Disclaimer: This is a work of amateur, non-profit, fan fiction and is not meant to infringe on the copyrights of Anne Rice or her publishers.

Spoilers: Up to and including TVA.

Dedication: To Bryson, for bugging me to write this one.... and for carrying my colours.... Each new day is another step forward, my friend.

*************************************


Have you ever looked at someone across a crowded room and known that you just had to have them?

That one was by my side now, with his dark eyes and burnished chestnut hair, his hands clasped as in prayer, watching the ebb and tide of human life wash around us.

He was my child, my first born and I despised him with such indifference that it made me shudder.

Me, I am Daniel Molloy, the eternal reporter boy, the one who had started the whole sorry saga of the Vampire Chronicles..how many years ago was that? Seemed like centuries, but then what is time to one who has too much of it. Time slipped through my fingers like sand in an hourglass, the same way that any decent emotion had been crushed from me, when I had read Armand's words.

I had been so sure that I was the one.

Hadn't he followed me for over a decade, playing our Russian Roulette game of kiss and tell? And when I had given up all hope he had appeared like a spectre and made me his. For nearly five hundred years he had kept his chastity...until me..is it any wonder that I believed that he loved me, that what we shared would be forever.

It wasn't enough that he had left me without a word, sacrificed himself to the dawn over a piece of worthless cloth, but did he have to write down the truth about what I was to him in that damned book?

He had never really loved me, he had said...and the proof of my worthlessness was written down by his own hand. His love for me had been dishonest, possessive and confused and my making was not done from love or desire to have me as a companion, but from pity, because I was dying.

In other words I was merchandise, a fresh consumable that he had taken before it rotted away.

So here I was sitting with my own child, created from one night of blind passion, made from the seething anger that lived within me that if he could replace me then I could do the same.

Wrong, Danny......

I could have played the same game of cat and mouse that Armand had with me. This one would have followed me, I knew it, but I hadn't the stomach or the strength to do it. I had fully intended for him to be just a meal ticket but something about the way he felt in my arms stopped me from taking his life in that filthy alleyway, surrounded by cardboard boxes with the rats running for cover from the summer rainstorm.

Not a pleasant place to die, and not a pleasant place to be reborn either.

Even as I drank his blood it left a bitter taste on my tongue and when I looked him in the eye I wanted to push him away, to tell him to run, but it was too late for that, I had almost drained him.

I plucked the word 'vampire' from his mind and saw the confusion in his midnight blue eyes, he still didn't believe what I was even with the proof dripping from my lips, a true innocent. Trust me to find him in the smoky depths of a Miami night-club, what the hell was he looking for?

Before I knew what was happening I had bitten deeply into my wrist and was forcing it against his trembling lips with such force that he was choking as my blood spurted down his throat.

I never asked him what he wanted, but this was what I wanted at that moment in time, anything to stem the desolation that I felt over the betrayal by the one creature on this planet that I would have laid down my life for, and I had, mixed my blood with his to give birth to the immortal monster that I was. Every night since reading that journal the same thoughts circled in my head as I tried to make sense of why.....

Armand, Amadeo, Andrei, call yourself what you will, the name doesn't change the demon beneath. Chameleon child, changing the colour of your mood to suit the lover by your side...Marius, Louis, Lestat..and Daniel Molloy...the colour you had been for me was the brightest gold. I was blinded by your light from the very first glance, giving you everything that I was, but it had never been enough.

I had been playing for keeps and you had just been amusing yourself, your yo-yo on a string, you dragged me back to your side whenever you were bored.

Damn you, Armand, but I didn't have to say that, as we were all damned.

I laughed softly to myself at your image at the gates of hell, no doubt with your silver tongue you would charm Lucifer himself. Memnoch had chosen the wrong one in Lestat to be his lieutenant.

My child looked across at me as he heard me laugh, and I saw a question flicker in his eyes, but then he glanced away, not wanting to anger me with a careless word. I was the parent from hell in more ways than one. I had no patience for his endless questionings, and he had never asked me why I had done it.

There was the silence between us, of course, but I was glad. I didn't want to know what was going through his head as he watched me. I had to face his spaniel eyes each evening and even now I think that he thought that this was some horrendous nightmare that he would wake up from, drenched in sweat, but alive.

I didn't even teach him to hunt. I just opened the door the night after his making and told him very bluntly to use his instincts and to be back by dawn. Part of me wanted to run then, to leave him to his fate, but I had nowhere to run, the demon that haunted me was as impossible to out run as my shadow.

He had returned, a few hours later, drenched in blood and with such an expression of panic and confusion in his eyes that I nearly gave in to the surge of pity he brought out in me.

But I was strong, I flicked on the TV screen above the bed and studied the baseball scores with great fervour, trying to ignore him as he sat down heavily on the chair by the phone table. I could see his reflection in the mirror, the hopelessness in his eyes made his face seem too small. I breathed a sigh of relief when he put his head down on his arms and began to cry, at least I didn't have to look at the agony in his face.

I steeled myself over any caring emotion that threatened to overtake me. I wasn't going to be hurt again by leaving myself wide open for someone to drag my heart out by the roots. Eternity is a long time and I wasn't going to spend it wallowing in self pity. Armand had made a career out of the art of playing it cool. I kept telling myself that I could do the same.

Making this boy mine was a test, a gauntlet thrown down by my cruellest side. It told me that if I could put my feelings on ice with this one that I could do anything. And I was succeeding I told myself.

Hell, I didn't even know his name, that's how much I didn't care.

I turned up the volume on the handset to drown out his sobbing, throwing myself onto the bed arrogantly.

Dawn was near, I could tell from the faint paling of the sky, a touch of amber in the starless canopy above. I picked up another handset and drew the automatic shutters across the window. The door was double locked on the suite, one thing Armand had left me with was the number of a host of bank accounts. But I would have traded all the gold in Fort Knox for the chance to see him smile at me again, I would have forgiven him all the agony filled nights and the constant sting of tears against my cheek, just to hear him whisper my name against my neck before he kissed me.

I was pathetic, and I hated what I had become, a shell of a vampire living on anger and bitterness, and learning to shield my emotions like one of the ancients.

Maybe one day I would even understand Santino, now that was a thought......

"You made me what I am," his voice bit into my musings. "I kill each night to drink their blood." The horror in his tone of voice was unmistakable.

"Is this how it will always be?"

Again I laughed, a very hollow sound, "You sound just like Louis. Are you sure you haven't read my book?"

Grinning crazily now, I leapt up and was by his side in two steps, pulling him to his feet and pinning him against the wall menacingly.

His head hit the wall heavily and his fangs caught the edge of his lip with the force of the impact. A few drops of blood oozed from the corner of his mouth and I leant forward to lap them up.

"A blood kiss is a terrible thing to waste," I said, mocking him.

"Why don't you kill me now?"

I hadn't expected this question. I let go of him but he didn't move away from the wall.

"The sport is just beginning," I informed him softly. "Death isn't an option in my game."

"Time for bed, beautiful boy," I taunted him. "Sleep well and remember to look under the bed for the monsters!"

I still can see the expression on his face as he slumped down against the wall, drawing his knees towards him for comfort. It was the look of an animal before the hounds tear out its throat.

Part 2

The last thought that went through my head before the death sleep dragged me down was that this game was far and beyond more than the torture Armand had put me through. At least I had lived with the hope that one day Armand would make me his, and he had loved me in his own way then. We had used each other to snatch at the dreams in our heads, a constant circle of command and conquer, surrender and submission.

But what I had started here scared me....I mean really scared me....I was using this one without remorse, he was just a vehicle for the bitterness left in me when Armand cast me out. God help me, why didn't I kill him now and end it all?

But I knew why...I didn't want to be alone again, and using him gave me something to live for. I was starting to hate myself for how I felt, and having him near me gave me the perfect opportunity to unload that hate onto someone else.

I wanted to flaunt him in front of Armand, to see the look in his eyes as he realised that I didn't need him anymore, to walk away knowing that I had won. A hollow victory when all I wanted to do was to feel his arms around me again, to breathe in his scent as he lay next to me....Christ, Armand......how could you do this to me?

The sound of my heart hammering in my chest pulled me rudely from my dreams, I sat up and felt the sweat trickling down my back. The pale pillow case was stained crimson, whatever dreams had ruled my sleep they had been no fairy tale.

Groaning I rubbed the last remnants of sleep from my eyes, stretching my arms above my head with my fingers interlocked.

He was still asleep, bundled in the corner by the door, curled into the rigidity of the wall, as if that could protect him. His hair was mussed and tangled over his face, the light from the exit sign highlighting the copper tones of his chestnut colouring. That colour had been his downfall, the only one in the club that remotely resembled Armand. He was slender too, with beautiful hands, a piano player, I just knew it. But he was older than he looked. I had seen him flash his ID card to the bouncers on his way in, and seen their look of disbelief as they reluctantly let him pass.

My eyes never left him as he pushed his way through the crowd, apologising as he spilt a drink here and there. He had an open and trusting smile and the predator in me claimed him the instant our eyes met. He stopped at the other end of the bar, ordering a coke from the waitress. I slipped inside his mind and found a gnawing hunger...he hadn't eaten for two days.

I smiled knowingly to myself and peeled off two $50 dollar bills from the wad in my pocket. I placed them on the bar and taking a pen from my shirt I wrote three words on one of the bills. Always a reporter, never without a pen, so damned predictable and sure of myself...until now.

I folded the bills together and gave them to the waiter along with a $10 dollar tip. Money could buy anything in this town.

His face was a study of shocked surprise as the waiter handed him the bills. As he read my note he jerked up his head and met my gaze. I raised my glass to him, keeping my smile warm but letting him know that I wasn't joking.

He hastily pulled out a pen from his jacket pocket, knocking his drink as he did so. Clumsily he righted the glass, causing more of the coke to swill over onto the bar. The flush that came to his cheeks was very becoming.

I watched fascinated as he scribbled his own words onto one of the bills, sending it back to me with the same waiter. This time he didn't get a tip and he scowled at my boy. Yes, my boy, even then he was mine, he just didn't know it yet.

Only one of the bills came back to me. I opened it slowly, reading his words.

I had written...'I want you..'

He had replied..'I'm not for sale..'

I couldn't stop the grin appearing on my face, a fine comeback from him, especially as he had pocketed the other bill. It didn't take him long to order from the menu. I settled back onto my stool. I could grant him one last meal, and his blood would be far sweeter for the food.

This time I would be the one in control of the one with copper hair and dark, liquid eyes. I could almost taste him on my tongue as I ruptured his skin, and feel his hair running through my fingers as I pulled him closer for the ultimate kiss. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning, the anticipation was almost as good as the present.

My fingers were visibly trembling. Angrily I grabbed hold of my glass. Some vampire I was, getting high on the thought of a simple kill.

As the glass shattered under the pressure of my fingers, I saw the look on his face. The music was so loud in this place that no one else had given my party piece a glance, but he had obviously been watching me.

The game continued for most of the evening. I flirted with him from across the length of the bar, drinking in every detail of his face until he blushed and looked away. Then he would catch my eye and smile, as I pretended not to notice.

When his meal arrived it gave me a warped sense of pleasure to see the delight on his face. His Last Supper, but at least he wouldn't die with an empty stomach.

I could easily have slipped inside his mind and stolen his jumbled thoughts, but that would have taken away the thrill of the game. I preferred to try to read the expression on his face and in those midnight blue eyes.

Only when I had seen him mop up the last of the juices from the food with his bread and push his plate away, did I make my move.

The distance between us wasn't much, but it was packed solid with people, jammed together like sardines in a can and equally as distasteful. Tonight I couldn't handle the pungent mix of cigarette smoke and sweat, cheap perfume and desire..and blood...so much blood, pounding beneath the surface of their skins and threatening to explode.

My patience ended. Using mind control I opened a path through the crowd, only to find an empty bar stool.

He had fled when I had upped the stakes.

A lazy smile played on my lips. So there would be a chase after all. Just when I thought I had dazzled him into submission.

Losing your touch, Danny boy.

But secretly I was glad, a chase was an added bonus, it made the kill so much sweeter...kinda cruel, I know, but since I had read Armand's words, all my kills had been savage. I had no compassion left for anything, mortal or immortal.

You know the rest of the story. I had claimed him that night and before the sun arose I knew I had made the biggest mistake of my immortal life.

Part 4

Daniel

I looked behind me in complete disbelief, my gambling instinct so convinced that he would be in my shadow, but my child had vanished as if he had never existed.

I tried to stem the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was wrong, all the time getting angrier with myself for daring to care.


My foul mood deepened as I went further into the chapel. It was a tiny place, just two rows of pews, about ten deep. Pretty, if you liked that sort of thing, but not too ornate. I noticed that the stained glass windows had been boarded up from the outside. That’s okay, only let the righteous see their beauty, everyone else can rot in hell….

Christ, I was in a loathsome mood tonight..

I wandered down the aisle and smelt the candle wax that hung in the air...it hadn’t been too long since evening service.

The House of God.

Was He still in, I wondered, or was He displaying that sign, ‘be back soon, out for lunch?'

There was a time when I would have never had the nerve to even think that, but all my faith had died years ago. The faith in God, that is. My faith in another god with pointed fangs had never been in doubt until I had read that book.

In front of the lectern I noticed a small table, covered in tiny posies, bound in silver foil. Underneath a little book, handmade and a little dirty.

Carefully I brushed away the posies and picked up the book, turning the dog-eared covers one by one.

It was a book of prayers and thoughts from children. One of their classmates had died from leukaemia, and in the true sense of childlike reflections the images spilled forth. Not morbid, like from an adults’ perspective but honest and heart wrenching and somehow hopeful.

Flopping down onto the hard polished floor I began to read. By the time I had gotten half way through I couldn’t see for the red veil in front of my eyes.

These innocents, what did they know of the cruelties that life had to offer them. How many of them would be dead before they had lived out their teenage years, sacrificed to the gods of drugs and vice.

Monsters only lived in fairy tales to them, vampires too. If you believed in Jesus, life couldn’t hurt you, could it?

Christ, Danny, get a hold of yourself.....

Feeling your sanity slipping away has to be the most formidable feeling in the world. It’s like trying to swim up a waterfall, you have to try and save yourself but the odds are stacked against you.

It was then that I felt the presence, something so unobtrusive that it could have been missed, certainly to a mortal. I felt it before I saw the candle flames shimmering from his movement.

I was on my feet, instantly; all instincts homed in on whatever it was that had dared to creep up on me.

And then I saw him, arms folded, perched on the edge of a pew, a thin figure, with dark hair that he wore in a braid, and dressed in folds of pale cloth.

“I guess this isn’t a social visit?” I almost threw the words at him, somehow glad that I was at least two feet taller than he was.

He chuckled to himself, only making me feel more uncomfortable.

