Midian Evolution

Until knocking woke me, I didn’t even know I’d slept.

Alucard tipped me onto my side, sat up, and waved at the door. It opened to reveal Walter with a tray of medical blood. He took one look at my master’s clothing and turned his head, attempting to control a smile. “Good evening,” he said smoothly.

“Hello, Walter,” Alucard said back politely. “Thank you.” He crooked his finger at the tray and it sailed to the bed. I didn’t bother speaking, just tore into a cold bag and drank. I was ravenous.

“Sir Integra wishes to see you both in her office in thirty minutes,” Walter informed. His bright eyes roamed my outfit, then, and his humor increased. I saw his left eyebrow twitch. “I haven’t seen slashed sleeves since Sir Integra bought the Van Dyke.”

Alucard chuckled before opening his own bag of blood. “It’s a fake.”

“We all know it. The original hangs in the Louvre.” Walter sniffed. “I finished Miss Victoria’s new gun, though I really think she does well with the Halconnen.”

“I like the big gun.” I rushed to assure him. “For stealth missions, it’s not practical though. And, the men no longer want me in the strike parties.”

“Their loss.” Walter moved out into the hallway and back so fast I barely saw him move. He produced two cases and put them on the bed beside us. “I won’t bore you with the details, since these guns are modified versions of the Jackal. The silver one for you, Miss Victoria, and the black for your master.”

“Ahh,” Alucard sighed, taking his in hand. “Same rounds?”

“Yes, but each clip has one bullet full of silver shrapnel, the last bullet in the clip, actually. My little idea of artful coup de grace. Blessed gunpowder and quicksilver aside, I thought you could do with a little sport in your hunting.” He backed out of my room with a graceful bow. “Goodbye.”

“Bye, Walter,” I said, finally able to speak without drinking. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure, Miss.”

The door shut. A half second later I lay flat on my back and looking directly up into my master’s beautiful, reddish-orange eyes. Fear paralyzed me for several seconds. Then, I relaxed. He wouldn’t hurt me.

“You’ll need a holster,” he murmured, looking at my lips.

“So will you, master,” I pointed out with a smile. “Or, you could just shove it between a strap or two.”

He blinked twice in a row, a rarity for him. You’re so natural. Yet, you haven’t spoken of what I did to you.

Should I have? If I’d hurt his feelings again, I’d feel terrible.

He smiled very slowly. You just take my greatness for granted.

Confused now, I stared at him. What do you mean?

I mean, I could hand you the head of Jesus Christ and you’d ask me what I wanted to do later.

Oh. Wasn’t I supposed to feel this faith in him? I’d seen him do so many impossible things. You can do anything, master, I answered.

Softness replaced the humor in his eyes.

It’s good to hear that, Seras Victoria, but no one is invulnerable.

He got up and off of me in one smooth motion. I imagine Sir Integra grows impatient. When she says thirty minutes she usually means ten. He picked up the glasses I’d stolen from him, sliding them on. I’m not of an inclination to please her lately, but I’ve learned a thing or two about diplomacy since slaughtering Turks.

We weren’t going to discuss my first orgasm, apparently, which suited me fine. I’d enjoyed it, and I enjoyed his attention, but I didn’t consider myself fool enough to think it meant anything to him. A child didn’t ask his toys what they wanted.

Diplomacy? Master? I hid my face as I got up, afraid my disbelief would show. I gave a gasp of surprise upon him grabbing me. His hands went all the way around my upper arms, and he just towered over me.

“Yes, diplomacy,” he insisted, his eyes displaying both irritation and amusement. “Don’t think I’m capable of it? I thought I could do anything.”

“Master, you can be very harsh and direct,” I defended my opinion. “But, if it means a lot to you, I’m sure you can show tact.”

He grinned. “My disadvantage is my arrogance, we’re both aware.” He released me. “Good. I like that you know I’m not infallible.” Striding to the door, he paused. “Coming?”


At his knee, I could. At his thigh, no doubt about it.


I smoothed my rumpled clothing, wondering if I looked like a girl who had her first orgasm. I probably did.

