This is an amateur writing. It is meant, in no way, to infringe on the copyrights of Anne Rice, or anyone else holding rights to her characters. It is meant, strictly, for entertainment purposes only.

A spec written by Adonia for sacrifice on the altar of the unholy newsgroup alt.books.anne-rice

It is 6:38 in the evening. The sun will soon sink into the horizon, completely, leaving the city open to all those angelic monsters. Some have, certainly, already risen and are, at this moment, stalking some unfortunate beings who have, no doubt, committed unspeakable crimes against humanity. Ah, poor, sad mortals. You have made your graves, now rest in them.

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kelia, and this is my story. The way I see it, if Lestat can tell his story, why should I remain silent? Of course, mine's not as long, nor as eloquently written, but it's my story, nonetheless. For the record, I'm not several hundred years old. I'm not even *one* hundred years old. To be absolutely precise, I'm twenty-eight years, one month, twenty-two days, seven hours and...fifteen seconds old. Not bad when you consider that I died at the age of twenty-five, in 1992.

Before I begin, I must ask your forgiveness. At times the language I use may sound ridiculously formal. It comes from spending so much time with beings who first learned to speak between two-hundred and six-thousand years ago. I'd not, however, trade my time with these creatures for anything that this world, or any other, for that matter, has to offer.

I believe I will begin where it all began...in the park. Shall we?

It was my twenty-second birthday and I was alone (Par for the course for me, I'm afraid. I'd been alone all my life.). I decided to treat myself to dinner. I went to a wonderful little Italian restaurant I knew and ate until I was miserable.

On my way home, I decided to walk through the park. I slipped my hand into the pocket of my jacket, wrapping it comfortably around the small handgun, therein, and proceeded through the gates. I kept my senses tuned for anything out of the ordinary.

As I walked, I was unable to keep myself from glancing skyward. It was an extraordinarily clear night. The moon shone, high overhead, resembling nothing less than a huge illuminated pearl. All around it were tiny, twinkling, diamond-like stars. It was a magical sight.

I stopped, for a moment to breathe in the winter fragrance that filled the air, my face turned to the sky. When I looked ahead of me again, I saw something that made the beauty of the night pale considerably.

It was a man. But, not just *a* man. A beautiful man. Dressed in a black tuxedo, complete with a long, velvet cape. His wavy, shoulder-length blond hair glistened, almost white, in the moonlight. His skin was a deep golden brown, making the blue of his eyes irresistibly beautiful.

At first, I believed him to be yet another spirit. One of those troublesome apparitions I'd seen from the cradle on. When he moved, however, I knew this wasn't so. He was no ghost. He seemed a golden angel, sent from heaven.

He spoke. His voice, though low, wasn't what you'd call deep. Neither was it high-pitched. There was a resonance to this voice that sent a vibration straight to my soul.

"Angels from Heaven." he said, his voice slightly accented. I recognized it as French. "A wonderful thought, Cherie. It's a shame that it's not so."

Before I continue, I want to say that, no, I didn't make a habit of talking to strange men at night in the park. My handgun, and several courses in self-defense, made it unnecessary. However, there was something familiar about him. Something that told me I knew him. Not because I'd ever met him, but because I knew his story. Beginning to end.

"End." he said softly. "There is no end for me."

I reached out, with my mind, and found the thread that led to his. I probed, gently, searching, more than anything, for his name. He smiled softly, ruefully.

"Lestat." he told me. "My name is Lestat."

"Lestat?" I laughed. "Like the vampire in the books?"

As I watched, he seemed to disappear into thin air. A split-second later, he was standing directly in front of me. I was staring at his chest. I looked up at his face. He was smiling broadly.

"Exactly." he said.

I looked closely at him. He was still smiling and I could see that his canine teeth were longer than normal and looked extremely sharp. I reached up to touch his smooth cheek. It was cold.

"Cold as the grave." he said.

"I suppose you have a love-hate relationship with a being called Armand?" I questioned. "Oh, and we can't forget about Louis, can we?"

At the mention of Louis's name, Lestat's eyes became very sad and his smile faded. He turned away and walked toward the fountains that bubbled nearby. A few feet away from me, he stopped and looked back.

Suddenly, my mind was flooded with images. I saw a beautiful, dark-haired man, his green eyes blazing. He was saying, in his own French accented voice, that he'd stood it as long as he could. It was over. I saw Lestat as he reached out to stop the dark-haired one. "Louis, where are you going?" Louis turned back. "You made me! You don't own me!" he shouted. "Louis..." Lestat began. He was shoved backward, into the wall and slipped to the floor, watching as Louis left, slamming the door behind him. A huge portion of plaster broke loose from the wall and crumbled around Lestat. The vision ended.

I stood staring at him. He smiled that rueful smile again and continued on to the fountains. I watched as he sat down, gracefully, on a bench.

What was I meant to say? Was I to believe that he was *the* Lestat? That vampires did, indeed, exist? How could I? And, yet, the evidence seemed irrefutable. His looks, his movements, his teeth, the vision, Louis, all of it. Not to mention the fact that he had been reading my mind all along.

"No, Cherie." came his voice in my ear. I started as I turned my head to see him standing there beside me, bent, at the waist, so that we were face to face. "Not 'reading' your mind. Simply seeing your thoughts."

"My God." I whispered, reaching up to touch his beautiful face again. "You *are* real."

I had, of course, while reading the books, thought about what I'd say or do if the creatures in them did exist and I ever met with one of them. I was wrong in all my assumptions. I didn't know what to say or do. Here he was, the quintessential vampire, standing only three feet from me, smiling sadly at my thoughts. I looked into his eyes for the longest time. He was no longer smiling and his face had taken on that sad, lost expression again. *You can't find him, can you?* I asked him silently. He straightened and looked toward the sky.

I realized, suddenly, that I was standing here, speaking with a vampire. A being who lived off human blood. I wondered if I was to be his next victim. Somehow, the thought of dying in his powerful arms didn't frighten me. I could think of worse ways to die.

"I promise, Cherie." he said, his face brightening. "Although, I'm tempted, you have my word that I won't make a meal of you."

"Is that the same word you gave to David Talbot when you swore you wouldn't make a vampire of him against his will?" It was out before I realized what I was saying and, immediately, I wished for a way to take it back. Lestat's face registered shock and pain, as if I'd slapped him. His eyes filled with tears, blood-tears, and he looked away. "Lestat." I said. "I'm sorry. It was stupid of me to say that."

"You're right, Cherie." Lestat said. "Why should you trust me?"

I was silent a moment, thinking. "Why did you make yourself known to me?" I asked finally. "You didn't just happen to be here. You were waiting for me."

The smile was back. I was amazed at how animated his face was. One moment he was in tears, the next he was smiling.

"You *are* brilliant, Cherie." he said. "I *was* waiting for you." He stepped closer, so that I was forced to look up at him. He was facing the light and his eyes glittered, blue-green. "I need your help."

"My help?" I asked, unable to take my eyes from his sensuous mouth.

"Yes, Cherie." he replied. "You're the strongest telepath I've ever encountered. I need you to help me find Louis?"

"Why should I do this for you?" I asked.

Lestat raised his cold hands and cupped my face with them. His head inclined slowly so that his silky lips brushed mine as he spoke. "Because I need you." he said. "And because, even when you didn't believe in me, you wanted me."

I smiled as I pulled back from him in order to see him more clearly. "What does that have to do with it?" I asked. "According to your own books, vampires can't make love."

"Perhaps I'm incapable of intercourse, but that doesn't mean that I'm incapable of pleasuring you. It will take millennia upon millennia to make me forget how to be a good lover."

He leaned forward to kiss me and, although I wanted nothing more than to feel his sensuous mouth on mine, I pulled away. He looked so surprised, I almost laughed. I moved a few steps away and stood looking at him. The lust I'd seen in his eyes before was gone. All that remained was a dreadful hope that brought tears to my eyes.

"What of the old ones?" I asked him. "Marius or Khayman, perhaps? Surely, they're stronger than I."

"No, they're not." he told me. "Besides, they're off together somewhere. I don't wish to disturb them." He reached out to take my hands in his. "Please, Kelia. I need your help. I know that Louis is here, in the city, somewhere. Please, won't you help me?"

"Why are you in such a rush to find him?" I asked. "He's always come back to you, in the past. What makes this time so different?" He turned his back to me. I could feel pain and...something else. What was it? Fear? Yes, it was fear I felt emanating from him. I caught his arm and he allowed me to pull him around to face me. "Lestat, what are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid that he truly seeks to end it, this time." he said. The blood-tears were coursing down his cheeks. "His despair has reached a level I have never seen in him before. He doesn't even read any longer. He sits, and he stares into space. I have to remind him to hunt. If I didn't, he would have wasted away to nothing by now." He dropped to his knees before me and took my hands again. "Please." he said simply.

