Descent and Ascension
KC

So strange...I know my surroundings, yet I am still lost...this place is unfamiliar...I know I have to do something, but I do not remember what that is...there is a fog in front of my eyes, settled in my head...I can't think straight. I cannot see. The wall in front of me warps and twists around in a spectral dance, leaping off the ground as its bricks ripple.

There are voices in my head. They're trying to tell me something, but I can't hear them. They are vague whispers in the back of my skull, and they speak with different accents. Some of them are happy, some of them are cruel, some of them are sad, and some of them are simply exhausted.

I feel dizzy, as if I am about to fall. Am I sick? Impossible. I'm just tired. I want to sleep, but if I did, they would get me. It's all dark, and I can't see. Where am I? I know, but I won't tell myself. I can't, we're all alone. My head hurts so bad, it feels like it is cracking apart. Stars are exploding in front of my eyes, bursting information into my brain. I stumble to the left and strike a wall.

I'm so tired.

"I'm so tired."

I whirl around to see who spoke, but I can't see anyone nearby. I really am alone. Then who said that?

Why is it so damned humid? I could be walking in the rain for all the water in the air, it hangs like a pall on my skin. I would kill for the sky to make up its mind, rain or no. Mind...mind...yes, I could kill. I think I would like that. Rivers of blood...I am walking in a river of blood...

Where are the others?

There are black shapes in front of me, made of ebony that reaches the sky shaped like squares. Inside are globes of light swirling like a Van Gogh painting. I think there are people inside, I see their silhouettes darting through the light. They are demons floating through oil. I duck down and hide behind a street lamp so they won't see me. They'd hurt me if they had the chance. I run from them and make my escape. They won't find me now!

The streets are so damp, they are like black rivers swallowing my ankles. Mud clumps in the corners and slurps out toward me. The moon fades behind a cloud of oil, and now I can't see the monsters in the river. I want to step out of this dead Nile up onto the sidewalks, but if I do that, they'll find me. I can't let them find me.

I know they want to kill me.

They do.

I'm not paranoid.

I'm not!

Yes, you are.

For God's sake, who is that talking?!

Am I paranoid?

Maybe.

Does not mean they are not out to get me.

I walk down the street, heading out of the shadows. There are shadows everywhere, nightmares that move on their own without benefit of candles. The water growls as I splash through it, it wants to drown me. Hah! I am not the one in the swamp! Or was that yesterday? I pull my coat tighter around my shoulders to shield me from the ghosts here.

Finally! I get to the park and onto the stones, out of the water. I step on something soft and it screams like a baby. I hardly care. But does it taste good? I look down and it is gone. I glance behind, I want to escape this park of screams and goblins, but the path of stones ends at the river of black blood and water. Back to the park, then.

I stagger over the uneven stones, trying to ignore the other stones, the tall ones with names on them, evenly spaced apart. There! An angel, gray in the clutching shadow, holding her hands up, trying to escape. I turn my eyes. She does not move, her eyes are dead. She doesn't want to talk to me. I am evil. I live. She...heaven is dead and beautiful. But aren't I dead? I can't make up my mind. Of course, I don't even have one anymore.

I leave her behind in her unmoving dance. Water blood swishes past me on fire it is not water it is gasoline dancing on the rocks...

"There he is..."

"Be careful with him..."

"Louis, can you understand me?"

Damn! I can see them! White vertical ghosts floating like hot candles burning into my eyes, coming close to me. I try to run, but they seize my arms and tie barbed wire around me. One of them holds me almost kindly, but I know he wants to kill me. He could crush me but he wants me to die slowly.

He is taking me to my grave. He murmurs something to the others, and then takes me in. He lays me down and stretches beside me, he wants to watch me die. I feel the dirt fall on me, and I struggle. He tries to calm me down, but he speaks nonsense. I know I'm crying and begging them to let me go, I'll be good, I'll serve them, I'll drink black blood. Then everything goes dark.

Years later...

When I open my eyes again, everything is changed. I feel like I can...think. I can almost breathe. At last. My eyes are clear. My head no longer hurts. What happened to me? Where am I?

I try to move my arms and find silk rope around them, but my struggles rouse my companion. His blue-gray eyes focus on mine.

"Louis? Mon chere?"

I smile weakly. His voice sounds so strange under the ground, but it is comforting nonetheless. "Yes. Could you please untie me?"

Lestat smiles, and the dirt comes off of us. Once we have space to move, he unbinds me and helps me to sit up. I feel so weak, I'm so hungry that I'm faint. My arms are bone thin.

