Sweet Revenge
Adonia, 1995
sequel to No Longer AloneThis 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.
This is my second spec, a follow-up to No Longer Alone. I think sequel is more the word for it. Some people complained that I was too hard on Daniel in the last one. If you didn't like what I did with him in that one, don't read this one. You definitely won't like it.
The sun has set. My love is at my side. And the friends of the "boogie-man" are ripe for the picking. Time to go a-hunting. Be careful, my little mortals. You wouldn't want to end up on the menu, now would you?Hello, mes amour. Kelia here. Back from the grave, so to speak.
It would seem that I was a little premature in writing my story, not quite two years ago. If I had only waited a few more months, I could have filled you in on what happened to Daniel. When I last left you, three years had passed since I had taken my blood back from him and become a vampire. I'll back up a little, from there, and tell you of my time, in Europe and Asia, with Armand.
The night following my making, Lestat and I met Armand and Louis, after we'd fed, at *Fangs*, a "vampire bar" similar to those Lestat mentioned in his book. We spent most of the night there. I watched, with my new vampire eyes, the antics of the mortals around me. I tried, in my mind, to describe what I saw when I looked at them. Louis was correct, however, when he said it was difficult to find the words to characterize the way humans look to us. They're like very fragile, colored-glass figurines to our eyes. Very beautiful, very delicate.
Armand and I left Louis and Lestat and returned to my house around 4 a.m. We sat in front of the fire, and he told me everything I should know about being a vampire. When he finished, he wrapped his powerful arms around me and held me in silence.
Finally, after what seemed an eternity, he spoke up. "I want to take you to Europe." he said. "I want to show you everything, from the beginning."
"My love." I said. "That's not necessary." I knew how difficult it was for him to think about his past. To actually come face to face with it could drive him so far into despair I might never reach him again.
"No, my beauty." Armand said raising my hand and placing a burning kiss on the inside of my wrist. "It's time I faced my life. And, with you at my side, I can do so without fear."
We left the following night. Our first stop was Russia, the southern steppes. We stood in the center of a huge wheat field and I listened as he spoke of the village he'd been born to life in. He talked of riding Tarpans across the steppes with his father, his eyes shining. With soft smiles, he told me tales of his childhood; things that he'd done to drive his mother wild with worry.
He remembered, clearly, where every yurt, every make-shift building, had stood. He remembered, clearly, where he had played with other children of the village. And he remembered, clearly, where his parents had been slaughtered, where their bodies had lain the last time he'd seen them. He'd broken down, talking of them, his blood-tears staining the snow at his feet.
Armand described to me, in detail, the trip from his homeland to Constantinople, Istanbul for those who may not know their ancient history. He told me of his purchase, by the Venetians, and the ship that took him to Italy, our next stop. He showed me the place where the brothel had stood, describing it as if he were actually standing in the rooms of the building. He even spoke of the many tortures he had endured, in the name of pleasuring his patrons. He told me of the things he'd found pleasurable, actually blushing as he spoke, and of the guilt afterward.
He told me of Marius, and took me to the hillside where upon the Palazzo had stood. Parts of the building were still intact and I watched as Armand wandered around it. He didn't speak, but his mind was filled with images. Images of Marius, of his fellow apprentices, and finally, of fire and disaster, and the Children of Darkness as he was carried away, once again, from everything he knew and loved.
From Venice we went to Rome. He showed me the catacombs where he had first set eyes on Santino. He told me the history of vampires that had been passed on to him at that time. He took me to Spain and to Germany and, finally, France. Ah, Paris!
It wasn't difficult, even after two hundred years, to find the entrance to the sepulcher that led to the catacombs where he had been "living" when it all fell apart around him. A brick wall had been erected, who knew what superstition had been the incentive for that minor impediment, but it was a brittle creation with little strength. We were able, with minimal force, to break down the wall and to find the stairs behind it. As we walked down the earthen steps that led to the catacombs below, I was able to detect a faint scent of decay. When we reached the bottom, it had grown only slightly worse.
It was pitch black in the cavern. Armand left me for a moment and, within seconds, a torch flared to life in his hand. I looked around me, able, now, to pick out the bones and skulls of humans that littered the floors all around me. And, there, on the walls, skeletons swathed in rags that crumbled from the lightest touch of air. I was revolted by the sight and wondered how Armand, who couldn't stand to be near his victims longer than was necessary to dispose of their bodies, had lived with this for centuries.
I turned to look at him and found him sitting on the last step leading into the cavern. He was looking around him, obviously nauseated by what he saw. I moved over to him and he reached up to take my hand.
"Oh, my love." he said. "Why didn't I see that it was all wrong?"
"I don't know, beloved." I told him, brushing dust from his hair.
"How could I force them to live with this when it revolted me so?"
"It's over, Armand. Those who survived, then, moved on. They made lives for themselves and they lived them."
"And they're all gone, now."
"That's no fault of yours." I told him. "That was Akasha's doing."
"If you'd been with us, then, would you have stayed here?" he asked.
"Yes." I said, without hesitation. "I would stay in Hell, itself, to be with you."
Armand stood and pulled me into his arms. He kissed me, tenderly, and, without a word, extinguished the torch and started up the steps. When we reached the top of the steps and passed through the sepulcher back into the open air, I breathed deeply to rid my lungs of the fetid air of the catacomb.
From there, he took me to the street where the Theatre des Vampires had been. Then he showed me where he had first seen Louis. He even spoke of Claudia. I was surprised by the regret I heard in his voice. "I should never have destroyed her." he said. "In destroying her, I destroyed everything I loved in Louis. I almost destroyed him." It was the first time he'd ever spoken of her to me.
He took me, next, to the house he had built, with the money Lestat had given him, at the foot of Magnus's tower. The property was still in his name and was vacant. We went inside and I stood, waiting while Armand moved to a bookshelf built against a wall in the living room. He reached up and pulled one of the books from the top shelf causing a great puff of dust to rise into the air. He brought it to me and laid it in my hands. I opened it, surprised to find that the center of a number of the pages had been carefully cut out, creating a hiding place of sorts.
Inside were several things: a letter written by Louis, a ring bearing the initials L.D., a gold button (obviously from a frock coat), a rosary, and a small gold bracelet that could only have fit a child. It was, of course, the bracelet that caught my attention. It was a lovely thing; a simple gold chain with an engraved plate that would lie across the top of the wrist. It was lying on my palm, back-side up. One word appeared there...Beloved. I turned it over and a lump rose in my throat as I read the name...Claudia.
I looked to Armand. "Why did you keep this?"
"To punish myself." he replied. "After I left Louis, I came here. I would sit and stare at that thing for hours, reminding myself that it was my own fault."
"Oh, Armand." I said.
I was still holding the bracelet in my hand when he reached to take the book. I started to replace it but he stopped me. "No." he said softly. "Keep it. I want you to give it to Louis. I owe him that."
He replaced the book and we left. Dawn was nearing and Armand's eyes were beginning to glaze over. We found an abandoned house and spent the day under it's floorboards.
I discovered many new things about myself in those first days. One of those things being that, like Lestat, I rise a full hour before most of my fellow vampires, including Armand. I can only assume that this is due to the infusion of Lestat's powerful blood so soon after my making.
Usually when I rise, unless Armand requests, the night before, that I wait for him, I go and hunt, feeding only on the evil-doer; murderers and rapists, mostly. When I return, I sit beside him and watch Armand in his death-sleep. I wait for that one deep breath that tells me he's well on his way to rising. When I hear that breath I open my arms, he sits up, directly into them, and I hold him until he's fully conscious.
There are times when he melts against me. His body, strengthened by darkness, is weakened by my touch. It is in these moments that I am made aware that, although he is the elder of us, it is I who am the stronger.