I'm sorry, but I must break my train of thought again. I have to say, for I'm sure you, too, have read Lestat's books and know that the idea of him begging is absurd, that I found this to be most disconcerting. But you must remember, we're speaking, here, of the one being Lestat has ever truly loved, aside from Akasha, of course. Is it so absurd really? Think on it. If your...what do you call them now...significant other...were missing, wouldn't you beg for help in finding them? On with the tale...

I looked down into his face, so full of hope, and knew, in my heart, that I could deny him nothing. I pulled my hands free and held his face. I smoothed back his hair and said, simply, "Yes." He wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed his head against my stomach. I held him a moment and he raised his head to look up at me. Unable to resist, I caught his face in my hands again and lowered my head. Our lips met and I came close to fainting. His lips were so soft and cool. His tongue slipped between my lips to fence, skillfully, with mine. Finally, I was forced to break the embrace. I couldn't breathe.

I'd never dreamed, when reading Lestat's books, that he was so passionate. I, like everyone else, I'm sure, had come to believe that vampires were just as incapable of passion as they are of making love. That's not true. Vampires are very capable of passion; we're passionate, by nature. Males are simply incapable of intercourse and none of us have any real interest in it.

"Where do we begin?" I asked, trying to take my mind off the feel of his lips.

He stood up and reached for my hand. He held it tightly in his a moment then raised it to his lips, placing a kiss on my palm. "Your home." he said. "You will need warmer clothing than what you have on."

"Why?" I asked.

Lestat smiled and swept me into his arms. We shot upward into the sky. When we stopped moving, I looked down to find that I could see the entire park. I'd always been, just slightly, afraid of heights, so I grabbed hold of Lestat and buried my face in his chest. He laughed, lowand provocative, and wrapped his arms around me. I raised my head, slowly, from his shoulder and looked around. I would not, however, relinquish my hold on him.

"You won't fall, Cherie." he whispered. "I won't allow it."

I pulled back from him to see his face better. He smiled softly and kissed me quickly, teasingly. I couldn't help but to smile. He was so beautiful.

"No more so than you, Cherie." he said. "Are you ready?"

The wind had picked up, taking my breath. I smiled and nodded and we began to move. Before I realized it, we had covered the three mile stretch between the park and my house and were standing on my front porch. I opened the door and we went inside. I told him, silently, that I'd go and change. I went into my bedroom and started to close the door. When it wouldn't close I turned to find Lestat standing in the doorway. He smiled down at me and crossed to sit on my bed.

"Lestat..." I began.

"You're perfectly safe from any lascivious advances." he said. For the first time I noticed that there was still much of the boy in his face. I recalled that he had only been twenty when Magnus made him. "However, I still enjoy the sight of a beautiful human body." He leaned back on his elbows and crossed his long legs.

I studied him for a moment. Seeing him, now, I could understand why Magnus had chosen him. He was perfect. Broad shoulders and chest. Narrow waist and hips. Powerfully muscled arms and legs. Perfection.

I shook my head and went to my closet. I decided to change everything I was wearing. If Lestat wanted a show, he would get one. When I returned I laid the clothing I'd chosen on the bed and moved to stand directly in front of him. He sat up slowly as I removed my jacket, tossing it onto a chair, and tugged my blouse free of my slacks. I unfastened the button of the slacks and pushed them down over my hips and removed my panties. My blouse was long enough that I was still completely covered. I turned my back to him and unbuttoned it, then removed my bra. Slowly, I let the shirt slide off my shoulders and down my back. As it fell to the floor, I turned to face him. He was sitting forward, his eyes taking in my body.

I didn't even see him move, but, suddenly, his arms were around me and I was lying on top of him, looking down into his face. His hands came up to tangle in my hair as he raised his head and brought our lips together. I could feel every inch of his cold, hard body through his clothing and wished that he was naked, as well.

"Soon, my love." he said. He sat up, slowly, raising us both without the use of his hands. "We must go, now."

I pushed away from him and began to dress. My mind was filled with images of our bodies pressed together. I wondered what it would feel like to be beneath his perfect body.

"And you shall know the answer to that question and many more." he said, softly.

We traveled over the city several times through the night. I picked out the thread of Louis' mind many times but always lost it in the thousands of other minds I could hear. As dawn neared we were forced to abandon the search. Lestat hadn't fed yet, so he left me at the door of an all-night convenience store and disappeared into the night. I waited only a few minutes before he returned and, sweeping me into his arms again, carried me away into the sky.

We returned to my house and Lestat made a fire in the fireplace. My hands and face were nearly frozen from the late November winds. I turned on the lamp beside the chair in which Lestat sat and stood staring at him.

He could have been human. The blood he'd taken had warmed his body and taken away the underlying paleness of his skin. His cheeks had an almost rosy blush to them and his lips were now the color of pink oleanders. He was even more beautiful than before.

"Come, Cherie." he said softly. "Let me warm you."

He held out his hand to me and I took it. He pulled me, gently, to him and onto his lap. I snuggled into his chest and he put his arms tightly around me. My ear was pressed against him. I could hear his heart beating. His big hand stroked my hair. I'd never in my life felt as safe as I did at this moment.

"You are safe, my love." Lestat said. "Nothing will ever hurt you again."

The following evening, I woke at 5:15. Lestat was safely hidden, from the sun and from the prying eyes of my nosy neighbors, in the cellar. He rose an hour later, just as the sun was setting below the horizon. I watched the end of the sunset wrapped in his powerful arms, safe from the world.

Lestat sat with me as I ate my dinner then left to seek his own repast. When he returned we set out, again, to search for Louis. We crossed the city several times before, around 3:00 a.m., I caught Lestat's name whispered in someone's mind. I latched onto the thread and, of course, it led me straight to Louis. I told Lestat that I knew where he was. We arrived just as Louis was leaving to hunt.

"It would be better to wait until after he has fed." Lestat said as we watched Louis emerge from the hotel. I'd promised that I'd talk to Louis for him. I began to wonder if that was such a good idea. "You will be safe, Cherie." Lestat said. "I won't allow him to hurt you."

When Louis was out of sight, we crossed the street and entered the hotel. I went to the desk and, pretending to be Louis' sister, found out what room he was in. The desk clerk told me that Mr. de Point du Lac had just left and I'd have to wait in the lobby. I thanked him and went back to Lestat. I told him what the man had said and Lestat laughed. "We'll wait in Mr. de Point du Lac's room." he said.

With that he swept me up and told me to hold tight. I suddenly felt as if my skin were being stretched back. I turned my head and pressed my face into Lestat's chest and we were there.

"A wonderful cure for gravity." I said, feeling my face, as he set me down. He chuckled and looked down at the doorknob. I heard a little click and Lestat reached out to open the door.

The room was a disaster; clothes and books strewn all over. I looked at Lestat and saw that tears were standing in his eyes. I took his hand and he stepped over to me. I put my arms around his neck and hugged him.

"This is the last thing I'd ever expect from Louis." he said. "In New Orleans, back *then*, he was always after Claudia and me to keep our things picked up. He hated messes."

"You should go." I told him. "If he returns and finds you here I don't think it will go well at all."

"I'll be nearby." he said. "If you need me, I'll be here. You have but to call."

A moment later, he was gone and I was alone. Waiting for the most dangerous of the vampires left in the world. Without thinking I began to pick up the books and pile them on the table near the window. I picked up the clothes and laid them, neatly, on a chair.

After nearly an hour, I moved to look out the window. Lestat was standing across the street, in a darkened doorway. He looked up at me and smiled. Suddenly, he ducked back into the darkness.

*He's coming, Cherie.* came Lestat's voice in my head.

I moved away from the window and stood facing the door. A moment later, it opened and Louis came in. He looked at me, stunned, then closed the door. He reminded me of a panther as he crossed the room and laid the keys on the night table.

"Well?" he asked.

"I'm here on Lestat's behalf." I looked up at him and was dumb struck. From his collar length, jet black hair, a recalcitrant lock falling across his smooth forehead, to his brilliant, emerald green eyes, he was exactly as Lestat had described him in his books. "My God. You are so beautiful." I breathed. Louis smiled and lowered his head. "I'm sorry." I told him. "I just never expected you to look so ethereal."

He laughed. "I suppose that Lestat is somewhere close by." It wasn't a question, merely an observation. "Why you?" he asked.

"He said I was the strongest telepath he'd encountered." I said. "He asked me to help him."

"Did he offer you eternity for your trouble?" he asked me.