"Stay there a moment," Lestat says, and I am happy to comply. I rest against the soft dirt around me as he disappears into the darkness, and he reappears only seconds later with several small rats, which he offers me.

I finish them quickly, and as I move to feed, my clothes disintegrate. How long were we asleep? I am left in rotten rags.

Lestat notices my discomfort immediately. "It's all right, I'll get you home in a few minutes. Ready?"

I nod and reach up to him, and he cradles me in his arms like a child. I close my eyes and the wind starts to swirl around us, we are flying. Then Lestat is walking, and I know we are home. He moves so rapidly. He takes me inside and upstairs, where I am set on the huge bed. I remember this bed, yet it looks somewhat strange. It never looked so luxurious before. I remember everything in this room, nothing has changed. There is a fine layer of dust on everything. How long have we been asleep?

"Would you like to go back to sleep?" Lestat asks kindly. "Or would you like to stay up?"

"I...I..." My voice stumbles, but I steady myself and take a deep breath. "I want to stay awake. I'm tired, but I want to know what has happened."

Lestat nods understandingly. "All right, let me get your clothes and then you can get dressed."

I watch him move across the room to the closet and choose a simple shirt and pants for me. He kisses my cheek, and then he lets me be for a moment. I dress slowly, trying to remember the motions, and I begin to recall some of the prior events. Lestat and I had argued...and then...I'd started to cry...and I hadn't stopped. No, I don't want to think about it. I don't want those memories.

My thoughts are interrupted as Lestat comes back in and holds my hand. I just lean against him and sigh. He's so warm. All that time in the ground and he's still so warm. I feel him stroke my hair and kiss me again. It feels so wonderful, I'd missed that. I smell blood on his lips, he just fed right now. I kiss him again, and lick the few drops remaining. He likes it when I do this, and I must admit, I enjoy it as well.

"What year is it?" I ask.

Lestat inches away so he can look into my eyes. "It is the year 2027."

I lay my head on his chest again. "We've been under for ten years."

Lestat kisses my forehead. "Not a very long time at all. How...chere, how...do you feel?"

I know what he wants to ask. Am I mad? He is so kind right now, he really is afraid to ask. "I am fine now, if a little tired." I stare into his worried blue eyes. "No, Lestat. I am not insane. Not anymore."

He hugs me ferociously, then, and I savor every moment. I have not felt this in a decade.

"I was so scared, Louis. And now you're all right again. You're all right again."

"Oui, mon amor." I close my eyes and smile. I really am all right now. I'm just so tired.

Of course the phone would ring right now. Lestat squeezes me once more, and gives me one more kiss, and then he picks up.

"Hello?...Marius, yes, how did you know we--!...you were listening?...Yes, he's fine now, perfectly fine...No, no, I think it's best not..." Long pause. "Very well, I will see you then." He hangs up.

I look at his questioningly. "Chere, what did he say?"

Lestat grins and holds me again. "He wants to come over in a month, along with a few others, to say hello."

I smile knowingly. "And to make sure I'm not mad anymore?"

His grin fades a little, and a tear builds in his eye. He nods quietly. I reach up and caress his cheek, and kiss his lips. They're like soft velvet.

"Shh...it's all right, Lestat. I'm not crazy. I won't lose my mind if you say the words. I understand that they are concerned."

"But...you're so fragile right now," he says softly. "You're still very tired. If you're not rested when they come, you don't have to talk to them."

I nod with a smile. "Thank you. I will try to be ready, but I cannot promise anything. I feel nearly exhausted. Happy, but exhausted."

Lestat brushes my cheek with his fingers. "I know the feeling. Well, do you want to sleep now?"

I shake my head. "I've slept for ten years. At least I can stay up for one night."

"Then let's go downstairs, and see what's on television, see what's happened. We can take a shower later."

I only notice then the dirt still in my hair and skin, but it doesn't matter right now. I just want to look around and orient myself once more. I'll watch with him, and then we can bathe. And then, after that, for the first time in a decade, he will make love to me once more.

It is two weeks later, and I feel just as tired as the night we rose. Lestat is so sweet. He says that he felt the same way when he rose the first time, too. He says that I shouldn't try to do anything strenuous or difficult, but just relax and sleep as much as I need to. I sleep all day and much of the night as well. He worries so about me. He even thought that I might be pushing myself too hard when I started reading again, but after a little insistence, he allowed me to stay in my library as long as I want. Tonight he is being especially stubborn. He says he doesn't want me to read anything too difficult, and that makes me laugh.

I shouldn't have laughed. Lestat looks so hurt, and he tries to turn away to hide the tears that I know have sprung to his eyes. I forgot that he has a hard time understanding some of the books I read, that he must struggle through a few of them, like Faulkner and Woolf. He's sensitive about it, and I laughed at him.

