Chapter Five
"Good evening."
Aline lay out tartan blanket, scene serene, she, herself serene, flask of cocoa beside her poured into cup, savouring sugary wafts. Alucard hopped onto the roof, effortlessly taking off breastplate, helmet, relishing being able to let his skin breathe, Zobek's eyes on his Father, his activities.
"Bonsoir."
"Thanks for coming, I understand things are hectic."
"The second acolyte's fortress is impenetrable. Every way through, we have tried."
He sat beside the woman, gauging her frame of mind. Aline was won over by that, sidling over, keeping away just enough to see how he felt. When he stooped, she kept moving on over, head against his shoulder.
"There must be more I can do. Please. May not be a supernatural force, but my aim is dead-on. That is because I trained with several clans in Paris, Toulouse, Calais over twenty years. I don't want to rely off others." She had pings in her head. "I could help Victor, keep watch on his hideout. He doesn't know about you being here."
"It stung enough knowing his relatives are the very thing he was taught to hate. I wanted to spare him excess despair."
Heartened, Aline sniffled, letting herself ache.
"Benevolent. I would say that, whilst, yes, there are vampires who maim, there are those who strive to keep their tenderness, hold on to it. It needn't die because your heart did."
Aline placed her hand above Alucard's. Him linking them had the woman's chest tighten, same book, same page being turned, at the same time such a rarity.
"Your heart never perished..."
Free hand pouring tepid liquid, yellow plastic cup forgotten seconds later, Aline swallowed heaving air.
"I miss her. Why do I still miss her? Its normal. After decades however? It won't do me any good, drag me down, and I don't want to tumble anymore. If I fall, I may not get up again."
Fetal position achieved, Aline felt her head being moved. Alucard lay beside her, his chest her pillow. She laughed soundlessly.
"Waterproof. I learned, won't end up panda eyed."
"Most pleasant memory of her?"
"Hmm?" She lent an elbow lightly on his ribs. "Oh?" She grinned. "I got you. Okay."
Thinking of delightful moments of Sofia took little time, as several entered her thoughts, each yearning to be voiced.
"River Seine, we spent hours walking under archways, watching boats, artists with sketchpads, painters, trees, small cafes everywhere. I was nine. We ate a lot that day, scrumptious little fondant fancies, croissants, miniature sandwiches, drank tea from dainty bone china cups. I felt overwhelmed, excited, privileged. I wished Dad could come, but understood. He'd always be there, when we got home. If I get to experience their love...," she snorted, "I don't believe in it, not for me."
Glee filled the woman, recollection itching to be freed, Aline bit her cheek, figuring if her mouth was closed, she'd be unable to blurt anything else. Her companion nodded, wanting to keep conversation pleasant, without hitting hard stop, reality check of what was about to come.
"Ringlets. I hated them at first. I was six, my Mum was fashioning my hair, curling it. The mirror told me I looked ridiculous." She swallowed the rest of her beverage, cold temperature ignored. "Even Dad said I looked silly. He was joking. I laughed, Mum didn't. Death glare? Yeah, if he wasn't already deceased, he would have died, there and then. He elaborated that when he was little, his Mother gave him ringlets, he disliked them, strongly. He felt they looked theatrical, all I needed was frilly lace collar."
Glancing into Alucard's eyes, Aline melted with amber, oozing through her veins. Want to cup his jaw had to be willingly ignored, thrown out, gesture intimate, this nowhere near that level, no matter how low she hung her head, her eyes betrayed her feelings, looking up from eyelashes.
"Ball, flouncy dresses, high-brow, upper-class status, lords and lady's. Father wasn't fond of hosting grand events. We lived in one quarter of the castle, servants in another. Half lay unused, dusty. That happened to include the ballroom. I remember trying to brush the floor, nursemaid squealing that I shouldn't be doing that."
Ivory swept behind an ear, Alucard sat up, ink splashed across the sky reminiscent of his Mother, the notes she would leave him. Acquiescing to internal wish to look at Aline, he did, scintillating stars finding her pupils, sparkling light show highlighting wan features. It saddened him to see her eyes at peace, her face troubled.
"Thank you," fear tinged her voice, "I mean it. Moments like this, harmony, burdens dropped, worries forgotten, for a while."
Bravely broaching topic, Aline sat up, full body facing her friend, vulnerability clear.
"I had to see you," she paused, angry at herself for chickening out, "my heart is breaking. I meet someone I genuinely care for, and my life decides it wants to cease. I don't want to be buried here. I want to be taken back to my Father. Cremated, I dislike the idea of my body rotting, attracting maggots and flies."
Frigid heart made its way up sandpaper throat, Alucard finding himself unable to speak, merely nod, following hand squeeze, promise in his eyes, saline too. Aline blinked.
"Put the focus on myself, why don't I? Forgive me, I lose dignity sometimes. I have faith that'll you'll succeed. History dictates your winning streak, anyways."
Realisation painted stinging lines, dragging sharp bristles crosswise the vampire's skin, reminder of Aline's humanity thundering in eardrums, its beat ceasing alarming him. Watching her dwindle, emerald eyes losing sheen, snow complexion shifting ashen, he found himself unwilling to think of it, despite it being truth.
It was her truth. All Alucard deigned himself worthy to do was assist her in whatever way he could, all while knowing it would wrench his insides through his gullet.
He'd witnessed death many times. What differed was circumstance.
This would be the death of someone whom he cared for.
"Do you know where Victor's hideout is? I offered aid, give him much needed respite. He plans to die, let himself be murdered, in order to draw the second acolyte's attention. The least I can do is lend him a helping hand."
