A/N: There are three songs for this chapter. The beginning is 'Dark on Me' by Starset. The first part of the second section is 'Time to Kill' by the Rescues. The last part is 'Mercy' by Hurts

Chapter 16

Alucard had tossed the unconscious woman over his shoulder while he raced toward where he could smell Eva the strongest. He was fighting to keep himself calm. With how strong the scent was, she had to have been wounded significantly.

As he was racing past the entrance to the castle, he saw Taka running in the distance. The other man hadn't seen him yet, but it looked like he was running from the hounds of hell. His face was sallow, and his eyes were wide. It was easy to see the terror in them.

Alucard diverted and stopped in front of the man, which caused Taka to fall back. He didn't think it was possible, but the boy's eyes filled with even more fear at the sight of him. That set his teeth on edge, and he almost raced off, but he needed to know what happened. "Where is Eva?"

"Wings! She had wings!"

Alucard frowned and dropped Sumi next to Taka before he knelt and grabbed the boy's shirt. He brought him in close and growled. "Stop spouting nonsense. Where is Eva!"

Taka's eyes had cleared some when he saw Sumi. He looked back up at Alucard. "Is she dead?"

Alucard's eyes flashed. "Not yet, but you both may be soon if you don't answer me."

"She fell."

That was all Alucard needed to hear. The rest suddenly made sense. He looked at the two in front of him for a moment before he knocked Taka out as well. He didn't have time to deal with them at the moment. Besides, depending on how he found Eva, running would do them no good. If they did, he would hunt them down.

It only took him a few more moments to locate Eva. He froze a short distance away from her and nearly fell to his knees. When Taka had said she fell, he hadn't realized it must have been from one of the taller towers. He couldn't see everything without turning her over, but from the amount of blood and the way one of her wings was ripped near the bottom, it was clear she had at least hit something on the way down.

He swallowed and made his way to her side. The damage looked even worse up close. He could see blood in her hair and down one arm. The wing that was ripped also looked like she had landed on it badly. There was a bone along the edge that was snapped in half and pushing the surface of the skin.

His hands were shaking when he reached out to gently turn her over. He had to be careful of her new appendages. Once she was on her back, he could feel tears on his cheeks. There was blood on one side of her face, and he could tell she probably hit one of the balustrades or maybe a spire before she landed. He had to wipe his eyes clear before he reached out to check her pulse. To see if somehow she had survived.

Before he could touch her throat, she groaned and then coughed. Adrian's heart started hammering. She was alive, but she coughed up blood. He reached out and lifted her shirt. He could already see bruising across her abdomen. It didn't take him long to figure out she was probably bleeding internally.

His eyes turned frantic. She wasn't dead, but she was dying. It was at that point that he realized he did not want to lose her. He had been willing to help her get home, but at least then he would have known she was safe. This- this he couldn't handle. He did not want to see another person he loved die.

He didn't hesitate to bite into his own wrist as he gently tilted Eva's head. His arm had made it nearly to her mouth when he paused. Her blood had not harmed him because he was his father's son. However, would his blood hurt her? With her angelic heritage, he knew demon blood could, at the very least, make her ill. But he was a vampire, not a demon.

When she coughed weakly again, his resolve firmed. He didn't have a choice. She was going to die if he did nothing. He refused to do nothing. His blood was still dripping as he gently coaxed her mouth open and placed his wrist over it. He watched as her mouth filled and willed her to swallow.

Nothing happened for several seconds. He was almost ready to try another way when she started coughing and gagged. He grabbed her shoulders to hold her as still as possible until the fit finally passed. Once it was over, he was relieved to see that at least some of the blood had gone down. Or he hoped it did. It was hard to tell with how much of her own was already all over her.

He didn't have to wait long for a confirmation. It was only a few moments later that Eva's eyes snapped open, and she started screaming. Her back arched up off the ground, and Adrian had to hold her down to keep her from possibly injuring herself further. His heart was in his throat as he watched her thrash beneath him. The thought that he may have been the thing to push her into oblivion instead of saving her was eating at his heart and mind. His voice was coming out is a frantic whisper as his tears started again. "Don't do this. Don't leave me here alone. Don't leave me at all."