“You really have no idea what you are dealing with here, vampire, do you?” His voice held a calm inner menace and I felt my palms begin to sweat.

“I’m not in the mood for small talk, so why don’t you tell me why you are here.” Again, my voice was accusing. This was going all wrong, and I knew it.

“Why, Daniel, you have eternity, where is your patience?”

A question thrown at me carelessly, meant to irritate, and it did. I felt his words seep beneath my skin and settle there, twisting like a trapped insect.

I snapped.

“Listen I don’t have to wait here for you to grace me with your approval, you either tell me, or I’m leaving,....now.” I moved a few steps towards the door to emphasise my words.

“I was warned that subtlety was not one of your strong points, Daniel,” he continued, narrowing his eyes.

What I saw in his eyes scared me more than I wanted to admit. They were pitch black, completely, no whites….it was like gazing into a bottomless well. The eyes were the window to the soul, they said, but what if this one had no soul….a trickle of sweat ran down my spine.

“To come straight to the point, as you wish me to,” he continued impatiently. The one you claimed for your child was not yours to take. He was mine.”

“I didn’t realise we were waiting in a fucking queue for him,” I laughed, holding the book to my chest. Somehow that felt comforting.

Sparks shot from where he had been sat and I jumped back in surprise, only to find him crouched behind me on the table.

“Who the hell are you?” I asked, spinning around, and suddenly realising with great alarm that I was dealing with something not of this earth.

He smiled, or rather his mouth moved as if in a smile but the image was disturbing, not friendly.

“I am Lemures, messenger and self proclaimed luminary of the Helpful Dead. I presume that you did read Lestat’s book?” The smile and the tone of voice were ominous.

“But as you obviously don’t want your child, I will take him off your hands. It’s a little earlier than I had planned, but I won’t hold that against you. All you have to do is deliver him to me tomorrow evening here, and we will forget your little indiscretion.”

The arrogance in his voice brought a snarl to my throat. “What plans have you for him?”

“His future has been ordained since he was a child, the bargain he made with us set in the stones of time. We graciously let him have his mortal time on earth, knowing that when he came to us he would be stronger and wiser. Let us just say that sometimes we choose our recruits from those that are still have a heartbeat. It’s useful to know just who is going to be knocking on our door.”

The self-assured smugness in the tone of his voice bothered me more than I wanted to admit.

“Just what gives you the right to demand that I give him back?”

I tried to keep my voice level. I had always thought that being a vampire put me at the head of the food chain, it gave me a very uncomfortable feeling to have this realisation shaken.


“My right, Daniel, comes with the fact that I serve in a kingdom that you cannot even imagine exists. You think that you are wise and all seeing. Let me tell you that your kind are squashed beneath the feet of the multitudes when they enter my gates. You will get no privileges. Connor is mine, a part of my great plan.”

“And if I say no,” I challenged him, biting back the string of curses that I wanted to say.

“I may take him anyway, but that will cause me unnecessary aggravation, and when I suffer that, others have to pay the price. I will take out my frustration on those that are dear to you, the ones who are the weakest...Louis perhaps. He would make a fine victim and I always did want to get my own back on Lestat. It’s your deal, Daniel, make your choice and live with the consequences.”

A blinding flash of light that sent me reeling backwards heralded his departure. I was left, still clutching that book, my heart pounding wildly and his words careering around my head.

Hadn’t I wanted rid of Connor? Wasn’t this the answer to my prayers?

I was out of the church like the hounds of hell were after me, desperately searching for a bookstore. Sure, I had read Lestat’s book, but like many others, I had taken what he had written with a pinch of salt, believing that at last, the great Lestat, was finally losing his grip on reality.

The bookstore I found was vast, finding Lestat’s book was not as simple as I had hoped it would be so I had to succumb to the annoying mortal trait of reading the store guide.

First floor, gallery B, section 12....

I took the flight of steps in two bounds, scanning for the correct section impatiently.

Never did I think that I would want to pick up that book again. I remember I had thrown the book across the room in fury the first time I had read it, not wanting to believe a word that was printed.

Now I found myself flicking through the pages, frantically searching for any mention of the Helpful Dead.

A single droplet of sweat dripped from my brow, staining the white paper. I wiped my face with the back of my hand, shocked that I was so much of a mess.

What had happened to the super ice-cold vampire from a few hours ago? The one who didn’t give a damn about the child he had made or what became of him. My emotions then had been frozen, I didn’t think that I would ever feel anything again.

But now....

I flopped down onto the floor with my back against the bookshelves, still clutching Lestat’s book.

I wiped my face again and this time I licked the sweat from my fingers, the only comfort I could find in this chaos I had fallen into.

Maybe this was insanity creeping up on me, the visitor from hell only something conjured up from a mind that was losing its ability to function.

I let loose a string of curses, angry with how vulnerable I felt, and seething that again I seemed to hold the losing card.

In a blind rage I tore the books from the bottom shelf and sent them hurtling across the floor.

I pushed my hair back from my face and tried to get a grip on my fucked up reality.

I had two choices. Deliver my fledgling to Lemures tomorrow night, the simple option....the Helpful Dead would have their pawn and I would be free again.

Or try to run, but that meant finding safety in numbers and the only vampires I trusted were all holed up in New Orleans, giving thanks for the return of the Brat Prince.

Part 5

Connor

Watching the night insects darting over the surface of the lily pond gave me a much-needed focus. I was a fascinated, secret admirer, a voyeur to their flirting dances and coquettish behaviour. The ripples they produced on the water surface as constant and rhythmic as a heartbeat. It gave me the chance to settle my childhood follies firmly back into the depths of my mind again.

With a heavy sigh I knew that I had to leave my little glass sanctuary. A glance at the sky showed me that the darkness was already beginning to pale. One thing I knew for certain, getting caught in dawn’s early rays was not the smartest of career moves.

Reluctantly I left behind the comforting reassurance of the humidity and warmth, the night air cooling my skin immediately I made contact outside the greenhouse door. I shivered uncontrollably, and felt the fine hairs on the nape of my neck begin to tingle. It was a very odd feeling, and for an instant I thought it was some peculiar trait of my new vampire state.

But when I heard his voice in my head I knew that the game had begun again.

Crystal clear and like the beating of an executioners drum, his words resounded in my head. Daniel’s answers too, as arrogant and seemingly self-assured as they were.

I didn’t know how I had heard them or what manner of magic he had used to make me aware that he had come for me, his chosen one.

Leaving the house and gardens far behind, I blindly retraced my footsteps to where my evening had begun. I had to warn Daniel that this entity was far more dangerous than anything he had ever dreamed of.

A part of me asked the question ‘why’, after how he had treated me since my making. But I felt it was my duty, and honour was a code that I lived by. To always do the right thing, because that way it might make up for what I had done that night long ago.

The sleepy heat of the approaching early morning made the sidewalks steam as I padded through the almost deserted streets, finally arriving at the door of the church.

The door was ajar, swinging silently on its great iron hinges, daring me to enter. With a deep breath I concentrated my thoughts towards the interior of the church, frightened of what I might find but desperate to know.

Deep down I knew that Lemures had vanished into his underworld kingdom. Why would he stay around to see me? His message had been received, and I knew the rules.

There was no sign of Daniel and that was a concern. Not that meeting up with him thrilled me, but it was time for me to tell him that his fledgling was bought and paid for.

I hovered in the church doorway for a few minutes; gathering my scattered thoughts and trying to formulate some kind of plan.

Another glance at the sky told me that finding the hotel room was my only option at the present. The sand in the hourglass had run its course for this night.

Within seconds I was on my way, aware that my movements were already sluggish and impaired. Maybe that is why I didn’t hear the car pull alongside of me, or feel the hand that grabbed me by the collar and pulled me swiftly into the darkened void within.

It took me a few seconds to gain my bearings and to adjust my rapidly blurring eyesight to the shadowy interior of the car.

My captor lounged back in the padded rear seat of the vehicle, one leg carelessly thrown over the seat, his face hidden from my view by a magazine.

Still sprawled on the floor I realised that I was in a very luxurious limousine, the smell that invaded my senses was in fact the polished leather of the upholstery, the softness under my fingers, the most expensive of carpeting.

The immutable movement of the car and the fast approaching dawn were partners in crime to my half-aware frame of mind. I fought with everything that I had to keep awake. Falling asleep now could prove to be a terminal mistake.

Struggling I reached out my hand and grabbed for the magazine, the only pale item that I could focus on, but it was pulled from my reach and lowered in one rapid movement.

I met the fiery eyes of the one who had kidnapped me.

"You and I are going on a little vacation," Daniel’s voice split the darkness. "And when we reach our destination you are going to tell me everything that you know. If I think for one instant that you are lying to me I’m telling you now I will kill you myself, and serve you to Lemures in pieces."

With that chilling threat echoing in my ears I collapsed onto the floor of the limousine as the death sleep won her challenge.


Daniel

Sitting on the floor of the bookstore surrounded by a sea of books, some shredded by my temper, I’d come to a decision that shook me to the very core.

That Lemures was very real and meant every word he said only made me more determined to carry out what my instincts told me to do.

Fight.

For that was what had kept me from a clumsy suicide during those long mortal years with Armand.

Yes, it could be called stubbornness too, that undeniable feeling that there was something to be gained from galloping on and throwing all caution to the wind. I never was one for lying down and giving up even when the gun was firmly pointed to my head.

And that’s why I had fled the bookstore and taken the first victim that had crossed my path. It was cold and calculating, I took only what I needed to give me that glow through my veins. What I had wanted from him was his cell phone.

In ten minutes I had acquired the services of a chauffeur who would ask no questions if the dollars were heavy enough, and a car that the President would have been proud of. Bullet proof, impenetrable, black glass, enough to keep out the rays of even the southern sun.

I had seen the expression in the rear-view mirror on the chauffeur’s face, as I had dragged Connor from the street. No doubt he had me down as some sort of pervert that preyed on young boys, but he didn’t utter a word. His reaction was to smoothly flick the switch that raised the screen between us.

Smart man.... see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. If only he knew the truth.

Having a credit limit to the moon and back had been in my favour this time. Hell knows what Armand would say when he saw this little item on his bill. Even this fleeting thought of him screwed me up inside. My heart was wildly thudding at the prospect of seeing him again, but what would I do if he failed to acknowledge me?

The others would be there to see me, the return of the prodigal son, the one who hadn’t even bothered to pay homage to the Prince, as he lay in state.

I didn’t want to think how they would react to me breezing in, fledgling in tow, and tossing them the information that I had a small problem in the shape of a hell’s angel in the true sense of the word.

Only Lestat would find that mildly amusing and God knows what his sanity level was peeking at now that he had awoken.

Connor lay submissively at my feet, strands of his chestnut hair falling over his pale face.

It could have only happened to me. The one I had chosen in a moment of blind fury, the possession of a force that even Lestat was defeated by.

What secrets lay hidden in his mind, closed to me, his maker, unless he revealed them?

This was going to be one hell of a long journey and I almost wished that the death sleep would take me quickly too, at least then I wouldn’t have to struggle with the surges of panic and fear that clouded the reasoning I was trying to hold onto.

Part 6

Daniel


The French Quarter of New Orleans.

There was no other place like it on earth. Oozing with its own timeless decadence and decay you either loved it or hated it. Sometimes I didn’t know what is was for me, but something drew most of us back here before too long, our very own kingdom, home to the Brat Prince.

As we turned from Canal onto Chartres, I stole a look at Connor. He had been silent since his awakening, preferring to stare out of the window than to talk to me. That was okay, he’d be doing a lot of talking later.

The awed expression on his face was no surprise, it happened to everyone who came here. Give New Orleans one night and she would be bury her way into your soul.

Slowly the screen between the driver and us was lowered.

“This okay, Sir?”

He looked very tired; the dark shadows under his eyes proof that he had driven non-stop so we could reach our destination. The car slid smoothly to a halt at the corner of Chartres and Ursulines.

The great mass of the Old Ursuline Convent stood before us in the darkness. This was the oldest building in the Mississippi valley; a point made to me by Marius on my last visit here. He had taken me into the restored Chapel of the Archbishops to admire the paintings. That night stuck in my memory as I had felt close to him, usually we needed Armand as added company to calm the awkwardness.

Stop it, Danny….don’t let yourself drown in the past..

I flicked the remote that unlocked the doors from the inside and motioned for Connor to get out.

As I followed him the heady scent that was the Quarter hit me right between the eyes. Night blossom and the breeze from the Mississippi, Cajun spices and incense….a melting pot of all these and more.

As I peeled off a wad of $50 bills from my wallet it angrily occurred to me that I was glad to be here, because no matter how much it hurt I was nearer to him.

Connor stood awkwardly as the car disappeared into the darkness. He was very pale and his eyes were hungry. The first thing we had to do was to feed, you can’t think straight on an empty stomach. To tell you the truth I hesitated, part of me wondering if starving my fledgling would make him more willing to tell me the truth, but I pushed this away. I wanted him to confide in me, I needed to know what all this crap meant.

We were both in it, and up to our necks.


A quick glance at my watch and some mental math told me that we didn’t have long to wait..one thing about New Orleans is that the food supply is rich, varied and plentiful, tourists could go missing for days without someone raising the alarm. Bourbon Street and its bounties laid people out in their hotel rooms for days.

“Do as I say.” I quietly gave my order to Connor.

The sound of the approaching tour group reached us, hanging on the night breeze, lots of raucous laughter and raised voices. I smiled to myself. This bunch were well oiled already. Someone in there would find what I had planned to do intriguing.

Nonchalantly I leaned back against the wall with my hands in my pockets as they appeared. The tour guide, complete with top hat raised his hand for silence and began his spiel about the convent. I could almost recite it word for word by now. If I ever needed money this was a job I could do.

I scanned the assortment of people before me, a very mixed bunch, mainly female, and a guy in a suit, obviously stranded on business and wiling away the time….and yes..he was one that could be a possibility.

He stood with his arms folded, a look of resignment on his face, this wasn’t what he had joined the tour for. I slipped into his mind. An overdue meeting, a deadline to make, a missed plane…he was here, but somehow strangely unsettled.

I caught his eye and smiled, he looked away but not before I had seen that flash of excitement in his eye.

Straightening up slowly I placed one hand on the wall over Connor’s shoulder. He glanced up at me, a little fearfully.

“It’s okay,” I reassured him, “I’m fixing dinner.”

With my other hand I gently stroked his cheek, tracing his cheekbone with my forefinger. The pattern of his breathing changed and he instinctively looked away. For the first time I wondered if our first meeting in that bar had been a desperate move for him, just for money. He didn’t seem comfortable with my touch..

For Christ’s sake, Danny, of course he’s uncomfortable. You dragged him here under the threat of death, and he has the added bonus of being wanted by the devil messenger…

I glanced sideways at our intended victim. He had moved away slightly from the main group, no doubt finding our activities much more appealing. I continued to stroke Connor’s face, moving my fingers to his chin, then sharply turning his face towards the man.