Six months after our arrival in Paris, Louis and Lestat joined us. I'd never been to Paris, so Lestat insisted that they show me everything. They took me to the top of the Eiffel Tower and pointed out the Grand Palais, the Hotel des Invalides where Napoleon's Tomb is housed, the Champ de Mars and the Palais de Chaillot. It was all so beautiful. They took me to the Louvre, to Notre Dame, the Place de la Concorde with it's Egyptian Obelisk from Luxor. I saw the Ile de la Cite, from one end to the other. Of all the places they dragged me to, though, my favorite, by far, was the Paris Opera. I simply adore that amazing staircase.
We were wonderful fiends, the four of us. We went to operas, ballets, to the theater. Once, we even attended a dress-ball to celebrate the two-hundredth anniversary of the opening of some company or another. Everyone was asked to wear eighteenth century clothing, in honor of the founding date, 1796. Louis and Lestat, of course, were thrilled.
The night of the ball found me dressed in an apple green velvet creation, dripping with lace. Louis had picked out the gown at my request. After all, he is more aquainted with eighteenth century fashions than I am. When I came downstairs, Louis, Lestat and Armand were sitting around the room in their gold buckled, black shoes, hose, knee-breeches and ruffled shirts. They all exclaimed over the gown, especially Lestat, then picked up their frock coats and finished dressing. Louis wore red velvet, Lestat, blue silk and Armand, green satin. All three had tied their hair back with ribbons that matched their coats. They were simply gorgeous.
We were careful to arrive after dinner had been served. The dancing had begun and I, who love to dance, never missed one. I had three partners ready to go at all times. I was having a wonderful time...most of the time.
The sights and scents of all those humans crowded into one room, overwhelmed me at times, and it took all my strength to force myself out into the fresh air to clear my head. On one occasion, as I stood breathing deeply of the cool crisp air, I was joined by a human man. He was a beautiful devil, one of my favorite kind; a particularly violent rapist who had killed seven women. I was tempted, even though I had fed before arriving, to lure him into the bushes and drain away his life, before he realized what was happening. Armand came to the man's rescue, courteously excusing himself as he took my hand and led me back inside.
It was shortly after this that Lestat came to tell us that he and Louis were leaving. Louis hadn't fed yet and was going slightly mad. Armand was ready to leave, as well (he hated the silk cravat knotted at his throat to the point of distraction), so we went with them. We stayed with Louis until he sensed his prey, then waited for him to return to us. Louis doesn't like to be watched when he kills. But then, you know that, don't you?
I'd like to make a side-note here. It might interest you to know that I did have my beautiful devil. I found him plotting to take a young girl of seventeen and, literally, ripped his...appendage...off. After all, I believe we are God's justice on Earth, remember?
We stayed in Paris for just over a year , then began to travel (we spent nearly another year doing so) throughout Europe. From Italy to Spain, Morocco to Egypt, I saw it all. My favorite places were Italy's white marble gothic cathedral, in Milan, and the Temple of Amen Ra, in Egypt. Lestat, Louis and Armand had, of course, seen it all before. For me, though, it was all new and they wondered at my wonder. We'd been in Egypt three months when, finally, one night, we'd all agreed that it was time to return to the States. We planned to leave the next evening. I told them that before we left I wanted to see the sphinxes again.
"You know?" Louis said, watching me dance across the heads of the small sphinxes in the Avenue of Sphinxes. "I can't wait to get back. I like variety in my diet, but I'm getting burnt out on all these exotic dishes. I wish we could leave tonight."
Only I caught Lestat's mischevious grin. He looked at me and reading his thoughts, I saw what he meant to do. *I'm game.* I told him silently. We moved on to the largest of the sphinxes and, holding Armand's hand we jumped up to stand on the head of the Great Sphinx, itself.
Lestat, suddenly, pulled Louis into his arms. He looked to me, his eyes twinkling, and smiled. "Can you keep up with me?" he asked.
I pulled Armand to me and smiled back. "Try me."
He soared upward and I followed effortlessly. We headed west, stopping in Morocco to feed. When we resumed our traveling, Lestat tried to push me but I stayed right by his side all the way.
Holding Armand's warm body in my arms, feeling his lips against my neck now and then, was incredibly erotic. After a few more moments of his teasing I raised him up and brought my lips to his. His tongue pushed into my mouth sending my heart into a frenzied rhythm. He clung to me as I released him, catching his face in my hands.
"I love you." he whispered against my lips.
I pulled back, looking deep into his beautiful brown eyes. "And I love you."
He smiled softly and I hugged him to me. His face was pressed against my neck and suddenly, his fang-teeth sank into my throat. I waited a moment, enjoying the feel of his tongue licking my skin, then sank my own teeth into his throat. Now, we were drawing upon each other, exchanging blood. *This* was carnal. *This* was ecstasy.
You must be wondering, at this point, why I was carrying Armand. The answer is simple; Armand can't *fly*. He is capable, however, of jumping great distances, which gives the appearance of flight.
We arrived in New York shortly before 5 a.m. and sat talking until dawn. Although it wasn't necessary for Lestat or I to retire so early, we went to our crypts when Louis and Armand did. I was exhausted and fell asleep (yes, we do that) before the sun rose.
A few days later, Lestat bought the house next to mine and we began construction on the maze and crypt beneath and between the two houses. We did the work ourselves. With our combined strength, the four of us were able to do the work of two bulldozers. It took three nights to finish the chambers and to find a door for the crypt.
It was shortly after the completion of the crypt that I wrote my story. At that point we were all very happy. However, it wasn't to last. For three years we had been joyful, carefree demons, living and loving on the edge of ecstacy. Then it all went to pieces. Daniel came back to haunt us.
Daniel waited to catch Armand alone, then made his presence known. He apologized profoundly, saying that he'd had every intention of making me a vampire so that Armand would never have to worry about my dying in some accident or another. He'd done what he had for Armand. Of course, Armand fell for it hook, line and sinker as the saying goes. For several nights, Armand kept his discovery of Daniel from me. Finally, one night, I had risen and gone to hunt. It had taken longer than I'd expected to find a victim so, when I returned Armand was already gone. When he returned, however, he wasn't alone. Daniel was with him.
Oh, Daniel made a great pretense of apologizing to me over and over again, but, I knew. I could see it in his eyes when he looked at me. The anger, the hatred, was all still there.
Poor Armand. So naive. So foolish. But, who can blame him? True love is never an easy thing to forget. Believe me. I know that from experience now. Well...
Weeks went by and, finally, I caught Daniel when Armand wasn't around. "Why are you here?" I asked him.
"I came to make peace." he replied, sounding as if he were hugging some happy secret to himself.
"Liar." I said. "You're not here to make peace. You're here to cause trouble."
"Nonsense. Now why would I do that?"
"Because you still hate me for taking Armand from you."
"This is true. I do hate you. And, yes, I do want revenge. But, for now, I'll just bide my time. I'll have my revenge when you least expect it."
I went next door, to talk to Lestat. I found him in the library watching Louis as he sat reading. Louis sensing that I was upset, excused himself, saying that he was hungry. He left and I immediately told Lestat what Daniel had said.
"He can't hurt you." he told me.
"Oh, I realize that." I said. "I know that I could rip him to pieces, without even thinking about it." I moved across the room to stand by the fireplace. But, even the heat of the fire couldn't thaw the cold spot that had formed in my stomach at Daniel's words. "It's not me that I'm concerned about. It's Armand. He's falling for this...this...game that Daniel's playing. I don't know what to do to stop it."
"Have you tried telling Armand how you feel?" Lestat asked me.
"No. I don't think he'd listen to me if I did."
"You should try. At least try."
I thanked him for his advice and I went home. Armand was there, alone. Daniel was nowhere to be seen.
"Hello, my love." Armand said as I entered the house. "Come and sit down. I need to speak with you."
"I need to speak with you, as well, my beloved."
I went into the living room and sat down beside him on the sofa. He reached over and took my hand, raising it to his lips to kiss it. "I need to ask you something." he said. "Would it be possible for Daniel to move in here with us?"