"Western-most point of the city, opposite waste treatment plant. Unassuming grey door, leads underground. It will be guarded, my Father is there now. Victor will tell him of his plan, and as it benefits him, he won't stop him. However..."
Aline got hold of the gist.
"They'll rip each other to shreds, show of dominance. Manly, who's got the biggest muscles." She growled, lowest register she could manage. "Fine, when its just a lycan. When its the original vampire? Yeah, someone's going to get seriously hurt. Erm," rubbing the back of her head, Aline pushed out bottom lip, "I take it your Father is somewhat pissed at everything and everyone at the moment. How should I handle that? Territorial men, proving their worth? Rather not end up in the middle of that."
Alucard huffed, somewhat amused.
"Say your name. He knows of you, knows you fight with us. He assured Zobek he won't harm you, I believe him."
Aline shared amusement.
"Well, he IS your Father." Something Victor had said, regarding the Prince struck her. "Victor called Dracula the 'original sin.'"
"Correct. Wrath, Pride, Gluttony, Greed. He suffers with these sins every waking day."
"That make you the 'second sin?' I don't recall you displaying any of those. Don't get me wrong," she stood, clearing away flask, "much appreciate that."
Alucard, too stood, securing catches of breastplate and helmet, watching Aline folding her blanket.
"Ought to get to meeting Dracula, reassure him, maybe bring him snacks?"
Alucard's warped laughter made her frown.
"That voice changer makes you sound arrogant, when I know you aren't. I merely meant leg, rib, steak of something or other. Peace offering. I know," she made her way through the door, holding it open, with some degree of trying, (on her part) with one ankle, "I sound dumb. I know what I am doing, I can't always get it across correctly, that's all. Want this to go smoothly. See you, sometime."
Aplomb abound, the woman winked, surreptitious nature scant, appreciated by Alucard, regardless.
Her somewhat relaxed nature provided respite for the (relatively) young vampire.
He climbed down block of flats gracefully, heading for the castle, whereabouts of Zobek unknown. Alucard had some investigating to do.
Aline waited outside cave entrance door, tapping foot, boot making zero noise. She couldn't enter, unless Victor gave her permission, or walked in there with her. The fact he'd let Dracula inside but not her was tad bit irking.
At least she didn't have penchant for ripping out something's spine when it's back was turned...
Dracula exited subterranean world to see a woman, pacing, arms folded, injuries sustained heightening his sense of smell, easily locating largest vein on her neck...
"Aline. I'm unarmed, not here to fight. I'm here to see Victor, and talk about Zobek."
Victor, equally bloody appeared behind the Dragon, Aline rolling her eyes, muttering, keeping hands up to prove her first point.
"And I didn't bring my first aid supplies..."
"Ever since mention of Satan's second acolyte, Zobek's time away increases, he leaves everything unguarded, including Vampire Killer, something that would end this instantly. Now, why would he do that, unless third party is involved, who wishes to destroy the weapon, take the castle in the process? He is sending you further and further away from your home, right? His bodyguard is twitchy, seems he isn't in-the-know either. If Zobek is entirely innocent, why is it he hides his activities from us? Whatever with me, but you?"
Dracula wanted to argue, instinct telling him not to. Zobek was an odd sort, Dracula sent off in important missions, often with his bodyguard tagging alongside, as he knew the new layout of the city, but, the suited man kept his own actions secret, growing more and more secretive as time went on.
He failed to tell the Prince of electrical wires shrouding the complex the second acolyte resided in.
He didn't inform him that'd be turned into a 'lapdog,' barking on command, eagerly scampering off when thrown bone, or given treat.
His bodyguard was pointless, Zobek had little need of protection, staying inside the castle's walls all day, every day. Both did not go out during the day. Only Aline and Victor hunted then.
More than one thing was amiss.
"Tomorrow. We attack tomorrow. If Zobek is plotting, he will refuse my plan. If he does, I know he is working against me."
Victor suggested something that should have been obvious to the Prince from the start...
"Why would this 'Zobek' have the Vampire Killer at all, when it could kill you?"
"Unless..."
Aline left Dracula to fill in the rest.
"He means to use it. Raisa knew incantations, those set off, in motion chain of events, giving the second acolyte cue to begin his part of the ritual, blood sacrifice. My blood. He wants me to die by his hand, knowing Satan's one, true enemy would be stopped in preventing his resurrection. It was easy to traverse the bio-weapons facility, yet I can't get near the offices without agonising pain. He wanted me to come here..."
"Knowing we would fight, I had no say in it." The younger man growled. "Dracula. I fought you to test you, being Belmonts had nothing to do with it. I would weaken you, you would attack Satan's servant, lose and the third servant would enact his part. Clever. We do his dirty work, whilst he works in shadows. This cannot be allowed to succeed."
Dracula fell quiet, wrath all encompassing, seeping into every pore.
"Why does his bodyguard not travel with him? What's the point of having one if he just stands there, looking tough? Why is he keeping everyone in the dark?"
"Because that is where we are supposed to be, blinded by it."
Dracula stalked off, melting into darkness, disappearing quickly.
"Need patching up again? I can run," as if reminding her of her age, her hip twinged, leg twitching, "hobble back home, grab supplies."
"Its too dangerous. Stay here, for now. We must make plans for tomorrow night. The people must be kept safe, that's my main priority. The second is the servant and his barrier."
Aline nodded, awaiting direction from the man, before heading downward, tunnels long, winding.
Chambers, lit with golden beams made her squint, covering her eyes. Wide eyes greeted her, stomach flipping nervously.
She had to convince them she meant no harm.
They had been through enough to last several lifetimes...