The look in Connor’s eyes said it all, pure fury but with a hint of panic. This was very cruel of me, I knew that, but I did have a motive for my shameless behaviour.

I inclined my head towards my hapless fledgling, the promise of what I was offering written in my eyes.

The man swallowed nervously, as much excited by the anticipation as the thought of a threesome.

I felt Connor relax beside me as he instantly understood, but I still kept my hands on his face. No point in making it look too innocent.

The man hesitated, the sensible part of him screaming that this was not a good idea. He shuffled towards the edge of the sidewalk, and stole a glance towards the retreating backs of the tour group.

Time for me to play another card.

I took Connor by the hand and led him across to where the man stood, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

Keeping my voice casual I vied for his attention with one sentence.

“You can have him first if you want..if you don’t mind him being underage.”

I had guessed right; this was what flicked his switches…he looked Connor up and down, devouring him hungrily.


I motioned to the alley beyond, dark and secret, no point in renting a room. Anyway al fresco dining was good for the appetite.

Connor’s eyes were blazing as we slid into the shadows and I could feel his body trembling as I held his hand.

The alley led to a little courtyard, almost overgrown with foliage. One tug at the rusted chain freed the gate and we slipped inside, the man following, drawn to us by an invisible cord.

“Close your eyes,” I murmured to Connor, as the man drew near. He would have had to be blind not to notice their brightness, and I wasn’t in the mood for chasing my prey tonight.

“How old is he?” A double-edged question, and I formed my answer with care, going for maximum impact.

“He’s sixteen and has only been mine, but I promised him some excitement tonight if he was very obedient….” I hesitated for maximum impact. “ He can be kinda crazy if he’s turned on enough, want me to cuff his hands?”

The man licked his lips and looked from me to Connor. I’m not sure if it was my winning smile or the thought of Connor restrained that made his decision, but in a few seconds he was all over my fledgling with his hands and tongue.

I saw Connor’s hands reach out and grab the man by the hair, pulling back his head to bare his throat. Connor’s fangs were in this flesh in a sudden blur of movement. The man didn’t even have a chance to cry out. I was suitably impressed.

But I was hungry too and I didn’t want the fuss of chasing another victim. Connor would have to share this one whether he wanted to or not.

Connor

It had taken me a few minutes to understand just where I was on awakening, like opening your eyes in a strange hotel room, that odd sensation where you can’t locate the window and the lurch of panic this brings.

Daniel was awake but seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. For that I was extremely grateful, small talk was something that I didn’t do very well.

From the signs on the freeway I gathered that we heading for New Orleans but I didn’t know why. What was here that could keep Lemures from me?

Daniel’s threat continued to playback in my head and I had no doubt that he meant every word, but finding the courage to tell him frightened me. I had never told a soul since that night, on Lemures’ explicit instructions. Making my confession now would bring all the fear to the surface again that I had buried for so long.

I didn’t really want to leave the safety of the car, it was dark, I could hide away, but I had no choice.

And Daniel’s little pre dinner game unnerved me more than I cared to admit.

Yes, I was hungry and I knew that sometimes dragging a victim from the street was not always the best option, but his soft touch seemed alien to me after his previous treatment. This was a side of him that I didn’t know, the soft under belly of what I had deemed to be a cruel, heartless monster. I wondered what had happened to make him erect this shield of ice, what manner of being, human or immortal had squeezed the kindness from his character.

My instinct to feed shocked me, taking over any moral sensibility I had, drowning out any decent voices in my head. It also made me forget about Lemures, and somewhat guiltily I let it sweep through me, giving myself completely to its attentions.

It was if I were a beast from the forest the way that I took his life, my craving for his blood an addiction I could not halt. Even as I drank I wanted more, greedily gulping down the potion of life. I wanted to bathe in it, to feel the substance running through my fingers, to be part of it.

Dimly I was aware of Daniel near to me, his soft voice in my head telling me to take it easy, not to drink the death..what did that mean..?

Then in a haze I flopped onto the hard ground, sated but still craving.

I watched Daniel finish what I had started, it seemed so natural, so right, where was the part of me that should have recoiled in shock. Tonight I was a stranger to myself.

I hung my head between my knees as my vision blurred and the trees appeared to dance crazily around me. I clutched at the stones beneath me for support.

Daniel hoisted me to my feet in one swift motion and I leaned gratefully against him. Groggily I tried to speak and he laughed.

“How was your first taste of slightly tainted blood, little one? A mixture of alcohol, a couple of uppers and some medication, a neat cocktail for a novice like you.”

He led me back towards the street, and I struggled to put one foot in front of the other.

“Let’s walk it off, kiddo. It’s a fair hike to St. E’s, and I reckon that by the time we hit St. Charles you’ll be able to fill me in on just why I’ve risked my hide to bring you here.”

Part 7

Connor

Even when mortal being drunk was something that I detested. I hated to be out of control; frightened that I would do or say something to make me look a fool. This giddiness that overwhelmed me as I clung to Daniel’s arm seemed very alien. I could hear my own heartbeat resounding in my ears, drowning out all other noises and although my sight was blurred the colours within my head sparkled and danced, like a 4th July firework display.

But Daniel was right.

By the time we had entered the imposing shadow of the white stone cathedral I felt a little more coherent. To give Daniel his credit he didn’t push me to talk, just glanced at me from behind that pale blond curtain of hair until finally he was convinced that if he released me I wouldn’t join the debris of plastic cups in the gutter.

“Before I tell you my tale, can I ask you why we have come to this place?” I motioned with one hand.

My question was almost lost in the noise of a mule and buggy as it clattered by, the animal deliberately sidestepping as it past us. Who said that animals were dumb…

Daniel raised one eyebrow, stopped and folded his arms. “You’re in no position to bargain, Connor, and before your little devil friend comes calling again I’d kinda like to know just why he wants you so badly.”

Daniel fixed me with that sharp, violet-eyed stare, so much hidden in those troubled eyes and so much stubborn strength.

I looked away and tried to concentrate upon the works of the street artists, their wares displayed on the railings of the cathedral grounds and on the sidewalk. This was modern art, bright, gaudy colours and bold shapes, and not really my taste at all.

“Quit stalling, kid,” Daniel’s whisper in my ear and firm grip on my arm pushed me forwards.

He led me into the cobbled alley that ran along side the cathedral, and the breeze from the river lifted my hair playfully. I wished that I could indulge myself in that mood, but this was it the part I was dreading, baring my soul and admitting my sins.

How very ironic that I, the son of an iron willed Professor, whose major was the science of Christianity, should pour out my story of a pact with the devil in the shadow of this great cathedral.

My lips were dry and I moistened them before I started, clasping my hands together in front of me as we walked, as if in prayer.

“Can I write it down, Daniel? I don’t think I can tell you face to face.” It was a plea, somehow writing it down didn’t hurt as much as saying the words.

“Sure thing, I know all about words, Connor, one day you’ll understand that. We’ll stop here.” I caught a wry smile on Daniel’s lips.

Danny pointed to the small wall that ran from the front of the cathedral to its rear.

He produced a small notepad and pen from his pocket. “And don’t ask why I carry these, not now. Just write.”

With great trepidation I accepted his gifts and prepared to expose my soul.

