Chapter Seven
"Consecrated ground, crosses, holy water fonts, how is he getting away with this? Wouldn't Satan fry here?"
Aline would have strolled right on through the grounds as if she owned them, had Alucard's arm not halted her, head tilted, ear facing west.
"Good job I like you..." The woman glared at offending limb. "We aren't alone, are we? Wait..."
She had to crane her neck, cease breathing, all to hear familiar, distant voice, distinctly English timbre...
"That bastard!"
Her companion snorted, two heading inside desolate chamber, fallen crosses, desecrated statues of Jesus scattered, razor sharp shards dotted around the space. Candelabras lit their way, candles wax partially burned, newly placed.
"Do you know the language they're speaking?"
"I know they know we are here, they were speaking English up until we approached."
"Well," she rolled greens, "isn't that convenient?" Sighing, she continued. "What could you hear? I barely heard anything, other than background noise. I smell, sandalwood." Sheepishly, she faced her friend. "I rummaged through castle archives. Sandalwood is used to summon, communicate with spirits. They plan to summon Satan's spirit first, makes sense. We need to hurry, if they've gotten that far already."
Whilst Alucard explained what he heard, curtain framing both their faces, shielding flicking candlelight from giving them away, Aline almost gave herself away, poking her head around corner. A short, rotund man beside Zobek eagerly muttered, latter motioning him onward, approaching pressing matter. She made a face, acolyte's face yellow, diseased, pustules mask, eyes sunken, several folds of skin resembling chins when he smiled, rotting teeth solidifying the woman's suspicions that the man clearly hadn't heard of water, soap or laundry powder, were the splotched brown robes he wore anything to go by...
"Doesn't look like he knows what a toothbrush is. Sure he is smart enough to summon Satan?"
Alucard simpered, amused that she'd payed attention, but troubled, as attention was given to the wrong attributes.
"Aline, whilst whist humour is welcomed, I suggest looking at the tome Guido has. I heard Latin, ancient religious tomes were written in Latin, as it could only be read by select few, those who were able to read."
"Clever. Mean, but clever. Keep it from general public, most of whom were illiterate, so it wouldn't matter, either way. Also, how long have you known this man's name? Feel like an imbécile here..."
Snow white skin, temperature akin to Winter's bane (Aline despised snow) touched hers, hands taking hers, as he shook his head, disagreeing with her evaluation. Alucard hadn't touched her skin, clothing kept her warm. She shivered, unsure of motive why.
External skin, exposed skin glacial, meek.
Internally, she burned, flames cocooning, enveloping, relaxing her, all but puddle in vampire's grasp. It spoke of honed power, reigned in for her.
She worried herself as her mind repeated 'I don't want him to hold back...'
The room fell quiet, two men exiting separate ways.
"Hold on." Aline watched Alucard stroll into ritual room. She ran to keep up with him. "They know we are here, yet they don't do anything about it?"
The vampire corrected her.
"Zobek did. If it were Father, he would have attacked, spilt his blood here, vastly shortening time of Satan's return. Father wouldn't have watched, he would have attacked. Zobek wanted Dracula here, but he got us, instead. Guido was nervous for different reason. He has much weight on his shoulders."
"He isn't ready. Good. He has weight everywhere else too..."
Eyes following rows of incense sticks, votive slick with Dieu knew what (Aline didn't want to know) she paused upon aforementioned book.
Alucard scanned pages, Aline recognising some words. She noted the tome was three-quarters read, fingers itching to flick through remaining.
"He hasn't finished the book. Dealing with a genius here..."
The woman palmed her face.
"How do we prevent this from happening?"
Alucard shook his head.
"Can we?"
Second head shake.
"Right. Move over, please?"
Alucard did so, Aline taking phone from jean pocket. She took pictures of several pages, carefully mapping each part, settings highest they could feasibly be.
After she was done, she turned device off, took out memory and SIM card, dropping, crushing the phone under her boot. Bemused Alucard's face bewitched Aline.
"Don't need it. Dad wants to come here, just need Dracula's permission, use the portal chamber, direct link to Manor Belustrade."
She pocketed important items in pocket with a zip, learning the hard way, losing various bits of jewellery, idea of losing Constantine's signet ring mortifying, Sofia's cameo brooch, portrait, flowers in her hair.
Aline left these at home, smart enough to learn from past mistakes, not smart enough to realise they were being watched, only vaguely registering sounds growing ever closer...
Alucard took her hand again, diving behind altar, pulling her with him. She landed haphazardly on steps, stone grazing palm.
"REALLY good job I like you, ennuyeux one. The Enfer was that?"
Alucard answered, Aline following index digit, knuckle by knuckle, pointy nail, she saw two minotaurs, heads low, horns charge position, fangs bared, baring poleaxes. Her jaw dropped.
"Oh. Mon Dieu, they sound human..."
Their cries were guttural, ear splitting. The pair made break for it, running into the courtyard. Charging through solid matter was nothing for the beasts, catching up with them hauntingly easy.
Aline swore, taking hand guns from holsters. Alucard drew Crissaegrim, calm as can be.
"Ought to prove I can fight, huh. Victor taught me a few things, mainly about my guard. Don't fancy being speared, trampled, mauled to death, so..."