It was more than a minute later that Eva finally stopped thrashing and fell limply back to the ground. Her eyes had closed once again, but Adrian didn't need to check for a pulse. He could see her chest rising and falling with each breath. They still weren't steady yet, but they were no longer shallow and irregular.

He sat there for several minutes and just watched her breathe. When he finally moved, it was to recheck her abdomen, as well as the wing that was mutilated. He was disappointed to see the injuries were not yet healed, but they were no longer bleeding profusely. It would have to be enough. He did not dare give her more blood. Not with the reaction to it and her injuries. He would just have to hold onto the hope that perhaps those bright white wings were a sign that her angelic half had been unsealed when her life was in danger. If that were the case, then what he gave her should be enough to help her until her own power could heal the rest. Only time would tell.

He picked her up gently and tried to fold her wings so that he could carry her without them dragging. Once he had her settled enough that he was sure he could hold her without exacerbating her injuries, he turned and headed back toward the castle.

In his fear for Eva's life, he had nearly forgotten about Sumi and Taka. He was reminded when he came across them on the way back. Sumi had awakened and was trying to rouse Taka. His voice was low and hard when he called out. "You will stop. Now. I will give you a choice. You take him and go back up to the room I gave you. Do not leave. If you do not choose to do as I tell you, then you can consider your life to be forfeit."

Sumi snarled at him and drew her sword. "You cannot fight. Your arms are fu-"

She hadn't even finished what she was saying before she finally took in what it was that was different about the woman. "She has wings! What sort of devilry is this!?"

Alucard snarled at her. "No devilry. She is a Nephilim. That may be your only saving grace."

Sumi gave him a confused look. "Nephilim? What type of demon is that?"

He took a threatening step toward her. "Not a demon. She is half angel. Surely even you know what that means."

His words finally seemed to sink into the girl. "Angel? As in the opposite of demons?"

His only response was to growl at the girl. Sumi's eyes took on a desperate cast. They had no idea the woman was anything other than human. Still, their plan might work. Her eyes hardened, and she ran toward him with her blade leading the way.

Alucard snarled as he sidestepped. He then turned and gently put Eva down in the split second it took Sumi to turn back toward him. This time when she charged, he caught her by the throat and disarmed her a second later. His hand squeezed slowly as the girl struggled in his grip. "You were given everything. I held nothing back from you. You were to be the shining example of what humanity could achieve with a good heart and compassion. This is your true selves. Base and ignorant, unwilling to learn from your mistakes."

Sumi's struggling had started to slow. Alucard showed no signs of letting her go as he watched the light leaving her eyes. It was only when he heard Eva groan behind him that he was brought back to what he was doing. He released the girl with another snarl.

Alucard looked down at her with disdain as she took in gasping breaths. "Run, and I will hunt you." That was the last thing he said as he went back to pick up Eva and take her into the castle.


Eva felt like she had been dreaming forever. They were strange things. Some filled with blood and pain and the stuff of nightmares. Others were bright and left her feeling calm and loved. Those included a tall blonde man with beautiful white wings and bright blue eyes that looked like hers. He only ever said her name, but that was enough.

There were even a few that included Adrian. Him calling out to her not to leave. Him sitting by her side with tears in his eyes. She wished she could wipe them away, but she could do no more than watch as he cried and begged her to wake.

It was after one of those that she finally opened her eyes. For a moment, she wasn't sure if she was still dreaming or not. Her whole body felt lighter than it ever had. She could feel something thrumming through her veins. It was exotic and exhilarating. It wasn't until she felt Adrian's hands on her shoulders that she realized she wasn't dreaming. She was actually able to move her hand and cup his face. Her voice was hoarse when she spoke. "Don't cry again. Please. I don't want to be the reason for your tears."

His only response was to pull her into a crushing embrace. He held her there like that for some time before he finally pulled back and brushed her hair back. His eyes were bright when he finally spoke. "I wasn't sure if you would wake. You were so close to dying."

