A/N: Soundtrack for the chapter is 'Descent' by Lawless

Chapter 7

It had not taken Alucard long to get the mirror shard working, and the group was all standing around looking at the castle. The problem was that it seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. It was more than a minute after it appeared before Trevor finally spoke up. "Wait, I think I know this place." He then looked at Alucard. "Can you change the angle to look at it from the other side?"

Alucard frowned but concentrated on the mirror. A second later, the image shifted and showed the landscape on the other side of the castle. As soon as it did, Trevor spoke again. "I knew it! I recognized those hills. We might have gotten lucky. We should be able to reach this place within a few hours if we push the horses. There is a village just past those hills, but they won't be coming to investigate. At least not any time soon. As long as that castle can't move, now is our chance."

That was all they needed. Alucard moved to let the shard fall, but Sypha stopped him. "Wait! We should take that with us just in case."

He frowned at her but nodded anyway as they headed to the door. They all paused when Eva called out. "I hate to ask this now, but what about me?"

There was no hesitation when Trevor spoke up. "You're coming with us."

Alucard frowned at the hunter. "No, she is not. She was nearly killed by that demon. Why would we take her to a vampire infested castle? She is no fighter."

Trevor glared right back as he pointed back at the woman in question. "It's her blood. That is what drew the demon to her, and what killed it. I don't know why, and right now, I don't care. But she will be coming."

Sypha picked that moment to interfere. "Alucard, I understand your concerns, but Trevor is right. She would not be safe her by herself. At least with us, she has a little more protection. It is not ideal, but here she would only be waiting to die."

Eva shivered at the way they were all so matter-of-factly discussing her death, but she didn't say anything. By that point, she knew she was going to be in danger no matter what she did.

Alucard did not look happy when he turned back to Eva, but he gestured to the door. "We need to hurry."

They all rushed toward the door, while Eva made sure to grab her bag on the way out. There was no telling what they might encounter, and she felt a little better with something familiar in hand. At least she had held onto her pepper spray, so she put it back into the bag while they all gathered in the middle of the bloody entranceway. It might not have worked on the demon, but there was no telling what else they would run into.

Eva tried to ignore the stench as Sypha made a few gestures, and a layer of ice formed under their feet. Eva stared down at it in awe as it began to lift them. When they all got to the top, they jumped across to the land, and the Speaker made a few more motions that sent the giant column of ice flying.

Eva looked over to her with amazement. "Sypha, you are one badass woman."

Sypha blinked back at her. "Thank you. I think." She then looked back at Trevor. "I couldn't let it melt and ruin all your pretty books."

Alucard shook his head as he turned to where they had left the horses and cart. "Let's go." It did not take them long to get the horses harnessed, and on the road in the direction Trevor pointed.

Once they were on the way, Alucard turned to Eva and watched her for a moment as she cradled her injured arm. She was looking back toward the ruined Belmont Estate with a frown. He wasn't sure what to think of what Belmont had said earlier, but he was at least glad to see she wasn't breaking down. A hysterical woman would be more than a liability. Though, he did have to admit that even though she didn't seem to be a fighter, she had not lost her head when the demon attacked her.

It was at that point that she turned back around and caught him looking at her. Her eyes narrowed for a moment before they softened, and she lowered her head. Her voice was a whisper when she spoke. "I know this is dangerous. Moreso for me even, but thank you for not leaving me alone."

He had not been expecting her thanks. He was able to conceal his shock with a question. "Belmont said your blood killed a demon. What did he mean?"

She looked up at him with furrowed brows. "I don't know. I guess that's what happened, but I didn't realize it until he pointed it out. The one that attacked me injured me before it licked my blood off its fingers. Right after that, I ran, and it exploded. The other one I didn't see."

By that point, Trevor had turned in the seat to look back at them both. "I put her blood on the stick I shoved down the demon's throat. It was just like I used a consecrated weapon."

Both men then turned to face her with questions in their eyes that Eva had no clue how to answer. She didn't have the answers. She shook her head before they could ask them aloud. "Don't look at me. If there is anything weird about my blood, I don't know what it could be. As far as I ever knew, I'm as just like anyone else."

The thought that she might not be human made a pit of nausea form in her stomach, but she shoved it down when Alucard spoke in a soft voice. "You were raised by your mother, correct?" When Eva nodded back, he continued. "What do you know about your father?"

Eva's breath caught for a moment, but she shook her head. "Not a lot. I was told he died when I was a baby. My mother never wanted to talk about him. As I got older, I realized she must have loved him very much. Any mention of him always made her sad, so I quit asking questions."

Alucard sighed at her answer. She didn't seem to be hiding anything, and given what he had observed of her already, he doubted she was lying. Belmont spoke up again before he could ask her anything else. "Right now, I don't care what your father might have been. What I do know is that this might be the one thing that saves you."

He paused at that point and reached down to his leg. He detached a pouch that he handed over to her. Eva lifted the flap to see a neat line of small knives lined up in little pockets. When her shocked gaze shot back up to his, he spoke again. "Do you think you can throw those and hit stuff?"