I reach out and grab his shoulders before he can walk away. I won't let him go angry or upset. I won't repeat past mistakes. I don't know for certain that they are past mistakes, my memories are a little fuzzy on that, but I won't take that risk.

"Lestat, wait," I whisper.

"Non, let me be," he whispers harshly.

"No." When I need to be, I can be just as stubborn as he is. I move to face him, and I force a kiss from him. He can't resist me, he never could. He returns my advances and holds me. "Lestat, don't go. I did not mean to laugh. I love you."

"And I love you." Lestat buries his face in my hair, he always likes to do that.

"Will you come with me to the library?" I ask, and I feel him tense. I have to speak fast. "So that I can read to you?"

"I'm not a child to be read to!" he says sternly.

I shake my head. "No, you aren't. But will you let me read to you, as a lover to his lover?"

Lestat steps back a bit. "You aren't making fun of me?"

"When have I ever?" I insist reassuringly.

He smiles. How I love to see that smile! "What will you read to me?"

"Perhaps a Danielle Steele novel?" I tease.

He laughs and escorts me to the library, and I allow him to choose the book we will read. He chooses A Midsummer Night's Dream. I should have expected this, but at least it is not Macbeth. By now, we both know that play by heart. Besides, Shakespeare can be immensely fun to read if one has a partner and a sense of humor. Of course, Lestat must play Puck and Bottom and Theseus and Oberon, which is immensely amusing, especially when all of them are on stage. I merely sit and read, and watch him act out his parts. Our laughter fills the house for the rest of the night.

The next night I am crying, and cannot stop.

I wake up as usual, only when I stand and look out the window, waves of sadness hit me and drive me to the small chair in the corner, which is where Lestat finds me a few minutes later. He goes to his knees in front of me, trying to soothe me and tell me it is all going to be fine, and for a time he is mildly relieved when I eagerly accept his embrace.

He holds me for such a long time, petting my hair and caressing my face, stroking my arms and my eyelids, occasionally kissing me. For awhile, it helps. I stop crying incessantly and merely end up sniffling on his shoulder. But then I am weeping profusely once more, and no amount of his care alleviates my pain. I hate crying now, I know it hurts him as much as it hurts me. I can't stop, and when he says he wants to get up and call Marius, I shake my head and hold him tighter, pleading for him not to leave me.

"No, no, don't go away," I weep, "stay with me."

"But what can I do to help you?" he asks desperately.

"Just hold me. That's all. Just hold me."

Lestat does not let me go. He continues his ministrations, and an hour later I finally finish and drop into a long silence. Lestat is frightened. Afraid that I may start up again, afraid that I may go insane again. So am I. He kisses my cheek, and I smile feebly.

"Are you better now?" he asks with a catch in his voice.

I nod a little. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You should cry when you need to. How long have you been feeling like this?"

I shrug, unsure.

"Louis...tell me. Please."

"A few days now."

He nods, as if what I said proves a theory of his. "Louis, I know this is difficult for a man of your era, but you have to show your emotions more often."

I look at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"My love, for the last two centuries, you have hidden your emotions. You were trained to do so when you were mortal, and now you continue to do that. You bottle every little thing up, and when it becomes too much, you explode."

I look into his eyes. I know what he is really saying. "You mean, the reason I..."

"Yes, Louis. Your emotions are the reason you drifted into madness. You had to release your feelings, and so many years of repression burst out at one time that you needed a decade under ground to heal."

I nod slowly. "But why would I cry now? I've been awake for two weeks and...and..." I start to whimper pathetically, I feel so ashamed.

"Go ahead and cry, my little angel. You need to voice what you feel. You've been awake, but you are still tired and frustrated, yes?"

I nod again. Am I such a weakling that I cannot even master my emotions? "But it was easy for so long," I protest in vain. "Two hundred years and I didn't feel anything."

He takes my hands and kisses the knuckles. The sensation sends shivers down my spine. "Because you had a single mortal lifetime to hold, but then you had another lifetime, and then you were starting on another lifetime. Repressing what you feel is not healthy. I mean, I show everything that I feel, and I still get depressed at times."

Quite an understatement. His little jokes always work on me. I smile up at him, and he grins back.

"So...I must show my emotions?" I ask, slightly confused.

"Yes. Let me know exactly how you feel. Do not worry so much about decorum and politeness. Be demonstrative in public, yell at me when you are angry, and tell me what I can do to help."

"But I might hurt you!" I argue.

"Then just apologize, and explain yourself later when you are not so angry. I will understand, I swear."

