ear. "You're all mine, Phoenix."

When next I drew breath, it was to find myself sitting up in bed. Gasping breaths escaped me as sweat trickled down my fevered skin. My heart slammed against my ribcage as I clapped a hand to my throat and sagged against the sheets when I felt the old scar there.

Not new…just a dream.

Once the initial panic had passed, I curled up into a ball on my side and turned my head into the pillow. Wracking sobs escaped me as I fought to erect the walls keeping my emotions in check. It was the most vivid dream I'd had in months. For the longest time, I'd thought I was done with the dreams.

Just a dream.

He would always be just a dream…taunting me beyond the grave. Throwing salt into my wounds and laughing at my pain. Only to remind myself that this was entirely my own fault.

It was only a dream. It was nothing…just like you.

AN:

Alrighty, so real quick, I should say that writing these sort of scenes is entirely new for me. I've written my own original work and some other fun fanfics in the past but nothing quite this uh...descriptive. So, please go easy on me and feel free to PM me and let me know if I can do better. That being said, so sorry for the wait. This was difficult to write.

Thanks for the encouragement so far. It really helped me brave this chapter. With that in mind, please review!