"No." I replied.

"So, you agreed to help him because...?"

"Because he was in pain."

"Oh." he said. "Lestat is very good at pain. I assume he cried?"

"As a matter of fact he did."

"He's also very good at that."

"Why are you so bitter?" I asked him.

"Because he did this to me." he replied.

"You could have ended it centuries ago." I told him. "You chose to go on."

"I go on because I'm a coward." he said angrily.

"You're right." I said. "You are a coward."

Louis stared at me; his anger showing clearly in his beautiful eyes. "You know that I could break you in half with my bare hands?" he asked ominously.

"I know." I said, showing no fear. Inside, however, I was terrified. I could only hope that Lestat could arrive in time to stop Louis should he decide to hurt me.

As he looked at me, the expression in his eyes changed. It became a look of admiration and he began to laugh. "No wonder Lestat chose you." he said. "You are very brave." He moved to the bed and sat down. "All right, Cherie, why do *you* think I'm a coward?"

"Because you *try* to be purely evil." I said.

"I *am* purely evil." he told me.

"How do you know that you're meant to be?" I asked. "How do you know that vampires weren't a part of God's big plan from their beginning?" He started to laugh. "No." I said. "Hear me out. You accepted David's theory that God meant for the Devil to come into existence, correct?" Louis nodded slowly. "You agree that if God had not wanted the devil to exist, the devil would not exist?" Again, he nodded. "Then, isn't it conceivable, that if God hadn't wanted vampires to exist, they wouldn't?" Louis was silent as he watched me. "Consider this." I continued. "It was all an accident, the beginning, that is. However, God looked at what the world was becoming: killers, rapists, thieves constantly getting by with their crimes, and said, 'Maybe these creatures are the answer.'"

"Then, why, for millennia, have we believed that we're evil?" Louis finally spoke up.

"God was supposed to be this perfect being." I said. "He had an image to uphold. He couldn't admit that anything so...immoral was his idea. So, he sent the devil to take care of it. Therefore, Armand and his coven, and all the other covens, believed they were minions of the devil and worshipped as such." Louis was silent, thinking on the things I'd said. "There are endless possibilities, Louis. Don't count yourself as *evil*simply because what you do seems morally questionable."

For the next few hours, Louis sat throwing various questions at me, trying to break down my theory. I answered them all. When he left the room, at dawn, to seek his daytime refuge, he was calm and thoughtful.

"Tell Lestat I'll see him this evening." he said.

I left the room, locking the door behind me, and joined Lestat in the lobby. When I gave him Louis's message, he hugged me and kissed me and we left to return to my home.

Upon arriving, Lestat didn't set me down on the porch as he usually did. He unlocked the door, himself, and carried me straight to my bedroom. He laid me on the bed and lay down beside me. He moved down to lay his head on my shoulder and I held him against me. After a moment, he raised his head and looked into my eyes.

"Thank you, Cherie." he said. "Thank you for helping me."

I smoothed the backs of my fingers over his soft cheek and smiled. "You're welcome." I said.

For the longest moment, he looked at me. Then, he rose and pulled me into his arms. His lips met mine in a passionate kiss as his hands began to undress me. When I was naked, he stood beside the bed and undressed himself. Finally, he lowered his body to mine.

He kissed my mouth, my hands sliding up his back to tangle in his beautiful hair, then moved down the side of my neck. He paused, lips pressed against the pulse in my throat. He breathed deeply, sighing as he released the breath.

"I want you." he said softly.

"Take me." I whispered.

He raised his head to look at me. "Do you know what you're saying?" he asked. I nodded slowly. Lestat's lips met mine again, his tongue pushing into my mouth to tease mine. The feel of his cold, hard body against me was positively sensual. I wrapped my legs around him, drawing him closer. After a moment he tore his mouth away. He shifted his body to lie lower on mine. He looked into my eyes.

*You're sure?* came the silent query.

*Take me.*

His head dipped and I felt a deep stinging pain as his fang-teeth sank into my skin. I arched against him and he slipped his arm around my back to hold me to him. I clawed at his powerful back, my fingernails leaving bloody weals down it. A moan escaped him as he pulled me even tighter against him, his mouth locked to my throat.

An incredible tingling sensation spread through my body. I was rocked by the most intense orgasm I'd ever known. I clasped him to me as fire poured through my veins at the feel of Lestat's tongue licking at the wound in my throat.

After a moment, he moved up so that I could lay my head on his chest. I placed my hand against his neck and wound a lock of his soft, beautiful hair around my fingers. I wondered at the rightness of what I felt.

"I'll have to leave you soon." he said softly.

"I know." I told him, feeling his body warming, by the moment, from my own blood.

"I'll be late in coming to you this evening." he said kissing my forehead and moving out of my arms. He stood up and began to dress. His perfect golden body seemed to glow in the dim light of the room. I watched the muscles of his arms ripple as he tugged on his jeans. "I will, of course, need to talk with Louis."

"That's fine." I said smiling as he bent to pick up his shirt (He really does have the cutest behind, you know.). "I didn't expect you to come at all."

He'd finished pulling on his shirt and had been preparing to button it. He stopped and stared at me. I could feel him searching my mind. I didn't know what he was searching for but I allowed it. After a moment, he sat down beside me. I sat up and he reached out to touch my cheek.

"You really didn't believe I'd come back?" he asked. He knew the answer; he had just pulled it from my mind. After we found Louis, I'd not expected to ever see Lestat again. "But, Cherie, I love you. Of course you'll see me again."

I moved away from him, closing my mind, and stood to dress. My back was to him and my eyes were filled with tears. I felt him behind me before he touched me.

"Kelia, my love." he said putting his arms around my waist and pulling me back against him. "What is it?"

"You all use those words so freely, so easily." I said.

"Kelia." Lestat said, turning me to face him. "I know that, to humans, it must seem that way. But it isn't." He hugged me tightly, resting his chin on the top of my head. "I've been alive, if I may use that word, for over two-hundred years. Most of the others have lived longer than that. We come to love all life, but, sometimes, we find a human who captures our hearts. Because we have lived so long, we know our true feelingsvery quickly." He caught me under the chin and raised my face. "I *know* I love you."

I looked into his eyes and found myself hoping, beyond hope, that it was true. That he did love me. Again, I wondered at the rightness of what I felt. I pressed my face against his bare chest, breathing in his cologne. He held me for a moment then raised my face and kissed me.

"I must go, my love." he said. He was returning to his own crypt to sleep. "I'll see you later."

"Bring Louis if he'll come." I said. "I'd like to see him again."

A brief spark of jealousy showed in his eyes and I smiled. *I need strength.* I told him silently. *Strength that Louis doesn't have.* Lestat smiled softly and caught me to him. His hands tangled in my hair and he kissed me, hard, on the mouth. Then, he was gone.

When I awoke the following evening, I was thinking how other people would react if they knew how I'd spent the night. After spending several hours lost in this subject, I determined that I didn't care what they thought. If they found me evil because I liked to lie, naked, in the arms of my vampire lover, so be it. If they found me evil because I was enraptured by the feel of his fang-teeth sinking into my flesh, ah, well. Good for them. I didn't care.

When Lestat arrived, shortly after midnight, that night, Louis was with him. We discussed many things that night, including my theory about vampires and God's acceptance of it all. Lestat brought up many good points, but Louis argued my theory better than I did. By five-thirty, I believe Lestat was almost as convinced as I was. Louis left us and Lestat spent the rest of our time together, thanking me for giving Louis something to hold onto.

Several nights passed; Louis joined us often. More than once, Louis was the first to arrive. A few weeks later, Lestat arrived on my doorstep with, not only Louis, but two others as well. I knew them the moment I saw them; David and Marius.

David's smile was easy and open when Lestat introduced him. He took my hand and raised it to his lips. He appeared, all things considered, to be about my age. However, I knew that the spirit that inhabited this body was well over sixty-years-of-age. All that experience showed in his deep brown eyes. He smiled as he read my thoughts. He was positively gorgeous. At this, he laughed softly.

Marius had stood silently, watching me. "The painter." I said softly as I turned to him. *Are you all so beautiful?* I thought. He smiled, his fang-teeth catching the light. "Lestat said that when I saw you I'd want to paint you." he said. "He was right."

"I'm flattered." I told him, and I was. "I'd like that, very much."

We went into the living room. Lestat sat in *his* chair, David and Marius on the sofa. Louis took up his usual spot, standing beside the fireplace, leaning on the mantel. He looked so human when he did that. Still does.