She winked, thumb up.
"Contest. Who can kill the enemy first?"
Alucard laughed, hearty, Aline narrowing eyes, mouth line.
"Reward?"
Skipping straight to business, Aline smirked, clicking tongue.
"If you win this, we fight, I'll let you win. If I finish first? We fight, you let me win. It isn't much, but its not like I could defeat you, anyways. I mean, I could, but that'd be, well..."
She left it at that, for him to contemplate, counting to three, bullets flying at her 'prey.'
It took seconds for Alucard to kill chosen minotaur, a good ten minutes for Aline. The vampire watched her flip about, using pillars as stepping stones, climbing them skilfully. She shot its arms first, disarming it, then chest, neck and head. Thick hide meant it took longer than it should (Aline sparing odd glance at him, his obvious enjoyment at her struggle maddening.)
It wasn't struggle he enjoyed. Alucard saw spirit within Aline, heart poured into each, every shot, radiating boldness in her eyes, painted lines of determination, uncaring for it cracking makeup, made up visage.
She focused on battle, ability somewhat decent, appearance wasn't given thought.
And Alucard thought she looked glorious, angel of battle, warrior coming out in spades, shimmering.
"Its Enochian," Dracula announced, bedraggled as he stormed his way through Aline's apartment door, having followed her there, "Zobek and Guido spoke Enochian. Its an all but dead language, spoken, not written. Zobek, he was Death incarnate. It was because of him I became Dracul. He is gone. He dared attack me. I obliterated him."
Aline looked shocked, but thankful her door wasn't ripped from its hinges.
"You could have knocked." She smiled wryly at Alucard, him holding his hands up. He had nothing to do with the intrusion. "And 'hello' to you too. Glad you won."
She waved for good measure, Prince merely glaring at her. She chose not to question his incredibly weighty confession...
"Its similar to Latin, Father, phrases and such. If we can work out certain words, syllables, we will gain upper hand."
His son's words eased the Dragon somewhat, irises no longer pits to Hell. He sighed, his way of apologising, without having to vocalise it. Aline took that, nodding graciously, turning her laptop to face him.
"See? I took photos of pages from the summoning book, put the memory card in here and scanned the files. We have spells, vitality, vis, power, potestas, shape-shifting, merging with shadows, manipulation. We also have counter spells, ones to banish, eradicate spirits, ones that could pass into our realm, if one isn't careful enough."
She beamed, tucking hair behind ear triumphantly.
"See? I can be useful. Here." She pointed to page containing Satan, depicted as fallen angel, Lucifer, God above him, shattering halo, falling stars, alongside burned feathers descending with his body. "If we enact these, Guido will resurrect the original form of Satan, the angel, warrior, a man, friend, creation of God. He will destroy Guido, and want to kill you, but will be debilitated, destroyed by his very creator. We burn the book, before Satan can use it to give himself immense power. That means we need a distraction. I will be that. Figured if I am going to die, may as well be fighting Satan himself. Enfer of a way to go out, don't you think? Rather poetic, I'd say..."
Aline didn't mean the latter part of her speech, her voice trembled, acceptance vanishing. Retrospect, death wasn't applicable anymore. Mention of it twisted her stomach, tip toes crawling their way over her skin, goosebumps prickling, feeling of unease growing. She didn't look at either man, aware they could see through her, as if she were pane of glass.
Alucard felt distressed, passing the time drumming his fingers on windowsill, trying not to ache, weep over Aline passing. If she wanted to pass, he had zero right stopping her.
Only, she didn't. She grabbed on to life, latching, hands clutching, hanging on fiercely, silently telling Alucard several times that he was her anchor, her counterweight, keeping her balanced, tightrope of living frayed, but remaining, so long as she had him to lean on, shoulder the burden.
He would shoulder it, he decided that right after meeting her, eternal sleep lonely, plagued with images of her, truth blinding him when he awoke. He wished for her to be beside him, nestling into his side, body agreeing with mind, willpower able to shift focus from discomfort.
His mind strayed to her multiple times. He prevented it from going any further, progression halted, though merely holding her wasn't enough.
Not anymore.
He prayed she was alive when he woke again. Upon finding out she was, the vampire wept. From Aline's actions, their interaction, she agreed with him, felt the same way.
Death wouldn't be right. He had to tell her of his plight, selfishly beg her to live, tell her how he felt.
If he was wrong, misjudged the situation in any way, he would consider ripping out mournful heart, body drenched in sorrow as he died, tormentingly slowly.
"Its alright, it'll be alright."
Aline said, smiling brightly, bringing Alucard back to the room. Dracula said yes to Aline's plan, little holding him back. It would succeed, he knew.
His son, on the other hand, it was obvious he dissented, head shake needless. The Prince left, giving the two breathing room, increasingly sore from battle.
"I don't want to die..."
Aline bit her lip, mouth slanted, tearing up. Alucard wasted no time in embracing the woman, esteem vast.
He cooed, whispered sweet, earnest words in her ear, kept secret, option offered.
Aline nodded, gravity of what she gave permission to light, given the man before her carried it.
He didn't have to be alone, neither did.
Neither were anymore.