I was flabbergasted. I sat, staring at him, trying to speak. I felt as if my mouth were full of cotton. Finally, the lump in my throat broke and I was able to draw a breath.
"Are you mad?" I asked him. The laughter in his eyes died to be replaced with confusion and even a little anger. "How can you ask this of me after what he did?"
"He has apologized for that."
"He has *said* that he's sorry. I don't believe he means it."
"Oh, please! Don't start this, Kelia."
"Armand. Don't be so blind. If he were able, he would destroy me. He tried once, remember?"
"Of course, I remember." he said. "I almost destroyed him that night."
"I wish you had." I told him as I stood and moved to look out the window.
He followed me, coming up behind me, placing his hands on my hips and pulling me back against him. His arms came around my waist as he kissed the side of my neck. "Can't you just try to get along with him?"
"No." I said. "He won't allow me to get along with him."
"More than likely, it's you who won't allow it." Armand said as he released me. "He has tried to make peace with you."
"You can't see into his mind anymore than I can." I said. "How do you know that he truly means to make peace with me?"
"How do you know that he doesn't?" Armand asked angrily.
"I can see it in his eyes."
"And, what do you see?"
"Anger, hatred and fear." I said. "He's here to destroy us. And then he'll be gone again. He hasn't forgotten that it was I who took you from him."
"He has forgiven that." Armand said, waving his hand dismissively.
"And I'm telling you that he hasn't!" I cried.
He stared at me a moment, his face softening. Now it was almost blank. I had never seen him this way before and a feeling of trepidation came into my heart. "And I'm telling you that he is moving in here with us."
"This is still *my* house." I said, raising my chin slightly.
"Are you saying you won't allow him here?" Armand asked.
"If I am?"
He stepped closer to me and looked into my eyes. His brown eyes were filled with resolve. *If he can't come, then I can't stay.* came his silent reply.
My world had begun to crumble around me. "You would leave me because of him? But he will only leave you again."
"Stop saying that!" he cried turning his back to me.
"It's true. You know it's true." I told him. "He's only here to come between us."
"Do you think everything about you?" he asked, his accent sharp with his anger.
"In Daniel's case, yes." I said. "He's here to get even with me for taking you from him."
"I don't believe that." he said.
"Then you are a fool."
Suddenly, I was flying backwards across the room. I struck the wall and slipped to the floor, in shock. I looked at Armand. He was still standing exactly where he'd been. His face was distorted with anger. I saw, for the first time, his beautiful face close in on itself the way Lestat described in his book. I saw hatred in his eyes.
"You needn't worry about Daniel, or me, any longer." he said.
In the blink of an eye, he was gone and I was left, sitting on the floor, staring up at the painting above the fireplace. My beautiful Amadeo, my Armand was gone. Daniel had succeeded. I stood up, fingering my cheek gently. The bone was broken but I could feel it healing beneath my fingertips. I started to cross the room, stopping to lean against a table as a wave of dizziness overcame me.
He's gone! The thought slammed into my brain. "No!" I cried gripping the table until it shattered in my hands. I went down on my knees amid the rubble. "No."
I don't know how long I sat there, blood-tears running down my face, my heart breaking. I seem to remember hearing the grandfather clock in the hall strike 6:00. It was shortly after this that I felt someone's arms come around me. I looked up and there was Louis.
"Kelia." he said softly.
"He's gone, Louis." I told him.
"I know. Lestat told me. He saw it all...through Daniel."
Daniel! He'd been here! He'd seen all his plotting come together and destroy me.
I was suddenly aware of a cracking sound filling my ears. I looked down to find myself, literally, crushing Louis's arm. I jerked my hand away and looked up at him. He was smiling!
"It's all right." he said. "I'll heal."
I noticed a fine sheen of blood-sweat on his forehead. At first I thought it was because of the pain of my breaking his arm and then I realized that it wasn't. There was something more. His eyes were glazed and he seemed distracted. It suddenly dawned on me that *dawn* had come. The sun was rising. Louis was in great danger. He had risked his life to come to me. I had to get him to safety.
I stood up quickly, knocking him down in the process. I held out my hand to him. "Come, Louis." I said. He took my hand and I pulled him to his feet. I led him to the cellar and into the maze. His legs gave out as we were nearing the crypt. Without thinking, I swept him up and carried him the rest of the way. Once he was safely tucked into the bed that he shared with Lestat, I moved to sit on the one I shared with Armand. And, I began to cry.
Before I go on, I'd like to explain the "beds". We don't use coffins. The safety provided us by the twists and turns of the maze and the massive door to the crypt, makes it unnecessary (You'll remember I told you before that Lestat and I struggle with that door. No human could possibly open it. Neither Louis, even now, nor Armand, can open it alone.). We sleep, as humans sleep, in comfortable beds. Now, to continue.
I had been there for at least thirty minutes when Lestat came flying, literally flying, into the room. When he saw Louis lying safely in his bed he stopped, taking a deep breath, and the look of concern left his face. I saw, in his mind, that he'd come down once before, shortly after the sun started to rise. Finding that Louis wasn't there, he had become concerned. He'd gone to my house but we weren't there so he'd decided to check the crypt again. Now, he was able to relax.
It was then that he noticed me, sitting on the bed. He came over and sat down beside me pulling me into his powerful arms. "I'm so sorry, Cherie." he said softly. I began to cry harder. He cradled my head against his chest. "Just cry." he said. "It's all right. Just cry."
I was finally able to get myself under control and stop crying. However, my mind was a jumble of images. Lestat must have been seeing my thoughts because it was at this point that he started to sing softly. Lestat has a beautiful voice. Soothing, gentle...when he wants it to be. This was one of those times.
As he sang, my mind began to clear. Finally, I was left with only one thought. I couldn't stand the idea of resting in that bed without Armand. Lestat stood and picked me up. He carried me over to his and Louis's bed and laid me down next to Louis. He lay down beside me, on his side, and pulled me into his arms. As on the night of my making, he whispered softly, "Sleep," and I did.
When I awoke the next evening, it was with full knowledge of what had passed the night before. I wanted to cry again, but fought it. The only thing I really wanted was to go away; Leave Daniel, his schemes and my foolish Armand behind for a while.
Lestat was sitting up on the side of the bed. "Perhaps that's a good idea." he said. "Perhaps you should go away for awhile. And, you should take Louis with you."
I was stunned. "Why?"
"Because it's time for us to part again." he said. "We've had four very happy years together this time, but things are starting to feel strained again. When that happens, it's only a matter of time before he leaves. Perhaps if we take a vacation from each other for awhile, we can avoid the ugliness that usually accompanies our partings."
"What will Louis say to this?" I asked.
"Louis can be reasonable, when he wants to be. I'm sure he'll understand and agree." he said. "But, for now, I'm starving."
"So am I." I said.
Lestat stood up beside the bed and bowed elegantly, then offered me his arm. "Shall we go, m'lady?"
"Yes, let's." I said. Leave it to Lestat to make me smile. He always can, you know.
When we returned I went back to my house and started to pack, while Lestat went to let Louis out of the crypt. A few moments later, Louis came in.
"So, where are we going?" he asked.
"I don't know." I replied. "Where would you like to go?"
"I think," he said. "I think I would like to see Greece."
"Greece, it is."
I picked up the phone and called to inform the pilot of our private plane of our plans. Louis went to pack a few things. When he returned Lestat was with him. I told Louis that whenever he was ready we could go. He took our bags out to the limousine, which was always at the ready, while I said good-bye to Lestat.
"Take care of yourself." he said.
"I'm a vampire, immortal." I grinned. "What could possibly happen if I don't?"
Lestat smiled and stepped over to me. He caught my face in his hands and kissed me. The gentleness of that kiss made me feel like crying again.
"None of that." Lestat whispered. "You've done enough of that to last a lifetime."