After several hours of group discussion, Lestat, Louis and I fell silent, listening to David and Marius argue God and Satan. They went at each other, calmly, for two hours before I spoke up and changed the subject. Eventually, they got round to talking about art and David brought up the painting, *Temptation of Amadeo*. I thought, fleetingly, that, someday, I'd like to see it. It was shortly after this that Marius decided he was starving and asked David to join him. They left and Lestat, Louis and I went walking, in the park. Of course, I left my gun at home. After all, how much safer could I be? Mycompanions were two-hundred-year old vampires.

A few nights later, Marius returned, alone. He carried with him a huge package of some kind. He set it on the floor, propped against the sofa and removed the protective cover from it. It was, of course, *that* painting. He had caught my thought about wanting to see it and enlisted David's aid in retrieving it from the Talamasca. David contacted Aaron Lightner, who was the new Superior General of the Talamasca. Aaron agreed that, since the painting had never been sold to anyone, Marius still retained full ownership. If he wanted it, he was welcome to it. Marius had gone quietly into the vaults and removed it. Now, here it was sitting on my living room floor.

"Oh, Marius," I breathed in that way all humans have of expressing impressed surprise. "It's magnificent."

"It's yours." he said. I looked to him, stunned. "The only thing I'll ask of you is that if you should ever part with it, you must promise me to return it to the Talamasca."

"I'd have it no other way." I said. "This was unnecessary."

"I want you to have it." he said. "That is, if you want it. Don't feel you *have* to accept it."

I looked at the painting a moment then smiled up at him. "I want it."

Marius smiled. "I'll hang it for you." he said. "It would take several human men to lift it. Where do you want it?"

"There's only one place for something so special." I said and looked to the spot above the fireplace.

Marius's smile broadened. "You, at least, appreciate it. *They* had placed it in an underground vault where it was only collesting dust."

A few minutes later, I was standing beside him, looking up at the most incredibly beautiful piece of work I'd ever seen. I looked over to say so to Marius and stopped. He was staring at it as if he were seeing it for the first time. Through my psychic abilities, and because, lost in his thoughts as he was, he forgot to shield his mind, I was able to pick up on his thoughts.

He recalled a conversation with Lestat in which he'd said this painting was dreary. It had, obviously, been a very long time since he had seen it. The one thing it wasn't was dreary. The colors were still as vibrant as ever. The angels still looked as though they might, at any moment, laugh aloud in bitterness. And there, in their midst, was beautiful Amadeo. His lovely auburn hair glistening in the light, just as it had that long-ago night. His large brown eyes sparkling with the tiny candle flames that were caught there. He looked so innocent and curious, so pure.

*I captured you so well, my beloved.* he thought.

Marius's mind was so filled with images, memories of the one he called Amadeo, that I felt an intruder on something intimate. I severed my link with his mind and left the room. When Marius joined me, in the kitchen, moments later, his face was marked by his weeping. I silently dampened a napkin at the sink and wiped away the tracks of his blood-tears. Marius smiled and caught my hand. He raised it to his lips and kissed my knuckles tenderly.

"You know?" I said. "Lestat was wrong. Rembrandt didn't sell his soul to the devil. He simply studied your works before creating his own."

I smile, even now, when I think of that moment. Of how he'd actually shuffled his feet. I half expected him to say, "Aw, shucks, ma'am. Tweren't nothin'."

Lestat arrived an hour after Marius left. He, too, stood staring at the painting for a very long time. Eventually, he sat beside me and pulled me into his arms. "I love you, Cherie." he said, a touch of sadness in his voice.

"Do you still see him?" I asked him.

"Occasionally." he told me still staring at the painting. "He and Daniel stay to themselves most of the time. Daniel does not like to share Armand with even his victims."

"Is he still that beautiful?" Lestat had yet to really look at me.

"He's more beautiful than you could ever possibly imagine." Lestat said.

Never, in my life, had I ever heard such raw feeling in someone's voice. It brought me close to weeping. "Do you love him?"

Lestat looked down at me and smiled softly, sadly. "Armand and I have an understanding." he said. "I don't wish to discuss Armand." His hands were moving up my thighs as he nuzzled my neck. "I have other, more pleasant things, on my mind." His hands were warm and felt wonderful as they slipped under my shirt and caressed my stomach. He pulled me over, as he kissed me, so that I was lying across his lap. He held me to him for a moment then pushed me back. "Do you love me?"

I looked into his eyes and saw hope there. I didn't know how to answer. I did love him, but, for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to say it. I was afraid to say those words to him. If I did, would he, like everyone else I'd ever loved, disappear from my life?

He smiled softly. "I understand, Cherie. It's not necessary for you to say it. I know you do." He stroked my hair and kissed my forehead. "You don't have to be afraid, my love. I have no intention of going anywhere. I'll be with you for as long as you want me."

"I want you." I said.

Lestat's eyes narrowed seductively. He stood up, cradling me in his arms, and carried me to the bedroom. The rest of the night was spent in a haze of passion. By the time the sun rose, I was exhausted. Never, had I known such passion.

Before he left me Lestat told me that he would be bringing someone new to meet me. I asked him who and when he responded my heart began to pound with excitement. I was to meet Armand.

When I opened the door, the following evening, I had to remind myself not to allow my mouth to drop open. Armand was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen. He smiled softly, catching my thought, and took my hand. He held it, almost tenderly, in his. His hand was so warm. He smiled again and released my hand.

As we went into the living room, his eyes caught sight of the painting. He crossed to stand below it, looking up. When he faced me again, his eyes were filled with tears. "Where'd you get this?"

"It was a gift from Marius." I said.

He turned back to look at it again and the tears rolled slowly down his cheeks. He looked back to me and smiled softly, wiping at his face. "That was a very long time ago."

He stayed until dawn and seemed reluctant to leave even then. I told him that he was welcome to come to me anytime he wished. I'd like, very much, to see him again.

To make a long story short, as they say, I fell, completely, under Armand's spell. It wasn't intentional, for I'd have hurt Lestat for nothing in the world. I simply could not help it. Lestat knew this immediately, of course. Lestat knew everything I ever felt or thought. I thought of Armand often, even dreamed about him as I lay in Lestat's arms. I knew that Lestat must have seen my dreams; he saw my thoughts so easily when I was awake. I began to feel guilty and Lestat began to brood. Eventually, he became angry and finally, a full two months later, confronted me.

"You are in love with him, aren't you ?" Lestat asked one evening from the doorway of the living room.

I started at the sound of his voice. I'd not heard him come in. I'd been lost in thoughts of Armand, staring at the painting. I turned to look at him and was shocked to see tears in his eyes.

"Lestat..." I began.

"Did you ever really love me?" he asked.

I stood and faced him. I understood his anger and because of my guilt, was determined to take whatever he handed me. *I never meant to hurt you.* I told him silently.

"Neither did Akasha." was his acidic reply.

I flinched away from him. It hurt to be compared to her. "Why don't you just hit me?" I asked. "It would have the same effect."

"You wish for me to feel sorry for you?" he laughed.

"No." I said. "I wish for you to understand."

"Understand what? Understand that two months ago, you loved me and now, suddenly, you don't?" Blood-tears ran down his face and he turned his back to me. "How am I meant to understand that?"

I wanted, desperately, to go to him. To take him in my arms and hold him. But I knew he would not allow it. "It's not that I no longer love you." I said. "Oh, Lestat. I wish it were that simple."

"Everyone falls under his spell." he said softly, chuckling. "I knew you'd be no different."

I stared at his back. It had been a test! That was the reason behind his bringing Armand to me in the first place.

"Lestat, how could you do that?" I asked. "You know how guilty I've felt over this. Now, I find out that you knew this would happen." I paused as a realization hit me. "You meant for this to happen!"

"That's not true." he said, shaking his head.

I knew that he was lying. I heard it in his voice. "It *is* true!" I said. "You did this on purpose!"

"You have hurt me and now you try to lay the blame on me?" he said, turning to face me.

"You have no one *but* yourself to blame for your pain." I told him.

"No!" he shouted, slamming his fist against the table in front of him. It exploded into fragments with the force of the blow and fell to the floor in a heap. "I have you to blame! And I do!"

Suddenly, he was gone and I was left, standing in the middle of the room, looking at the front door standing open. I screamed his name in vain. He would not respond. I spent the rest of the night hoping he would return. Knowing he would not. I kept saying, over and over again, "I'm sorry, Lestat. I'm so sorry."

Two nights later, Louis came to me. He had a letter for me from Lestat:

*Cherie-

First of all, allow me to apologize for the

undignified way in which I left you. It was terribly unfair

of me and extremely childish. I suppose I should have acted

my age.*

I chuckled. "How does one act when they're two-hundred-years-old?" I asked Louis. He merely smiled, his green eyes sparkling. He, I knew, had either read the letter himself, or Lestat had read it to him.