His words finally brought back the memory of what had happened. Of her being flung out a window and the pain that followed. She could remember bits and pieces after that, but it was disjointed. She thought that some sort of power had blasted out of her body. It had flung Taka back from the window, but she hadn't seen much after that. She had fallen onto one of the walkways below her and bounced off before she continued to fall. Though, she had been slowed by something.

At that thought, she sat back from him with a gasp and tried to look over her shoulder. She didn't have to strain very much to see the top curve of a pure white wing. Her eyes got wide, and she clenched her muscles out of instinct. When she did, the wing tried to flair, but it was still splinted and didn't go far.

She then looked back at Adrian with wide eyes. "I have wings!"

He cupped her cheek gently as he nodded. "Yes. From what I have heard, your seal must have been broken when your life was in danger. The blast nearly took out that section of the castle."

Eva had to take several deep breaths before she was calm enough to speak again. "I suppose that explains this- whatever this is I feel." She then gave him a disturbed look. "What happened afterward? What happened to-" She couldn't bring herself to finish, but she knew by Adrian's snarl that he knew what she was asking.

He had to take a calming breath before he could respond. "You have been unconscious for nearly five days. After the first, when I was certain you were past the worst danger, I went and retrieved them."

"Retrieved them? What do you mean?" Eva had a bad feeling about what he meant, but she needed to hear this.

"I told them both to stay. I warned them that if they left, I would hunt them. They were not going to get away with this."

Eva had to swallow. Yes, she was angry with them for what they did, both to her and to Adrian. However, she hadn't wanted them dead. She finally worked up the nerve to ask. "What did you do with them?"

Adrian's jaw clenched, and it was several seconds before he could answer. "They are both in the dungeons." He paused and looked at her. "They live. For now. I wanted you to wake first. They harmed you more than me, so their fate will be in your hands."

Eva sat back with a frown. No pressure there, right? Just two human lives. She finally shook her head. "Can I go see them?"

He sighed at her request. He was not shocked. Frustrated, yes, but not shocked. He stood and held out a hand to help her to her feet. "We will need to figure out a way to get a shirt over your wings. Then I will take you."

It was at that point that Eva realized the only thing that had been covering her was the sheets. Still, it wasn't like this man hadn't seen her nude before. She brushed the thought off as they tried to slit the shirts Adrian had on hand in a way so that she was not exposed, especially since putting her bra back on was impossible. Well, she had been thinking of learning to go without anyway.

Once she was dressed, he led her down into the bowels of the castle. When they finally arrived at where the two teens were waiting, Eva turned to Adrian with a frown. "You beat the shit out of them."

He only lifted a brow. His voice showed no sign of remorse. "They were rather recalcitrant about coming back with me."

She sighed. It wasn't like she didn't understand his anger. However, this wasn't justice. She knelt to face them, where they were huddled together. They both glared at her, and she ignored it in favor of talking. "You weren't lying exactly, were you? When you said the two of you only knew people that wanted to use you. That was why you struck out at us, isn't it? You wanted to hurt us before we could hurt you, right?"

Taka frowned, but Sumi snarled before she spit at her. "Do not pretend to understand! You have us caged like animals. You are no different than Cho and her court of monsters!"

Eva nearly snapped back as she wiped the spit from her cheek. She stood and had to take several calming breaths before she could speak. "You are caged like criminals, not animals. And like a person that has committed attempted murder, you will be judged."

Her voice had taken on an authoritative tone. Adrian gave her an unreadable look, while the other two sneered at her. She didn't give any of them a chance to speak before she continued. "I cannot condemn you for trying to stay alive, even if I condemn your methods. You have seen enough that you should know how important communication is. Had you asked, brought forward your concerns, we would have listened. We never had any plans to hold you back."

Adrian stepped to her side and put a hand on her shoulder. His voice was much harder, but he held his anger in check. "She is correct. Had you not attacked her, this could have been worked out. Now, you will abide by her judgment."

Both the teens got to their feet and faced them defiantly. Sumi limped forward and glared at them both. "Get it over with then. Kill us, put us out of our misery."

Eva sighed again. These two were barely more than children. She shook her head at them. "I am not going to kill you. Like I said, I cannot condemn your motive."