I sigh, then stare into his eyes. "Very well. If you promise to understand, then I promise to vent my emotions."

"Good," he grins broadly. "Let's try it out. What are you feeling right now?"

I grin back. "Oh, relief, anxiety, happiness, and a little bit of lust."

He laughs and pulls me close. "Lust, hmm? Anything else?" He kisses my lips.

"Mmm, plenty now," I mumble.

He kisses me again, deepening the kiss to devour my mouth. "Anything now?"

"Ahh, you taste wonderful," I answer, loving how he seduces me.

Lestat kisses the corners of my mouth now, showing me he is in charge, and I would have it no other way. Gently, as if I were made of glass, he pushes me back on the bed and plies my throat and shoulder with more kisses, following up with soft strokes across my chest and abdomen. His fingertips touch mine, and electric shocks travel through my entire body. I feel his hand through my hair, tugging at stray strands absently, only hard enough for me to feel it. It is like someone breathing on my skin. His hand wanders to my side and squeezes. He knows I love that. Lestat reaches down and squeezes my inner thigh, I like that too. I reach up and kiss him, and scratch my nails softly down his back. I know exactly how to play my lover. He groans in ecstasy and arches involuntarily, providing me with the perfect opportunity to kiss his throat, and my tongue darts out for just a moment along the skin.

"Louis...my lover," he whispers raggedly as my nails draw down his sides and back up his tight stomach.

"Always," I reply as his hand slides under the small of my back and slowly lifts my hips a few inches.
His other hand runs beneath my buttocks, massaging the muscles. My hands occupy the top half of our bodies, touching all of the right buttons on his body. He whimpers and cries so sweetly at the same times I do...a float across his nipples...a soft nuzzle to his cheek. We turn over, and now I am on top. I scoot down carefully and lick his navel. He growls affectionately and holds my shoulders like an anchor. I am terribly glad he is used to my cool body, no one else can stand my touch for long. But him...my Lestat warms me up. Warms me up indeed.

Now I can stare down at his lovely face, the soft cheeks that sing to me to kiss them. His gold hair spills over his face, and before he can move to push it away, I gently brush the silk strands back. Lestat is so strong, yet so helpless in my hold. His eyes close slightly, and his hand strokes my bare side again. I notice then that he is still partially clothed. His shirt is flung open, so I walk my fingertips down his chest to his pants, and he groans and squirms under my hand. I take a firm grip on the fragile cloth and pull it away, stripping him to nothing but his shirt.

"My little submissive," Lestat grins, staring up at me. "How you rule me..."

I kiss his lips again, laying over his body to do so. I edge my right hand under his thigh, and my other arm wraps around him. His hand holds the back of my neck, making our kiss last longer. His other arm clutches my hips to him, and now I am trapped in his grasp.

"Love me," I command when I can breathe again. He has no choice but to obey. He rolls and pins my body down face first on the bed. I hear a soft rustle of clothing behind me, and immediately after, the velvet blindfold slips over my eyes.

"Shall I make you my slave for the night?" he asks, always considerate. He knows it may be too soon to play these games again.

I think a moment, then nod. "But only my hands," I insist. "In front."

I feel him move about and gather my hands above my head. I hear his shirt tear, and then my wrists are bound with the silk strips. Apparently he has a little left over because he tickles my face with a piece.

"Lestat," I complain mildly, and the strip moves to my throat and arms, tickling my sides. Of course I writhe under him, but I cannot escape. What a euphoric feeling, to be helpless under the one I love.

"Trying to defend yourself?" he whispers in my ear.

"But I can't," I reply. Not true, we both know, but the fantasy is too nice to destroy.

"Is it because I've tied you up?"

I can almost see his smile. "Mmm-hmm..." I mumble pitifully and make another flirtive struggle. Before I can even twist an inch away, he seizes me tenderly and traps me again, stroking my arms to let me know I'm safe.

I grin and tighten my legs together. I want to make this something of an erotic effort for him. He feels me adjust, but he says nothing. Instead, he begins to kiss the back of my neck, and his hands wander down to slowly caress my thighs, light at first, then heavier so that he is almost massaging them. I am his pet to play with. He is strong enough to merely push them out, and tied up as I am, with my eyes covered, I am in no position to stop him. Indeed, I am more in a position to accommodate him. Yet he is as much a sensualist as I am. He wants to coax my legs apart so they will allow his invasion willingly, and he does an admirable job.

His warm hands slide over my thighs, relaxing them a bit. As my legs begin to part, he eases his fingers farther in between them, never pushing, but just stroking them even more. My legs part more, and more, until finally he succeeds and I open up to him. He laughs gently and pats my bottom, and he rubs my legs a little more.