"It feels as if it's been a lifetime." I reached up to tangle my hand in his blonde hair and yanked it affectionately. "I'll be fine."
Lestat untangled my hand and kissed the palm. "I know you will." he said. "I'll let Armand know that you've gone."
"Tell him that he...and Daniel can use the house for as long as they wish."
"So generous." Lestat said. "So humanly generous."
"I don't know when I'll be back." I noticed a slight look of pain crossing his face. "Louis is free to return to you whenever he wishes. I won't keep you apart."
Lestat smiled and hugged me tightly. Louis came in and with one last look at Lestat I left them alone to say good-bye. I went out of the house, closing the door behind me.
As I climbed into the limousine, I could have sworn that I saw Armand near the side of the house. I laughed at myself. *Wishful thinking.* I thought. *Merely wishful thinking."
Louis joined me and we rode to the airport in silence. We boarded the plane and took off for Greece. I sat there staring out the window, Louis sitting beside me holding my hand, feeling as if I had been completely cut off from the world. I was leaving everything I knew and loved behind.
"This is what Armand must have felt when he was taken from his home, and then again from Marius." I said softly. Louis didn't speak, he simply squeezed my hand.
We sat in silence a few moments and I, once again, began to weep. Louis moved over so that his chest was against my back and held me tightly. I leaned my head back on his shoulder and continued to cry. I cried until I fell asleep.
When I awoke, I was lying down with my head resting in Louis's lap. He was looking over his shoulder and out the window. Sensing that I was awake he looked down at me. "Feel better?" he asked softly.
"No." I said. "I still feel like crying." As I spoke, yet another blood-tear rolled from the corner of my eye. "I just wish I could forget for awhile."
Louis reached out and, with the back of his finger, caught the tear as it ran back toward my hair. I watched as he raised the finger to his lips. When he moved his hand, the drop was in the center of his lower lip. It was so...sexy. He wrapped his arms around me, raising me up to meet his mouth. Just before his lips touched mine, he whispered, "Forget." The kiss, as it had been that one time before, was very gentle, very sweet; Just the tip of his tongue against mine. After a moment he pulled back and looked down into my face. "I want you."
And, oh, how I wanted him. I won't deny that. I wanted him desperately. But I couldn't. I simply couldn't. "No!" I cried pushing him away. I stood up quickly and moved to the other side of the plane.
"Kelia..?" Louis began.
"Louis." I said. "I won't allow myself to use you this way."
"Use me. Please."
I turned around, half expecting to find Lestat sitting there. It was such a...Lestat-esque thing to say. I smiled softly. He was so beautiful! I wanted to fly back into his arms and let him drink me dry. But I just couldn't do it.
"I love you, Louis." I said. "In my own way I have always loved you. And a secret part of me has always wanted you. But I can't use you to forget my pain. It's not fair. I wanted you to come with me to keep me company. Not so that I could vent my frustrations upon you."
"I know that." He stood and walked over to me. He reached out to take my hand and pulled me to him. "But, I love you." he said. "I have always loved you."
I looked up at him and as I stood staring into his eyes, I heard his voice in my mind. *Let me take away the pain. If only for a little while.*
The look in his eyes, so beseeching, so willing, was just too much. I reached up to catch him behind his neck and pulled him down to me. Our lips met and he crushed me to him. If I had been human he would have killed me in that embrace. But I relished it. I needed it.
He picked me up and carried me over to the sofa. He laid me down and stretched out beside me, wedging his cold, hard body against mine. Our legs entwined and he began to kiss me again, so sweetly.
Oh, he must have been something when he was human. An incredible lover. He was making me feel like a giddy school-girl and here I am a...well...you know what I am. He was magnificent.
He moved down, just slightly, so that his face was level with my throat. His head rested on my shoulder as he moved my collar aside. He kissed tenderly along the artery then his teeth sank. Rapture! He crushed me against him. My fingers twined in his dark hair. So soft. So black against my fingertips. I held his face against my throat.
Finally, I could stand it no longer. I shifted my body so that I could reach him and drove my fangs into his neck. His blood was like his kisses...sweet and warm. His mouth left my throat and he gasped as I drew harder on him. I pulled back from him and we looked at each other a moment before he kissed me once more.
I was tired, exhausted, from all the weeping and the exertion of the past few moments (Draining a vampire takes a lot out of you.). I unbuttoned Louis's shirt and lay my cheek against his bare chest. He smiled softly and kissed my hair.
I lay there, thinking, as Louis dozed. I had only just left my beloved and here I was, lying in Louis's arms after having shared the most sexual experience vampires can share. I had used him shamelessly.
*There's a name for women like you.* a tiny voice in my head kept saying.
*Yes.* my vampire nature argued. *But does that name really apply? After all, the word "woman" describes a human female and while I remain female, I am no longer human.*
*Be it killer or whore, you are what you are.* the voice said.
"That's your remaining humanity talking." Louis said suddenly. I had been so lost in my thoughts I hadn't realized he'd awakened. "You are not a whore, by any means." He sat up and moved down so that I could sit up beside him. "You love Armand. I know this. I've always accepted that you will always love someone other than me."
I heard, in my head, my own words echo back to me in Louis's voice: "I need strength. Strength that Louis doesn't have." I was floored. How did he know about that?
"Lestat told me." Louis said softly. "I was, as he put it, pining over you. He felt that I would stop if I knew how you really felt."
"Louis..."
"No. It's all right. He was right. He's always right." He looked to me with a huge smile, his fang-teeth twinkling as they caught the light. "If you tell him I said that I will never forgive you. I would never live it down. And for us 'never' is a very long time." I laughed, knowing he was right. When I looked at him again, there were tears in his eyes. "We used each other." he said. "You used me to forget the pain caused by Armand. I used you to forget the pain caused by Lestat."
"I don't understand." I said. "I thought you and Lestat were getting along fine."
"I thought so, too, and then he came to me tonight and told me that he wanted me to go away with you." I didn't know what to say. I thought he'd come because he'd wanted to. Now he was telling me that he'd only come because Lestat had told him to. "No." Louis said. "Don't misunderstand. I would have come with you anyway. But to have Lestat send me away...well, it hurt."
"Lestat didn't tell you why he wanted you to go?" I asked.
"No."
"Oh, Lestat and his damnable pride!"
"What?"
"Lestat told me that things had become strained between you again. Is that true?"
"We have been sniping at each other more frequently lately."
"He said that when that happens it's only a matter of time before you leave him. He wanted to avoid that, this time. He thought that if you took a vacation from him for awhile, perhaps things might not get ugly." I told him. "He wasn't really sending you away. He just didn't want to lose you like he has in the past."
Louis was silent, his eyes focused on the floor. He began to smile and then to chuckle. "He was right, again." he said. He raised his head and looked over at me. His eyes were filled with joy. "And to think, in my anger at him, I fulfilled my fondest dream."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I shared 'the drink' with you." He replied, his voice seductive. I looked up at him, reading the lust on his face for what it was. My guilt was gone, my vampire nature having won out, and I allowed my own lust to show. He looked into my eyes, so like his own, and smiled. "I think Greece is going to prove very interesting."
When we arrived in Greece we immediately set about finding a place to live while we were there. I must admit that it was difficult keeping my mind on what I was doing. We were *flying* here and there, me holding Louis in my arms, checking out various secluded houses on the many islands that make up Greece. Having Louis so close to me, smelling his cologne, feeling his hair against my cheek, was very distracting.
Finally, we found the perfect place. It was on a tiny unnamed island in the middle of the Aegean Sea, approximately 100 miles off-shore from everything around it; Athens, Sparta, Crete, Rhodes and the eastern coast of Turkey. The house was small, unobtrusive, but well-kept. And, it was vacant.