************************************

~~~~ We were just kids, my cousin Billy and I; he always spent his summer vacation with us, as his parents worked long hours, but over the past few years my dislike of him had grown to a cold hatred.

That night he had goaded me since suppertime to come to his room and play a new game he had discovered in the loft the week before, if I wasn’t too ‘chicken.’

I remember the night was hot and sultry and I couldn’t sleep, and that’s how I found myself in his room, much against my better judgement.


“Whoa, you came, Condor!” He laughed at me, that loud, slightly nasal sound that I hated, and coupled with his nickname for me that I loathed about the same.

“Bring your teddy bear, squirt?” He scrambled to the side to let me sit down, and as I did my torchlight caught his face. He was covered in a fine sheen of sweat and his eyes were dull. I just thought he was getting sick and was secretly pleased.

“How do you play?” I asked him, studying the darkly coloured polished board, surrounded by the letters of the alphabet, and the numbers from zero to nine.

It was wooden and beautifully crafted with cream stars on each of the corners.

“It’s a ouija board, stupid, everyone knows how to play!”

Billy gave me his ‘know all’ smile, halfway between a sneer and a manic grin. He reached into the drawer by the bed and pulled out a parcel wrapped in dirty brown paper and loose string. Then he unceremoniously tipped the contents onto my lap. He laughed as I instinctively flinched.

“What did you expect, Con? Some kinda blood offering?”

I picked up the coloured candles from my lap and slowly turned them in my hands. They had all been used before; drips of molten wax knotted on the surface.

“Hand me two white and two black,” Billy ordered as he thumbed open a book of matches. “That way we can hook any passing spirit, good or bad, if that’s okay with you.”

I answered with a shrug, hoping it appeared nonchalant and easy going, and hoped that Billy hadn’t seen me wipe my sweating palms on the carpet.

The candles instantly gave the room an eerie glow, dancing shadows on the pale painted walls, looking as if they too wanted to escape this suffocating place.

Billy was busy rooting around in the wooden box that obviously housed the board, and was completely lost in the task. I wondered how many times he had done this before, and if this was just all a huge scam to frighten me. In that he had succeeded.

With a smile of triumph Billy produced a dark velvet pouch and from it a small crystal glass, that he placed upside down on the board.

“Ready, or do you want to creep back to your cosy bed?” Billy’s simple question was very much a taunt.

Gathering up my courage I glared across at him, grateful for the surrounding darkness in which to hide.

I slowly placed two fingers on the glass, half expecting to see a flash of lightning or some other sign from the gods, a warning that their displeasure was not to be trifled with.

“One finger on the glass, Connor, and no pushing,” he added as he joined me.

What followed is etched on my memory eternally, and branded into my heart….a scar that will never heal and a constant reminder of the frailty of the human mind..

For the first ten minutes or so I heard nothing but Billy’s voice, chanting words I didn’t understand.

The glass remained solid and immovable.

Billy was rapidly becoming more and more agitated. His hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat and his face was deathly pale, a grotesque shade in the warm candle glow.

I suddenly decided that this was getting beyond a joke and shuffled around onto my knees to try and break his concentration.

At that moment a noise came from Billy’s throat, a strangled dead gasp. It seemed to hang in the air around me, replaying over and over.

I watched horrified as three drops of blood dripped from his nose and splattered onto the board.

The glass began to tremble.

I pulled my hand away in alarm and tried to force Billy’s hand from the glass, but to no avail. He didn’t flinch under my whole body weight and he seemed deaf to my frantic pleas.

The glass began to circle the board, great sweeping perfect arcs every time..the candle flames screamed silently….and my heart was threatening to break out of my chest, as the sound from Billy’s throat amplified in my ears.

I tried desperately to blow out the candles, but they were possessed with a life of their own, flaring again no matter how many times I extinguished them.

Finally I frantically beat at them with my hands, yelping as the flame ate into my fingers. With a sob of defeat I drew my hands back and nursed them into my chest.

Transfixed with horror I watched as the candles rose into the air and began to circle above the board in the opposite direction to the glass. Even the air that I was breathing seemed caustic, it burnt my lungs, causing me to panic and hyperventilate.

I knew that my breathing was peeking at a dangerous level and I was too scared to look at Billy anymore.

My whole reason for living was focussed on that circle of flame above me. I was on my knees and praying to whatever god would listen to me.

Fire purified, fire cleansed, fire destroyed, from the fire came the Phoenix….jumbled images poured from my mind.

Then as if in an answer I felt a cool, silken breeze on the back of my neck. I leant backwards drawn to the cold, anything to take me away from the heat, and the vision in front of my eyes.

Dimly I heard a sharp tapping…the window..a tree against the window..

Of course, the window was open, that was where the breeze was coming from! At last something made sense!

I scrambled towards it, throwing myself against the windowpane and sliding my throbbing palms down the smooth, cool, surface. It was such blessed relief, the pain dissipating almost immediately. Disbelief hit me as I examined my hands; there was no sign of any blistered flesh.

With a small cry of terror I noticed an uncanny glow reflected in the glass, and I knew without looking that the manic candles had followed me to the window.

I collapsed onto the windowsill, with my head in my hands, frozen with fear..only to see him for the first time, a hovering apparition outside in the night, his pale shredded clothing floating around him like a shroud.

And then he spoke to me; or rather he spoke into my mind. A coaxing velvet voice that soothed my panic.

“Invite me in, Connor. I healed your hands. I have the power to stop this nightmare. Your companion called me but it is you I am drawn to.”

Such honey sweetness in my head, so wonderful to know that this could end.

Without a second thought I flicked the window catch and shrank back as he entered, still not sure whether he was my salvation or my damnation.

With a wave of his hand the candles spluttered and fell to the floor, inanimate objects once more.

The room was plunged into darkness and I fell backwards, groping for the solid comfort of the wall, anything to hang onto.

But instead of the wall I found his arms, cold, but pliable, dead flesh that supported a life. He held me in his vice like grip and lovingly stroked the hair from my forehead.

In the darkness all I had to hang onto was his voice, and from that moment on he was my Master.

“Each living person has a soul mate, a guide that leads ones soul from their body upon death. I am yours, Connor, and I felt your fear from across a great void. But I see in you a fire, which will serve me well in the future. I’m going to give you a choice, to come with me now and end this existence on earth or to stay here until I call for you again. The stipulation for this is that I take your companion instead, he has a weak, pathetic soul, which will take much teaching for him to see the light, and I never return to my lair without a gift for my henchmen. It’s down to you, mortal.”

And this is the point where I thought only of myself. I didn’t even imagine how it would be for Billy; I sold him to Lemures without a second thought.

“Take him, make it end! I want to live!” I begged shamelessly.

Lemures chuckled to himself. “So desperate to hang onto your life, Connor? Oh yes, you will make a wonderful conscript in my army, showing the lost ones that they have much to fight for to redeem themselves and to see the light.”

“I don’t understand,” I stuttered, wiping the tears from my eyes with the back of my hand.

“I exist in a plane between heaven and hell, the confused souls are mine, the ones who are neither righteous nor evil. Of course, God does not approve of my actions. He assumes that souls are either good or bad, the ones in between irritate him and he begrudgingly sends them to me. It is my task to make them atone for their sins and send them into the light of redemption and if they resist, it is my task to condemn them to eternal agonies. It is this position I am offering to you, to assist me in this vocation upon your mortal death.”

I felt a movement from him, a small shift in the air around us and then the softness of my bed underneath me.

“Are you mine, Connor?” A velvet whisper in my ear. “Can I erase your name from the book?”

Sounds of the seashore in my head, the waves calmly lapping the beach, a milky moon and a warm night breeze…..it was so peaceful….didn’t want to think anymore….

“Yes,” I murmured, sinking into the soft sand of dreams.

The next morning Billy was found dead in his bed, he had suffocated in his own blood, brought on by a massive nosebleed, a freak of nature, the doctors sadly said.

I went to church that day, still stunned, still bewildered and I sat alone at the back of the church and listened to the strong words from the pulpit.

‘The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.’

And then I knew exactly what Lemures had meant by the book. By agreeing to be his I had sealed my eternal fate, the candles from the previous night only a symbol of what was to be my destiny.

The first day of my service to the one I knew as Lemures had begun. ~~~~

Part 8

Daniel

I didn’t need to read his words on the paper. I had memorised every syllable as he wrote it all down, horrified but enthralled. He was oblivious to my presence as he poured out his past, sometimes hesitating as he delved deep into his memory for some small detail. That was when his hand would shake uncontrollably.

I pretended to scan the paper, only to give myself some time to take it all in. Suddenly it was all very real, I knew he was telling me the truth, God knows it was too crazy for anyone to make up.

And I realised something else too, in that split second he handed me his words.

Somehow I had changed his destiny when I made him mine; I had replaced all of the words written in stone that he would be one of Lemures henchmen.

I touched him lightly on the shoulder and he pulled away sharply, turning his head from my sight.

“I don’t need your compassion, Daniel,” he whispered, covering his eyes with one hand.

For once I was at a loss of words, no smart comment came to mind as it normally did in this kind of situation. No brave words to cover up the aching silence.

I felt vulnerable myself as if a layer of skin had been stripped from me, the pretentious covering that I hid behind to show the rest of the world that I didn’t need anybody, that I didn’t give a damn that he didn’t want me anymore.

Christ, it always came back to him…I had spent so long convincing myself that I never wanted to set eyes on him again and now I didn’t have a choice.

For Connor’s sake, I had to take refuge with the rest of the coven. I had to seek their guidance over something that was way out of my control.

Responsibility was a word that stuck in my throat.

I shuffled my feet on the cobbles, tracing the line of a raised stone with my foot.

“I don’t want to die because I know what will happen,” his voice was calmer now, more resigned. “Isn’t that pathetic? Most people don’t want to die for the opposite reason.”

“No one wants to die, Connor,” I hesitated as my truth hit home. “Apart from me. It took me twelve years, I chased death, I wanted this.”

His head jerked upright as my words sank in. “Why?”

Just one word but his eyes spoke volumes.

I owed him this, some kinda explanation, although I never expected him to understand. I didn’t even understand.

“Because I was in love with death. Because I couldn’t bear the idea of being away from him. Because dying was the easy option. It was always a one way ticket to hell for me, my choice…” I stopped as I realised that my words were bitter and they shouldn’t have been. I was only telling the truth.

I had to change the subject; this was getting way too deep all of a sudden.

“Want to come and meet the rest of your kindred?”

The time for fucking about was over; time to face the music, whatever demented tune it played.

Something had shifted in our relationship too. I had asked him if he wanted to come, not dragged him along like a possession.

I was starting to care and that scared me. Firmly I put it at the back of my mind. No way was I going to let myself get hurt again.

We walked side by side, hurrying through the few revellers that had chosen to take the quieter streets parallel to Bourbon and Royale.

Close enough to touch but both of us worlds apart. I remembered something Louis had once told me, about how being with Lestat was like walking through a maze with both of them separated by the hedge.

I understood what he meant now.

***


The imposing mass of St. Elizabeth’s Orphanage loomed before us.

We stood facing the wrought iron gates, like two abandoned children ourselves, left on the doorstep.

The house was in darkness apart from the flickering light from the two identical lanterns that hung on either side of the door. The shutters were all open; some of the sash windows too, but only the lace of the curtains, from the night breeze, stirred within.

I’m not sure what I had expected, certainly not a welcoming committee but I had announced our arrival a few blocks back. Time for them to get accustomed to the fact that the wanderer was returning.

Time for him to disappear too, if he wanted to…did I want that…Christ I didn’t know anymore…

I opened the gate and Connor followed me.. a few flagstones and six brick steps.

Why did I feel like I was walking to the gallows…

“It will be okay, this is the safest place in the world for us to be,” I tried to reassure Connor who liked as if he was going to bolt into the darkness at any moment.

I tried the door. It was locked.

A shiver ran down my back. Was this a hint that they didn’t want me here?

Then the sound of footsteps inside, the bolt sliding back and the click of a key.

“Daniel!”

I found myself swept up in David’s embrace, as he almost dragged me through the front door.

“We were worried, you should have stayed in touch.” A little chastisement in his words but his eyes were warm.

David suddenly stopped and stared at Connor who was looking around the ornate hallway with wide eyes.

“I’m sorry, you are?” David held out his hand in greeting.

I stepped between them and put my arm around Connor’s shoulder.

“He’s with me, David,” I said firmly. “I’ll do the introductions altogether.”

A shadow passed over David’s face but true to his character he didn’t push me.

“I’m afraid you may have to wait a little while. We were not expecting guests, most of the others are occupied elsewhere.”

David’s clipped English tone suddenly annoyed me and I lashed out.

“Next time I’ll send an e-mail a few days before, shall I, to see if it’s convenient?”

I heard Connor take a deep breath and I was saved from David’s answer by the ringing of a phone in a nearby room.

“Excuse me.” David nodded in my direction and disappeared into the room that I knew doubled as a study/living area for the English vampire.

I swore under my breath. I wasn’t sure if I was pleased that the others were out or not. Part of me wanted to get this ordeal over with. I looked around the door and saw David pacing the room with the mobile cradled between his ear and shoulder. He was scribbling furiously on a notebook. He mouthed the words ‘Talamascan trouble’, to me and turned his back. Obviously my cue to hightail it. I took the hint.

“Come on, Connor, I’ll show you around whilst we have the place to ourselves. This is a great place to get lost in, I swear there are more rooms every time I come!”

The old Danny bravado was making a comeback; maybe things were looking up.

I pointed in the direction of the stairs and Connor led the way up the richly carpeted staircase. Dark red, neat colour for the lair of the beast, I wondered who had chosen the colour scheme.

I stooped to run my fingers through the rich velvet weave, letting out a low whistle as I did so. This was top-notch stuff.

It was then that I heard the strangled cry of surprise from Connor and I snapped my head up so fast that the bones in my neck crunched.

And there he was standing with his arms folded at the top of the first flight of steps.

Armand.

I knew that my mouth had fallen open in amazement and I couldn’t move. Connor had shrunk back against the wooden banister railing, his eyes fixed solidly on Armand and who could blame him.

My maker, back from his vacation to another realm, and looking as lethal as Death himself.

His hair was loose around his shoulders and the light from the chandelier turned his auburn curls to copper gold, I swear his hair seemed to be alive and breathing, Medusa style. And there was something different about his eyes. Sweet Jesus, they reminded me of Lemures, almost completely black. I prayed that it was a trick of the light. He cocked his head to one side and looked Connor up and down slowly like he was an animal at a market. I saw the flash of pain on Connor’s face and knew what Armand was doing.

In one bound I had put myself between them. Not even Armand was going to mindfuck my child. Connor had no protection and he didn’t know how to shield his thoughts. Reading his mind would be like taking candy from a baby.

A lazy smile spread across Armand’s face. “Why thank you, Daniel, I think that answers my questions.”

The sound of my name from his lips was like a whiplash but I stood my ground.

“He’s my child, Armand, which makes him part of you too.”

He laughed softly, “And you think that makes any difference to me? Come now, Daniel, you haven’t been away that long.”

I bit back my response because rational thought was the last thing on my mind and Armand was the master of word rape. I didn’t want to make this situation any worse than it was.

“Hellfire, Armand, you can cut the atmosphere in here with a knife!” Lestat’s non-too dulcet tones rang out from the hallway and for once I was glad to see him. “Nice of you to drop in, Danny, this side of the millennia. I thought for a minute you had brought us supper.” He inclined his head towards Connor. “But I see he is one of us and almost still warm.”

“I don’t think Daniel and his suckling found that funny, Lestat,” Armand interrupted.

Lestat raised one eyebrow and grinned, “ And I thought I was the only one who screwed around and annoyed the elders.”

David silently appeared in the doorway with a grim expression on his face. He wasted no time in informing us as to why.

“I have just been on the phone to Adrian, my Talamascan confident in the city. Something very strange happened in the cathedral earlier this evening. Someone wrote a message in candle wax at the base of the altar, ‘you may run but you cannot hide, my wrath is all seeing, vampire, you know my terms.’ Two candles were left by the side of this message, one black and one white.”

“He found us, Daniel, you said we’d be safe here!” Connor was an anxious shadow at my side.

All eyes were suddenly on me.

Lestat’s face became very serious, and for the first time since I had known him I saw a dark cloud of uncertainty on his face. “I believe you have something to tell us, Danny, and you had better be quick, before we are all looking the devil in the eye.”

Part 9

Connor