"Are you ready?" he whispers.

"Yes. Take me."

He blankets me with his body, and his hands hold mine, sweetly mocking my vulnerability. I feel his hips rub up against mine, and then suddenly I am invaded, gently taken in a slow and steady rhythm that rocks both of us. I think I moan, and my accent becomes unbelievably thick as I am pushed forward in little bursts. I grab ineffectually at the bed sheets, and they slide through my fingers. Lestat manages to kiss my throat, and his arm comes under me, pulling me up against him.

"I love you," he whispers, his French accent driving me wild.

"Mon 'mor, m'love, m'life," I moan, biting my lip in pleasurable agony.

"Like it?"

"Luv it," I manage to gasp. "Don' stop, nev'r stop..."

"Mon petit Cajun," he sighs.

I've never understood how he can talk during these love-making sessions, but I know how to stop him cold. I tense my body, tightening my muscles, and he arcs up until he is nearly perpendicular to me.

"Aahhh! Lou'....ahhh..."

I relax, taking pity on him, and let him down. I chill so quickly when he is not on me, I like having his warm body over mine. He keeps pushing, and we both keep moaning, and seemingly hours later we reach our summit and fall apart at last, covered in blood sweat. I merely lay still, and I feel him pull me to my side. He kisses my lips, licking the blood droplets from my forehead and cheeks. Somehow I manage to put my bound arms over his head, and a minute later he nuzzles my cheeks with his lips. I wonder what he is doing, but then he gets the velvet between his teeth and pulls my blindfold off. Lestat's face is as drenched as mine, but he has a weary smile on his face. He slips my hands from around his shoulders and holds them between us, and he smiles playfully.

"Should I untie you, or should I keep you helpless on my bed a little longer?"

"And how long would I be at your merciless whims, master?" I ask. He loves to be treated as a
victorious conqueror lording over his prisoner of war, never mind that I surrendered without much of a fight.

"Ohh, centuries at least," he answers, toying with the strips around my wrists, pretending to untie them and then tightening them a little. I smile at him, I enjoy this domination game so much. I love to belong to him as much as he loves to rule me. He kisses me again. "I could keep you tied up on my bed for ages and ages, defenseless...vulnerable...naked..." He touches me with every word, teasing every sensitive area expertly. He takes my arms and holds them up over my head, pushing them against the pillow. "I could keep you stretched out like this forever, so you could never escape."

"And how would you do that, lover?" I ask. I love these descriptions, they're so exciting.

"I would bind your hands to the headboard," Lestat answers, kissing the skin just behind my elbow, and following that he manages to tie my hands as he describes. Now I am indeed stretched out like a musical instrument. "I would tie your legs to the bed posts with pretty red ribbons so you couldn't run. I would keep you blindfolded all night, unless I wanted to stroke your eyes." His hands run over my sides and chest, caressing my face and my thighs. He seizes my left ankle and holds it still so he may play with my foot, tracing the sole with one finger and laughing gently as I try to jerk it away. "You would be at my mercy for the rest of eternity, bound up and existing solely for my enjoyment. Of course, I would make sure you were kept happy, too." He kisses me again, petting my hair. "No one would help you and save you from my evil clutches."

"But I could still scream for help," I try to provoke him.

"And I could silence you with a kiss," he said, proving it right then. "And when I'm not kissing you, I could merely place a gag in your mouth so that you could only mew as I took advantage of your enslaved body."

"A willing body," I laugh.

"Yes," he agrees, caressing the length of my side and my chest. "So willing." He grins wickedly and fondles me without any shame. "And if I wasn't making love to you..."

"Yes?" I ask eagerly.

"I'd be tickling you!" Suddenly his hands turn rough and hit my sides and my legs, probing and wandering, and all I can do is try to gasp for breath as I can't stop laughing.

"Lestat! Lestat, stop, stop!" I wriggle and my arms pull free from the headboard. I try to beat him off, but my hands are still bound and are no help. At last he stops, and I am left breathless. Tears squeeze from my eyes, and he laps them up like milk. As I smile, he pulls my wrists to his mouth and uses his teeth to untie me. So wonderful that he does not roll over and fall asleep after sex.

"I love you," he whispers, laying down beside me.

I cuddle up next to him, and kiss him, and stroke his hair. "I love you, too. Am I displaying my emotions well enough now?" He laughs and nods. "Oh, yes. You display them perfectly, especially during these little playtimes we have." He nuzzles my lips and runs his fingers through my hair. "I adore you, my one and only. I would put you on a pedestal if you would just let me." He puts his arms around me and holds me close, and I rest my face against his chest.