*I wish to say, also, that I understand. I, myself,

have loved Armand for centuries. Although my fickle heart

would never allow me to admit such a thing out loud.

If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I'd

like, very much, to see you.

Perhaps I could aid you in capturing Armand's little black

heart.

I love you. I will love you forever. That, of

course, is the only way I know how to love. After all, I'm

French.

Au revoir, Cherie.

Lestat*

Of course, I forgave him. I could forgive him anything. I saw Lestat several nights later, and when we parted it was as friends. I've seen him many times since, always in Louis's company. I've even caught them kissing on more than one occasion. Louis is, and always will be, the ultimate for Lestat. They'll always, no matter what Lestat does, come back to each other.

Lestat admitted to me, finally, that he'd intended me to fall in love with Armand. He believed that Daniel was a bad influence on Armand, and that I'd be a much better companion for "the little demon". He had even spoken to Armand, telling him what a wonderful companion I'd make.

"I believe she's the type of woman you could spend a century or two with." he told Armand. "You could, at least, talk with her."

Armand was intrigued and sought me out. Just as he had every night since. I loved him. I was sure of that, now. And I felt that, in his own way, Armand loved me, as well.

As a matter of fact, I had a rather frightening discussion with Daniel, no doubt you all remember him, about that very subject. I'd never met him. Had never cared to meet him. But, one evening, shortly after sunset, I returned home from dinner, to find him standing in my living room.

"Who are you?" I asked, slipping my hand into my pocket. I was, of course, carrying my gun. In case you are wondering, he'd recently fed and he looked incredibly human.

"Search your mind." he said. "I'm sure you know who I am."

I stared at him confused. Then it dawned on me. The violet eyes! I did know him. "Daniel."

He applauded as he smiled evilly. "As Lestat would say, Brava, Cherie!"

"What do you want?" I asked.

"I want you to stay away from Armand."

"You forget, he's the one who comes to me."

"I forget nothing." he sneered at me, his eyes glittering dangerously. "I can't begin to understand what he sees in you."

"Perhaps, it's simply that I listen to him." I said. "Or maybe it's because he knows that I love him for *who* he is, not for what he can give me."

His eyes narrowed for a moment, then he smiled that evil smile again. "You know? You seem extremely testy. Is the sexual frustration getting to be too much for you? Perfectly understandable. Your vampire lover isn't exactly capable of...loving...is he?"

"You vile bastard!" I said and before I could stop myself my hand flew up to slap him.

But Daniel only laughed. "Vile, she says! Sweetheart, you've been hanging around with the old ones for far too long. You're beginning to sound like them." He sauntered closer to me. When he spoke I could feel his breath on my face. "Why don't you leave Armand and let me take care of you. It's been over five-hundred-years since Armand had a woman. What can he possibly remember about pleasuring one? I, on the other hand, am very young. I remember everything."

"I'd rather die." I said.

"That could be arranged." he smiled. "Has he offered to work the dark trick on you?"

"No." I said. "It wouldn't matter if he did. I don't want to be immortal."

"Of course not. But, I wonder, how long will Armand stay with you once your beauty begins to fade?" he said sadistically. "I mean, I know he loves you. There's no doubt about that. But Armand can be fickle. When the gray takes over your lovely chestnut hair, and the wrinkles are no longer difficult to see, will he still be as enamored of you?" He turned and walked toward the front door. It swung open as he reached it. "Just something for you to consider." He said, without looking back, as the door closed behind him.

I did consider it. For days and days, I considered it. I finally decided that it didn't matter. If Armand did leave me because I grew old, then so be it. I'd rather have him a short time than not at all. Perhaps that sounds naive, but if you knew Armand the way I know him, you'd understand my logic. But, then, is there any logic to love?

It had been four months since Lestat had gone, and three since Armand had begun coming to me nightly. I awakened at five-fifteen and made my dinner, as usual. The smell of cooking meat made Armand's stomach churn. Therefore, I always ate my dinner well before sunset, and usually, I'd open the windows for a short time to allow the cooking smells to dissipate.

After washing the dishes, I went into the living room. As I entered, the sky, outside the huge bay window to my right, caught my attention. The sun was setting and the sky had become a lovely violet-blue color that brought to mind Lestat's eyes. In fact, everything about this particular sunset reminded me of Lestat's golden beauty.

I continued on, into the room and looked up at *the painting*, as it had become known. I picked up my book from the table, an interestingly erotic tale called *The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty*, and sat down on the sofa to read. A moment later, I looked out the window again. The sun had set. Soon, Armand would come to me. My heart quickened at the thought and I looked up at the painting. Armand had been a handsome child. The Dark Gift had only served to increase his beauty. Now he, like those in the painting, was himself a dark angel. I turned back to my book, my pulse racing at the thought that, soon, I'd see him again.

After a while I began to feel as if I were being watched. I looked up to find Armand gazing at me from across the room. He was so beautiful, standing there in the light, he took my breath away.

It was obvious that he'd fed before coming to me. His skin had taken on an almost human flush and I knew that, if I touched him, he would feel warm. Instead of cutting off his hair, as he'd done almost every night since I met him, he wore it the way I loved it: long and loose. He usually, no matter the season, wore black: black shirts, black pants, black shoes. Therefore, I was profoundly surprised when he took off his coat. He was wearing bright, vivid colors. He had chosen a green sweater, which set off his fair skin and auburn hair to perfection, and blue denim jeans. The only black he wore was his boots. He was gorgeous. And, oh, how I loved him.

"You can't." he said softly, a look of pain crossing his face.

"Why?" I asked confused. I'd thought of my love for him many times. He'd never responded in this way.

"Because, I can't love you." he told me, turning his back to me.

"Why can't you love me?"

"I should say that I won't allow myself to love you."

"Again, I ask you why."

He turned back to me, blood-tears standing in his eyes. "You and I have nothing in common." he said. I could see that this wasn't the true reason behind his denial of me. "You're alive, and I...I'm what I am."

"We're not so different." I told him. "Our stories are actually very similar. Would you like to hear my life story? It's, by no means as long as yours, but I believe you'll agree that we have much in common, after all." Armand crossed and sat down beside me on the sofa. He looked to me expectantly, so I began."I, like you, had a wonderful childhood. That is, until my parents were killed in an automobile accident when I was ten years old. I was put on a plane and shipped across the country. The eight foster homes I lived in were no better than brothels. I was easily accessible to anyone and everyone who wanted me. Finally, a woman came along who changed my life, much the same way Marius changed yours. Just as I was beginning to feel as if I had a purpose in life, she died of cancer." I paused here as Armand took my hand. "I was sent to a religious orphanage, where they began, for lack of a better word, to brainwash me. They told me that everything Janet had taught me, that I should put what had happened to me behind me and forget it as best I could, was wrong. I should fall down on my knees and repent. 'Confess your sins.' They told me, as if I'd asked to be molested over and over again, by people who were supposed to be my guardians. I finally did what they asked, to a certain extent. I went along with their beliefs, just as you went along with the coven. When I turned eighteen, they opened the doors and shoved me out, saying, 'There. There is life. Make of it what you will.'" I stood up and walked over to the fireplace. "They, eventually, contacted me with word that my parents had started a trust fund for me on the day I was born. It was worth over three million dollars. I collected my money and bought this house. It took three years to finish my education. And I have spent my *entire* life, trying to find someone to love me." I turned to face him. "So, you see, our stories aren't so different. The only real difference I see is that yours spans five-hundred-years. Mine only twenty-six." I smiled. "I believe you've had an advantage over me, though. With the exception of only one person, no one has ever loved me. Everyone you've ever had contact with has loved you."

"Lestat never loved me." he said.

"Oh, but he did." I said. "He loved you and he wanted you desperately." Armand laughed as he stood and moved to stand, with his back to me, at the window. "Have you ever read his books?" I asked. "*The Vampire Lestat*, in particular."

"I've read all his drivel." he snapped. "What does that have to do with it?"

"If you had read them, slowly, and with an open mind and heart, you'd understand him much better, I think." I told him.

"What is there to understand?" he shouted, rounding on me. His auburn hair seemed afire as it swung around his shoulders. His brown eyes flashed as they caught the firelight and reflected it back at me. He looked so young, so vulnerable. So beautiful. "Don't change the subject." he said hearing my thoughts. "Lestat and Gabrielle roared into my life and ripped it asunder."

"Just as the Children of Darkness had done centuries before." I told him. "And yet, you accepted them as they were. You didn't try to change what they stood for."

"I had no choice." Armand hissed.

"Of course, you did." I said. "Marius taught you to shield yourself. You could've escaped them. You could've found him. But instead you chose the embrace their ways and live as one of them."

