Carpe Noctis

**Carpe Noctis** is the sixth episode of fifth season of Syfy's *Van Helsing* and the fifty-eighth episode of the series overall.

## Synopsis

While on the Van Helsing trail, Axel and Julius meet Nina, an important figure from Julius' past, but is she as innocent as he remembers?

## Plot

Axel and Julius discover a woman in need of help; she is restrained and blindfolded by vampires. Between the stitches and not being able to heal anymore, Axel and Julius are reluctant to interfere but come to her aid nonetheless, killing both vampires with control agent laced bullets. However, Julius is stabbed in the process. Axel then takes the bag off the woman’s head and discovers that she’s not only a vampire but an old friend of Julius’ named Nina.

Julius reveals that Nina was very important to him and suggests that they take her to Violet. However, Axel is reluctant, as he doesn’t trust Nina nor does he wish to ride with her. She overhears them talking about how Axel used to be a vampire and asks about Vanessa Van Helsing. Nina warns them that the vampire territory they’re headed into is dangerous. Axel then asks why she was being tortured by her own kind. She claims that she simply disrespected their leader and then agrees to join them.

Chicago, 1984, Julius meets Nina in an alley while feeding on a local homeless man, whereas she exits a valuable car after just feeding on a man with cleaner blood than homeless drug addicts. She refers to him as a "bottom feeder" and asks when was the last time he hunted real prey rather than gutter rats. Julius admits that it has been a long time. He hears the police sirens approaching and tries to encourage her to run with him, but she reminds him just how powerful they are and explains that she runs from no one.

Julius follows Nina to the local movie theater, where they feast on all those in attendance. Julius reveals that he used to hunt with his own pack. They were ghosts in the night. Town by town. Recruited the worthy and was gone by sunrise. However, his own kind turned against him. Nina suspects that he wants to take back the power and live the same as her. She then exposes her wrist to Julius for him to feed, but he panics and says that he has to go back. Nina tells Julius that he doesn’t have to hide in the shadows and feed on back alley druggies. She asks him to seize the night with her. He then realizes that she’s the film actress Nina Morgan. However, Nina is no longer that woman. She was a fantasy. Julius reveals that he was like her in the sense that he was a boxer, but not the kind he wanted to be. Nina tells Julius that nightmares only end when you wake up and exposes her wrist to him once more, and this time, Julius feeds from her.

A group of soldiers finds the dead vampires left behind by Axel and Julius and move ahead.

Axel notices the orange compound spreading through means of an approaching storm. Meanwhile, Julius and Nina discuss how he built a new brood without her. As for Nina, she’s spent the years trying to build an empire of her own. However, she failed. Nina is becoming hungry, but the control agent storm is blocking their path. However, Julius convinces her to remain calm. Axel questions why she agreed to join them and demands she exit the vehicle. Julius comes to her defense. Nina then warns Axel that staying in place is suicide as the storm cloud will take two hours to move on and that they're on the edge of vampire territory. However, she knows of a place to take shelter.

Upon arriving at the compound, Julius loses trace of Nina. He eventually catches up to her inside one of the buildings, where she’s feeding on the weak and sick, though she insists that she’s not a bottom feeder. Julius remarks that Axel won’t like this, leading Nina to question whether Julius is his own man before asking him about Mama.

Chicago, 1984, Mama slaps and scolds Julius for bringing home someone that will be missed, as it will draw too much attention. She reminds julius that they're only supposed to take back alley drug addicts and the homeless. She blames him for not staying in the shadows and their exile from Dmitri’s pack. Now, they have no one to protect them. Julius refuses to stay in the shadows any longer. He wishes to return to the old ways. When Mama raises her hand to Julius, Nina comes to his defense. Julius reveals that Nina wishes to build a new empire, however, Mama fears that she will bring death to their door. Nina then exits. Mama warns Julius that following Nina will get him killed, but he leaves nonetheless.

Nina tells Julius that they’re better off without Mama, but she’s all Julius has. Nina tells Julius that he has her now and that she will never lie to him. They’ve shared so much in such a short time. Nina tells Julius that his mother will learn to fend for herself, but he is reluctant to leave her behind. She tells him that guilt is a human feeling and that he should let it die so that he can be the vampire he’s destined to be. Tomorrow at Midnight, she’ll wait for him where they first met. Should he come, then she’ll know that they’re meant to be together forever.