Adrian made a strangled noise next to her that she ignored. She was too focused on the confused duo inside the bars. "You have already suffered. And I have no doubt that you will suffer more when you leave. I cannot help with that, but I can not condone killing you here in cold blood. That isn't justice, it's vengeance. However, once you leave this place, do not think of coming back. Nor should you consider sending others in your stead. If you return, your lives will be forfeit. As will any others you think to send. Do you understand?"

No one spoke right away. Finally, it was Adrian that whispered next to her. His voice was tight with barely controlled rage. "Are you sure this is wise?"

She looked up at him with sad eyes. "No, but I can't just kill them like rats in a cage."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Finally, he walked to the other side of the room and returned with a set of keys. He gave her one last look before he sighed and opened the bars.

Neither of the teens moved right away. They both looked back and forth between the vampire and the woman with wings standing next to him. Neither of them had known what to think when they heard that she was half-angel. A descendant of a holy being. To them, she was nothing more than an obstacle.

Eva put her hand on Adrian's arm and pulled him back to give them room to exit the cell. It was obvious they were still expecting some sort of double-cross. Eva was just ready for them to get the hell out of there before she changed her mind. She knew what she was doing was right, but that didn't mean she wasn't seething inside.

After a few more moments, the two of them finally stepped out. Eva took a step toward them and pointed to the stairs. "You can go gather your things, then you will leave. We won't stop you, but we will be watching to make sure you're gone. Don't waste this opportunity."

Maybe if Eva had held her tongue, they would have both walked out and taken the chance they were given. However, something in her words pulled at the last bit sanity within Sumi. The girl was instantly on Eva. She struck her once and was trying to gouge out her eyes.

Eva had thrown up her hands to block the next blow, but as soon as her palms touched Sumi's face, a bright light flashed, and the girl was thrown across the room. Before any of the others could get over their shock at the sudden light, Alucard was driving his blade through the girl's chest with a snarl.

Eva scrambled to her feet and to his side. Taka had fallen where he stood and was staring at them all with horror. Adrian stood from the fallen body and started to stalk toward the boy, but Eva grabbed his arm. He snarled down at her before he could stop himself. "You gave them a chance! You said their lives would be forfeit if they did not take it. She lost that chance as soon as she attacked you."

Eva gave him a slight nod. "I will not argue that point with you. She made her choice, but he has not attacked yet." She then looked over at Taka. "I wanted to show mercy. I felt that was the right thing to do, but mercy should not be confused with weakness. You still have a choice. Walk away, or die with her."

Taka already had tears on his cheeks, but he did not choose to fight. He was up the stairs before anything else could be said. Once he was gone, Adrian turned to Eva with a worried look. "We will need to watch for his return. I understand it may be in your nature, but it could cause problems in time."

Eva sighed and rested her head against his chest. "I know. I know it would have been the easy thing to do, but I just couldn't."

Adrian pulled her closer and held her there. She only let it go on a few moments before she pushed back and looked up into his eyes. "We should bury her. But first, we need to make sure Taka leaves. After all that, I think the first order of business should be to find a way to conceal this place."

He looked down at her with wide eyes. Nearly everything she just said made no sense. She looked up in time to catch the expression and gave him a sad smile. "Later. I'll explain later. Right now, let's get out of here. I don't think I can handle this much longer."

Adrian looked back at the body once more, before he too turned to follow Taka to make sure he left. None of this was what he wanted. Not even their death, really. He felt it was justified, but part of him was glad for Eva's decision. Still, it was a horror that none of them should have had to endure. He wondered once again about the path of humanity, but he still held out hope for a brighter future. He had to. That was where Eva was from. For now, they would find a way to get through this ordeal. Together. That thought was the only one that kept him from breaking down again.

A/N2: I know that was an emotional chapter, for me it was anyway. The next one will at least be a little kinder to our character, plus we get to see some more people at the castle! Yay, right :) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and look forward to going off the deep end with me after this because that is the end of known canon. We are now headed into the part of the map that says 'and here be monsters'. Sounds fun, right?