"The sun is rising," I say sadly.

"I know," he replies. "I'll stay with you all day, and I'll kiss you awake tonight."

I smile at that pleasant thought, and I kiss him once more, and I am still kissing him when I fall asleep.

A long while later, I wake up one night smiling, and put my arm out to touch my lover, but the bed space is empty. I pat the mattress several times before I open my eyes and see that Lestat is gone. I can hear voices downstairs. I sit up, clutching the sheets to myself, and then I spot the note he left on the pillow. I pick it up and read it.

I sigh and put the note on my nightstand. Must I go downstairs? My eyes grow heavy and my limbs feel faint. They're my friends, and I'm still afraid to see them. I take a deep breath, then stand up and retrieve the clothing Lestat has set out for me. I smile at his selection. He's chosen a simple green shirt with black pants, both quite comfortable. I head for the bedroom door, but halfway there my head grows light. I see flashes of light before my eyes, and I become dizzy. I fall to my knees. I am still so weak, I must go back to bed.

The conversation below stops at the abrupt noise, and a moment later Lestat is by my side, helping me over to the long sofa. He sits me down on it and makes me rest against a large pillow, placing a soft afghan over the lower half of my body. He brushes my cheek with the back of his knuckles, soothing me as I catch my breath.

"Are you all right?" he asks, such sweet concern riding in his voice.

I am about to say I am fine when I remember that he wants me to tell him everything that I am feeling. I shake my head reluctantly.

"No, I still feel tired. When I am in bed, it is not so bad, but whenever I try to stand, I can't help but fall."

He nods in understanding. "My poor little bird. Do you think you can see any of them, or would you prefer to go back to sleep?"

I give him a lopsided smile. "I'm sure they won't go until they are assured I am no longer mad. I can see them--but, not all at once," I hastily add.

He holds my hand and pets it like a living creature. "All right. I'll let Marius in first. Remember, venting your feelings goes for them, too."

"Lestat, I just learned to speak with you. Give me some time to learn to be honest them!"

He grins and kisses my cheek. "I know you'll do well. Love you." He stands and goes to the door, giving me one last look before going down.

I reach for my book, a comedy about dragons and a princess, and I hear the conversation start up again, and then I hear soft footsteps on the stairs. There is a knock on the door.

"Louis? It's me, Marius. May I come in?"

"Yes," I call out, and no sooner have the words left my lips than he is already inside.

He is dressed in what I can only guess is the recent fashion, shredded jeans and a tattered shirt, and he looks even younger than I remember, yet he still manages to look fatherly. He smiles and pulls a chair close, and sits beside me.

"How are you feeling?" he asks softly.

"Passing fair," I whisper. "I'm all right, I'm just very tired."

Marius nods as if he expects that. "I would be surprised if you weren't. You were so weak going under, and it was your first time in the ground. I'm glad you're back."

I smile at him. "Then do I pass the test?"

He chuckles. "We know you are not mad, Louis. We would have felt it immediately if you were. No, we are here to welcome you back, and offer our help if needed. We were all so worried about you two."

"It's good to know we were missed."

"Missed immensely. These past ten years have been dreadfully boring. I have to warn you, Lestat's readers are ready to openly march in the streets if they do not have another book soon."

I laugh. "I suppose my spell will be the subject of a new book, perhaps The Vampire Louis."

"Oh, David has already nagged all of us into writing our life stories, although I must admit Eric's is one long sneer, and Daniel's is one long beer commercial."

We both laugh for a long time, so much so that it wears me out, and I am forced to lay back on the couch. Still, Marius grins at me.

"It is the strangest thing, Louis. We've known each other for so long, and yet this is the first time I've ever heard you laugh so well."

"It's all part of Lestat's plan," I tell him. "He says I must give voice to my feelings more often, that the reason I went insane was because I had it all bottled up inside."

"It's logical, but I'm amazed the brat thought it up. I'd have thought David would have to suggest that."

"Don't let the blonde hair fool you. Lestat is quite intelligent, he just does not like to show it much."

"How has he been treating you?" he asks, holding my hand. "Any arguments, or does he still hurt you?"

I shake my head. "No, he has been the model lover--I mean, maker!"

Too late. He smiles at my blush. "Well, that tells me all I needed to know. So things are fine between you two?"

"He's been so sweet lately. He is understanding and kind, and let's me do what I want to do with very little resistance."

"Resistance?"

"He didn't want me to start reading so soon, he said I needed more sleep. A few minutes later, I had him in my lap, reading Shakespeare with me."

