ー ⊰ ✟ ⊱ ー

[THIS IS A PREVIEW - THE PUBLISHED BOOK CAN BE FOUND ON AMAZON, WWW.NUMENVERSE.COM, AND OTHER MAJOR RETAILERS]

[You can also read the published book via the $2 subscription tier on my Inkitt profile, T_Csernis]

ー ⊰ ✟ ⊱ ー

| Elvin |

The rest of the month wasn't eventful. Alucard's people were aware of the possible Diabolus threat; Tobias and his pack were patrolling the borders, the authorities in the city were alert thanks to Dirk, and Elvin was sure that everyone was ready. He trusted Alucard, so he did his best to keep his fear of that dreadful cult from consuming him.

Today, the treaty was finally in place, and the vampires were going to be allowed into the city. He was happy for Alucard; he'd put so much work into it. But he couldn't help but worry. The humans weren't very happy about any of it...but perhaps they'd calm down eventually. Alucard had a way of making things work out all the time, so Elvin was confident that everything would be fine.

He waved at Alucard as the vampire made his way up the street. His hair wasn't tied in a ponytail anymore, though, and hung loosely at jaw-length, banishing several years of age from his face. If Elvin didn't know that he was four hundred and twenty-five, then he'd guess that Alucard was in his early twenties.

"Are you excited, Aleksei?" he asked as Alucard joined him.

"Do I look excited?" the vampire mumbled.

"No, you always look mad and scary and mean."

Alucard didn't reply.

Elvin pouted and followed him along the street. He wasn't sure what to expect after tonight; all he could do was hope that things went well and no one killed each other. He trusted Alucard's vampires more than he trusted humans because he knew too well how dramatic and awful they could be. But all they could do was wait and see what happened.

He sighed and looked at Alucard. "So, what are we doing? You don't have to leave to go get more vampires yet, do you?"

"Not yet. Virst, I need to talk to Dirk. Zhen I'll leave. I also need to check in vith Tobias, but I'll do zhat tomorrow; tonight is a vull moon, and zhe last ving I vant to deal vith vight now is a moody volf," he grumbled.

"I never got why werewolves are always so moody on the full moon," the bard said, following Alucard into a deserted alley. "I mean...I guess it's the night they have to turn no matter what, but meh, I don't know much about werewolves—hey! You could teach me some stuff, right? For the novel, of course." He smiled, looking up at Alucard as he stopped at the end of the alley.

The vampire glanced at him. "Go to zhe library and read a book."

"They don't have anything on werewolves. It's all...cookery and crafting—boring stuff."

Alucard rolled his eyes. "Maybe tomorrow...if I'm not dead."

"Why would you be dead?" Elvin asked worriedly.

But that was when Dirk stepped into the alley.

As the sun set in the distance, depriving the secluded alley of light, the vampire's eyes faded from icy blue to hell-fiery red. A tired expression lingered on his pale face, and as he watched Dirk make his way towards him, he sighed lazily.

"Why must we sneak around, Aleksei?" Dirk asked, straightening his suit as he stopped in front of the vampire and the bard.

"You know why," Elvin said with a frown. "We gotta be careful; Diabolus and all."

Shaking his head as he sighed, Dirk looked at Alucard. "I apologize for the behaviour of my fellow council members; they're simply nervous about the new laws."

"I zon't care about zhem. Speak," Alucared demanded.

Dirk crossed his arms. "Still nothing. No one suspicious in the city; no one suspicious has entered, either. We have been and will continue to keep an eye out, though. We won't let anyone slip by. I gather the others are performing their jobs well?"

The vampire nodded. "Keep doing yours."

"Of course. I should also bring to your attention that my fellow council members are still not very keen on this treaty. I have done my best convincing them, but a lot of them are stuck believing that you are here to, for the lack of a better explanation, bleed us all dry until no human remains."

Alucard rolled his eyes. "I'm not 'ere to kill anyvone."

"He just wants to make the city a place for both vampires and humans to live together peacefully," Elvin insisted. He looked to Alucard for confirmation. "Right?"

The vampire sighed. "Someving like zhat."

"Well..." Dirk said with a frown, "I'll do my best to persuade them. As for the Diabolus, we will continue to keep our ears close to the ground and our eyes ahead."

Then, as Dirk turned around and left, Alucard exhaled deeply and leaned back against the black wall.

Elvin adorned a concerned expression. "If the Diabolus knew you were here, they would have come by now, right?"