The following evening, after spending the day under the floorboards of a nearby gardeners' shed, I traveled to Athens to inquire about the house. It was available to rent, and so I had the Realtor draw up a lease. I explained that I didn't know how long I would be staying and he agreed to an open-ended lease, which allowed Louis and I to stay as long as we wished for the same rent.
I was amazed, as I stood talking with the real-estate agent, a friendly, fat, exuberant man named Stephano Pappadolphullus, to find that I spoke very fluent Greek. I am always amazed at my ability to speak foreign languages (I flunked out of my college French course, but I am able, now, to carry on a conversation with Lestat as if I, myself, had been born in France.). I seem to pick them up immediately.
Upon concluding my business with the Realtor, I bought a boat (It would look strange if Louis and I kept appearing on the mainland without one.), a beautiful black racer with a streak of silver lightning down each side, and returned to the island. The path from the boat dock was grown over so I willed myself above it and to the house.
Louis was waiting, outside, on the front porch, looking at the stars, when I arrived. "I'm hungry." he said.
"So am I." I told him.
He went inside and picked up his jacket. He quickly put it on and came to me. I put my arms around him and willed us into the air. Louis caught my face in his hands and kissed me tenderly.
"If you don't stop," I said. "I'm liable to forget what I'm doing and drop you."
He only smiled in response and tightened his arms around my neck. He pressed his cheek to mine and together we made our way to the boat. Louis loved it, exclaiming, as any human male would, over the design.
We hunted the docks for our victims. They weren't difficult to find. I watched, both shocked and amazed, as Louis homed in on his prey, a young man of perhaps twenty. The man looked at Louis and began to weep. "Thanatos gliko." he whispered. The words meant "sweet death". He came to Louis and put his arms tightly around him. Louis stroked his hair and took his face in his hands. He kissed him and said, "I love you." Within seconds, the young man was dead.
I was stunned, to say the least. As far as I knew, no one had ever seen Louis kill, and yet, he had done it now, in front of me, as if he were showing off. Somehow, I had never expected Louis to be so gentle. I'd expected "Gentleman Death", as Lestat had called him; kill swiftly, painlessly, wordlessly.
I stared at Louis, awed. "Don't look at me like that." he said. "I don't do that in front of just anyone, you know."
I found my victim easily, a gorgeous ruffian who fought me to the end. My favorite kind of kill! I suppose I'm kin to Lestat in that aspect of vampire life. I love it when they fight me; it's much sweeter, for some reason.
Louis had enjoyed it, as well; watching me subdue the man and drain him. When it was done he came to me and pulled my roughly into his arms. His mouth found mine and moved against it almost savagely. When we parted, he picked up my victim and dumped him into the Aegean, along with his own.
When he turned back to me he was smiling. "I want to dance." he said.
"Dance?" I asked him.
"Yes. Dance." He caught my hand and, suddenly, we were running.
We ended up in a dance club and, what do you think was playing when we arrived? Lestat's song about Those Who Must Be Kept. We found a table in a corner and sat down, both lost in our own thoughts as the song played out.
*This is not what I had in mind.* Louis told me silently as a very loud song began to play.
*What did you have in mind?* I asked him.
*I was thinking of one of those little tavernas, where the men dance together to the Greek music.*
*What are we waiting for?*
We left the club and made our way back to the docks. We agreed that Crete would be a good place to find what we were looking for. We were in the middle of the Sea when something occurred to me that nearly knocked me flat.
"Louis!" I said, grabbing his arm.
"What?" He said, instantly concerned. "What's wrong?"
"Louis." I repeated turning to him. "Our conversation, back at the club..."
"What about it?"
"Neither of us ever spoke a word."
"I don't..." he stopped, his eyes growing wide as he smiled. "Do it again."
*We communicated without talking. You heard my thoughts. You were never able to do that before.* I told him.
"No." he said. "I was never able to do that before." He was smiling but looked confused. *Why?*
"My blood."
"Your blood."
We spoke at the same time then began to laugh. "I wonder what else I can do now." Louis said softly.
When we arrived on Crete we didn't find a taverna open, but we did come across a wedding celebration in progress. Everyone was dancing and singing and drinking. A young woman, dark and beautiful, grabbed Louis's hand and pulled him into a thoroughly erotic dance. I watched, amused, until she began to wind her body around him like a serpent. I realized I was actually jealous as she pulled him down and kissed him.
Louis pulled her arms from around his neck and pushed her back from him. She stood pouting as he made his way back to me. He stopped in front of me and held out his hand. I took it and he pulled me to him. His eyes never left mine as his body moved against me. I had never realized how sensual dancing with a vampire can be. Of course, I had danced with Lestat and Armand, but never like this.
When the slower dance ended, Louis was pulled into the dance with the other men. I stood, alone, smiling as I watched him laughing and singing. I had never seen him so happy, so carefree. I felt someone standing behind me and turned. It was the girl. Marina was her name.
"You are very lucky." she said, her accent very sharp. "He is the most beautiful man here."
How could I *not* agree? But, then, I knew why. The dark gift takes what is given and returns it a hundred fold. This was no test of Louis's beauty; the only vampire among many mortals. The true test only came when he was with others of our kind. And aside from Lestat and Armand, there were few who held a candle to Louis.
"He loves you, very much." she continued as Louis caught my attention and blew a kiss at me. "Yes, you are very, very lucky." With that, she turned and walked away.
I kept hearing her words. For several nights, I heard them. Yes. I was (and am) very, very lucky. If I have a best friend, then Louis is that friend. The love we shared, then and now, only makes our friendship that much stronger.
Our time in Greece was wonderful. Louis tried desperately to keep me from thinking about Armand, and, I must admit, there were times when he actually succeeded. The majority of the time, however, my thoughts were of Armand and only Armand.
We had been there just over three months when, while looking for a certain necklace in my suitcase, I found, instead, Claudia's bracelet. I looked at it for a moment, wondering if now would be the right time to give it to Louis. "Can't wait forever." I said, finally. "It's too far away."
I went into the living room, where Louis sat reading, as usual. "Louis?" I said.
"Yes?" he asked.
"I have something to give you." I said crossing to sit on the arm of the sofa.
He looked up at me without raising his head. "You do?"
I slapped at him, reading his thoughts. His mind was filled with images of...well, I'm sure you can imagine. "Stop that." I said. "It's something that I was asked to give back to you."
Louis's smile faded. "What is it?"
"This." I said, holding the bracelet out to him.
He took it and held it up. His face went blank. "Where did you get this?" he asked looking up at me. There were tears in his eyes.
"Armand had it." I told him. "Claudia was wearing it the night that..." I trailed off, not knowing how to continue.
"The night that he killed her." Louis said, softly.
"He regrets what he did." I told him. "He said that when he destroyed her, he destroyed everything he loved in you." Louis said nothing. He simply sat there staring at the bracelet. "He wanted you to have that back. He said he owed you that much, at least."
"He owes me more than he could ever repay." Louis cried angrily as he stood up and moved away from me.
"He knows that." I said. "He just thought you might want the bracelet."
I started to leave the room, leave Louis to his grief. His thoughts were full of anger. Anger toward Armand, toward Lestat, even toward me. I glanced over at him and saw that his shoulders were shaking.
"Louis?" I said stepping over to him. I reached up to touch his shoulder and he turned to face me. He was crying, the blood-tears running down his cheeks. "Louis."
He went down on his knees, pressing his head against my stomach. I held him to me, stroking his hair. After a moment I pulled him to his feet and moved, with him, back to the sofa.
"I'm sorry." he said. "I shouldn't be angry with you. You weren't even alive then."
"I brought it all back to you by giving you the bracelet." I told him.
"But it wasn't your fault."
"Can you tell me about her?"
"You know everything about her."
"It's been nearly one-hundred-thirty-years since she died, and, still, she haunts you. Why?"
"I loved her." he said simply.
"No, Louis. There has to be more to it than that." I told him. "There has to be something that..."