She gave him a confused look. "Hit stuff? Like demons and vampires?" When he just nodded, she scoffed. "Not to make them stick. I've never learned how to throw knives. That's not a common social skill where I'm from."

Trevor rolled his eyes at her snark. "You don't have to make them stick. Just make them cut. Can you do it?"

Eva looked down at the knives once more and realized what he planned. She also realized that if she couldn't, she would likely die. The other three would have their hands full with whatever they found. If she wanted to live, she was going to have to step up. She looked back up at him with a set jaw. "I won't get a second chance if I don't, right?"

Trevor gave her a grin. She might have a mouth to rival the bastard vampire, but she was quick. "Just make sure you coat them all with your blood."

Alucard growled at that statement. "You act as though that will not be a problem. Do you have any idea what her open wound would cause? The smell of her blood will travel to anyone close enough to smell it, and they will be drawn to it."

Trevor shrugged and grinned back. "Then we stick close to her and let them come to us. Two birds, one stone. Right?"

Before Alucard could snap back, Eva realized something and spoke up. "Wait, Adrian, does the smell of my blood bother you?"

Trevor's eyes widened as they shot over to Alucard. The dhampir clenched his jaw once before he shook his head. "It is a particularly strong scent, but I am not bothered by it. You have no need to fear that I will attack like some mindless animal."

Eva's worried look didn't go away. "I wasn't worried that you would attack me. You would have already done it if that was the case. I was more worried about you."

Both men looked at her as though she had lost her mind. When she saw them both, she shook her head. "Never mind." She then lifted her arm. "I may as well take care of this now, and rewrap this. Hopefully, that will make things better once we arrive."

Adrian didn't say anything else, but he did look away as she undid the bottom of the bandage and started to unwrap it. Eva grimaced as the first part of the cut was exposed, and the skin almost immediately pulled apart, which caused the wound to start bleeding again. It was enough, so she stopped and lifted the little pouch.

The sight of her blood dripping down onto the blades made her want to be sick, but she swallowed it down. She couldn't afford to be squeamish. Hell, she couldn't even afford to think past the moment. If she did, it was likely that she would break down. The probability of her death went from possible to certain if she couldn't keep her wits.

When she finally finished what she was doing, she moved to rebandage her arm, but before she could, Trevor called out. "Hey, I have a backup dagger as well. Do you mind putting some of that stuff on it too? It's the only thing I have that's not consecrated."

Eva glared at him, while she heard Sypha huff at him from the front. "You're an ass, you know that?"

His only response was to hold the dagger out to her. She took it with a huff and let a little more blood drip onto the blade before she handed it back. She didn't watch as he did whatever he needed to with it. Instead, she turned to try and retie the already bloody bandage.

Before she could get frustrated with trying to do it one-handed, she was surprised when Adrain shifted a little closer. "Here, let me help with that."

She held out her arm while he deftly tied it off once more. Her voice was small when she thanked him and looked out the back of the wagon again. She only hoped that she was going to be able to survive the next few hours. If she could do that, then she would worry about stitches and the fact that she needed new clothes. Those were just a few of the things that wandered her mind randomly, though she could focus on none of them as her fright kept her nerves taut, and her eyes glued to the woods around them.


Despite how nervous Eva had been, she still ended up dozing with the lull of the wagon. Part of it was likely the mix of the ebb of her adrenaline along with blood loss. Alucard did not attempt to wake her until they got closer to the castle, even though she had fallen against him. He watched her with curiosity as she slept. He knew her scent was unlike any had encountered before, but he tried not to think about it at all. The way she smelled was distracting if he allowed himself to do so.

Still, he had not thought she was anything other than human. Now, he was combing his memory to see if he could think of anything that could possibly have that effect on demons. From what Belmont said, they were just as attracted to the way she smelled as he feared the vampires would be. Like a moth to a flame, if her blood was that deadly to the creatures.

He was drawn from his thoughts when Trevor called out that they would be to the location within twenty minutes. He gently shook the woman against his arm. She sat up with a jerk and blinked over at him a couple of times before her brain seemed to catch up. He held back a smirk when he saw her cheeks redden slightly as she looked up at him.

"I'm so sorry for falling asleep against you! Why didn't you wake me up as soon as I fell over?"

He shook his head. "I understand that this is a life you are not likely to be used to. Not only that, but you have been injured, and you gave up more of your blood than was necessary. It is not shocking that you needed rest, nor is it anything to apologize for. However, we are nearly there. Prepare yourself."

Eva was still blushing, but she only nodded as she grabbed the pouch and strapped it to her leg like she had seen Trevor do before. Almost as soon as she had it on, they rounded a corner and cleared the woods finally. The castle loomed in front of them in the middle of a field like a giant beast ready to pounce. She felt a shiver crawl down her spine as she looked up at the imposing structure.

As they got closer, everyone became tenser. It was still a couple of hours before dawn, and the fact that there was no movement had all their hackles raised. When they finally got near it, Sypha noticed the ground was soaked. It was as though a flooding rain had passed through. However, there was no sign further away from the castle of any such weather.

Eva frowned as she looked around. She kept her voice to a whisper as she turned to Adrian. "What is that smell?"