"Macbeth strikes again?"

"No, it was Midsummer. We had a wonderful time."

Marius smiles. "I have a feeling that the time underground helped both of you. Downstairs right now, Lestat seems more open and relaxed, and he has not snarled at Armand once. He seems happier, as do you, little one."

I fall silent a few seconds. "Marius?"

"Yes?"

"Why...why was Lestat allowed to take me to ground, when we usually..."

"When we usually put a mad vampire down?" he asks softly.

I cannot meet his eyes, but I feel his hand on my shoulder.

"Because we all love you. If Lestat had not fought for the right to save you, any one of us would have. But he took care of you, and we promised to watch over his estate while you slept." He pushes the hair from my eyes and makes me look up at him. "We would never abandon you. You're the soul of our coven."

I rest my face in his hand for a moment. "Thank you, Marius. It means all the world to know we are not alone in the night."

He kisses my cheek and rises. "I'd best return downstairs. Would you like me send someone else up, or do you want to be alone for awhile?"

I smile broadly, and he is mildly surprised. He's never seen me smile so before. "I'd like some more company, I think. Armand and Daniel, or Jessica, it would be nice to see them again."

He nods and heads for the door. Before he leaves, though, he turns back to me. "Is there anything you need right now?"

I shake my head. "Only a few more day's sleep, that's all."

He chuckles and disappears. A few minutes later I hear feet pounding up the steps, and then a burst of red hair swirls around me, and I am trapped in a strong bear hug.

"Good to see you too, Jessica," I groan.

She finally jumps back and sits down, but she can hardly hold still. "Oh, Louis, it's so great to see you again! I missed you so much, I wanted to talk to you so often, and now you're back, you're finally back! How do you feel?"

I laugh at her exuberance and take a good look at her. She is also dressed in the modern fashion, with shredded jeans and a stripped shirt.

"I'm fine, only a little tired," I say. "Really, I wasn't away for so long."

"Louis, it was forever! No Lestat running around and making a mess, no Louis to write to or defend in an argument! But don't worry," she starts to rummage in her bag and pulls out three books I do not recognize. "I kept your book club subscriptions going! You've got over ten years worth of books to catch up on. They're all in your library, I was in charge of that."

I take the books from her, dissertations on ancient texts and the texts in question, but then I look up at her again. "'In charge'? I do not understand."

She grins at me. "Well, we knew you were gonna come back, so we divvied up the house and took care of a section! I had the library and your room, David had the downstairs and the finances, and Daniel and Armand took care of Lestat's room and the lawn!" She looks proud of herself and leans back. "You should have seen them, they were so funny! Armand kept trying to find Lestat's diary, and he never found out it was in the library! And then when Daniel tried to mow the lawn himself...the mower kept getting away from him until he bought one of those types that you ride on, and he looked so pleased that he'd thought of it all by himself!"

We both laugh and talk for a bit longer, and when I gingerly bring up Maharet, Jessica smiles and holds my hand.

"No, Louis, it's all right. You're fine now, and by the looks of things you're not in any danger of going mad again. You're not under probation. We're glad you're back with us." She gives me a kiss on the cheek, and then she stands up. "I've gotta go back downstairs. When I left, Daniel was getting antsy. He must be unbearable by now."

As if on cue, there was a loud command from downstairs. "Daniel, stop fidgeting and sit still! You're making all of us nervous!"

"Awww, but boss, it's not fair!"

"I'll see you later," and she heads for the door. "Write me, okay?"

"I promise."

I hear her dance down the stairs, and then suddenly Daniel bursts into the bedroom and sits down, grinning broadly. He has taken fashion to the farthest, I believe, with barely rags hanging onto him. Armand follows smoothly behind in somewhat more subdued clothing.

"Lou', how're you feeling? Are you all right? When did you wake up? Why didn't you call? How come--?"

"Daniel!" Armand silences his fledgling, then smiles at me. "Sorry, he's been anxious ever since he heard you were up. He still hasn't learned a few minor skills yet."

I smile, but I know he means Daniel doesn't know the difference between what a mad vampire and a sane vampire, or even what an exhausted vampire, "sounds" like yet. I sit up a bit and kiss Daniel's forehead. "I'm all right, Danny. I haven't called because I've been asleep most of the time. I still haven't recovered all of my strength yet."

Daniel smiles and cocks his head like a curious puppy. "Did you have nice dreams?"

Armand's jaw drops in shock that he would ask, but I only laugh at both of them. They are quite a comedic pair. "Actually," I answer before Armand can scold his fledgling, "it felt as if I just closed my eyes for a moment. I didn't dream at all." I decide to change the subject. "Jessica tells me you took care of the lawn for awhile."

