Midian Evolution

A.N. I am not involved in Thelema, but, true Thelema is nothing like what I am portraying here, as far as I know. This is no different that me borrowing any other religion for artistic purposes. I mean no offense to modern Thelemites, nor do I mean any offence to Aleister Crowley. Having not been there, I have no idea what is true and what isn't. I spread this diclaimer out to any native Romanians; I don't speak your language and I'm sure I use your words poorly and wrongly. Anyone who woul want to correct my use of Romanian, please feel free to email me at godvoltaire at myway dot com. That goes for any readers of the story if they wish to contact me. I welcome your input and mail.

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Let me row, master, please? I asked as we approached the boat. I need to do something.

No. You don’t even know how exhausted you are. Sit your shapely posterior in the boat.

Grumbling under my breath, I obeyed. I really need blood.

Alucard sat, took up the oars and pushed us into the Loch. I feel your hunger and answer it, he admitted. Woe betide a would-be mugger or ne’er do well crossing our path tonight.

At least we have medical blood in the car.

It isn’t going to satisfy either of us.

It never does.

He smiled at me, a full, toothy grin. We have time to hunt. Perhaps we’ll get lucky and find suitable prey. I know you won’t attack and kill randomly.

I scowled. Can’t we go back and drink one of those depraved magicians?

He shivered. I never waste blood, but I wouldn’t drink from one of them. They sicken me by merit of what they do and what they create. I’m sure, if they even follow a little of their dead leader’s initiative, that they’re full of heroin and the like. I won’t have you suffering hallucinogens on top of what you’ve already endured.

Warmed, I felt my hunger abating a little just by his words. Dead leader, master?

Thelema is a religion created by a man long in the ground. These practitioners may or may not follow his directives to the letter. I don’t know. I’m inclined to think not, since Crowley remained fairly patriotic to his native country during the war. He created Nazi propaganda for the purpose of luring them, and at the behest of your government. He stopped rowing a moment and gazed out over the quiet lake. For his followers to ally with Nazi forces is directly against his history.

Crowley? As in Aleister Crowley, the Beast?

Alucard smirked. Yes.

Wow. The man was infamous, remembered even now as the World’s Wickedest Man. Surely my master topped him, though.

I’d think about that later. Unless we ended up going against Crowley’s ghost or something, I’d worry about his religious legacy instead.

I joined Alucard in looking out over the water. Why doesn’t it bother us to travel across this Loch? It’s not fast moving water, but it does move.

There’s only a small place for the water to flow. Additionally, this is dark water. It isn’t cleansing, which is the key issue. He took up the oars again and began to move us swiftly to the other side.

You could move the boat without rowing. Why do you make the effort?

For the physical pleasure of it, Seras. He grinned again. You wanted to row, didn’t you?

Yes, but I didn’t think you felt like that.

I generally don’t, but I do have another reason to stir up the water.

We hit land and climbed out. I turned and began to pick out the path we’d taken down, but he stopped me. “I said I have another reason. Stay and see what it is.”

Curious, I turned back.

Alucard faced the Loch and closed his eyes. I felt the power of his mind reaching out into the gloomy mist. He stood for long moments, his brow furrowed in concentration.

My heart gave a leap of thrilled joy. In the center of the Loch, a long, serpentine neck emerged. As I stood, gaping, Nessie plunged back into the dark depths, showing me her big body and flippers just before the splash obliterated the view.

Alucard turned to me, grinning his ear to ear grin. I darted to his side, throwing my arms around his hard, wiry body. “Thank you, master!”

He chuckled. “You really wanted to see it. A six-second viewing of a beastie and you’re ecstatic. It takes nothing to please you.” He broke free of me and began leading the way up the steep path. “You’ll want Bigfoot next, I suppose? The Abominable Snowman?”

“Not if we have to be in Scotland for them,” I answered.

In no time we were back in the car. I divided up the last of our blood supply, giving him the extra bag. He had larger appetite.

We drove without incident back to Inverness Airport, and I used my cell to call the pilot of our plane. I didn’t even attempt explaining Alucard’s appearance this time, and stood beside him on the tarmac trying to ignore the curious gazes toward my ruined hosiery. The men who loaded luggage into commercial planes were the worst. They ogled me openly.

I felt so tired I barely cared. Master, on the other hand, visibly grew impatient with my audience. His hands flexed, his eyes narrowed to crimson slits. Finally, we got the signal to board. Alucard escorted me onto the plane swiftly. Glad he hadn’t murdered someone in public, I found a seat and flopped down.

Master sat across from me, as he had on the flight here. His eyes wandered my legs a moment. “You could have removed them,” he said. “In the future, bear in mind that many men like the ruined female look.”

“Including you, master?” I asked wearily. He’d proven himself so correct about me not knowing how tired I was. I wanted to pass out right here.

“Hmm,” he said, neither denying nor confirming. Before my eyes, his hair returned to black.

“I’m so glad,” I blurted. “Black suits you.”

He threw me a smirk. “You have such opinions on what I look like. I hear your thoughts at times, you know.”

“I’m sure.” I could barely keep my eyes open. “Am I going to be all right, master? I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus.”

“After feeding on fresh blood and many hours of sleep, you’ll recover,” he assured. Again his gaze coasted over my legs. He leaned forward slightly. “I thought you wanted to touch me.”

“Master, I can’t even twitch,” I answered, “much less solicit you for attention.”

He got up, completely ignoring the g-force of our plane leaving the runway. Taking me in his arms, he sat down again. I loved the feel of him under me. I needed this contact, badly. Oh! His heart still thumped steadily in his chest. I put my ear over the rhythmic beating. Why did you make your heart beat, and why haven’t you stopped?

…I didn’t make it beat. He slid down to accommodate my awkward position, propping his legs in the opposite seat. Do you want me to stop it?

No.

That’s right; you like it. His hand slid over the place he’d bitten me. The area tingled strongly. You know I’ll never be a living man no matter how often my heart beats, Seras.

I liked him the way he was, so it didn’t matter. I know, master.

That hand moved down to my leg and began to stroke soothingly, long, lazy movements that calmed our stretched, abused link. Don’t throw these away, he ordered.

I smiled against his leather covered chest. I knew you were talking about yourself earlier.

Of course I was, idiot girl, he answered without malice. If I have to endure you all night, every night, I want compensation. The least you can do is dress for me.

I knew then that he’d recovered from any trace of anger or impatience with me. Once he started slinging insults, things were normal. I doubted it would last. We had to report to Sir Integra first thing.

I still felt angry with her. Not as angry as before, but I held onto a lingering trace of disapproval. She’d put my master into a bad position, and me as well.

Stop churning up your anger. You don’t have the strength for it right now.

I sighed. I don’t have the strength to get my hair out of my face as it is. You might make our report while I sleep on my feet.

I wouldn’t make you sleep standing up, Seras. He moved my hair for me, gently, his fingers barely grazing my skin. Go to sleep and dream about your thrilling little plesiosaur.

I did exactly as he said, and happily.