"I killed her!" he cried. "If I had been the one to push her out the door and lock it, I couldn't be more guilty. I killed her!"
"No." I said. "Armand is guilty of her death. Not you."
"But why did he destroy her?" Louis said. "He did it because of me."
"He wanted you, yes. But destroying Claudia, he did on his own."
"He wanted me only as much as I wanted him. And she was in the way."
"No, she wasn't." I told him. "She had Madeleine." Louis stood up and moved out onto the veranda. I followed him, noticing, for the first time, thunder rumbling in the distance. "Louis." I reached out to catch his arm and turned him to face me. He wasn't so strong that he could keep me from it. "I don't understand why you blame yourself."
"Why not?" he asked jerking away from me. "I took too long in leaving her. If I had just gone when I made Madeleine, then Claudia might still be alive."
"You can't know that." I said. He started away from me again. "Listen to me. Even if you had left her, the vampires of the Theatre would still have destroyed her. They felt her guilty of a terrible crime, remember?"
"Armand would have stopped them."
"*Could* Armand have stopped them? Armand is strong, yes, but do you really believe that, if the others had opposed him, together, as one, he could have stopped them? More than likely, they would have destroyed him and you, as well."
Louis didn't speak. He stood staring up at the sky. I turned to go back into the house but stopped. I looked back at Louis.
"It's time to let it go, Louis." I said. "Claudia is lost to you, now. She's lost to us all. I would love to have known her. But there's nothing any of us can do." I watched as he sighed, his shoulders drooping with defeat. "Stop hating yourself for something you can't change, Louis. Start living. She wouldn't have wanted you to throw it all away because of her."
He still hadn't spoken so, throwing up my hands, a very human gesture, I know. I went back into the house and closed the door. I went to my room and laid down on my bed. More thunder rumbled and I knew that a storm was on it's way. *How ironic.* I thought.
Two hours passed. The storm was raging and blustering outside. I was sitting in the window seat, reading, when the door to my room opened and Louis came in. He didn't see me from the door and I caught his thought that I must have left.
"Louis." I said as he started to close the door. He looked around the door, smiling softly when he saw me. He entered and came to stand beside me. I could feel him searching for the right words. Outside, thunder rumbled and lightning struck, knocking out the power. I could see Louis's eyes sparkling in what little light remained.
"Will you hold me?" he asked.
"I would like nothing better." I told him, laying my book aside. He climbed up into the seat and sat so that he could lay back against me. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed his temple. "I'm sorry."
"No." he smiled. "You were right. It is time to let go. I can't hold on to Claudia forever."
We sat, the rest of the night, in that window seat. We talked, we laughed, we even sang. By dawn we had both made our peace. I, with him, and he, with himself.
Nearly a year had passed since our arrival in Greece. A musician named Yani was giving a performance at the Acropolis and I wanted to go. The man's music was not to Louis's taste so he stayed home, and read, while I went to the concert alone.
When I returned, the music still ringing in my head, I opened the door to find Louis standing in the living room holding someone in his arms. I thought, at first, that some hapless mortal had blundered into our sanctuary only to meet death in Louis's embrace. I was about to leave him to it when I noticed the wavy blond hair that falling over his shoulder. "Lestat?"
They both turned and Lestat came toward me. "Oh, Lestat." I said moving toward him at the same time. "It's so good to see..." I stopped as he reached me. His eyes were filled with pain. There was a despair raging in him, the likes of which I had never seen before. "Lestat what's wrong?"
"It's Armand." he said grasping my hands. For the first time, ever, I wanted to yank my hands back from him. His were clammy, feverish. "You've got to come back with me."
My first reaction was fear for Armand. It faded quickly, leaving anger in its wake. He had left me for Daniel, let him take care of Armand.
"Daniel's gone." Lestat said softly.
"What? When?"
"He left three months ago."
"Lestat, what's wrong with Armand?" Louis asked.
"What *isn't* wrong with Armand?" Lestat cried. "He won't hunt. He doesn't speak. His mind is blank; He communicates nothing. He still wears the same clothing he wore on the night Daniel left. He hasn't brushed his hair since then, either." He turned back to me, taking my hands in his, once again. I had never seen him this way. It, honestly, frightened me. "I thought I could take care of him. I've tried to take care of him. I bring him victims. I try to clean him up, change his clothes, brush his hair, but he won't allow it. He becomes violent and makes noises like some demented animal." He fell to his knees, still holding my hands. When he looked up at me his eyes were filled with tears. "Please, Kelia. You've got to help me. I can't take care of him anymore. Not alone."
I pulled him to me, holding him as he began to sob hysterically. *My God.* I thought. *That anything could reduce Lestat, of all the beings I know, to this blubbering lunatic.*
"He's gone mad." Lestat whispered. "And he's dragging me right along with him."
I pulled back from him and took his face in my hands. "It's all right, Lestat." I said. "It's all right. I'll come back with you. I'll take care of Armand."
"Oh, God." Lestat said. "Thank you. Thank you."
I helped Lestat to his feet and led him to the sofa. He sat down, his head falling into his hands. He looked, for all the world, like some forlorn human. I turned to Louis.
"You must go." he said. "Your beloved needs you."
I looked up into his eyes and, seeing the tears there, a little piece of my heart broke. I had come to love him, very much. But, as I said before, true love is not an easy thing to forget. Armand needed me, and I would go to him. Louis would have no time to grieve. His beloved needed him, as well.
"I love you." I said. "I will always love you."
"And I, you, my love." He bent and kissed me gently. "Go. I will take care of everything here and see you tomorrow night."
"All right." I said. I turned back to Lestat who was still sitting on the sofa holding his head in his hands. "Lestat." He looked up at me, blood-tears staining his cheeks. I moved to sit beside him. "Where is Armand?"
"At your house." he told me. "He refused to leave."
"Thank you, Lestat. Thank you for trying to care for him." I stood and started to walk away but Lestat grabbed my arm and stopped me.
"I want to go with you." he said.
"Lestat, you're in no condition to travel." I told him. "Especially, like I intend to travel."
"Carry me." he said. "You'll need someone to bring a victim. Only I know what kind of victim to bring."
"What kind of victim..?"
"Please, Kelia. Just take me with you."
I looked into his eyes. He was pleading with me. I nodded slowly and saw relief wash over him. We said good-bye to Louis and left to return to New York.
I tried, as we traveled, to get Lestat to tell me what kind of victim Armand had been taking. Everytime I asked, he would only mumble something about religion and grow silent again. He was tired, I knew, so I pulled him up, to cradle him in my arms, and told him to go to sleep. Within moments, his head was resting against my shoulder and he was fast asleep.
I was very concerned for him, but even more concerned for Armand. What kind of shape must Armand be in to turn Lestat into this weak-minded creature that lay in my arms like a child? I would know soon enough, but, I will admit, I was terrified.
When we arrived in New York, I woke Lestat. He told me where to leave him, that he would see me shortly. He seemed more himself, but he was still shaky. I continued on, to my house, letting myself in the front door when I arrived.
I heard nothing as I closed the door; I sensed no one. I crossed the foyer to the living room, memories assaulting me with every step. As I reached the doorway I noticed someone sitting on the sofa. Armand.
He was sitting sideways, his legs drawn up, Indian-style, with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. In front of him, on the sofa cushion, were various objects that I'd left behind. In one hand, he held a photo of me, taken long before my sojourn into the Savage Garden. In the other hand, a necklace, the one I'd been searching for when I found Claudia's bracelet in Greece, that he had given me.
I moved over to kneel beside him. I saw that the cuffs of his shirt, the edges of the blanket, even his hair, had traces of blood on them. He didn't look up, or even acknowledge my presence. I reached out to take the necklace from him. He allowed it, but only for a moment. He took it back without a word. I touched his hand and he turned it over to capture mine. He held it tightly for some time before he relinquished his hold on me.
"Armand." I said. No response.