"And Lestat destroyed all of it."

"Come on, Armand. You don't really believe that, do you?"

"Everything was as it had always been before..."

"Lie to yourself all you wish, Armand. But don't lie to me."

"What does that mean?"

"You know as well as I, that if the coven's beliefs had been strong, as they should have been, it would have taken more than two renegade vampires to destroy it." I moved to stand closer to him. "The seeds of discontent were sewn long before Lestat and Gabrielle came along. It was only a matter of time before your followers deserted you. Lestat had very little to do with it."

Armand was silent as he stared at the fire. He knew that I was right. He would not admit it. Still has not. But he knew.

"They destroyed me in other ways." he said softly. "I loved Lestat and he turned his back on me."

"You've never loved Lestat." I said. He turned to me, angry once again. "You admire him. You wish to be like him. But you don't love him." I paused a moment, wondering if I should go on. He was becoming increasingly more agitated. As I'm sure you can imagine an angry vampire is a dangerous creature, indeed. I decided to go on anyway. "Just as you didn't love Louis at the beginning." At this, he merely looked at me. At any moment, I expected to feel my heart explode, or my brain. Or perhaps I'd simply burst into flames. But, nothing happened. He only stared at me. "The only reason you wanted Louis was because you wanted to take something from Lestat. Something that you knew would destroy him, the way you felt he had destroyed you."

"I did love Louis." he said softly.

"Yes. Later." I said. "After he made it clear he wanted nothing more to do with Lestat. You discovered something in him you could love. But just as you wanted to be carefree like Lestat, you wanted to be human, as Louis is human."

"You're right." he said. "I wanted to be like them. That's why I asked Lestat and Gabrielle to take me with them, in the beginning."

"If they'd taken you along, Gabrielle would've left much sooner than she did." I told him. "And you'd have dragged Lestat right down into your despair with you." I went to him and took his face in my hands. "You must learn to live without the bitterness, if you expect someone else to live with you."

"Can you teach me how to live without bitterness?" he asked.

"If you will allow me to, I will try."

"I'm still afraid." he said, tears standing in his eyes.

"Of what, my love?"

"If I love you, how long will you stay?"

"Until I die, or until you no longer want me."

Armand looked into my eyes. I could feel him moving in my thoughts. *I love you, beautiful one. I will love you forever.* I told him silently.

Suddenly, his face was inches from mine. He'd never kissed me, yet, I knew, by the look in his eyes, that he was going to do so. And kiss me, he did. He caught me behind my neck and pulled me forward. His lips met mine tentatively and he pulled back as if burned. He looked into my eyes a moment as his hand caressed my cheek. He lowered his lips to mine. This time, he deepened the kiss, his tongue slipping into my mouth to fence with mine. He put his arms around me and, carefully, so as not to crush my brittle human body, pulled me against him.

My hands moved up his chest to clasp themselves around his neck. My head was swimming. The feel of his blood-warmed body, so hard and smooth, was driving me mad. I wanted him desperately.

"I want you, as well, my beauty." he told me softly, pulling back.

I looked into his eyes and could see that something was, still, very wrong. I pulled back so I could see him better. "Something still troubles you. What is it?" I asked.

"Daniel's gone." he said, his accent thickened by emotion.

"What?" I asked, unbelieving.

"He took his things and left." he replied.

I turned away. Daniel was gone. Was that good or was it bad? I couldn't believe that he had given up so easily.

*Why do I lose them all?* came Armand's voice in my head. I turned to see the blood-tears flowing down his white, anguished face. "They all leave me." he said, aloud.

I watched as he slipped to his knees. I moved over to him and knelt beside him, pulling him into my arms. He leaned against me, letting me hold his full weight. I didn't speak. I simply sat there, my arms around him, and let him cry.

"Are you all right?" I asked as his tears subsided.

He pulled away from me and sat up, keeping his eyes on the floor. He brushed his hair back from his face and sat with his elbows on his knees. I reached over to catch him under the chin. I raised his face and, with the cuff of my sleeve, wiped away the traces of his tears.

"I don't believe I'll ever get used to blood-tears." I said.

Armand smiled and reached out to touch a spot of blood on my shirt. I looked down at myself. It was all over me. Armand caught my face in his hands and leaned forward to kiss me tenderly. Before I realized it, he was standing and had pulled me, without my help, to my feet.

He looked me over then smiled. "It *is* all over you isn't it?" he asked. "It even, pardon the pun, bled through to your skin."

He was right. I could feel it drying on me. "I know. I think I'll go and shower." I smiled saucily. "Would you like to join me?"

"Did Lestat join you in your showers?" he asked, suddenly.

I could hear the bitterness in his voice. *Will you always feel that you have to compete with him?* I asked him silently. Then aloud: "If I wanted to be with Lestat I would be."

I turned to go to my bedroom. I felt him, when he passed me in the hallway, but feigned surprise when he appeared, as if from no where, in front of me. He smiled softly, knowing I was faking.

"I'm sorry." he said, making his accent thicker than usual. He knew that it affected me strongly. "I only meant to ask you why he joined you. He is no more capable of making love to you than I am. Or, did Akasha give him that power, as well?"

"No." I told him. "Lestat can't make love." I began to undress myself slowly. "He liked to read my thoughts as he bathed me. He enjoyed seeing what I was feeling." I watched his face, probing his mind. I picked up one thought: so beautiful. "Lestat also enjoyed it when I bathed him. He said he liked the feel of my hands and the images that ran through my mind."

Armand's eyes ran over my body as I removed the last of my clothing. "Is the invitation to join you still open?" he said softly.

I stepped over to him, caught the bottom of his sweater and pulled it over his head. My eyes didn't leave his as I unfastened his jeans and pushed them down over his trim hips. I knelt down to pull of his boots then tossed his jeans to lie with the sweater.

I led him into the bathroom and turned on the water in the shower. I stepped inside, pulling him with me, and picked up the soap. As I soaped his trim, hard body he closed his eyes. Reading his thoughts I found that he was focusing on the feel of my hands. I turned him around to get his back and found myself concentrating on his buttocks. Catching myself, I turned him around again and gasped as I glanced down at his genitals. The organ, THAT organ, was standing at full attention. Armand looked down at himself and the blood rushed to his face. I sensed that he was excited, embarrassed and shocked all at the same time.

"That never happened with Lestat." I said.

"It hasn't happened to me in nearly five-hundred years." he said.

"I thought vampires had no interest in sex."

"We don't. I suppose it was the images in your mind. They were rather...shall we say...erotic?"

He pulled me to him and covered my mouth with his. His white, preternatural hands slid over my wet body, catching my buttocks and molding my hips against him. I tangled my hands in his wet hair as our mouths devoured each other. He tore his mouth away, his lips traveling down my neck. He paused over the carotid artery, feeling my heightened pulse beneath his lips. I tensed, waiting. Suddenly, he set me away from him and reached back to turn off the water. He toweled dry then, pulling me from the shower, dried me, as well. He took my hand and led me back into the bedroom.

As we entered, he swept me up into his strong arms and carried me to the bed. He lay down beside me and pulled me into his arms. "There will be no intercourse between us." he said. I looked up at him, the silent question in my eyes. "I cry blood-tears. I sweat blood-sweat. If, through some miracle, my body were to respond as any human male's would...think on it, my beauty. You'll understand." he told me. I did. And he was right. "However, I have no intention of leaving you unsatisfied."

With that he moved over and covered my body with his. He kissed me deeply, then moved down to explore the rest of my body. I thought I was going to go insane. Every touch, every kiss, was like fire licking at me. I couldn't believe that he had been concerned about my memories of Lestat.

I looked down at him and caught his brief smile. Obviously, he'd heard my last thought and found it satisfying. *Yes, my love.* I projected the thought to him. *You have indeed wiped the Frenchman from my mind.* He raised his head and blessed me with a radiant smile. Then, as he lowered his head again, his lips captured one of my nipples. He sucked gently, sending chills up my spine, then moved to the other breast.

I moaned softly as Armand's still-warm hands caressed me. His fingers sought out my most tender regions and I cried out as he massaged the sensitive button. As my desire peaked, Armand raised his head and I felt his fang-teeth pierce my flesh. The stinging pain, coupled with the drawing of my pounding blood, only served to increase the intensity of my orgasm. Though I tried, I was unable to fight the darkness that rose to claim me as it ended.

I opened my eyes to find the bedside light shining softly. It was after 2:00 in the afternoon. Of course, Armand had left me at dawn, or so I thought. As I rolled onto my back, my arm touched something cold and hard. I looked over to see Armand still lying beside me. Slowly, I sat up and moved off the bed. I understood enough about vampire nature to know that I was lucky to be alive.