I was extremely grateful that Daniel didn’t inundate me with questions as we walked along away from the Quarter. After writing down my encounter with Lemures I was all out of confession time. In fact all I wanted to do was to find a dark spot, curl up and hide.

But Daniel had opened up to me back there at the cathedral, told me a little about himself and his history, and I was intrigued, especially when he told me that he had wanted this. That part I was finding it hard to deal with. All I had ever craved since that fateful night was to be like everyone else that walked on this earth, to discover that some had actually chased this damned existence was a shock.

When Daniel stopped outside the old brick building I was surprised. I don’t know what I was expecting for the place where vampires lived but it wasn’t something as normal and as beautiful as this. I think I would have been happier if it had been some old battered building at the edge of a graveyard. All my conceptions of immortality were again being turned upside down.

As we walked to the front door my legs were leaden. I stole a glance at Daniel; he didn’t look very comfortable at all.

The tall, handsome, dark haired vampire who opened the door was obviously very pleased to see Daniel, and I tried to merge into the background as they exchanged pleasantries, taking in the opulence of the hallway to keep my mind from freezing.

It was a room of moderate proportions, the brickwork still visible as an interior wall decoration, rustic but welcoming. The redness of the brick was echoed in the colouring of the carpeting, which my feet sank into. A large circular, green marble topped table stood centrally, and on it a crystal vase filled with white chrysanthemums, freshly picked. The slow tick of a grandfather clock filled the opposite corner to the door, the gold pendulum marking time as it had done for decades. I wondered why vampires had a need for a clock. I had so many questions.

I tried to shrink back and become part of the furniture when David offered his hand in greeting and Daniel rudely and abruptly claimed me.

The vampire that Daniel called David disappeared into the room on my right and I was aware of Daniel talking to me, almost flippantly. This seemed suddenly very surreal. I wanted to wake up.

Then to suddenly find another vampire standing before me at the top of the stairwell was a complete surprise. Whilst David had seemed open and welcoming, the aura around this one was icy and menacing. I felt myself almost shrivelling under his laser beam stare. I wanted to look away but I was mesmerised by the fact that although he oozed poison from every pore that he was hypnotically beautiful. A creature of myth now flesh and blood before my eyes, a fallen angel with his dark wings dipped in sin.

The violation of my mind from him caught me completely off guard, only Lemures had spoken to me in that way before. The vampire ruthlessly pushed his way into my thoughts like a hot wire through butter; I didn’t even know what he was searching for. His mind probe was hard and unrelenting, jabbing away at the pockets in my memory and soaking up the details he needed.

The next few minutes were very hazy, I was aware that Daniel had put himself between the vampire and myself and that the mind search had stopped, and that another one of our kind had entered by the front door, but I was floating somewhere amidst all of this, almost ghostlike.

‘Be afraid.’..the words shot into my head and I tumbled back into the reality of David’s speech concerning the message at the cathedral.

The blond haired one that I knew now as Lestat, demanded an explanation from Daniel.

If time ever stood still it was at this moment, I don’t think any of us even wanted to breathe, the atmosphere seemed so volatile.

It was David who gently diffused the situation.

“Let’s all go and discuss this sensibly.” He inclined his head purposefully towards Lestat.

“Why, David, was that a none too subtle dig? I swear you get more like Armand every night.” This last sentence was delivered as he swept past everyone and sauntered into the study.

David gently smiled to himself as he ushered Daniel and I to the same room. I didn’t know where the hostile vampire they had called Armand was, and I didn’t want to glance behind me to find out.

Lestat had sprawled himself over the length of a well-worn green leather Chesterfield sofa, placing his hands behind his head and was minutely inspecting the ceiling as I nervously sat on the arm of a matching chair. Daniel went to stand in front of the fire which was blazing in the hearth. He picked up a beautiful deep red glass sea horse and fingered it, I could see a small beading of moisture on his upper lip, this was very hard for him and I felt a pang of guilt.

“Murano glass, Daniel. Remember we bought it from the little shop on the Rialto Bridge the last time we were in Venice.” Armand’s voice was soft but cold, and for the first time I heard an accent softly throbbing away behind the words.

Daniel looked up in shock and I saw his fingers tighten visibly on the seahorse.

“But that was then and this is now,” he whispered miserably. Lestat turned his head and frowned.

“Can you two do all this later? You may have forgotten but David just informed us that we have a little problem in the shape of one of the gang from hell to deal with.”

Armand shrugged and to my horror he came across and sat down elegantly in the chair I was perched on.

The awkward silence threatened again until David spoke.

“We are all listening, Daniel, just take your time and give us the main facts first. The details we can discover later.” He smiled warmly at Daniel and I found myself feeling very grateful that he was here.

At times during Daniel’s revelations I felt like crawling away, especially when my letter was passed from one to another to digest. Suddenly everyone knew what I had kept in the darkest part of me.

Lestat read it first with David reading over his shoulder. They both looked very serious as Armand reached across to take his turn. As he took the letter he let his hand rest for a split second on my thigh and I tensed like a coiled spring. Even when his hand was gone I could still feel the imprint.

Armand devoured the words in seconds before tossing the letter to the floor distastefully. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth once and sighed. I could tell that he wasn’t impressed.

“Well, Connor, there’s nothing like making first impressions count, and on a scale of one to ten I reckon I’d give you eleven.” Lestat shook his head and his shock of hair fell forwards. He blew a few strands from his line of vision.

I bowed my head, acutely aware of Armand beside me even though he hadn’t moved since reading my words.

Lestat suddenly stood up, a determined expression on his face.

“Ideas on how we fight this?” He glanced around the room.

“We should call the elders, this is a very serious matter.” David’s voice was concerned.

“I disagree. The last time we all got together things were very messy, and just because they are older doesn’t make them wiser.” I could see by the stubborn expression on Lestat’s face that once he had made his mind up nothing would stop him.

Armand laughed and I jumped in my seat like a startled rabbit.

“As the eldest here I could argue with you, Lestat, but I’m not really in the mood for seven hours of debate. I say we find his weak spot and use it.”

My heart was racing in my chest…they wanted to help me… I was amazed….part of me had been convinced that they would serve me up to Lemures without a second thought..

Daniel calmly placed the seahorse back in its position on the mantle, before crossing the few steps that separated him from Armand.

He dropped to one knee in front of the chair and reached for Armand’s hand. Armand snatched his hand away quickly and Daniel flinched. Not a muscle had moved on Armand’s face as Daniel did this, he was carved from the same substance as the stone hearth. I knew then that Armand was Daniel’s maker, and the one that was tearing Daniel’s heart into little pieces.

The loud crash that came from the floor above sent all our eyes skywards. Lestat and David were through the door and halfway up the staircase before I had exhaled, Lestat’s curses echoing down to the hallway.

I looked at Danny who had risen to his feet, he put a finger to his lips as I opened my mouth to speak, then he was beside me, and I tried to find strength in his presence.

Armand stretched slowly and ran a hand through his tangle of auburn curls. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking, if he was alarmed it didn’t show. Suddenly he frowned, a quicksilver furrow of his brow before he stood and turned to us.

“Lestat has just informed me that your demon requests the pleasure of our company in the chapel.”

****

Daniel and I followed Armand up the staircase and along the narrow corridor that led from it. Paintings hung from the wood panelled walls, images from the bible every one. A statue of St. Therese of Lisieux stood serenely by the chapel door. She was clutching rose blossoms and I swear I could almost smell the perfume from them as we passed.

Armand swung open the door to the chapel and waited whilst we entered. The chapel was smaller than I had imagined and not as ornate. Rows of deep red velvet dining room chairs served as pews. The floor was simply tiled in black and white and there was no evidence of the ornaments of high church. No lectern or altar, no crucified Christ figure for all to see and wonder at His suffering. Just the odd plaster cast of some long forgotten saint and dozens of candlesticks, all lit and casting a dancing and quivering light upon the chapel. But it was the windows that made me stare, exquisitely arched and almost from floor to ceiling, jewelled hues reflecting the light from the candles.

“Making him wait is not a good idea,” Armand whispered in my ear, and I trembled as his cold breath floated past my cheek.

With my eyes fixed to the floor I followed Daniel to the front of the chapel. Lestat and David were both standing together with their arms folded, and Lemures was sitting cross-legged on the top of a black grand piano flicking through a psalm book. The remains of a huge stone vase lay smashed on the floor, Lemures’ calling card.

“Good evening, Connor,” he raised his head and smiled at me like a doting parent. “I thought you were avoiding me. Now where did I get that notion from?”

Lestat growled and David took his arm to calm him. Lemures raised one eyebrow and in one fluid and silent movement he was beside Lestat. I watched transfixed as these two immortals sized each other up, like gladiators before the final battle.

“You have something of mine, vampire Prince, and I will claim him.”

I saw a shimmer run through Lemures’ body, like a ripple on water and for an instant his whole body became translucent.

“Are you open to trade?” Armand stepped out from the shadows. All eyes turned to him and a little smile of contempt appeared on Lemures’ lips.

“And pray what have you, a mere reanimated corpse, that I, one of the Helpful Dead, will desire?”

Part 10

Daniel


Lestat has to be one of the most charismatic vampires that ever roamed the earth and when he is in the frame of mind where he wants an answer, being on the receiving end is not funny. One glance from those steel grey eyes, (and they are grey when he is angry), is enough to make you shrivel on the spot. The undeniable strength and determination in his voice only reminded me of how much of a fledgling I still was. An inferiority complex, just what I didn’t need.


David’s interruption gave me a little more time to try and sort out the confused thoughts in my head, but whichever way I looked at it I couldn’t salvage my pride or any self-esteem. All my reasons for making Connor were the wrong ones and now I had brought danger to the coven by running from Lemures and fleeing to New Orleans. I felt like something that had been scraped from a shoe as I miserably entered the study.

The furthest place from everyone else was the fireplace at the end of the room, so it was no surprise that I ended up there, only to be faced with a momento from the past. The sea horse Armand had bought on that sultry night when our love was pure passion and I was certain that it would last forever. I remembered teasing him about paying for it and he had chastised me as we leant on the bridge and watched the sleek, black gondolas below.

Christ, I could still feel his strong fingers massaging the muscles at the base of my neck and the touch of his cool skin on my cheek as he bent to kiss me.

We had broken into the Accademia that night and he had made love to me on the floor beneath some of the greatest masterpieces in Venice. Five centuries of beauty, some created even as Armand was born to darkness himself. He had taken me to new heights of pleasure, blurring my vision with the intensity of his desire and at the end as I bit into my own hand to stop the scream, all the angels on every canvas wore his face…

But now it was time to stop the dream and face the nightmare, so I told my story as it was, not hiding any of the sordid details. There was no point in lying; and I was too tired to try.

When I had finished, the conversation carried on around me, but I was deep into my own thoughts, wondering what form of madness had led me to believe that all this would have a fairy tale ending. I had a gut reaction that this would end in bloodshed and pain, the idea twisted inside me finding the softest parts and gnawing on the exposed nerves.

What if the others decided that it was too great a risk to fight Lemures, what if they told me to send Connor to him and just get on with the rest of my life…could I do it?

Sacrifice your first born to the devil, Daniel.

Armand was speaking, I would know the lilt of his voice anywhere but he didn’t sound angry. I looked up and processed his words, ‘I say we find his weak spot and use it’…

From the expression on Connor’s face I knew that he had been expecting the worst too.

The relief that flooded through my veins is hard to put into words, I found myself on one knee beside Armand because my legs were too weak to support me any other way. My mind told me to stop, my self-protection valve screamed a warning, but I wasn’t listening. I reached for his hand because I knew deep down that if there was only a tiny chance that he would accept me that I had to try. I knew the rebuff was a chance I had to take but when it came I froze. He didn’t even acknowledge my presence. He wasn’t offering to save Connor for me he was doing it for some reason only known to himself…

As soon as I heard the crash from the chapel I knew it was Lemures. Who was I kidding to think that he would give us any time with the rest of the coven, he had been more than patient with us already. But inside I knew that he had followed our every move, just waiting in the shadows for the right time to unleash his serpents tongue.

I was indifferent to Connor as we went upstairs, although he clung as closely to me as he could without physical contact. The need in him bled from every pore, but I couldn’t comfort him, not if I was going to lose him. Armand’s rejection had killed any paternal streak that stupidly lived inside of me.

The chapel was ablaze with candlelight, incredibly pretty. I’ll let you in on a secret. I love candlelight, and the way it softens the harsh edges of everything in its path, but maybe after tonight I would learn to hate it.

I felt as if I was backed up against a wall. I wanted to run somewhere far away, never looking behind me, to find a space to be by myself, to forget about love and relationships because then I couldn’t get hurt again. Fuck it, all my relationships were scarred and mutated. I had run from Armand when he needed me the most because I didn’t want to understand why he was pushing me away. And now Connor was at my side, openly trembling, and I couldn’t even bring myself to touch him.

The words spoken drifted over my head; I was only half listening, waiting to hear the inevitable.

I snapped back into reality as Armand intervened in the conversation, holding my breath as Lemures sarcastically replied.

“Everyone has something that they desire, Lemures, even one like you.” Armand’s voice was empty of any emotion.

Lemures laughed, showing perfect white teeth before he slowly turned and began to circle Connor. I had two choices, to move away from this demon or to step forward and protect my fledgling.

~Don’t move, Danny..~ It was Lestat. I was obviously broadcasting in full Technicolor.

“I don’t think that you have any notion of what I desire, vampire. I am the higher life form and have lived for centuries, the knowledge and power I possess is too great for you even to contemplate. I am tiring of this charade. I am needed for much greater things than this…” Lemures turned sharply and snarled as Lestat’s laughter echoed around the chapel and the candle flames quivered in fright at the sound.

“If you are so high and mighty, Lemures, why don’t you just take Connor now?” Lestat sat back on the arm of one of the chairs and folded his arms expectedly.

Connor lowered his head, closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his body. I felt the sting of tears behind my eyes and I fought it back. Lestat was the only one that was allowed to weep publicly.

The figure of Lemures lost its form for an instant, shimmering before me like a mirage. Then in one leap he was floating above Lestat menacingly.

“They should have taken your heart in Sheol, not your eye,” Lemures hissed, as his shape pulsed like a heartbeat, hovering over Lestat.

“Answer the question!” Armand demanded as he walked over to stand behind Lestat.

What the hell were they playing at! Deliberately antagonising Lemures didn’t seem a very bright move to me. I glanced helplessly at David who was standing quietly observing every detail.

In a ball of flame, which sent us all sprawling onto the chapel floor, Lemures vanished, leaving only the faint unmistakable aroma of burning flesh.

“Shit!” I was the first to speak, standing and brushing down my clothes. I had ended up flat on my face amongst the broken pieces of the vase.

I looked across to see Lestat examining a small piece of cloth from Lemures’ robes, holding it between his finger and thumb before inhaling the scent.

“David, this aroma, I know it but I can’t place it.” David was by his side instantly taking the cloth and investigating himself.

“The oil, it’s Egyptian, I am sure, used to anoint the bodies of the dead before they were buried in the pyramids.”

“So we can assume that Lemures has been around in some shape or form since then,” Armand smiled, almost wickedly, as he too went to examine the cloth.

“What’s your plan?” Lestat’s face was almost glowing. He was always at his best in a crisis.

“I’m surprised that you or David didn’t work this one out for yourself,” he teased, “what is the one thing that a spirit who has been dead for centuries desires?”

“Oh no, much too dangerous,” David took Lestat’s arm to emphasise his point.

“A chance to live again! Armand, my God, that trip to the stars worked wonders for your intellect,” Lestat took hold of Armand and embraced him tightly, much to Armand’s undisguised disgust.

“I don’t understand,” my voice stopped them in their tracks. I was watching this unfold in disbelief, for the sense they were speaking they might as well have been talking in Chinese.

“Daniel, you need to feed, think about it,” Lestat’s enthusiasm threatened to overflow. “We offer him the chance to live again, we offer him eternal life but in a vampire body!”

Part 11

Connor

I thought it was the end, that this was the moment I had been trying to prepare myself for. Lestat's flippant question to Lemures was akin to signing my death warrant. All I wanted was to be brave, for their last memories of me to be positive ones, and for Daniel to be proud of me. Dying whilst still a coward was the one thing that terrified me the most.