At that moment, Lestat arrived with a victim for Armand.
He was a dumpy little man named Harry. He had a shock of white hair, beady eyes and his face had a look of innocence about it. I reached into his mind and what I saw there made my blood run cold, colder than was normal for me. Now, I understood what Lestat had meant by his mumbled words about religion. This man was a religious fanatic who had committed murder after atrocious murder in the name of God. He was pure evil; more purely evil than any vampire I had ever met.
Lestat pulled the struggling man over to Armand. I heard Lestat's voice in my head, *This is not pretty.* Without looking up, Armand caught hold of Harry's shoulder. Harry stopped struggling, immediately, falling into a trance-like state. Armand pulled him down and, without hesitation sank his teeth into Harry's flesh. He drained the man quickly then pushed him back. He looked into Harry's face, his own becoming a mask of anger. "Lord Benjamin." he whispered. His voice sounded hollow. His free hand came up and he stiffened his fingers, making a wedge of them. He placed the tips of his fingers against Harry's chest and began to apply pressure.
I watched, horrified, as Armand's fingers sank slowly into the man's chest. I could hear the bones breaking as blood seeped around Armand's hand and ran into a puddle on what I now noticed to be a large piece of plastic spread on the floor. When Armand pulled his hand free, he held within it Harry's heart. He looked at it a moment then dropped it to the floor. He allowed Harry's body to slip down so that he was holding the man's head in his hands. He pressed his thumbs against Harry's eyes, popping them out, like two marbles, into his hand. He let the body drop, then allowed the eyes to roll from his hand to lie with the heart. He wiped his hands on the blanket around his shoulders and went back to staring at the objects on the sofa.
"My God." I said. "How long has this been happening?"
"Since Daniel left." Lestat replied, glancing at the dead man.
"Who's Lord Benjamin?" I asked.
"I'll explain later." Lestat moved quickly to remove the body of the dead man. He wrapped it in the plastic and hoisted it up over his shoulder. With a weary look toward me, he carried it back, into the kitchen and disappeared.
I looked at Armand unable to take in what I had just witnessed. He had never been that violent before. What, in God's name, did Daniel do to cause this change in him?
Seeing the streaks of fresh blood on Armand's hands and clothes, I determined that it was time to clean him up. I stepped over and touched his shoulder. He gave no response, but I knew he felt it. I felt just a flicker of him in my mind.
"Armand." I said softly. "Come with me, please."
He turned his body and stood up. He didn't look up, or at me, but he followed, without protest, as I led him into the bathroom. I stripped off the stained blanket and clothes. The blood of his victims had seeped through his clothes and his skin was covered with it. The smell of old blood rose in my nostrils, causing my stomach to churn. I turned on the water in the shower and told Armand to get in.
I scrubbed his hair four times before I was satisfied that I had washed all the blood out of it. This done I washed his trim body, remembering, with a smile, the first time I had ever done so. When I finished, I asked him to step out and he did so without response. I dried him off then led him into the bedroom where I dressed him.
Once dressed he wandered back into the living room. I picked up a comb from the dresser and followed him. He was sitting, as I'd found him, sideways, looking at the objects again. I sat down on the arm of the sofa, behind him, and began to comb out his hair.
It was surprising that I didn't rip him bald. Finally, his hair was soft and smooth, all the tangles and mats combed out. But it wasn't as I remembered it. It was lusterless, the beautiful auburn color faded to an ugly brassy shade, and the curls were flat. There was no bounce to it, at all.
I leaned forward to wrap my arms around his neck, resting my chin on his shoulder. I felt a quickening in him, but only for a moment. "I love you, Armand." I told him. "And he will pay for what he's done." Of course, I meant Daniel.
When Lestat returned, I followed him to the kitchen. He sat down at the table and I stood, leaning against the countertop, looking at him. He looked so tired, so drained.
"What was that all about?" I asked him. "That with the victim. Armand has never been violent before. What did Daniel do?"
"He convinced Armand that you had been killed." Lestat told me. "He used me to do it."
"How?"
"He fed me a vision. A vision of you. Of a religious fanatic, Daniel named him Lord Benjamin, ripping your heart out and then your eyes. The man decapitated you and laughed as your blood ran out and was soaked up by the earth."
"But, how did..?"
"He was talking to me, making me think of it. Armand was there. I didn't see him. He saw my thoughts and believed that what he was seeing was real." Lestat ran his hands over his face. "I tried to tell him that it wasn't true. That you were safe in Greece with Louis, but he wouldn't believe me. Daniel left the following night." He pushed the chair back from the table. He looked as if it pained him to think of these things. "Armand began to hunt these fanatics, relishing the kill like he never had. He would sit and think about it, throwing his thoughts out for anyone to see. That's how I knew what kind of victim to bring him. I tried bringing him others, just plain evil-doers, those who wished for death. For two weeks, I tried. But he wouldn't take them." Lestat moved to lean against the counter beside me. He was thinking of Louis. "I was as horrified as you were when he tore the first of the fanatics I brought him to pieces. The first three, he tore the heads off of. After that, I took them away before he could." He was silent, his thoughts returning, once again, to Louis.
"Louis will return tomorrow." I said. "I will ask you, to stay with Armand, *and Louis*, just until I find Daniel and deal with him." I turned and took his face in my hands. "After that, I want you and Louis to go away for awhile." He started to protest, but I placed my finger against his lips to silence him. "No. I mean it. You need to get away from Armand. I will take care of him."
Lestat moved my hand, gently from his face, and kissed me softly. "Daniel is in New Orleans." he said.
"How do you know?"
"I've kept track of him. I intended to go after him myself, but got so wrapped up in Armand, I never had a chance to. Besides, I thought you might like the first shot at him."
"The only shot at him, you mean. I don't intend to leave him alive when I find him."
"Good for you." Lestat said, seeming more like himself than he had since he'd come to Greece.
The following night, when Louis arrived, Lestat held to him as if he'd never let go. Louis informed me, over Lestat's shoulder, that he'd taken care of everything in Greece. Everything except the boat. He'd been unable to part with it, so he'd brought it back with him. I told him to consider it his. I had Armand's black racer if I wanted a boat.
He was shocked at Armand's state. I gave him a vision of how I'd found him. Louis decided that he wasn't so shocked, after all.
I left shortly after midnight to go to New Orleans. When I arrived there, I used my powers to discover where Daniel was. You should have seen his face when I stepped around a corner, directly in front of him. He looked so surprized, so shocked, so scared.
"Hello, Daniel." I said softly, an evil smile playing on my lips.
"What do you want?" he asked, his voice shaky.
"Why, you, of course." I replied. "Dead." Daniel turned and ran. I began to laugh maniacally, louder and louder, until I was hurting my own ears. "Run, Daniel! Run like you've never run!" I laughed again. "You'll never get away, Daniel!"
I followed, above him, jumping out at him, now and again, until he was so terrified I thought his heart, which I could hear plainly, would burst. Finally, he had one thought. Home. I saw a tiny room in a dingy old, deserted house. I knew exactly where he was going.
I arrived, in his room, before he arrived at the house, and let myself in. I waited, behind the door, until he had entered. He moved over, breathing hard, and laid down on the bed.
"Oh, Daniel." I said, sing-songing his name. He jumped clear out of the bed, crying out in fear. I moved, faster than he could see to stand behind him. He looked around, then turned. "Boo!" He started and ran for the door. I was there ahead of him, standing against the door. "Boo, again." He turned and headed for the window, but I quickly placed myself, in a chair with my feet propped up on the bed, in front of it. He skidded to a halt, almost falling over my legs. I reached out to steady him but he jerked away before I touched him. "Really, Daniel. Don't be so dramatic." I stood up and walked forward, backing him toward the bed.
"What do you want?" He asked, blood-sweat running down the sides of his face.
I reached out and ran my finger down his cheek. "I told you, Daniel. I want you...dead."
"Why?"