Axel siphons gasoline from an abandoned vehicle when he suddenly hears a noise and finds himself under gunfire. Axel returns fire but is outnumbered and can no longer heal. Axel then sets the gas can on fire and tosses it as a distraction before escaping into a building, where Julius and Nina await. Axel suspects that the soldiers were sent by the Dark One but then realizes that they’re after Nina. However, by the time Axel looks over, Nina is gone. The soldiers blow the front door open and come in firing. Nina escapes the building just as it explodes. However, Axel has the keys to the SUV.

Axel and Julius return fire and manage to wound one soldier while the others regroup. They then discover that the soldiers are vampires as well. Axel asks who sent him, but before he can reply, Nina kills him. Axe shoves her against the wall and demands that she start answering his questions considering that they’re after her. Nina reveals that she knows things about the Dark One, though that’s all she will say for the time being.

Axel, Julius, and Nina devise a plan to lure out the soldiers. They chain Nina up to be taken, and Axel and Julius lie and wait. Nina reveals to the soldiers that she declined the Dark One's invitation, but now she's willing to speak with her. Axel and Julius wait from afar and listen. Bathory then takes control of one of the soldiers and reveals that they intend to kill Nina rather than take her to the Dark One. Nina claims that she has something the Dark One will want. However, Bathory isn't concerned and states that those who refuse the Dark One’s invitation will die. Axel and Julius then proceed to shoot down the soldiers with the control agent laced bullets. While laying on the ground wounded, Bathory mentions Scarlett and how she tricked her into sacrificing herself. In a fit of rage, Axel kills the vampire that Bathory is controlling.

Axel is worried that Bathory will be after them now as well. Axel accuses Nina of having ulterior motives and forces Julius to choose between him and Nina, as she was going to give them up as decoys. Julius questions if it’s true that Nina intended to turn him over as if he was nothing. Nina insists that she didn’t. Hoping to gain his trust, she says that the Dark One is gathering all the Brood leaders for something big. Julius then realizes that Nina is a brood leader, but that she turned the Dark One down and that Dracula had her brood killed. Nina is the sole survivor. Julius isn’t sure he can trust her. However, he does admit that he wants her back human. But Nina doesn’t want to be human. She tells Julius that the world can still be there’s and bites him. However, his blood tastes disgusting, and he can’t turn back due to being made human by Vanessa. Julius insists that it’s a gift that can be given to her as well, arguing that Nina deserves a second chance to seize the day. However, Nina explains that she was never truly the girl in the films. She cheated, lied, and killed to get what she wanted and make it big time. She embraced the dark long before she ever became a vampire. Nina then looks to Julius and says that he should’ve died that night. He then realizes that she's referring to the night they last saw each other.

Chicago, 1984, Nina awaits Julius’ arrival. He meets her in the alley where they first met, though he’s only come to say goodbye to her. He explains that he has to stay behind to protect Mama, to which Nina replies that she’s dead to him before leaving. On his way back home, Julius realizes that he’s being followed by a Van Helsing. He takes Mama and flees out the window as the hunter arrives.

Julius returns to the SUV to discover that Axel and the compass are missing. Meanwhile, Axel awaits Nina, who has stolen the compass and discovered that its tracks Van Helsings. She’s hoping to give the compass to the Dark One in hopes that she can turn Julius back into a vampire. However, Axel isn’t convinced. He knows that Nina is only truly concerned with saving herself. Nina remarks that Axel reminds her of one of her old handy co-stars. When Nina refuses to hand the compass over, they both draw their blades.

Axel returns to Julius at the SUV with the compass covered in blood. He assures Julius that he made Nina’s death a quick one.

## Cast

* Aleks Paunovic as Julius
* Christina Jastrzembska as Mama
* Jen Araki as Young Abby Van Helsing
* Arpad Balogh as Delta #1

## Gallery

### Videos

Van Helsing 5x06 Promo "Carpe Noctis"Will Julius "Seize the Night"? - Van Helsing - SYFY