To be in the presence of these others had been amazing, they truly were beasts of legend, and I was a very poor relation. The weakest of the litter was always culled, nature saw to that.

They had angered Lemures and I was very frightened, he would make me pay for this public humiliation. I watched, horrified but oddly fascinated, as Lestat stood his ground and Armand offered his solid support.

The great ball of flame that appeared before my eyes caught me completely unprepared. Someone tackled me from behind and the next thing I knew I was face down on the cold chapel floor, with David's body protectively over mine. I turned, wide-eyed in shock, to see David already halfway to his feet.

"It's over for now, Connor, he has gone to his lair, try not to worry." David helped me to stand with a reassuring smile.

Still gazing around me to check that Lemures had vanished, I cautiously seated myself on the end chair of the front row, rubbing my bruised shoulder where I had hit the floor soundly.

Lestat, Armand and David were crouched together examining something that had fallen from Lemures' robes. They seemed oblivious to everything but the task at hand and I wondered if I should slip out of the door. I shelved that proposal immediately. Being unaccompanied wasn't a good idea. Better an outsider here, than on a one to one if he returned.

Daniel looked almost as confused as I was and he voiced his concerns, only to have a very enthusiastic Lestat bound over to him like a Labrador puppy.

Lestat's words made the breath catch in my throat; he was insane, offering Lemures the chance to be like us!

"Team meeting," Lestat grinned, "but not here. Let's go to my room, Connor looks like he needs to lay down." He smiled at me, a warm, soft expression on his face. Then I heard his voice in my head, ~ You did well, leave the plan to the rest of us, come and rest~

Somehow I wanted to cry; I was expecting anger and derision… Please don't be kind to me, I don't deserve it.

Like a lamb I followed the others along dimly lit corridors that never seemed to end where our feet echoed on gleaming wooden floors, past many doors to rooms that held visions from another time. On more than one occasion I thought I caught the sound of children's laughter…. a trick of the night wind as it played with the gaps and crannies of this historic building.

Finally Lestat flung open a door and gestured for us to enter. It was as if we had stepped back into another age.

A magnificent four poster bed commanded the vast part of the room, dark ruby mahogany, the wood carved into many designs. I recognised a figure from Greek mythology, Dionysus, one who represented transcendence through sensuality and abandon. The canopy with tasselled hangings was a beautiful shade of jade green satin flecked with gold, and the bed linen, snow white and edged in traditional lace.

My eyes drifted around the rest of the room, and I tried not to stare. I think I failed miserably in that task.

The walls and ceiling were painted in a delicate shade of rose pink, the floor bereft of any carpeting or rugs, polished wood, and shining with beeswax.

Lace hung at the windows with dark green, 'swagged and tailed' velvet curtains, held back by gold hooks in the shape of a wolf's head.

A large oval mirror stood opposite the bed and an armoire resided by the side of one of the sash windows. A small card table and two large chairs completed the furniture; both covered in an animal fur wrap, which looked very authentic to my eye.

Lestat sprawled himself over the bed and attacked the pillow before settling down on one elbow. With a sigh he abruptly turned over and started to play with a strand of gold thread that dangled from the bed canopy.

"May I enquire if something is troubling you?" David asked barely able to keep a smile from appearing on his lips.

Lestat narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. "Remember Raglan James, David?"

David spun around, his face deadly serious. "I am not answering that question, Lestat."

Armand had been following this from the window, occasionally lifting the lace to peer outside. He deftly caught a bug from the windowpane and squashed it between his fingers, putting one finger to his lips to taste the meagre offering of blood.

"For once, Lestat, I am on the same mindset as you. We offer Lemures a flesh and blood body, and tempt him with eternal life as a vampire. For all of his fanciful words he wants the freedom to physically roam this earth again, that much I am sure of."

Armand walked across to join Lestat and David, by passing Daniel without a glance.

"Do we draw straws for the lucky vampire victim?" Daniel asked, a note of fierceness in his voice, no doubt prompted by Armand's obvious disregard.

Armand sighed and met Daniel's gaze for the first time. "You have forgotten everything I ever taught you, Daniel. There is always more than one side to the coin. Lemures' greed will cloud his reasoning, he will take any vampire, it does not have to be one of us."

"What can we gain from that?" Daniel retorted angrily, his amethyst eyes glowing dangerously. He was by the door, pacing the floor with agitation. "You think that just because he's a fucking vampire that he'll leave us alone!"

"He won't be a vampire for very long, Danny," said Lestat softly, "because as soon as the time is right I'll kill him myself."

The words from Lestat seemed to hover in the air before dissipating. It appeared like an impossible task and I had the most terrible thought that Lemures was far too clever to fall for the temptation.

The same thoughts were in David's mind too. "He's very powerful, Lestat. If he falls for our plan how can we stop his spirit from escaping his vampire host if he is threatened?"

"That is your task, my friend," Lestat sat up and reached for David's hand. "You taught me about the power of body switching, and how to force the spirit from a body. Now you have to use your knowledge to keep Lemures in his host until I have the chance to deal with him."

"And if I fail?" David slowly looked from Armand to Lestat.

"Then we have started a war that may well prove fatal for our species, but we have to try, don't you understand?"

"Wouldn't it be easier to just send me to him?" The question that had been burning at the back of my mind was finally out.

"Of course it would, Connor, but I never take the easy option." Lestat smiled showing perfect tiny fang teeth, as he touched David's shoulder gently.

"Tomorrow evening as soon as dusk falls Lestat and I will go into the city and choose a host. David you will stay and see that Daniel and Connor are safe and you will provide them with food. I don't want them outside of this building."

As Armand crossed the room to the door I realised that the meeting was over, decisions had been made and now all I could do was wait and wonder if this was to be my last night on earth.

Part 12

Daniel

Following the others to Lestat’s room gave me another chance to think. Maybe this time I could work out a sensible plan but I wasn’t holding my breath. I was painfully aware of Connor behind me like a stray puppy and thanked God that I couldn’t read his thoughts. I hadn’t given him any support, he must know that he was on his own now. But I had to talk to him, to let him see why I acted like I did, but first I wanted to have it out with Armand. I couldn’t bear this constant gut wrenching feeling that he hated me, I had to hear it from his own lips.

Call me stupid, but until that time I didn’t want to believe it. People have to hit me over the head with honesty, you see. I never believed that Santa Claus was a myth until I was nine.

Lestat’s room was as it always is, welcoming and completely over the top. I watched the others settling themselves before the discussions started, but I stayed close to the door. Somehow I felt more comfortable here.

All of the time I kept one eye on Connor, noticing how he avoided directly making eye contact with the others and acutely aware of the turmoil in his dark eyes.

Lestat’s plan was screwed up, I could see the pitfalls, they were a mile high, but I knew it was pointless arguing with him, and when Armand swept past me without a backward glance I blew a fuse, the angry words spouting from my lips with no holds barred.

Armand answered me like you would talk to an irritating child and I saw nothing in those eyes of his that remotely suggested that he felt anything for me. My heart began to freeze. Well, fuck him, if he thought that he could treat me like this, I deserved more and I was damn well going to make him listen to what I had to say. As he crossed the room to the door to leave I bounded over and grabbed his arm.

“I have to talk to you, Armand, now…” my voice faltered as he slowly glanced at my hand on his arm and then to my face.

“As you wish, Daniel, but you are forgetting your responsibilities to your fledgling. Shouldn’t you see that he is comfortable first?”

I dropped my hand as if burnt.

“Daniel, don’t worry, I will see that Connor is cared for,” David interrupted. He appeared at my shoulder with Connor at his side. ~Go, be with Armand. He needs you more than he is willing to admit~

Gratefully, I nodded in reply. I owed David, and I made a mental note to thank him when this chaos ended.

Armand swept through the door, closing it behind him.

With a quick glance at David, I grabbed the door and was through it in a heartbeat, only to find Armand leaning nonchalantly on the wall opposite.

I froze, not expecting him to be anywhere in sight.

“Time to tell me what you are feeling, Daniel. You wear your anger like an invisible cloak but the cloth is flawed, I see beneath it. And I admit to a certain curiosity over your sudden appearance here with your child, although Lemures is a formidable foe and one that you could not possibly deal with.” He looked me up and down as if he didn’t know me anymore, and something inside of me crumbled.

“Please, don’t do this to me.” I lowered my eyes and silently begged his understanding.

Then I felt his hands on my face, forcing me to look into his eyes and for a second I was mortal, seeing him as the answer to my demented prayers.

“You are doing this to yourself, Daniel. The choices were yours to make. I was only the fulcrum on which you balanced your volition.” The softly spoken words from him tore down any defences I had built and I broke down. He wiped my tears away with his fingers, “Come, my child. You ran from me only to discover your own imperfections. Living with your mistakes is the hardest burden to bear.”

“Connor was a mistake?” A rhetorical question from me as he led me down the spiral staircase to his room.

Armand paused and gently righted a painting that was a little out of line. “Only you can answer that question, Daniel.”

His words settled in my head like lava from a volcano, hot and heavy and burning.

Suddenly I couldn’t face going into his room. Too many memories of when things were good and strong between us. I stopped at the corridor that I knew ran to a balcony over the inner courtyard.

“Armand..”

He understood and gave me a little smile. My heart flipped. Who was I kidding when I thought that I could live without him?

Just the stillness of that hushed hour before the dawn greeted us as we stepped out onto the wooden balcony. Armand began to peel the blistering paint from the wrought iron handrail and I was so damned nervous I had to force the words to come out.

I glanced at the sky and knew that there was no time to build up to what was screaming in my head to be told.

“Why did you write what you did about me?” I tried to make it like any other question I had ever asked him.

“Because you deserted me, like all the others did. You were my link to this century, my whole reason for believing that this existence was worth pursuing. All my beliefs were crumbling into obscurity. I needed you, Daniel, and you left me.”

“Armand!” I was at his side clutching at his arm to make him look at me. “I left because I thought you wanted me to, because I thought you needed time without me. When I heard that you had tried to end it all, I couldn’t take it in. I refused to believe it. Then I read your book and…..I died inside….I can’t handle rejection, especially from you..I made Connor in a whim..to replace you..I didn’t know how I would feel…I didn’t ask for any of this..” Lamely my raised voice echoed from the courtyard walls.

“Why do you think that I waited for so long before I graced you with the Darkness, Daniel? I had to be sure that it was right, had to know that it was the most important thing in your life, to know that you were willing to give me your soul. Then you repaid me by leaving. Everyone leaves me, Daniel, I know that now. There isn’t anything left in me to care, I will learn to exist without the frailty of love.”

I don’t think that I had ever heard him speak like this. It seemed so final, that nothing would ever change his mind.

“And Sybelle and Benji?” The ones that I had heard about in whispered conversations burst through. As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew I had made a mistake.

He turned his head from me, but not before I saw the flash of pain in his eyes.

His words spilled out into the pre-dawn air. “I did not ask for their eternal company. Marius made them for me, they are with him now, and I am not. My Master made a mistake but I was to blame.”

“No, Armand, don’t criticise yourself!” Instantly I forgave him. All of the lost nights spent hurting over how he had replaced me, gone with his words. And I knew then that loving someone meant accepting their faults as well, even if you didn’t understand, that no one was perfect even when you placed them on a pedestal. I also knew that Armand had made a colossal mistake by bringing them here, and that he felt responsible for the actions that Marius had taken.

He placed one hand next to mine as I gripped the handrail in frustration. “A new day approaches, Daniel, and we must flee from the light. Prepare yourself for pain as the dusk is born, Lestat’s plan is courageous, but defective.” He silenced my unuttered questions with a shake of his head, his copper curls glowing in the pre-light of the day.

My eyes were stinging from the dawn rays as I followed him into the main body of the house. He opened a door and waited as I entered, watching as I stumbled towards the bed and groggily laid down.

The door clicked shut and I lay with my heart hammering in my chest. I had forced a confrontation with Armand because I couldn’t bear the thought that he hated me. The only thing that I had found out was that he hated himself and I was powerless to comfort him.

Part 13

Connor

~the narrow tunnel that I was crouched in was almost too dark to see anything but vague shapes, some seemed human but they were not solid, their appearance transformed every time I came closer….on my hands and knees now, acutely aware that I was choking but no sound in my ears, and saliva spurting from my slack-lipped mouth…..my eyes stinging with the acrid stench of the air around me as the sweat dripped into my eyes to cloud my vision further....I crawled like a thing under the soil, not knowing to where I was going or from whence I came..and the fear, oh God..the fear, it was in my veins running rampant around my quivering naked body…a sudden taste in my mouth....warm and moist, but not quite liquid, dark and sweet and I couldn’t stop it flowing out of me, spilling onto my cupped hand…

a pulsing light then from the end of the tunnel, hazy, then suddenly blazing like the birth of a new star….I put my hand up to shield my eyes and saw my hand…covered in blood, small clots clinging in between my fingers..I stared in horror as the blood appeared to bubble on my skin and a gentle hum throbbed from the stillness….eyes wide I looked frantically for the source and from the darkness came the very same scene from that night in my childhood…the demonic candles circling nearer and nearer...

I shrank back in terror, scraping flesh from my knees on the jagged surface of the tunnel, crossing my arms in a futile attempt to protect my face or maybe I just didn’t want to see anymore…..the stench increased as did the vibrating noise…

I felt a pull at my arm, something wet touching me..I lowered one hand, to see the one I had sold so long ago..

Billy…I recognised him from his eyes but that was all, his features were like molten wax in a floating candle, constantly changing…I glanced down at his hand on my arm and saw the bones of his fingers half covered in dripping sinew…I opened my mouth to scream and clawed helplessly at the floor of the tunnel with my fingers….~

I think I almost stopped breathing as slowly the objects in the darkened room came into focus.

Clasping my hands to my head I tried to calm the panic, telling myself that it was only a nightmare..but it seemed so very real. What was fact and what was fiction? At this moment I didn't know.

Another crazy question came into my head.

Maybe I was sick..did vampires get sick?

I put my hand down on the bed to steady myself and recoiled in horror as a wetness met my fingers. I snatched for the bedside lamp even though I knew my preternatural sight should have been enough.

The pale blue sheets were tinged dark pink with blood sweat, but it was mine, I knew that immediately. I examined my hands; they too were covered in blood, under my fingernails too. Whatever dream I had suffered had gone on for some considerable time.

And I had the eeriest feeling that something was very wrong. Using the powers that I knew I had, I scanned for signs of life from the rest of the coven.

Nothing.

Then I glanced at the clock. A vampire knows instinctively when the sun will set wherever he may be, and this was at least half an hour too early, but I felt wide awake with a very strange feeling of anticipation.

Still holding my head, which was processing information from the night before at an alarming rate, I crossed my legs and tried to stabilise my thoughts.

I remembered Daniel chasing after Armand with an expression of stubborn determination on his face, as I stood awkwardly silent. I had felt like the proverbial gooseberry, one too many in this barbed wire triangle….until David plucked me out and led me away to the comparative safety of his study. David who had shown me in the short time that I had known him that to be a vampire does not mean losing your human morals.

He knew without saying how I was struggling to keep my head above water with Armand, how much I wanted to say to Daniel, how frightened I was, but he never broached the subject, just told me with a nod of his head and a warm smile that he did understand. Typically English, but no race did it so well.

He sat me down in the well used chair by the embers of the fire, crouching to stir the reluctant coals with the black iron poker, the reflection of the flames mirrored in his sienna brown eyes.

My questions came in a rush..what did he mean by body switching..what were the dangers..what were the advantages..

A snatch of conversation came back to me..

“But how does it work, David, does the invading spirit just conquer the one in the body?” I was waving my hands frantically, trying to make sense of my own words.

David sat back in his chair and intertwined his fingers, thinking before continuing.

“A soul has two parts, Connor. The lesser soul stays in the body to keep it physically alive in the switching process, whilst the other stronger part leaves the body. This, of course, only runs smoothly when the switching is by mutual consent.” He paused to make sure I was following. Like the village idiot I nodded profusely.

“The residual soul will readily accept union with a higher soul and will claim it back into the host body. Sometimes there might be confusion if the host body and the applicant, for a better word, are equal in strength, but with one such as Lemures, that will not be a problem. Whoever Armand and Lestat choose will be no match for one such as he, that is desperate for a flesh and blood host.” David hesitated and placed his fingers together as he thought. “I do, however, wonder what will happen to the soul of the unfortunate chosen vampire. I fear it may be lost in the chaos.”