"Da," Alucard confirmed with a perplexed look on his face. "But ve can't let our guard down yet; zhey could be vaiting. Ve know 'ow unpredictable zhey can be."

The bard nodded. "I still think you should take some time to rest."

Alucard rolled his eyes once more and started to lead the way back out onto the street. "Vhy do you concern yourselv vith me vhen you 'ave your own problems to deal vith?" he snarled.

"I don't have anything to deal with," Elvin insisted, following him.

"Zon't you 'ave a book to vrite?"

"Yeah, but I gotta gather notes first, and that's what I've been doing." He smiled, tapping the pocket of his waistcoat in which his notebook sat. "I can't write it until I have a whole story's worth of notes, and to get those, I have to ask you a million more questions."

"Zhere veally isn't anyving else vor me to tell you."

"Maybe not now, but tomorrow, you'll have more to tell me about your new demon friend."

The vampire glared over at him. "Ve are not vriends, Elvin."

"Sure, whatever you say."

Alucard increased his walking speed, snarling irritably.

Elvin scurried after him. "Hey!" he called. "Slow down."

"Prieten," Alucard muttered. "I zon't 'ave vriends."

"You keep saying that," Elvin muttered with a pout, almost jogging to keep up with the vampire. "But I'm pretty sure you have plenty." But as he realized that Alucard was following the route that would take them back to his manor, the bard frowned. "Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you to Sergiu bevore I 'ead to zhe island."

"I can walk home from here. It's fine."

The vampire glared at him. "Eizer you are deaf, or you vorgot alveady zhat is a vull moon tonight. I'd vather not come back to vind you 'ave been infected vith lycanthropy or to your cold, dead body on my lawn," he snapped.

Elvin scoffed. "A bit morbid. What would you do if I did become a werewolf?" he asked curiously. "It wouldn't change our relationship, would it? I mean, you get on with Tobias just fine."

"I vouldn't care. Verevolf, vampire, 'uman—you could be a catvish vor all I care."

"I'm quoting that," Elvin said, hastily pulling out his notebook, and scribbling into it. He then frowned and looked over at him. "What if I was a demon?"

He snarled and glared at his manor in the distance. "All zemons are stuck-up catelele."

"That means bitch, right?" he asked, writing it down.

Rolling his eyes, Alucard grumbled, "I can't imagine you as a zemon; you are too...hmm...."

"Too...what?" Elvin questioned, frowning skeptically.

The vampire shrugged. "You are too 'uman."

Offended, Elvin scowled. "Did you just class me as a typical human? I, as a matter of fact, am a creative soul, one in a million, a rarity like no other!" he sang.

"Sure," Alucard muttered. "At least you zon't vink of me as a monster."

"Why would I?" Elvin asked as they approached the manor. "Vampires are just people...that...eat other people. I mean...you gotta live, right? People eat animals to live; it's kinda the same thing when you really look at it."

"You vink so?" the vampire asked, looking at him with a strange frown.

"Yeah." Elvin shrugged. "At least that's what I think."

"You're probably zhe only vone zhat vinks zhat," he said, reaching the gates.

"I'm sure there's more people that think like I do—well, regarding vampires."

Glancing at him as he led the way over to the stables, Alucard frowned.

"Like Rodney. I'm not so sure about Dirk, but...Rodney doesn't think you're a monster, does he?"

"You tell me," Alucard mumbled, stopping beside the stables. He set his eyes on the groundskeeper as he made his way over and stopped in front of him. "Take Elvin 'ome," he instructed.

Sergiu nodded before heading off to prepare the carriage.

"Well, I'll see you here tomorrow, as always," Elvin said with a sigh. He didn't want to go, but Alucard needed to work, and he wasn't going to get in the way.

The vampire nodded. "Stay inside tonight."

Elvin smiled at him. "Don't worry. I usually just go straight to bed when I get home unless I stay up and write a little, but I think I'm just gonna sleep tonight. The sooner I sleep, the sooner I can wake up and hear about your hot—"

"Zon't even mention zhat vord vonce more to me," Alucard warned, pointing at him.

Smirking, Elvin turned around and made his way to the carriage. "Have fun!" he called, waving as he climbed inside.

He then pulled the door shut, waiting to depart. All his excitement faded, leaving him with worry, which swirled around in his gut. He might joke about it, but he still worried about the demon Alucard was working with. After all, Alucard let that guy stick his nose in his werewolf business, and he didn't let anyone help him with that—he didn't let anyone help him with anything.