"Because I'm tired of you interfering in my life."
"I haven't done anything to you. Not since you went away with Louis."
"No, not to me." I said, shoving him down on the bed. "But you did something simply unforgivable to someone I love very much. You see, my love sits, like some demented child, staring at an old photograph of me. He's gone mad because of you, and, for that, you will pay with the one thing you wanted most..." I leaped up, quickly, to straddle his hips, pinning his arms with me knees, and leaned down so that my mouth was inches from his. "...your immortality."
With that, I turned his head and sank my fang-teeth in his throat. He struggled as I drained him, screaming and gasping. I pulled back, allowing a small amount of the blood to dribble into his open mouth. I knew this would have an effect likened to that of giving a man dying of thirst, a thimbleful of water. He watched as my tongue moved across my lips to lick the remainder of the blood off. I moved off him and started for the door. I felt him behind me and turned quickly, catching him by his shirt and lifting him off the floor.
"I wouldn't do that, if I were you." I said. "You might make me angry." I let him go and watched him fall to the floor. I reached out to catch a handful of his hair and jerked his head up. I looked into his eyes, allowing him to see the full extent of my anger. "You should have left us alone, Daniel." I raised my hand and, as Armand had, made a wedge of my fingers. I pushed them into Daniel's chest, watching agony come into his eyes. I wrapped my hand around his heart and yanked it free of his body. I held it up for him to see. "Well, what do you know? You did have a heart, didn't you?" I squeezed my hand shut, actually enjoying the feel of the blood and goo that ran down my arm. I let the glob fall and looked down at Daniel. Using my bloody hand, I touched his cheek. I lowered my head and kissed his lips softly. "Die, Daniel."
I shoved him away from me as I felt a surge of power building in my chest. It gathered and moved up into my head. Suddenly, it exploded from me and Daniel's clothing began to burn. He screamed and began to beat at himself. A split-second later he was engulfed in flames; rolling on the floor, screaming for me to help him. The bedspread caught and blazed up setting the curtains aflame. I was so enthralled by what was happening to Daniel, I didn't even notice.
He reached for me, crying desperately for help. He crawled toward me, lurching along the floor. He reached out, one last time, then he was still. The flames covering him blazed up briefly, then disappeared. All that was left was a small pile of ashes.
The ashes! I had to scatter the ashes. I shuffled my feet through them and bent to pick them up in both hands. I tossed them into the air, exhilarated to know that Daniel would never bother Armand and me again. It was then that I noticed that the fire was spreading rapidly.
I looked around me and found myself trapped. The only way out was straight up. I raised my hands and closed them, forming fists. As quickly as I could I went up, blasting through the ceiling and then the roof.
I was looking down at the burning house, watching the firemen put the fire out. I turned my head toward the north and told my body to go. A moment later, I made a slight adjustment, turning to the east. I arrived back in New York in just under an hour.
I didn't go straight home. I went, instead, to the park. I sat on the bench, near the fountains, where I had first seen Lestat, six years ago. My exhilaration had died away leaving a gaping hole in my soul. I had destroyed my maker.
"No, you didn't." a voice said.
I looked up. It was Louis. "How did you know I'd come here?" I asked as he sat down beside me.
"Lucky guess." he smiled, then leaned toward me as if he had a secret to tell. "You forget. I'm no longer the weakling I used to be. I saw it in your thoughts."
I smiled softly. "How can you say that I didn't destroy my maker. He took my blood, I took it back from him, I'm a vampire. That means he made me."
"Technically, he stole your blood." Louis said. "He had no intention of giving it back to you. You did take it back, but you couldn't have done it without help. My help. So, if you consider anyone your maker, maybe it should be me. After all, I held him." He pulled his leg up onto the seat of the bench and turned to face me. "I suppose, really, you could consider Lestat your maker. He made you what you are, not Daniel. Without Lestat you wouldn't be as strong as you are."
I considered this a moment. Maybe Louis was right. Perhaps it did make a difference since I, basically, stole my immortality from Daniel. And, Louis was right about one thing. Lestat had made me what I am. "Let's go home." I stood up and pulled Louis to his feet. I willed myself up so that I was level with his face. I pressed my lips to his, wrapping my arms around him. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Louis said, putting his arms around my waist.
Before I realized it, we were floating above the park. I looked at Louis and found him smiling broadly. "I wanted to see if I could do it." he said. "Guess I can."
I threw back my head and laughed. "Take me home."
Louis told me, on the way, that Lestat was doing much better. He gave me a vision of him and Lestat, in my bedroom. Lestat was sitting on the bed, telling Louis everything that had happened since Daniel left. He began to weep and Louis went to sit beside him. He pulled Lestat into his arms and held him, kissing his hair as he told Lestat that it was all over. "He cried for nearly an hour." Louis told me.
When we arrived at my house, we entered through the front door. I could see Armand, on the sofa, from the foyer. There had, obviously, been no change. He was still staring at the photograph and holding my necklace in his hand.
I went into the kitchen, where I knew Lestat would be. He was sitting at the table, reading.
*Lestat?* I thought. *Reading?*
"Yes. Lestat, reading." Lestat said smiling as he looked up.
"You *seem* more yourself." I said.
"And just who else would I seem?" He asked, indignant. I could see the smile playing on his lips.
"Oh, yes." I laughed. "He's definitely doing much better."
I went to him and kissed him, thanking him, once again, for his care of Armand. I noticed that his hungry, blue-grey eyes kept straying to Louis. I left them alone, glancing back over my shoulder as I left the room. Louis was now standing over Lestat. He held Lestat's face in his hands, Lestat's arms were around Louis's waist. If I had been human, the sight of that passionate kiss would have left me weak and, yes, I'll say it, horny.
I went into the living room, longing to kiss Armand the way I'd just seen Louis and Lestat kissing. I crossed to kneel beside Armand, taking his hand. He dropped the necklace and sat staring at the opposite arm of the sofa. "Kelia?" he said.
"Yes, Armand." I said. "It's me."
"Daniel's dead, isn't he?"
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"Sweet revenge, my beloved."
"Good. He should have been destroyed long ago." He was silent a moment, still staring. He raised his head and turned it to look at me. The sight of his beautiful brown eyes, eyes I had not seen in over a year, eyes that had last looked at me with anger and hatred, those eyes, filled with confusion and uncertainty made me want to weep and I had to fight to keep the tears from rising in my eyes. He turned his body so that I was kneeling between his knees. He caught my face in his hands and, so gently, touched his silky lips to mine. When he looked at me again, his eyes were full of love. "Please, don't leave me again." he said softly, blood-tears rising in his own eyes. "I'll die."
"I will never leave you, my love." I told him. "I will be with you always."
He folded me into his arms and held me tightly as he wept. I wept, as well, happy to be, once again, where I truly belonged.
It's been a year since Daniel's death. He hasn't been missed. No one even mentions his name any longer.
Armand and I went to Greece and spent several weeks on the island Louis and I shared. He talked with me as he'd never talked with me. Telling me all the things he had felt, all the things he had never been able to say before.
He has recovered almost completely. He still, once in a great while, "zones out", but all in all, he's much better than he was. He has changed, but he is stronger, more alive, than ever. Not an hour goes by, that he doesn't tell me that he loves me, and I never grow tired of hearing it.
Lestat and Louis went away, as well. They went to Jamaica. Lestat is fully recovered and back to his old, scene stealing, life-o-the-party self. I believe the ordeal only served to make him stronger, if such a thing is possible.
Two weeks ago, Armand and Lestat went off together, to our island, in Greece (I say "our island" because we bought it, house and all.). They spent a week there, making peace with each other.
We are all happy again. "Carefree demons, living and loving on the edge of ecstasy." Isn't that what I said before? Well, it's true, once again. The four of us can stand together against anything.
And so can you, my little mortals...as long as you are good.
The Vampire, Kelia
Spring of 1997