A dark shadow crossed his face, then vanished as he smiled at me.
“Any other questions before you fall asleep in my stimulating company?”

I roused myself, slightly embarrassed that he had seen my half-shut eyes and lack of concentration.

I abruptly threw him the question that was worrying me the most.

“How can you keep Lemures in his host when he is threatened, won’t he try to escape when he realises that Lestat is out for a kill?”

David chewed his lip thoughtfully, before gripping the leather bound arms of his chair to rise. “That is something I have yet to consider. Lestat, as is his way, gave me this puzzle to solve. I sometimes think that he assumes that because I have read at least half of all published writings that I know everything. But we will all have the advantage of forward planning on our side. Lemures will need a body to throw himself into if he deserts his host. I will teach you all how to repel an invasion such as this. ” David grinned and stood, stretching his tall frame slightly before beckoning for me to stand.

“Don’t tell Lestat but one of these days he will confound me with his questioning and I won’t have an answer..” David saw the anxious look on my tired face, “but it won’t be this time, Connor, I will work out a way to keep your demon caged.”

He had led me then, almost stumbling in my tiredness, to the room where I now sat, recalling these images from the previous night.

****

A sudden bang from an upstairs door caught in a swift draught from the early evening breeze, startled me. As if on instinct I tuned my senses into detecting any sound that breathed in this ancient building and found such simple things. The drip of water from a slightly leaking faucet, the scurry of tiny feet as the mice searched for food..a strange place for mice to live…no crumbs of human victuals to feed their needs..only blood, and I doubted whether anyone here brought in food to eat on the premises…

~Guilt, sweet boy, stop hiding the guilt..~ His voice after all of this time, clear and precise.

This was not a dream.

I spun around in fright half expecting to see him perched on the end of my bed.

But all I heard was his dull laughter, echoing in my head.

~Stop playing games, Connor, you understood your dream. Use your intelligence. You don’t want to have another soul on your conscience. Come to me now and save everyone the heartache of this night.~

His voice faded away to leave only the rapid beating of my own heart.

But he was right.

All of this was my fault.

Armand wouldn’t have been so cruel to Daniel if I hadn’t tagged along, reminding Armand that he had been replaced, and Daniel wouldn’t be struggling over his feelings of responsibility to me either. Not to mention the fact that some hapless vampire out there would be dragged unwillingly into this chaos and made to sacrifice their immortal soul so I could continue my existence.

It wasn’t fair and I could not handle anymore guilt, not to be able to live with myself. And forever was a very long time.

Funnily enough once I had made my decision I felt strangely elated, finally I had accomplished something worthwhile. I felt a pang of sorrow as I knew that I couldn’t tell my coven of my plan, they would definitely put a stop to it, but my mind was resolved.

I made my way into the adjoining shower room and quickly made myself presentable. I found clean jeans and a black T-shirt in the wardrobe by the window, almost my size too; for once fate was smiling on me.

I caught my reflection in the ornate gilt-edged mirror as I passed. It didn’t look like me, although since becoming a vampire I hadn’t spent much time admiring my appearance. I avoided meeting my own midnight blue eyes.

Time to start another chapter in my life, whatever that may mean.

I was half way out of the door before something made me turn back and pick up the pen by the mirror. I couldn’t just disappear without leaving a note for Daniel. He deserved much more than that, much more than me. Hastily I scribbled a few words, signing it with a flourish that I didn’t feel.

I folded the note and placed it under an onyx paperweight on the telephone table.

I knew the way to the chapel but every step dropped tears of lead into my already heavy heart. I thought that a courageous act was supposed to inspire the human spirit. It didn’t seem to work with this vampire.

The statue of St. Therese still stood benignly guarding the chapel door. Impetuously I genuflected and sent a silent prayer for my own soul. Not that anyone would be listening.

With my heart pounding I pushed open the chapel door and entered, my whole attention focussed on the aisle and on what lay at the end. The craziest thought came to me that aisles are where brides tread before they pledge their lifelong love to another…and I was soon to be married to the devil.

I reached my destination all too quickly.

I knelt on the hard tiled floor with my hands behind my back, and head bowed, in a gesture of submission. But I hadn’t given up yet. I still had one ace to play.

Lemures took shape almost instantly. I knew he had been watching from the wings.

“Well, Connor, what a pleasant surprise.” His words were edged in sarcasm.

I raised my head and looked him squarely in his emotionless eyes. “Yes, I am here, but I want to trade with you. You asked me to be your henchman in your world. But I am here instead to offer you all that I have. This immortal body that I am in is yours for the taking. My only stipulation is that you let my soul reside in it too.”

I lowered my eyes awaiting his reply but I knew that I had stunned him. That in itself was enough to make me content.

Lemures may have the power to claim my body for his own use, and I knew from the strange shimmering of his body that what I had offered him was the ultimate temptation.

But I had a scheme too and I was determined to carry it out.

And if I failed, I knew that I could rely on Lestat to put a final end to this sorry tale.

Part 14

Daniel

I awoke to find myself staring into two troubled dark brown eyes.

"Thank God, Daniel! I’ve been shaking you for five minutes," David’s worried voice pierced my woolly thoughts.

I sat up quickly and groaned, putting my hands to my head as the room began to spin.

"I’ve been trying to wake you, Daniel, you seemed almost comatose. What happened last night?"

David sat down beside me and I grimaced as the mattress moved. It sent shock waves through my head.

"Christ, this is just like a fucking hangover," I stopped as a shooting pain cut through my stomach.

David’s hands held me as the pain intensified and I doubled up.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" I whispered. "It’s not hunger, David, I’ve been down that path before and it doesn’t feel like this."

I saw David open his mouth as though he was going to speak and then he glanced away. The warning bells rang in my head. This was not like the David I knew. He was keeping something from me to protect me. I had to know what it was.

With a great effort I tuned my mind into what had happened last night. The images were shaky to start with as though they had happened years ago…..I had been with Armand..we had talked…..something about giving up on love..

I grabbed David by the arm visciously, my fingers creasing the soft cotton of his cream shirt.

"Armand…..what’s happened to him?"

David met my eyes and frowned, the lines etched on his face for an instant before disappearing into the vampire mask.

"It’s not Armand. He has gone with Lestat, into the Quarter."

Suddenly everything began to take shape and I remembered the conversation from Lestat's room. "They’ve gone to find another vampire…for Lemures?" My mouth felt dry as I said his name.

"No, Daniel, I wish it were that simple," David pursed his lips before continuing. "They have gone in search of Connor. When we awoke this evening he was gone."

"What do you mean ‘gone’?" I replied, raising my voice and gingerly moving onto my knees. I waited for my head to catch up with my body.

"He left a note, Daniel, for you. I’m sorry but Lestat read it first. He’s not very moral with privacy, but in this case I can understand it. I have it here." David reached into his pocket and took out a folded sheet of paper. "Shall I read it for you?"

"I think I can manage to read it myself, David," I answered a little too sharply, "remember I was a reporter, some of us did pass the basic IQ test."

David handed me the note without a word and I inwardly cursed. He did not deserve my contempt but as he was the only one around he had drawn the short straw. I was learning very quickly how to drive people away and I wondered if this was in my bloodline, a strange kick back from the spirit, Amel.

I opened the note carefully, almost too scared to read what was written there.

Daniel,

Forgive me for what I am doing, it just seems the right thing to do under the circumstances. I’ve been nothing but an impediment for you from the start, you didn’t know what you were dealing with and I didn’t have to chance to warn you.

Don't blame yourself. You gave me a chance that only a few ever have. The ride was short but sweet.

But I can’t let someone else suffer for my misdeeds. Tell the others that I appreciate what they wanted to do for me more than I can ever say, but now it’s time for me to give Lemures what he wants…..which is me.

I wish you peace in your search for the truth in your heart.

Connor


"No!" The scream rose from my throat and echoed from the walls of my room. I dropped the note to the floor, not wanting it anywhere near me, before burying my face in my hands. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse.

"It’s not over yet, Daniel," David’s gentle voice washed over me. "I believe that in some way your illness is connected to Connor. We know that a fledgling cannot be joined to his maker, but in your case because Connor is connected with Lemures there is some strange thread which is letting you feel his emotions too. Don’t you see, Daniel? Somewhere Connor is out there and he is linked to you."

"Then why do I feel so sick, David? Is Connor ill too?"

David shook his head and hesitated before he replied.

"I may be incorrect with this assumption, Daniel, but I believe that somehow Connor and Lemures are united now and this illness you are experiencing is Connor fighting for his life."

"How..?" I began, but David silenced me with a shrug of his shoulders.

"I wish I could give you an answer that would explain, but this is a strange phenomena even to a Talamascan, Daniel."

David knelt down in front of me and studied my face intently. "I'm worried about how this is affecting you. If Connor is struggling with Lemures now I fear it will only become worse," he hesitated, "and Armand will not let you be dragged down with Connor."

David patted my hand before standing and gazing down at me deep in thought. "Daniel, rest here, I'm going to ring the London motherhouse and speak to a colleague who is an authority on demonology. He may jog a few cobwebs out of this old brain of mine."

Obediently I lay down and watched him leave; giving him a little smile of bravado as he quietly left the room. I impatiently counted in my head the time I thought it would take him to walk down the stairs and into the study, pick up the phone and dial London. It seemed to take forever but I knew David never rushed anything and I had to make sure that he was busy.

My head was still hammering as I slowly stood and staggered to the door. I hadn't felt like this since my first nights with Armand when I used to down a bottle of vodka in one sitting when he failed to show.

Come on Danny boy, you can do it…one step at a time….just breathe and focus on the door…

When I finally reached the door my shirt was sticking to my back with sweat and my breath sounded like a steam train in my ears. I tried to turn the door handle and had to steady my right hand with my left…..shit, I was really, really sick and I was scared to death. David didn't know what was wrong and when Armand and Lestat returned to find me in this state God knows what they would do. If they found Connor he wouldn't have a snowballs chance in hell of surviving.

It took me at least three agonising minutes to open the door and reach the hallway. The small amber wall lights throbbed at the edge of my line of vision as I placed one foot in front of the other, gritting my teeth with the exertion.

A raised voice reached me from the ground floor..David's..he sounded angry.

"Daniel…" A beseeching whisper from the shadows at the end of the hall, "please come, I have to speak to you.."

Concentrating hard I focussed my ever-blurring eyesight on a slight figure hovering at the top of the staircase.

Jesus Christ…it was Connor…I had to reach him and tell him to run before Armand returned.

"Daniel, what on earth are you doing on your feet?" David's voice rang again from the base of the stairs.

I grabbed hold of the wooden rail that ran to the balustrade as my knees started to crumble, catching sight of David's face below. I saw his expression change from one of annoyance to a white mask of panic.

On instinct I whirled around to see Connor right behind me. He grabbed me by the neck in one swift jerk and swept me from the floor with the strength of an ancient. As everything folded in and I choked for breath I heard his words hissing in my ears.

"Enjoy your trip to hell, Daniel, and give my regards to Memnoch when he rips your heart from your body."

Part 15

Connor

Lemures stood triumphantly before me.

I could almost feel the excitement emitting from his body. Slowly I raised my eyes to meet his. Still two black bottomless holes but there was something else. I saw a spark of emotion in them that wasn't there before, something that I couldn't put my finger on. It seemed like hope, but that was plain absurd. Lemures wouldn't lower himself to such a base human requirement.

I focussed my eyes on the pendant light above, trying desperately to absorb its brilliance and sense of radiance. I had the most terrible feeling that darkness would swallow me from this night on.

Lemures touched my shoulder and a glacial chill ran along my skin. Even through clothing his touch was clammy and abhorrent and I wanted to pull away but I was frozen into place.

I closed my eyes tightly not wanting to see what happened next. I really had no idea how this would work or even if he would let me reside in my body once he had gained entry.

What had David said about a soul getting lost in the confusion during body switching?
If Lemures decided that I was now surplus to his requirements, what would happen to my soul…

Lemures came closer; I felt the subtle change in the air around me as he did so. Then he placed his hands on either side of my head and I knew that this was the moment that I descended into hell.

A pressure grew from the base of my neck, spreading quickly up into the rest of my head until I thought that I would crumble underneath its force. A dull pain began which appeared to start in my chest and travel along my veins. I tensed against it, fearing that the pain would intensify, but abruptly it stopped. I couldn't feel my body now, only the agonising tightness in my head crushing everything that I was.

Then a splitting pain as though my head was being opened and examined like a specimen under a microscope.

I now knew what a butterfly silently suffered as the collector calmly suffocated it in the killing jar. Inwardly I screamed in torment, but nobody was listening.

This was the birth of my death, the end and the beginning.

I was fighting now, somewhere inside myself, struggling with the presence of another who was slowly creeping into my space. Instinctively I tried to fight back but it was to no avail. Lemures was in possession of my body now and I crouched in a corner of my own head, aware that I was still alive but in what context.

And then it started.

The constant and rapid force that pushed me further and further into a void of darkness. I had no power to stop it, no power to do anything. I lost all connection with who I was or had been, no law of gravity was in operation in this unfamiliar world that I had tumbled into.

I was forced upwards against the top of my own skull and then with a violent jerk I was sent hurtling skywards, so quickly that I had no idea how far I had travelled or in what direction.

Everything was black but this was strangely comforting in a soft womblike way.

I don't think I panicked until I saw the light. My nightmare burst through and suddenly my limbs belonged to me again as I was drawn kicking and flailing into the increasing brightness.

Blinded by the light but so very grateful that I could feel again, I let myself be carried along a dreamlike corridor…snippets of my life drifted before my eyes like paintings in a spectral gallery. I was the tourist rushing in, desperate to gaze on every frame but too short on time to really understand what the picture meant. Dizzily my life was laid out neatly before me, each image seemingly stronger than the last.

Somehow I knew that my short time as a vampire would be documented too, and these images were so much crisper and finely detailed.

The night I had met Daniel and our little courtship in the bar.

God knows I knew he was different then, but in my wildest dreams I could never have guessed the truth.

My evening in the glasshouse..the sight and sound of nature trapped inside a prison….but forever beautiful...

I felt an overwhelming sadness for how it could have been if Daniel and I had met without my sentence already ordained.

I think I could have made him love me. The emotion certainly would have been reciprocated.

A noise like cannon fire exploded in my head and a final picture sprang into view..

~Daniel fighting for breath, his violet eyes bursting with pain and my hands…my hands, around his neck..~

"Stop!"

The command rang from my throat in a surge of blind anger.

"At last, Connor, I found an image to stir you into action."

A voice from behind me. I spun around in shocked surprise.

A pale figure stood before me, almost colourless apart from a tangle of wild dark hair surrounding his oval face. He carried in his hands a rectangular wooden box and I found my eyes drawn to it. His hands were pallid but perfectly formed with fine bones and slender fingers, finished with manicured fingernails that reflected the light, almost preternaturally.

He followed my eyes and smiled, a little too darkly for one who had the trappings of an
angel.

"I see you are interested in my possession, Connor, but don't come too close for you may find yourself unable to resist. They call me The Soulkeeper, and in this box I hold the unfortunate souls of some who have lost their way. They are the Children of Fate who may or may not be needed again on your earth. I can give you a choice, just like my old friend, Lemures. I can open this lid and pull you inside where you will find some peace amongst the ones who writhe within, or," he paused for maximum effect, "you can return to where you came from and try to claim what is rightfully yours."

He inclined his head to one side and watched my face as this information seeped into my brain.

"What's the catch?" I asked, amazed that I could speak at all. I knew by now that nothing advantageous came without its drawbacks.

The Soulkeeper raised one pale eyebrow before he spoke.

"If you fail in what you try to accomplish you will not come this way again. You may only tread this path once; such are the laws in this kingdom. Next time you will go straight to the Darkside, the place you call hell. I will not have the power to save you."

From beneath his garments he took a porcelain hourglass and held it up to the light. The particles of sand inside glittered and danced, before falling quickly to the bottom.

"Make your decision, Destiny's child, your time is running out."