I caught up to him in the hall and trotted briskly to keep pace with his ground-eating walk. He had the longest legs, and his current attire really emphasized such.

My master possessed an uncommon body. Very tall, long limbs, and a habit of fluctuating his build. When locked into power levels two and three, he got progressively heavier of frame. At his lowest levels, he slenderized. Right now he displayed a fair amount of muscle and broadness at the shoulder. I wondered if he changed consciously, or if he even knew he changed at all.

As usual, we passed some soldiers in the hall outside of Integra’s office. They vanished upon seeing us, scattering like buckshot, but never taking an escape route close to me or master.

Yes, my name sat on the official avoid list.

“You’re late,” Integra announced as we entered. She typed away and didn’t look at us immediately. I looked at her desk clock and saw we we’d arrived exactly on time. She really had a bee in her bonnet with Alucard, and didn’t care to lump me into the same category of Trouble.

That hurt a little.

But, I had to consider who she was. The descendant of a family of vampire exterminators probably learned vampire bigotry at the knee. Up until a few months ago, I would have happily accepted her opinion even though I claimed Midian family. Master showed me, however, the complexity of an unlife.

We were damned, but that didn’t mean we lacked our souls.

Integra looked up. I heard her heart skip two beats. Her eyes narrowed upon my master and stayed there.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Time stretched on unbearably.

“Alucard,” she snapped suddenly, making me jerk. “You’re the most insolent creature to walk the earth.”

My master bowed lowly, straps dangling and buckles clinking like chimes. “How kind of you to notice, master. But how, exactly, am I insolent at the moment?”

Integra left her desk, strode over to us and halted almost underneath him. Her finger came up and stopped right under his long nose. “Don’t call me that when I know it isn’t true,” she ground out.

I felt a tense coil compressing my gut. She didn’t fear him a bit, and she had reason to feel fear. Reminding him he didn’t have to obey her seemed foolish.

My master loomed over her, suddenly darker and larger. His eyes flashed crimson to wine. “Be careful what you tell me is truth,” he uttered lowly. I watched in amazement as his hair lost pigment, slowly leaking black until snow white locks hung to the ground. The leather of his suit made creaking sounds, stressed by bulging muscle.

Integra didn’t even react, not in body, expression, or heartbeat. She stood there, staring up into his face without a flicker of apprehension. “Are you finished?” she asked coldly.

My master grinned, showing every tooth in his head. “Does it thrill you, master, that you can control yourself as well as you control others?” he asked quietly. “It thrills me.”

“Impudent,” she retorted, charging back to her desk as if it personally offended her. I caught the faintest, most nebulous whiff of sadness from her, and understood.

She might have hurt my master’s feelings, but she felt betrayed. She couldn’t consider them on equal ground until she got over the omission of his power status. To her the fact he hadn’t shared the full scope of his ability, showed he didn’t consider her an equal. He could broadcast his desire for a partnership, but he’d already proven the opposite.

Oh, I ached for these two. Closer than friends, more desperately parted than lovers, separated by their strong personalities and natures. Unless they learned to bend their stiff necks, they’d never work in concert. I couldn’t tackle that task, either. I didn’t have the intelligence to work around them both at the same time.

“Tonight’s task is unusual,” Integra told us, sitting again. “Observation.” She lit a cigar before pinning master with her icy stare. “Observation only, Alucard.”

“What or whom will we observe?” he asked simply.

Integra opened her desk drawer, pulled out a file, and tossed it down on the polished surface of her work area. Alucard and I stood side by side to open and read.

At first I didn’t understand. These ordinary looking people, probably from the vanishing middle class by their clothes and hair, couldn’t be freaks. Master lifted the page, showing a list of details about an organization called Neo-Thelema. His eyes slid to me.

A frission of pure anxiety hummed against my mental walls. Startled, I looked at him openly. What could bother my master? I’d never sensed such a feeling from him.

He dropped the page. The quiet in the room grew to awesome proportions.

“No.”

The silence shattered with his single, eloquent refusal.