With a quiet sigh, he shook his head and tried to put it out of his mind. Alucard wouldn't be interested in some rude demon, would he? He hated them.

Right?

| Alucard |

As he rematerialized on the docks, Alucard set his eyes on the ship. Rodney was on the quarterdeck, and Ben was with him along with another man Alucard hadn't seen before. But it didn't perturb him. He asked Ben to bring one of the prisoners to Rodney before he left for the island again.

Alucard made his way onto the ship and joined them on the quarterdeck, eyeing both Rodney and Ben as they stopped talking to each other to look at him. The prisoner stared in confusion, standing in his torn shirt and trousers, his wrists bound with rope so that he couldn't attempt to escape.

The Vampire Lord frowned strangely. "Vhy is 'e tied up like an animal?" he asked, looking at Ben.

Ben glanced at the prisoner. "Well, I wasn't sure how you wanted me to bring him, so I left him in what I picked him up in."

"Vhatever." Alucard sighed, turning his attention to Rodney. "Let's go. I vant zhis over and done vith."

Before Alucard could walk off, Ben stepped forward. "Hey, do you want me to come too?" he offered. "If anything happens, it's better to have the extra help, right?"

Glancing back at him, Alucard frowned. He felt no need to deny, nor did he feel a need to say yes. He didn't need extra help, but if Ben wanted to come, then he'd let him. "Do vhat you vant," he mumbled, making his way down to the deck.

"That usually means yes," Rodney said, leaning over to Ben. Then, the captain started preparing to leave the docks.

Ben followed Alucard into the cabin. "How'd the meeting with the council go?"

Alucard sighed as he sat down behind his desk and turned in his seat to stare out the window. "Vine," he mumbled. "You are all vree to go to zhe city vonce ve get back vrom picking up more vampires."

"I'll make sure to tell everyone," Ben said, sitting down.

Alucard then asked him, "Are you and Velix getting along?"

Ben shrugged. "Yeah, well enough. He's a little odd, you know—talks about you a lot, and I mean a lot. He's worse than Elvin."

"You get used to it," Alucard mumbled, tapping his fingers on the desk.

"How about you and Zalith? Are you two getting along?"

Alucard snarled. "Zhat man annoys me more zhan Velix or Elvin ever could."

With an amused laugh, Ben frowned curiously. "Why?"

But Alucard had no intention to answer. He rolled his eyes and changed the subject. "'Ow 'ave zhe pick-ups been going?"

Ben sat up straight and gained a severe frown. "Well, no problems yet."

"Good," Alucard mumbled, glaring out of the window.

Silence then found its way between them.

"You know, Aleksei," Ben said after a few moments. "I know that Zalith's hard to read sometimes; he can be difficult to understand, but he's actually a nice guy. He's done a lot for my people and me—he's done a lot for a lot of people. I'm sure that whatever he may have thought of you in the beginning isn't what he thinks of you now. If you give him a chance, I think you'll come to like him."

Alucard frowned skeptically at him. "Vhy vould I come to like a man zhat vinks I'm some incompetent child?" he snarled.

"I'm sure if he thought you were incompetent, then he wouldn't still be working with you."

"No, 'e is only vorking vith me because I am zhe only vone zhat can 'elp," Alucard growled.

"Honestly, he would have figured something else out if he didn't want to work with you anymore," Ben insisted.

"Vhatever," Alucard mumbled. "Vhen 'e stops laughing at everyving, maybe I'll take 'im more seriously."

Ben sighed unsurely and looked down at the desk.

"Leave," Alucard dismissed. He'd heard enough.

With a nod, Ben got up and left.

Alucard didn't want to sit there thinking about Zalith. He was too worried about letting his vampires in the city tonight. He trusted them, but he didn't trust the humans. He knew what they were like, and any one of them could attempt to take a stab. However, his experienced vampires would be there, too, and he knew that they would take care of those who were younger.

He just hoped that they'd get through tonight without any murders.

ー ⊰ ✟ ⊱ ー

[THIS IS A PREVIEW - THE PUBLISHED BOOK CAN BE FOUND ON AMAZON, WWW.NUMENVERSE.COM, AND OTHER MAJOR RETAILERS]

[You can also read the published book via the $2 subscription tier on my Inkitt profile, T_Csernis]

ー ⊰ ✟ ⊱ ー

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