Sands of Time (Hellsing•AU)

Curiosity Killed the Cat (7)

•some violent imagery

Alucard had been sent to a nightclub owned by a rather off the wall Yank, named Jack Castle. Rumors in the supernatural realm, of sorts, hinted to Jack hiding vampires and vampire activity. Alucard figured, it would be a routine search and observe. Over the sound of the drunk humans, a voice carried and sounded like what, Alucard imagined a female elf would sound like. She had a hauntingly beautiful laugh and a smile.

....Where had he seen that smile before?

Her scent was of wild flowers in spring soil, sunshine and Birch tree leaves. Alucard sniffed again, that was not a human scent he had ever smelled! He knew that smell and a flash of a woman, racing through a forest on a horse, entered his mind. It was then Alucard tilted his head, a little like a wolf, listening to a mouse under the snow and then a broad, arrogant smile crossed his lips. As if on cue, a bar maiden asked Alucard if he wanted a drink.

The vampire nodded his head and said "red spice."

He had learned it was a code for wine laced, with virgin blood. The club owner was an idiot and the code was not very original or tough, Alucard thought. The young woman nodded her head, kinda emptily, and wiggled over to Jack. Jack looked up and studied the man dressed in red. His brows scrunched together but gave the female employee, the drink. He had never seen this vampire before. Jack could feel his aura, as Lilly had taught him how to sense supernaturals. Jack was not very good still, but the old vampire wasn't trying, to hide his aura.

It was as if Alucard sensed him, so turned to raise his glass, then drank the wine. He pulled his lips tight as to reveal to Jack, that indeed what he was. The No Life King gave a low chuckle and then "rolled" his power. He saw Jack turn a pale shade of green and rush to the bathroom. Alucard, being a vampire, could hear the arrogant club owner was vomiting violently. Alucard had gotten his message across loud and clear.

As Alucard turned, he sensed the same aura that had been coming to England on a plane. He saw something but wasn't sure, what it was exactly he saw. The young woman frowned with sadness. It wasn't her projection of sorrow but a faint golden glow, that traveled from her head to her chest and then back, up her hair.

Maybe she was a fae?

He saw that the glow was a response to his "roll" of power directed at Jack (some call it rolling an aura but I prefer to call it rolling one's power to intimidate.)

Apparently this next song was also about war and the angst of war. Alucard found it a bit humorous, being he had been a war monger, of sorts. War didn't bother him or violence even as a human.

The intro of the song started:

Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones. (if interested google the lyrics or listen to the song. The back up singer is amazing.)

He noticed the woman tossing the death cards, around the room with a quick flick, of her wrist. Every card landed right, in front of the intended person. Alucard leaned over and asked, what the young woman's name was.

A young man whispered back, " Lillia Steiger and she is a friend of Jack's."

The vampire now pondered about not killing Jack yet, until he found out more about this, Lillia woman.

'My interest is starting to get piqued but I shouldn't get my hopes up about what the fun level will be like' Alucard thought to himself.

"OH A STORM IS THREATeNING
MY VERY LIFE TODAY
IF I DON'T GET SOME SHELTER
OH YEAH I'M GOING TO FADE AWAY"
"WAR, CHILDREN,IT'S JUST A SHOT AWAY
IT'S JUST A SHOT AWAY"

"OH I SEE THE FIRE SWEEPIN
OUR VERY OWN STREET TODAY,
BURNS LIKE A RED COAL CARPET,
MAD BULL LOST ITS WAY"

Alucard had not thought much, about the music though the words were quite good, in imagery and he thought about some of aspects of World War II with Walter, the Angel of Death. It was just then a powerful and emotion filled voice sang the lines:

"RAPE, MURDER YEAH!
iT'S JUST A SHOT AWAY
IT'S JUST A SHOT AWAY"-Rolling Stones album "Let it Bleed" 1969

Lillia sang the rape murder lyrics three times, increased with volume and a higher octave each time. Nope, she can't be human but what is she?

Alucard licked his lips and made a plan, to make contact with her, after the song. The song finished and the crowd cheered loudly. It was the end of the set and people got up, to use the restroom.

(Author's humor: must maintain homeostasis to stop that positive feedback and return the body normal levels-it's a terrible high school biology joke!!).

The floor was crowded with people and Lilly was forced, to walk past the No Life King. His right hand snaked through the people and grabbed her right hand. The Vampire King pulled her towards him, roughly, to see her reaction to his strength. Alucard used just enough, that a human would have screamed, in pain. Lilly mildly flinched then allowed herself, to be pulled into Alucard and over his lap. Her arms stopped and rested on the table, where the empty wine glass was still sitting. He whispered in her left ear, at a level a human couldn't even register for hearing.

"You didn't reveal my death card. I would love to find out..."

Lilly could feel his lips close and hot breath tickled her ear. She should have been afraid at least or turned on at most but logic just kicked in.

How can the undead have warm breath?

Most of the undead were cold to the touch but not always vampires. Lilly always did laugh, at the zombies, in movies. How could the zombies moan if their lungs no longer worked? Vampires breathed so that speech is possible.

"Yes, that is an easy enough request," she whispered back.

Lilly shifted from being across his lap then knelt down, to shuffle the cards on the table. Alucard had been "eyeing" her ass, when she landed across his lap but now had an amble view, of her firm breasts. She rotated on her feet, still kneeling and spread the cards out in her left hand, just like one does with tarot cards.

Alucard slowly reached for the last card, nearest to her thumb. As he did, he stroked the side of her hand and heard her breath pause, then return to normal. He had hoped, to make her heart race but it only beat, a normal speed. He raised an eyebrow in intrigue.

He turned the card over to reveal the King of Spades,the King of Death, was how the card was sometimes interpreted. He thought he saw a flash of emotion, in her eyes and then, it was gone. Alucard decided to gently push into her mind. Her mental shields were strong and if he forced himself in too quickly she would give him a battle he wasn't sure he could win. Her mind was fascinating and complex.

Alucard then started to hear thoughts and see images...awww this was more like it.

She stood up and he replied," But you have not revealed your card..."

She shrugged her shoulders and just yanked a card out, without much thought. She was tired, of this vampire, and his oppressive aura, especially if for some wild chance this was Vlad. She turned over the card, not paying much attention, until the No Life King started to chuckle softly.

"I see it is the Queen of Spades. If this was a tarot deck would we be future mates?" he asked gleefully.

Lilly scowled then shook her head firmly no. She then slammed a gruesome scene, of her brutally slaying a vampire, that morphed into Alucard. She had reached into his back, grabbed his spine and ripped it out. His heart was still attached to his spine. For a second, Alucard actually thought it was real and felt the pain.

He shook his head to clear the image.

This was definitely the person on the airplane he had sensed.

Fae?

Ya probably but which court? Light or dark?

Oh that will make it exciting to provoke her, to reveal which side she came from!

Perhaps there was a prediction in the cards? He knew some could do tarot with just playing cards.

Could he have found a suitable mate?

Vampires obviously are the best mates but another immortal, was still a good possibility and compatible. Alucard remembered once reading Sherlock Holmes, "the game is afoot.."

A huge and predatory grin crossed his face. Lilly's back was to him, but Jack saw it plain as day and shifted uneasily, with worried eyes.

"Si vis pacem para bellum-If you want peace, prepare for war"