He was lying on his side, which meant that he had probably been sleeping soundly when the sun rose. I thanked my lucky stars that I slept like the dead, myself. Otherwise, I might have awakened, suddenly, to discover Armand's hand clasped around my throat. God knew, that was a grip I couldn't hope to break.

I moved quietly around to my closet. After getting my clothes, I stepped over to look at my immortal lover. I'd never seen a vampire in death-sleep. Lestat had always left me as the sun was peeking over the horizon. I was a little curious, and extremely afraid.

Looking down at Armand, I was struck by the way, in this state, he very much resembled the seventeen-year-old child he'd been when Marius brought him into the Savage Garden. For a moment, I felt guilt over what had passed between us the night before. I laughed at myself. He wasn't seventeen, I reminded myself. He was over five-hundred-years-old for goodness sake.

I reached over to touch his beautiful auburn hair where it lay on the pillow. It was soft and seemingly alive as it curled around my finger. I let it go and pulled the covers up over Armand's gleaming white shoulder. I watched him carefully, tensed for the sign of movement. There was none. I leaned down and kissed his hair, above his ear.

"I love you, beautiful one." I whispered, then turned and left the room. I'd tempted fate long enough. It thrilled me to know that he trusted me enough to let down his guard where the sunrise was concerned. It meant that he knew I'd protect him.

That evening, before Armand had risen, Lestat appeared on my doorstep. He was lonely for my company, he said. He wanted to talk with me. I could see that something was bothering him. I wasted no time trying to probe his mind. I'd seldom ever been able to do that with him.

"What's wrong, Lestat?" I asked.

"You know that Daniel has left, I suppose?" he asked me.

"Yes." I said. "Armand told me last night."

"He's very angry with you. Daniel, that is." Lestat said. He obviously feared for me. His usually animated face had settled into sheer concern.

"Lestat, has Daniel threatened me?" I asked, scared out of my wits. He looked away, tears brimming in his eyes. "Lestat, please."

"He has let everyone know that he's out to kill you." he said. "He says that you stole his life away from him when you took Armand. And so, he will steal yours from you." He stood and moved to stand closer to the fireplace. "I don't know if I'll be able to protect you. Armand taught him, very well, how to shield himself. I can't always find him."

"What of the old ones?" I asked. "Can none of them locate him?"

"Marius has tried. And Khayman, even Maharet. But they failed." He turned back to me, blood-tears on his face. "I'm so afraid for you."

I stood up and walked over to him. I reached up to brush the tears from his cheeks and he caught my hands in his. "If you're afraid, then I know that I'm in terrible danger." I said. "The almighty Lestat fears nothing."

"Please, Cherie. Come stay with Louis and me until we can find Daniel." he implored me.

"I can't, Lestat." I told him. "Besides, I have Armand to protect me."

"Armand can't sense Daniel." Lestat said angrily. "By the time Armand knew something was wrong, it would be too late."

"If I go with you, can you guarantee that Daniel won't get to me?" I asked.

"You know I can't." he said. "But you'd stand a better chance with Louis and I than you do with Armand."

I didn't know how to answer him. He was right. I'd be better off with him and Louis. But would Armand understand that? Would he think I just wanted to be with Lestat? Or even with Louis?

"I'll admit that is a valid point with Armand." Lestat said. "But I just want you safe. I'll make him understand that."

"You don't have to make me understand that." came a voice behind us. It was Armand. He had shielded himself from us and had been listening to our conversation. "Kelia, you should pack a few things to take with you, shouldn't you?"

I was being dismissed, and I didn't like it. However, he was right. The sooner I was with Louis and Lestat, the sooner he could begin searching for Daniel. I left the room and went to pack.

A few moments later, Armand came in. I stopped arranging my suitcase and stood looking at him. He stared at me for the longest timethen disappeared only to reappear again directly in front of me.

"I hate it when you do that." I smiled.

"I love you." he said softly. "And I'm sorry."

"You have no reason to be sorry." I told him. "You had no way of knowing he would do this."

He turned away from me and looked out the window. He seemed to be wrestling with some great problem. "I'll give you the Dark Gift." I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. He had sworn, after Daniel, that he would make no more vampires. "You'll be safe from him if you're one of us." He turned to face me, tears shining in his eyes. "I'd rather have you as *I* am, than lose you."

I walked over and put my arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around me and held me so tightly that, for a moment, I couldn't breathe. I pulled back to look up at him, brushing his hair back from his face. He was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

"I love you, my beautiful Amadeo." I said. "But I don't want immortality."

He looked so relieved I couldn't help but to laugh. He smiled back and leaned down to brush my lips with his. He let me go and closed my suitcase. He picked it up and held out his hand to me. I took it and he led me back to the living room.

Outside the door, he stopped and, after setting down the suitcase, took my hands. He raised them to his lips and gently nipped my knuckles with his teeth. "I love you, my beauty." he said.

"I love you." I told him.

Armand released my hands and took my face in his hands. He looked into my eyes a moment, telling me a million things, silently, that he could not say aloud. His lips met mine again, this time more passionately. "You make me feel alive, again." he said, releasing me. "Lestat." he called into the next room.

Lestat came into the hall and picked up my suitcase. "I promise you, mon ami, we'll protect her as best we can." he said to Armand.

"I know you will." Armand said. "I thank you."

Lestat took my arm and led me to the door. I turned back, once more, to look at Armand then closed the door behind me. I was surprised to see Louis standing outside.

"We thought it best if one of us stay out here to watch." he said.

"Shall we ride?" Lestat asked indicating the limousine parked at the curb. "Or would you like to fly?" His beautiful eyes were twinkling.

"Oh," I said. "I'd love to fly."

He handed Louis the suitcase and swept me into his powerful arms. Before I could blink we were high above Louis' head. He was looking up at us, smiling.

"Would you like to tour the city once again?" Lestat asked me. The wind had taken my breath away and I could only smile, but he knew the answer to his question. "Which way?"

"South." I said, finally able to breathe.

"South it is."

It was like a dream; flying miles above the city, clutching Lestat for dear life, it seemed. At times he would twirl around in mid-air. He would let go of me and I'd be forced to wrap my arms tightly around his neck, my face pressed against his soft hair, to keep from falling. He would laugh his sensuous laugh and hug me tightly. Finally, he kissed me, holding my head in his hand as his silky mouth moved against mine. I didn't mind but we continued on to his house in silence.

When we arrived, Lestat left me alone with Louis and went out again. Louis took me to a beautifully decorated room and told me to make myself comfortable. As he turned to go, I caught his arm and he allowed me to stop him.

"Louis." I said. I'd seen his thoughts clearly when we came in. He was upset at my being here. "I'm not here to take Lestat away again." I said.

"I know." Louis told me. "But I know how he feels about you. He still loves you. Who can help but love you?"

I caught the double meaning of his words, instantly. "Louis?"

"Yes." he said. "Even I am not impervious to your charms."

"Louis, I had no idea." I said, softly.

"I know." he smiled. "It was the one thing I managed to keep from you." He stepped closer and took my face in his hands. "It is true? You really do love that auburn-haired monster?"

"He isn't a monster." I said. "And, yes, I do."

Louis only smiled softly as he looked down at me, his thumbs caressing my cheeks. He said nothing. He stared directly into my eyes, I didn't look away. His thoughts were, once again, of my bravery. *I have no reason to fear you.* I thought.

Suddenly, Louis was behind me, his hands on my shoulders, lips pressed against my ear. "Do you think that because I'm beautiful I'd not kill you?"

"No, mon ami, I'm not so naive." I said, smiling. "It's been my experience that death has many faces. And ninety-nine percent of them are beautiful. That's why I've always been leery of beauty such as yours."

"And, yet, you're not afraid of me?" Louis asked.

"No, I'm not." I told him. "In spite of your past feeding habits, I don't believe you would harm me."

Louis's hands left my shoulders and he walked past me toward the door. "You're right." he said. "I wouldn't harm you for the world."

I smiled as he closed the door and began to unpack my things. I realized along the way that I'd forgotten certain items. When I finished unpacking, I went into the library. Louis was there, lost in thought. It dawned on me that he'd said, without actually saying so, that he loved me. I sat down, across the room from him, and began to read.

Occasionally, I glanced up at him. He was either staring into space or at me. He would simply smile and look away. Finally, I became engrossed in my book and forgot about him, entirely.

Suddenly, my book was pulled from my hand and I looked up to see Louis sitting on the arm of my chair. I hadn't even seen him move. He was smiling down at me, his green eyes full of mirth. Before I could speak, his hand came up to cup my cheek. His thumb caressed my lower lip and he bent to press his lips to mine. It was a sweet, gentle kiss, just the tip of his tongue against mine. He pulled back and smiled softly.