He looked back at her with furrowed brows. "What smell?"

She had expected him to be able to smell it out of any of them. "It's hard to describe. One second it smells like cinnamon, then rosemary, then licorice. I've never smelled anything like it before."

Alucard froze and looked at her with wide eyes. "Holy water. You are smelling holy water. I believe that is what has soaked the ground here."

Both the others looked back at the two of them with shock. Trevor was the first to speak. "I didn't know holy water smelled like anything but water."

Alucard tore his eyes away from the woman that was a growing mystery as he jumped out of the cart and answered Belmont at the same time. "Humans can't usually smell it. It is more like the smell of magic. Not everyone would be able to sense it, though it is not exactly a smell."

"Well, then." Trevor gave Eva an unreadable look as he jumped out as well. By that point, they were all out and had gathered at the foot of the steps. They all still had questions, but now wasn't the time. Instead, he looked over at Alucard. "Are you ready for this?"

Alucard's face hardened before he answered. "Not at all. But let's get it over with anyway."

As they all started up the steps, Sypha turned to Eva with a worried look. "Just stay behind us, and try to stay away from anyone." It was at that point that she noticed the other woman had her bag sitting on her back with one of the knives already in hand and a small cylinder in the other. She pointed down at the metal container. "What is that?"

Eva held it up. "It's my pepper spray. It didn't work on the demons, but it might on vampires."

Sypha had so many questions at that moment, but they didn't have time. Instead, Eva spoke once more, loud enough for the men to hear as well. "I won't use it unless I have to, but if I do, just don't jump in front of me. It will temporarily blind you if you get any in your eyes." Sypha looked down at the little container with shock. Eva was full of surprises, it seemed. But they would have to survive before she could find out more.

As soon as they reached the doors, Alucard threw them back and stepped forward with Trevor and Sypha by his side. Eva stayed behind them and tried to keep out of sight for the moment. When the doors banged open, a small group of squabbling vampires immediately fell into silence as they all turned to face the new threat.

Alucard was shocked to see so few of the generals in attendance. Then again, there was holy water covering the ground outside the castle. Something obviously happened. However, it didn't matter. There were still at least five of them they had to fight through before they could reach his father, and there was no guarantee this was all the vampires in the castle.

Trevor stepped forward to say something, but before he could, all of the vampires seemed to turn as one and focused on a spot just over his shoulder. None of them needed to ask what that was about. Not that they had time. All five of the blood-suckers jumped forward at once. Trevor just gave Alucard a smug look. "See? Two birds, one stone."

Alucard's only response was to growl at the hunter before he leapt forward with his sword by his side and transformed into a humongous white wolf in midair. A few of the generals seemed to be pulled back into the moment at his attack, but at least one of them was still distracted enough that Alucard had his throat in his jaws before the vampire could do more than glare at him. He bit down and flung the body to the side before he jumped onto the back of one of the other males.

He had planned to rip out his throat as well, but the male was not as blinded by the sweet smell across the room. He was able to shake Alucard off enough that his jaws only clamped down on his shoulder instead. Alucard didn't bother injuring him more, as he saw the morning star headed for the vampire's head.

He jumped away in time for the male to came face to face with the flaming head of the weapon. Alucard ignored the explosion as he changed back to his humanoid form and faced a female in a black kimono. As soon as his sword came from behind her, she turned to mist before the strike could land.

Alucard could sense that she was gathering once again, and focused to ensure he could attack as soon as she was solid. As soon as he felt the vampire start to coalesce behind him, he spun to attack. He wasn't given a chance to as Sypha froze the mist before the female finished forming. She then used her magic to crush the structure.

He then turned to see where the others were. The other two must have finished off the last male, and Belmont was just finishing up tangling up a woman in flowing pants before he buried the head of the morning star in her chest. The resultant explosion nearly covered Eva's scream.

Alucard watched in horror as a robed vampire cornered her. They had fought their way across the room, and none of them were likely to be able to reach the woman before the vampire did. He still flickered out of sight and tried to teleport to her side. He was shocked to find that in the split second he had used to transport himself that the situation had changed. The vampire was now on his knees and snarling with his hands over his face.

None of them had a chance to help her before she had the tiny knife buried in the vampires back and was running away. Alucard grabbed her immediately and teleported to a safe distance as the vampire exploded. He looked down at her with a raised brow as he let go of her.

Eva felt slightly nauseous after Alucard's quick action. It had been like riding a rollercoaster. Her stomach still felt like it was back on the other side of the room, but at least she was in one piece. She looked up at him with a smile. "Thanks."

He shook his head. "I didn't do anything."

By that point, they were joined by the other two. Sypha gave her a tight smile in reassurance, but they all turned to face the throne and the steps behind it. Alucard's face turned hard once more. "Let's go." Nothing else was said as they followed him deeper into the castle.

A/N: Technically the next two chapters will finish up season two. Maybe just the next one. We'll see how that goes. Then we have a month in story before season three starts. As excited as I am to share, I'm still kinda sad for what's coming next. Not gonna lie. Still, I want to thank any of my reviewers that I couldn't respond to directly, and I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading.