Chapter 10

It wasn't until the light started dying outside that Adrian realized Eva was fighting sleep. She had not let him go, nor had she complained, but several times he felt her jerk slightly as she tried to keep from falling against him. He shook his head slightly as her head dipped once more before he shifted his arms so that he would be able to lift her as he stood.

As soon as he was on his feet, her head jerked up, and her wide eyes met his. He spoke before she could ask the questions in her eyes. "I said I would show you to a room. It is already late."

He could see how her cheeks had heated, even in the gloomy corridors. "Yes, but there is no need for you to carry me."

Adrian had not been thinking about anything beyond her sleepy form when he lifted her, but now that she was awake, he had no excuse to hold her close anymore. He reluctantly let her down, but he still defended the action. "You were falling asleep. I simply thought it would be expedient."

Her cheeks flooded with even more color, but she shocked him with a smile. "And I appreciate it, but I'm awake now."

He only nodded as he led her deeper into that wing of the castle. He hadn't even thought about where he was going until he opened a large door and showed her into a room with a canopy bed. He wanted to curse his own distraction when he realized he brought her to the chamber he had planned on making his own.

However, that was a distant thought when she turned to him before he could excuse himself and leave. "Um, would you- I mean, don't take this the wrong way, but would you stay?"

He stared at her with wide eyes for several seconds before he spoke. "Here? In this room, with you?"

Eva felt by that point that her face was going to melt off. She hadn't thought about how close they had gotten until he lifted her, but she had a reason for asking this. Just like she a reason for comforting him. "Yes. The bed is huge, I don't see why we can't share it. It's just, well, I don't want to think about you wandering these halls alone tonight."

She hadn't been able to look at him while she said the last part. If she did, she wasn't sure her tongue would have allowed it. Silence reigned for what seemed like minutes before he finally responded by going to sit on the far side of the bed.

Eva's head jerked up to look at him, and he gave her a small smile. "First thing tomorrow, we can see if we can find you something else to wear. Along with new shoes. Those don't look like they will be able to hold up much longer."

She watched him for a moment as he removed his own boots and turned to slip under the covers. By that point, she nodded. "Thank you. As long as it isn't dresses, I would really appreciate it."

Adrian wondered for a moment what she had against dressing as a woman usually would, but didn't bother asking. He had a feeling it would be something that would either shock him or aggravate him, or both. Or possibly just frustrate him, which was not a thought he needed to be having as she was slipping under the covers next to him. In the bed he had planned to use going forward.

He pushed those unnecessary thoughts aside as she turned to face him. Her eyes were as haunted as he was sure his own were. "Goodnight. And thank you."

He resisted the urge to pull her close once more as he responded. "Thank you. And sleep well." They both turned away from each other at that point and tried to let sleep claim them.


Adrian was not sure what had wakened him, but it had not been anything that had his senses alert for danger. On the contrary, other than his thirst, he was more comfortable than he could remember being in a long time. Perhaps it was the dryness in his throat that had brought him out of his dreams. They had not been bad but were not exactly pleasant either.

Currently, he was still stuck in between wake and sleep while the thirst only seemed to grow. He had never seen the desert, but he had heard of the endless sands and the tribulations that went with them. That was what this felt like, a sand storm that had been loosened in his throat. What made it worse was the fact that he could smell something delicious. Like ambrosia. The delectable scent filled his senses until it was nearly overwhelming. Whatever it was, he wanted it. He had no doubt it would stop the aridness that had become an ache.

It was only the fact that he was warm and comfortable that had kept him from shifting before that point. Still, his thirst had become too great not to do something. He turned slightly, and the warm softness pressed against him moved as well before it uttered a soft groan. It was at that point that Alucard's eyes flew open. He looked down to see that at some time during the night, he and Eva had both scooted toward the middle of the bed. She was currently pressed against his chest.

He quickly tried to extricate himself as soon as he realized the smell that had invaded his dreams was her scent. She had asked him before if it bothered him, and under normal circumstances, he had enough control that it did not. However, sleeping with her against him was not what he would consider normal circumstances, and he needed distance.

He made it to the side of the bed to sit up and was able to take several calming breaths before he heard her call his name. He looked back in time to catch her in a yawn before she stretched and grinned at him. "Oh, that was wonderful."

His eyes widened slightly as he wondered for a split second if he hadn't, in fact, moved before she woke. However, she quickly continued, and he relaxed once more. "I never realized how much I would miss sleeping in a bed until I couldn't."

Even though he felt relief at the relative safety of her comment, it was still not something he wished to discuss. Instead, he stood and gestured toward the door. "I will go find something to cook for breakfast. One we have eaten, we can find you something better to wear and discuss our next steps."

Eva gave him a curious look at his seeming distance, but he did not otherwise seem upset with her. She sat up and gave him a nod as he pulled on his boots and walked away.

By the time she made it to the kitchen, she was surprised to see he had already made something that resembled oatmeal. She wasn't usually a fan, but this smelled better than she expected. He placed the bowl down with a smile, and she sat and gave him thanks. It wasn't until she finished half the bowl before she looked over at him with a raised brow. "This is amazing for someone that doesn't have the need to eat as often. And that is coming from someone that usually hates oatmeal."

He frowned slightly. "I may not need to eat as often, but that does not mean I do not appreciate good food. And what is oatmeal?"

Eva grinned and pointed at the bowl. "Porridge, sorry. I have been in the states for too long. I forget there are different terms."

He gave her a curious look. "You have mentioned that before, the United States. Where is the place?"

Eva sighed and sat back as she thought about the year. She finally shrugged. "From here, it is across the Atlantic Ocean. In the coming centuries, it will become one of the world powers along with many other countries like Britain and China, but for now, it doesn't even exist. It started out as annexed land for countries in Europe."

He paused for a moment before he looked up with wide eyes. "If I understand correctly, then you are saying it is a different continent entirely?"

She grinned at him. "More than one, actually. It consists of North, Central, and South America. Much in the same way as you have Europe, Asia, and Africa on this side of the world. And yes, I know those aren't the only ones. You get my point, though."

He nodded absently as he mulled over what she said. He finally looked up again. "You should finish your porridge before it cools. We can find you clothes afterward, and you can tell me more about the Americas." She gave him another smile as she refocused on her bowl.


It ended up taking them more than an hour to find Eva something she would wear that fit her. She finally agreed to a pair of pants they had to roll up a little along with a shirt, much like Adrian's only darker. He wasn't thrilled with that, as the modesty of it was even more questionable than the corset she usually wore. However, she had foregone the outer garment in favor of a belt that cinched the shirt at the waist instead. At least they had found a pair of boots that were acceptable and had reasonable heels.

They had to dig through several guest rooms before they found what they needed, marking most of the stuff for further exploration later. Eva convinced him not to destroy it all on the off chance they could either give it to someone else that could use it or find other uses for it later. Not that he was wont to worry about it, but he also was tired of arguing about it.

Once they found her new clothes, Adrian showed her to the parts of the castle she would need, such as one of the libraries. She was half tempted to stay in that room, especially when she mentioned the mirror shards, and he explained that they were not broken, but that way by design. However, the shattered wall and floor were still too fresh of a reminder for both of them, and they moved on quickly.

It wasn't until he showed her into some of the lower rooms were livestock would generally have been held, and the remaining supplies were that she noticed something she had missed before. This place was not lit by torches. At least not of the flint and fire variety. When he flicked a switch to light up the room, she turned to him with shock.

He gave her a smug smile and opened his mouth to brag, but before he could, she had already run to the closest light and was examining it as she started speaking excitedly. "You have electricity! In the fifteenth century! How? I didn't think the wires and concepts for this would be invented for several centuries, at least? Does this mean you can properly gauge the voltage and amperage to keep the wires from burning up and the bulbs from breaking regularly? Are the wires insulated?"

Adrian snapped his jaw shut as he stared at her for a moment before he shook his head. Of course, he should not have been surprised. With everything else he had already seen, he should have known that humanity would have rediscovered how to tame lightning once again. Though, he did wonder at her knowledge of the workings of it. He was beginning to understand that she had a broader range of general knowledge than was normal, surely. Though, she had proven already that she was intelligent beyond his expectations.

Still, he brushed his thoughts off. "Yes, to all of that. The concept has been around for some time. My father simply improved upon it. I have been considering extending this into the Belmont Estate as well if we are to be exploring down there."

Eva nodded to him, excitedly. "I would love to help with that." She paused and tapped her chin. "Though, I imagine I would need a harness. I don't have the innate advantage of being able to levitate."

He smirked at her quip, but it was gone quickly. "I would think that you would be more focused on trying to find a way home. Or perhaps on finding out more about your own heritage."

Eva sighed. "Yes, I do want to look for both those things, but I doubt I would be able to sit and read all day long. No matter how much I might be fascinated by it. I could never sit still that long. Perhaps we could compromise, and I could spend time helping you in between?" Her eyes got wide, and she looked even more excited as she bounced on the balls of her feet. "And perhaps, if I asked really nicely like I am right now, I could convince you to teach me how to defend myself in case any more of those nasty buggers show up?"

Adrian could not stop his chuckle at the pleading look she was giving him. "I suppose you have a point. Why don't we decide on a schedule? You can help me in the morning, then we can research together, as two heads are better than one, and then I will spend the afternoons teaching you what I can about night creatures and how to defend yourself."