"I just wanted to know what I was missing." he said. He stood up, running his fingers through the hair at my temple and turned to go. When he reached the door he stopped and faced me. "I'm hungry." he said. "Lestat is in his room, so you will not be alone." He turned to go then faced me once again. "And, Kelia." he said. "You're right, again. I do love you."

The following evening, Armand came to see me. I couldn't help but to melt into his arms as he kissed me. I'd missed him so much. He told me that he'd been unable to find Daniel, but Daniel had been seen in the city. He stayed for a few hours then left to continue his search.

When Louis returned from his hunt that night, I asked him to accompany me to my house. He agreed to go and we left immediately. He stayed outside, watching, while I went in to pick up the things I needed.

I'd been in my bedroom perhaps five minutes when the door slammed shut. I turned to find Daniel standing there. He was sneering at me as if I were garbage stuck to his shoe.

"Well, well. Look who's here." he said. "All alone and helpless."

"I'm not alone." I said, trying to hide my fear.

"You might as well be, for all the help Louis will be." He took several steps toward me and, as a reflex, I backed away.

I was calling out to Louis in my mind even though I knew that Daniel was right. Louis would not hear me. He had never been very adept at that sort of thing. Before I realized what I meant to do, I screamed Louis's name as loudly as I could. Daniel became instantly angry. He hadn't anticipated me. He knew that Louis' preternatural hearing would pick up the call.

With lightning speed Daniel grabbed me. He ripped the collar of my shirt away then looked into my eyes. His eyes were clouded as if he were not thinking altogether clearly. He'd gone stark-staring mad.

"Maybe Louis will catch me." he said. "Maybe Lestat will destroy me. But, at least, I'll have my revenge."

With that he pushed my head to the side and sank his fang-teeth into my neck. I screamed, calling for Armand, Lestat, Louis, anyone. I struggled, but to no avail. I was becoming weaker by the second. There was a roaring in my ears and my eyes would not focus. My arms felt leaden, my legs gave way beneath me. Daniel cradled me in his arms, lapping at the gash in my neck. Then, I was lying on the floor.

I hadn't heard it but Louis had knocked down the door and, now, had Daniel by the throat. He, effortlessly, threw Daniel across the room. Daniel crashed against the wall, knocking out a huge piece of the sheet rock. He slumped to the floor, unmoving.

"Kelia!" Louis cried raising me to a sitting position.

"Bring Daniel." I whispered. I felt so thirsty I was sure my throat would burst if I spoke too loudly. I knew I didn't have much time.

"Kelia?" Louis said. "You don't mean to..."

"Louis, please." I begged. "Help me. I don't want to die. Not now."

He paused only a moment before propping me against the bed. He pulled Daniel's still form over to me. He looked at me a moment then made a gash in Daniel's wrist for me. I held Daniel's arm with both hands while Louis got a firm hold on him, just in case he came to. I raised Daniel's wrist to my mouth.

When the blood touched my tongue, I was enraptured. My thirst was quenched in a way that it never had been when I was human. Daniel began to struggle but Louis held him tightly and I sucked every drop of blood, Daniel's and mine, from him.

When it was done, I looked up at Daniel. He looked like something from a horror movie, nothing more than a skeleton with skin stretched over it. A movement to my left caught my eye. Lestat was standing in the doorway. He stepped closer and told me, silently, that Armand would be there soon. He saw that Louis was tiring from his struggle with Daniel and reached over to take hold of Daniel himself. Daniel stopped struggling immediately. He knew he had no hope of breaking Lestat's hold on him.

Armand arrived only a moment later. He stood staring down at me for the longest time then turned to tear Daniel from Lestat's grasp. He shoved Daniel out into the hallway and toward the living room. We heard nothing as we waited. Armand reappeared, alone, and moved over to me. Louis and Lestat left the room.

Armand continued to stare at me. After a moment he spoke. "Why?" he asked.

"I couldn't die without seeing you, again." I told him. "I wasn't ready to die, yet." I paused, searching his mind. "Do you hate me, now?"

He caught me to him and held my head against his chest. "Oh, my beauty." he said. "With a little luck, you and I will be together forever. I'm no longer alone. How could I hate you for that?" He kissed me tenderly. "I only wish you had let me do it last night. You should be stronger than is possible with Daniel for your maker. Daniel was weak in mind and body."

"If I had let you do it there would be a wall between us. I didn't want that." I told him. I wondered at his use of the past-tense in his referral to Daniel, but said nothing. It didn't matter. All I wanted was to go away with Armand and begin my eternal life. "This is of no consequence. I'll be fine with you by my side. We can worry about my strength later."

"No, we can't." Armand said. "Louis and Lestat will be leaving soon."

"What difference does...Lestat?" I was astounded. He wanted me to take Lestat's blood.

"You should be as strong as you possibly can be." Armand said. "Lestat is stronger than most of the old ones. No one really knows what his powers are."

"But, will Lestat do this?" I asked, wincing as a sharp, cutting pain tore through my stomach.

"It's the death." Armand told me. "It'll pass soon. You'll probably want to shower and clean up. I'll speak with Lestat."

I went into the bathroom and looked, immediately, into the mirror. I'd tied my hair back, earlier, and now loosened it. It fell, in a mass of chestnut curls, down over my shoulders. I could see it getting thicker as I watched. My eyes had become an almost transparent, emerald green; very much like Louis's. My naturally dark skin was only slightly lighter than it had been.

Another pain passed through me and I felt the waste leave my body. I removed my clothing, throwing it into the little trash container under the counter. I pulled the bag out and tied it closed. The smell, in the close, little room was making my stomach churn. I set the bag outside and closed the door.

After I showered and dressed, I stepped into my bedroom. Lestat was lying on the bed, his golden hair spilling over the pillow beneath his head. He sat up and opened his arms to me.

"Come to me." he whispered. "Let me make you the strongest of us all."

Without hesitation, I crossed to the bed and moved into his arms. His hands tangled in my hair as he fused our mouths together. His tongue moved against mine, silkily, as he lay back on the bed, pulling me down on top of him. When he turned me onto my back we were as close together as we possibly could be. One of my legs was between his, one of his between mine, and our arms were locked around each other. Lestat unbuttoned my shirt and moved the collar aside. Gently, he turned my head and kissed my neck. His fang-teeth grazed my skin and finally sank. I watched my hand grow thin and shrunken in the light. Lestat raised his head and I moved to my knees. I felt my face, fascinated by the bones and muscles I could feel plainly. Lestat was on his knees before me, waiting. I reached out and drew him to me. Moving his soft blond hair aside, I gashed his throat and eagerly licked at the flowing blood. I wrapped my arms around him and held him to me. As he weakened, I laid him back on the bed. He was mine. As I'd always wanted him. Mine.

When I'd drained him, he pulled me up and buried his teeth again in my throat. I shifted my position so that I could drink from him at the same time. *This* was rapture.

It went on for hours. Back and forth went the blood. I'd only just finished draining him when, suddenly, my body began to feel heavy. I couldn't keep my eyes open. I tried to move off him but Lestat locked his arms around me. "Sleep." he whispered kissing my forehead. I did.

And that, as they say, is that. The following evening I joined Armand and we went to Paris. That was three years ago. Armand and I are still companions. I still love him as I did when I was human. And he still loves me. In me he found the lover he had searched for over five-hundred-years for. One who would never desert him. And as Armand said before: I'm no longer alone. I've found my destiny in his arms.

As for Louis and Lestat, we see them often. Lestat bought the house and property next to mine. Of course there have been several changes made in my house since my death. Including a maze, deep beneath the house, which, when traveled correctly, leads to a door that no human could ever hope to move. Even Lestat and I struggle with it. This door leads to the chamber where the four of us, Armand, Lestat, Louis and myself, spend our days locked away from the world.

Am I as powerful and strong as Lestat? That has never been put to the test. Let us say, for now, that if it ever is, we shall both, Lestat and I, have our hands full.

You are, I'm sure, wondering about Daniel. I wondered, as well. I asked Armand about him, once, and he told me, "He'll no longer be a problem to us." I still don't know how this was accomplished. I don't care. I'm happy. We're all happy. Even Louis has managed to find some measure of happiness. He, like the rest of us, feeds only on the evil-doer, and has been known, on occasion, to brag about the viciousness of his victims. He reminds me more and more of our beloved brat prince.

And so, I end my tale. Until next time, be good little humans and don't make friends with the "boogie-man".

The Vampire Kelia

Summer, 1995