As I watched the sand fall I felt a small shiver run down my spine. I was conscious of him inside my head speaking to me but I didn't understand what he was trying to say…

I wasn't aware of making any cognisant decision but with a speed that left me reeling I found myself tumbling down, falling but with a sense of purpose. I just didn't know what I would find or how I was going to deal with it.

All I knew was that my maker was at the hands of one who would squeeze the immortal life from him without a second thought, and that terrified me more than losing whatever soul I had left.

The roof of St. Elizabeth's came into view but I couldn't stop myself from descending. I remember a strange jolt as I crashed through the rafters and looking up in amazement expecting to see a gaping hole, but the roof was intact.

It was then that I realised that I had passed straight through, without damage to the building or injury to myself.

I was to all intents and purposes, a lost soul, an apparition, a spirit.

The rules of the game had again been rewritten.

Part 16

Daniel

He held me, dangling like a rag doll, my feet desperately scrabbling for something firm to kick against to try and free myself. His fingers were made of iron and as they slowly squeezed the breath from my throat a veil of red seeped into my vision. Dimly I heard David’s voice far away before everything disappeared in a silent curtain of darkness.

****

"Daniel," a soft voice speaking my name woke me from my enforced rest.

I opened my eyes to see David’s worried face above me.

"Careful now, don’t move too quickly," he gently chastised me as I tried to sit up and groaned. Shit…my head felt very delicate and the muscles in my neck ached. I brought my fingers up to touch where his hands had been; the flesh was raw and painful like I had been burnt.

I looked at David with great confusion. "What happened?" I asked softly, as I cautiously shifted position to lay on my side.

I was in Armand’s room on Armand’s bed..so many memories… but all I cared about was that my fledgling had tried to kill me.

"You collapsed, Daniel, and I had to intervene, I knew from the expression on his face that merely strangling you wasn’t satisfying enough for him. Your head belongs on your body and I had no wish to try and catch it if he severed it from your body," David gave me a half smile as he straightened my collar.

"That isn’t funny," I muttered.

"The carpet is new, Danny, you would have ruined it, but why do you think I chose red?"

Lestat’s face appeared at my shoulder. He scrutinised my face carefully, placing his hand on my forehead.

"How do you feel now?"

"If I didn’t know you better I would say that you were worried," I quipped, sounding braver than I felt. "Apart from my neck feeling like it’s gone through a meat tenderiser, I’m okay." I was telling the truth. The dizziness and nausea from before had vanished.

"I can find no vestige of him, wherever he has gone to ground he is shielding it perfectly." Armand’s slightly irritated voice drifted from the window. Elegantly he slipped inside the bedroom, dusting a cobweb from the shoulder of his dark jacket.

I closed my eyes but in my head I saw him walking across the room deep in thought, fingers tapping against his thighs.

"You still look cold, caro." He was by my side now, pulling up the quilt around me and tucking it against my back so that I could feel the firm pressure. Christ, he knew I loved that, the childlike feeling of comfort, he had remembered. I pushed my face further into the pillow, only letting out my breath when I felt him move away.

I heard their conversation even though they tried to keep their voices low.

Armand……"Connor tried to kill him, David..I will not sit back and risk that again. When he reappears that is when we should finish him. There is no time for more empty words."

David……"But I tell you that was not Connor. I saw his eyes, they were the eyes of Lemures…the demon has possession of Connor now. If you destroy Lemures in his form you may well be destroying Connor too. Can you do that to Daniel, Armand?"


Lestat….."We can't risk Lemures in this form though, David. Now he has gained a flesh and blood immortal body he may well use it to search out and destroy all of our kind. We know from your description of what he did to Daniel that he has the strength, God only knows what other powers he has been able to bring across. Unless, of course, you know a way to force Lemures from Connor's body?"

David…"Damn it, Lestat! You know I don't have a logical answer to this but that doesn't mean that we can play God and kill Lemures."

The obvious agitation in David's voice was blindingly clear.

Armand..…"David, you told me yourself that you assumed Daniel's sickness was connected to Connor fighting in some manner with Lemures. Daniel has recovered now, that can only mean that Lemures has won. Whoever Connor was, he has ceased to exist now. I don't see why you are feeling so disturbed about it."

David….."Don't be so bloody pragmatic, Armand! For once let down that shield of ice within your heart and see this for what is it…….oh my God…"

I heard David's voice tail off in mid sentence and the whole atmosphere of the room changed. Hastily I propped myself up on one elbow to see David staring into the corner of the room, his eyes wide and a look of extreme concentration on his face.

Abruptly his expression changed. He sat down heavily in the chair by the fireplace and I saw Lestat go to him quickly. Lestat knelt down and took one of David's hands, coaxing him to tell what he had seen.

Armand remained immovable, only the light in his eyes showing that he was in any way disturbed.

"I now have your answer," David calmly glanced from Lestat to Armand, "Connor is not within his body…I felt his presence in this room a moment ago."

Lestat frowned and stood up, pacing to the window to shut it against the night.

"Sure it wasn't one of the elementals that haunt this building, David?"

"This was not a trickster spirit, Lestat, that I can assure you. The presence was faint but the purpose behind it was very strong. It was Connor." David sighed and retreated within himself to process this change in events.

Suddenly I found my voice.

"Tell me I'm not hearing this," I spat out, "I won't believe it!"

Pretty stupid and childish, I know, but at this particular time I didn't give a damn.

The others looked at me like you would look at a child who refused to see that eating ice cream for every meal was a bad idea.

"Fine," I nodded my head emphatically and swung my legs around to the floor. Gritting my teeth I made myself stand and somehow walked across to the door.

"Daniel, shouldn't you.." David began from behind me. I gestured with one finger that continuing this conversation would be a real bad idea.

Once outside on the corridor I felt a little more in control. I hadn't noticed the claustrophobia in the room caused by three battling and headstrong vampires. I took a deep breath and very carefully holding onto the handrail I made my way downstairs. I needed to feed, that would make me a whole lot stronger and able to face whatever else fate wanted to throw at me.

As I opened the door I saw the faint glow of dawn in the eastern sky, but I knew that I had to satisfy the hunger that growled in my stomach. If I was quick I could catch a stray tourist walking alone along the streetcar route. I could be back here before the sun rose.

"Not a good decision to make, Daniel." Lestat's voice from behind stopped me in my tracks.

"Don't try and to pull the 'I'm older than you so I know better' routine, 'Stat. I'm tired, hungry and my fledgling tried to kill me tonight," I hissed at him.

He sat down on the step and cocked his head to one side.

"I do know what that feels like, Danny, remember? Claudia poisoned me and Louis stood by and watched. They had their reasons." He shrugged and fixed me with a blue-grey stare.

My anger died, extinguished by his words.

"I'm not sure how to handle this, Lestat. I'm way out of my depth." It was a confession and a plea.

Lestat smiled at me and held out his hand, "If I had a dollar for every time I've felt like that I'd be a millionaire ten times over!"

"You are a millionaire ten times over," I replied, trying to keep my face straight.

He swept his hand to his forehead in a theatrical gesture, "My plan, foiled again.."

In a split second the expression on his face changed from one of mock horror to one of fierce anger.

Suddenly I felt fingers on my arm, clawing at my skin. Turning I met the black eyes of Lemures set into the face of my child. I knew then that David was right, Lemures had taken over the body of Connor. I snapped, blind rage taking over any reasoning that I should have had.

"You bastard!" I spat at him; "you ruined his life and made him suffer for years. He was a good kid, why couldn't you get your kicks from the lowlife out there!" I grabbed hold of a handful of his hair; silently convincing myself that this wasn't Connor.

He laughed; tearing himself free from my grasp with one movement and forcing me to my knees with one hand fixed on my shoulder. From beneath his jacket he pulled a long bladed knife, and held it to my throat tightly. The metal dug into my skin and I froze. With his strength he could sever my head from my body in one flick of his wrist.

Lestat took one step towards us, his face a mask of fury.

"Wrong move," Lemures said, before he sliced into my skin with the knife. I flinched as I felt my blood ooze from the wound in my throat, and I raised my eyes to see Armand silhouetted in the bedroom window. The tender expression in his eyes affected me more than the cold knife digging into my skin. It was the same look I remembered from the night he had made me.

Another pain flooded through me, the alien touch of the sun on my skin. I turned my face away and saw Lestat instinctively put his hands to his eyes. Lemures laughed, an evil sound that sent a shiver right through me.

"I can stand here far longer then you can, vampire," he challenged Lestat. "How long are you prepared to stay? Or shall I get this over with so we all can sleep soundly?"

"Let him go, Lemures, wouldn't you rather have me instead? I'm a much better notch on your belt." Lestat threw down his own gauntlet as this trauma unfolded in front of my eyes. With every breath I felt the knife cutting deeper and I knew my shirtfront was soaked in blood. The hair on my skin was beginning to singe and the tears in my eyes were a mixture of pain and sun blindness.

Was this how it would all end? Sacrificed to the sun and the blade in front of my maker and the heir to the vampire throne. Lestat could sure make this one into his next best seller.

The front door opened and David slowly appeared, with a determined expression on his face. All eyes turned to him.

"You are very resourceful, Lemures, taking what you craved from the one who was your slave. You knew all his weaknesses and exploited them for your own gain." David grimaced as the dawn slowly broke on the horizon.

What happened next was a blur of images that still replay in my mind.

I was pushed onto the ground, hitting it solidly and knocking the breath from my body, then David's hands on my body, wrapping his hands around me and hoisting me into the air and towards the safety of the house.

Glancing behind I saw Armand and Lestat grappling with Lemures, a blur of flying limbs and harsh sounds.

I struggled against David but my strength was almost gone, lost with my blood in the dust. David threw me into the house, and I landed awkwardly banging my head on the floor. Frantically I moved onto my knees, tasting my own blood in my mouth and cursing.

At that moment I felt a tingling on my skin and the rush of a wind in my ears. The sounds around me faded into the distance as this sensation caught me in its grip. Pressing my back against the wall I put my hands over my ears, desperately trying to hold onto reality.

But he was there, right in front of me, dark blue eyes gentle and calm, chestnut hair falling over his face. I gasped and he held one finger to his lips to silence me. Sadly he looked outside, then he knelt down beside me and gently touched his lips to my cheek. I swear I felt the moisture on them as he pulled away.

Panic stricken from this vision and half-blind from the ever rising sun I crouched in the semi darkness of the table, hearing the most terrible sounds from outside. I dragged my body to the switch on the wall by the coat stand, the switch that automatically shut all he blinds and groped for it, now completely blind.

Then I collapsed onto the floor hearing Lestat's scream, "Armand….no!..For God's sake, stop!"

Part 17

I believe in Karma what you give is what you get returned,
I believe you can't appreciate real love until you've been burned,
I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side,
I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye.

Savage Garden - Affirmation

David

~Journal entry~

The fact that Lestat, Armand and I managed to escape with our immortal lives last night is another extraordinary example of how anything that Lestat is involved with always triumphs. He is the king of this savage garden that we hunt in but sometimes I wonder just how many of his feline lives he has exhausted.

Yesterday evening was horrifying but I feel that I have to document the occurrences. Others may learn from our mistakes.

Once we had determined that Daniel was safely inside the house, I do not think that we had any other choice than to confront Lemures. Yes, we could have let him vanish but he would only have appeared to torment us again and Daniel would never be safe in his own company. We would not allow this invasion of privacy.

In my past I had learnt to manipulate spirits when apprenticed to a Candomble priestess, but I was not prepared for the heaviness of heart I felt when Connor appeared to me for the second time, as I sat deep in thought in Armand's room.

Lestat had followed Daniel, no doubt to make sure he was not about to flee and Armand....well….he had withdrawn as he does so very well.

Conversing with a spirit takes a considerable amount of concentration, they have to want to communicate and understanding them is perplexing. How can I explain it….ah yes, it is similar to a radio signal that is not quite tuned to the correct station. You can detect other voices like static on the same wavelength.

Connor instructed me on where to locate his journal, which I now hold in my hands. He wants me to transcribe his words and to add to them.

I know what Connor did last night and I am trying to find the best way to inform Daniel.
God help me, I need Lestat and Armand there too. I do not know how he is going to react.



Daniel

First of all, if this doesn't sound like me, just live with it. I'm writing this the evening it happened, like the dutiful reporter I once was. Nothing like rambling straight from the heart. And I'm scared that if I don't write it now, then I never will. Because if I don't write it down I can pretend it never took place. I owe Connor more than that.

****

Lestat had woken me.

I was sore from spending the day on the wooden hallway floor and my eyes still hurt like hell. Lestat wouldn't say a word, Armand was nowhere to be seen and the look on David's face as he came down the steps sent my heart into over drive.

Lestat led the way into the study and sat down cross-legged on the Indian rug before the fire. I watched him gazing into the open fire, the shadows from the flames casting a warm hue to his skin. I was concentrating on anything but what was really on my mind.

Connor.

David came up behind me and gently put his hand on my shoulder.

I tensed and shrugged it away, biting my lip and flinging myself down on the couch, then folding my arms and staring straight ahead.

"Quit being so fucking polite, David, and just tell me."

Lestat frowned and I thought he was going to say something but for once he didn't.

The room was silent, just the hiss of the fire as it found a damp log to burn up.

"How much were you aware of last night, Daniel?" asked David, as he sat down in the chair opposite me.

"I know you all were scrapping with Lemures." I glanced at them both and wondered where Armand was. "But the dawn beat me. Guess that's what happens when you haven't got your bloodline, 'Stat."

Looking up at David, I added firmly, "I saw Connor, it wasn't a trick of the light, he came to me."

"Yes, Daniel, he appeared to me too and told me what he was about to do. I did not have a logical explanation as to why I should stop him, I'm afraid, and like vampires, spirits tend to do as they please." He smiled sadly and I felt my whole body begin to tremble.

Leaning forward with my elbows on my knees I put my hands over my face and waited.

"Even though Lemures was in possession of Connor's body, there was a link back. A body will always be more receptive to its own soul and this is what Connor was exploiting. Lemures was involved with Lestat and Armand, he did not expect an attack from within from Connor. He was also weakened from the suns rays, more so than he imagined. He had long forgotten about the laws of a flesh and blood body and certainly was not proficient in the rules concerning the approach of dawn." David paused to see if I was still listening.

Too scared to move I let Lestat urge him to continue.

"Connor gained entry to his own body, Daniel, I saw the change, Lestat saw the change, but Armand did not."

The lump in my throat rose and I forced it back.

"Don’t blame him, Danny, it was all over in a split second." Lestat's voice was raw and I wondered why I wasn't feeling anything.

"Armand took the knife and severed the head ..the sun completed the act, although we did not see this as we had to retreat ourselves." David quietly said the words that I was dreading.

"Armand was incensed by how Lemures had treated you. It affected his reasoning," Lestat closed his eyes briefly, "but I saw his face when he realised what he had done," he added, speaking to me more with his expression than with words.

Slowly I raised my head and wondered when the pain would start. Both of them looked at me, expecting an outburst but I disappointed them. I have never seen Lestat at a loss for words, but he just sat there by the hearth, tracing one finger in a patch of fallen ash.

David rubbed his hand over his lips and looked at me, his dark brown eyes full of compassion.

But I didn't want compassion, or pity or their words of condolence. I wanted Connor back, to try again, and I wanted Armand, although at this present moment I wouldn't have trusted myself in his company.

I stood up slowly, "Excuse me, but I want to be by myself." Crazily polite for how I felt.

I walked towards the door on autopilot.

"Daniel, before you leave, Connor told me one thing, from one he called The Soulkeeper. His words were, 'not even immortality can conquer destiny.' I'm convinced he wanted me to tell you."

With one hand on the door I lounged back against the doorframe.

"It's called fate, David. No matter what choices we make they all produce the same results in the end. It's a no win situation, but what do they say, 'no pain, no gain.'" I laughed bitterly and felt a coldness creep through me that wasn't only physical.

I closed the door behind me and on that section of my life.

The night was cold and clear, with that fresh touch of early fall. The place where I had seen the scuffle was empty, only a few marks on the grass to show that it had ever happened. But what did I expect to see….blood…..ash….an epitaph carved for him?

Someone had cleaned up the evidence to save my feelings.

But I'm all out of feeling, standing here watching the night insects swimming around the glowing arc of the street lamps. I'm waiting for something to take this numbness away, but deep inside the emptiness is welcome. Finally I am learning from my maker.

And fairy tale endings only happen to those that deserve them.



Beverley Lee
5 December 1999