Eva stepped forward and held out her hand. "That sounds like a plan!" Adrian shook it with a chuckle before he led her back upstairs to see what they could salvage of the day.

They ended up deciding to focus on how they were going to get back into the Belmont hold. Both temporarily, and a more permanent solution. Adrian surprised Eva when he suggested simply levitating down with her until they could build something else. She was hesitant at first, almost to the point that he became a bit put out.

"You do realize there is no way that I would drop you."

Eva blushed and shook her head. "It isn't that at all. I know how strong you are. It's just-"

He suddenly realized what her problem was and smirked at her. At least until he was reminded of the last time he had his arms around her, and the expression vanished. Unfortunately, by that point, she must have decided it couldn't hurt and stepped forward. "If you're sure you're okay with it, then let's go make sure it's still in one piece. Although we may need to think about bringing water and soap next time. I can already smell the stench from the demons."

Her statements distracted him enough that it was no trouble when he wrapped an arm around her waist and then stepped off the ledge. Not even when she gripped him tighter. Though he did have to fight back a chuckle as he spoke. "I agree. Cleaning this mess up will be the first order of business."

By that time, they had landed gently, and he let her go. She took a step back and tried to peer into the darkness as he continued. "Though, that does remind me of something that I have been thinking about."

She looked over at him as he walked past her and lifted a hand. She gave him a wide-eyed stare as a flame shot up and to the closest lamps. "Is that something that is learned or just another of your inborn talents?"

He gave her a confused look. "Sypha is much better at magic than I am."

Eva still didn't look convinced. "And? She is a major badass. I kind of thought she was born with the talent too."

Adrian chuckled and shook his head. "No, it can be taught, though it takes concentration and focus. Those skills in the middle of distractions are the hardest part to learn."

It was a few seconds later that she finally nodded. "I can see that." She then looked around at the disgusting floor. "Still, we won't be getting anywhere without getting this up."

He stepped closer to the stairs and pointed down. "We can at least take the index today and look through it. If there is anything worth finding, then we can check it after we have cleaned."

She nodded her agreement as they started down to retrieve the book. As they headed down, she turned to him. "You said there was something you've been thinking about?"

He blinked at her a moment before he nodded with a frown. "Yes, it has to do with your heritage."

It was Eva's turn to frown now, but she let him continue. "I haven't had the opportunity to look into it, but I do know that as a Nephilim, you should have healing abilities to rival mine, at the very least. I do not know what other abilities you would have, but you seem to be an adult. I would assume by now that your powers, whatever they are, would have long since manifested. They should have with puberty at the latest."

Eva stopped in the middle of the staircase and stared at him. "What are you saying? That even though- even though we were told I was a Nephilim, that I might not be? What about my blood then? Is there a simpler reason for that?"

Adrian could tell she looked almost hopeful. Part of him wished he could say that she was correct. That there had been some mistake, but he refused to lie. He shook his head slowly. "No, I have no doubt that my father knew what he was talking about. Plus-" he cut himself off and wondered for a moment how he should say what he was thinking without making her uncomfortable.

He realized his hesitation was already doing so, so he continued as best as he could. "I am sure I have already said there is a quality about your blood that draws in night creatures, it is hard to miss, and once I heard what it was, it was easy to identify. I had never encountered it before was the only reason I could not have previously."

He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as he finished. "I believe that for some reason, your angelic half has been sealed. I do not know why, or how, but until it is lifted, you are mostly human. You have probably noticed a few things throughout your life, but nothing that could not be explained away."

Eva suddenly realized he was right. She was always told that she was a fast healer, but not supernaturally fast. She was the star of the track team in high school, but not so far above the rest that she didn't have to work for it. Those were just a few examples. There was no way she could keep trying to pretend it was all a bad dream anymore.

Although, given what he had just revealed, that knowledge didn't really do her a whole lot of good. And in this place and time, it had the potential to do a whole lot of harm. She closed her eyes with a grimace. She didn't want to ask what she was about to, but she wanted to be a target with no defense even less. "Do you think there is any way to undo the seal?"

Adrian sighed. He had a feeling she was going to ask that question. "I would have to confirm what it is first. But that is one of many things we can research. Do not fear while you are here. I will arm you with what knowledge I can. Plus, I have no intention of leaving you defenseless."

Eva was just glad that he stated the fact that he was going to arm her with knowledge first. Not that she didn't know she needed protection from certain things, but she didn't like feeling dependent either. She smiled up at him as she gestured down the stairs once more. "Let's get that book and get out of here before I hurl." He chuckled as he followed her down.

A/N: So I had planned on trying to finish up the month in a couple of chapters, but I am also notorious for underestimating my dialogue lol. This is no different. I would say we have a good two chapters more at least before we start in season three. I personally don't think it's a bad thing, I hope you don't either :) Thanks for reading!