"Oh, yeah, the lawn mower," Daniel grins. "That was fun, but not as much fun as Armand had searching for Lestat's--"

"Daniel, hush!"

"For Lestat's diary?" I ask with a chuckle.

Armand looks at me in surprise. "Jessica..." he realizes with a growl.

"You should have looked in the library."

"The library? Diaries don't belong in libraries, they belong under beds and behind drawers," he argues sullenly.

"Not everyone keeps them where you do," Daniel sighs, then clamps his hand over his mouth as he realizes what he just said.

"Daniel, have you read my journal?" Armand asks far too pleasantly.

Daniel leans forward and whispers in my ear. "I'd better run now, so I'll see ya later. Love ya!" He gives my lips a quick kiss, he always was a rascal, and dashes away before Armand can catch him.

The diminutive vampire just shakes his head. "I try to punish him, but he just enjoys whatever I dish out."

I snuggle back on the couch and pull the blanket up an inch. This room can be chilly at times. "You can always make him clean the entire mansion. I'm sure he hates chores."

Armand smiles as he thinks about it. "And dress him up in a maid's outfit? Good idea." He looks at me carefully. "You're still tired, aren't you?"

I nod. "It was my first time going to ground. Lestat says it will be a few months before I am back to my own self again."

"I don't doubt it. Going to ground is no small ordeal. You will call if you require anything, yes?"

I smile. It is wonderful to have so many friends. "I doubt I'll need anything that Lestat can't provide, but if I do, I'll think of you."

"Good. I'd best go down and find my fledgling before he runs off with the car again. I'm sure I will see you again soon." With that, he leaves the room.

I return to reading what Jessica brought me, and half an hour later Lestat comes up the stairs and sits by me. He glances at my books, and shakes his head.

"Such boring stuff," he grimaces. "Louis, my love, I'm afraid you are far too intellectual for your own good."

"I like them," I counter. "And you'd better not toss any of them out, understand?"

He sits back and pretends to take offense at my tone. "Perhaps I shouldn't have asked you to be so honest with your emotions. So, what did your guests have to say?"

"Oh, nothing much, just hello's and what's been going on. Armand tried to find your diary."

"Yes, I know. Good thing I hid it in the library, otherwise all my thoughts would be printed for every mortal to see." He kisses me then, tasting my lips like they were candy. "Would you like to come downstairs?"

I shake my head. "No, I think I should go back to sleep." I lift up my arms to him like a child. "Carry me?"

Lestat grins, he loves it when I lean on him. He eats up any opportunity to demonstrate his love, since he never said it as much in the past. He picks me up and takes me back to the bed, where he covers me up and tucks me in.

A few nights later, I no longer feel so tired, at least not all the time, and I am able to begin feeding on my own again, albeit with company. Lestat will not allow me out of the house unless I am with him, he says I am still too fragile. I love him so much, but sometimes he can be unbearable. This sparked a long and heated argument, and I'm afraid I didn't help my case any. I collapsed mid-sentence, and only his outstretched arms saved me from cracking my skull open. Finally we came to a compromise. I will leave the house with him, and he will leave me alone when I feed. It is really no hardship, I just prize my privacy and hate to see it violated.

Tonight, though, we have finished with feeding and have decided on a quiet night at home, laying on the couch watching late night television. Actually, I should say late night webvision. It is an odd thing to change addresses instead of channels, but at least some things stay the same. The Discovery site is having another "Beyond Bizarre" marathon, and it is something Lestat and I can both agree on, since he hates Masterpiece Theater and I dislike action films. They run the older episodes, about the sculptures made of body parts, and embalmed bodies in universities, but the newer ones are quite interesting. There are people that have genetically modified themselves so they have tiger stripes or gills, and then there are people who insist that drilling a hole in their forehead really does open their "third eye."

I adjust my position, stretching out a little bit more as I lean on my maker. He brings the quilt up around my shoulders and cuddles me close, running his fingers through my hair slowly. I give a little sigh and smile. Lestat's body has always been comfortable enough to sleep on, and his chest is a perfect pillow, his arms an electric blanket. I am more than drowsy. The flickering light of the webvision has a knack for putting me to sleep, but as my eyes begin to close, an ad flashes across the screen for a moment. Apparently there is an auction on another site for Japanese paintings.

"Lestat..." I mumble.

"Hmm?" He's starting to fall asleep as well.

"Have you ever been to Japan?"

"Japan?"

"Mm-hmm..."

Silence. "No..."

"Have you ever been to Asia?"

"No..."

"Australia?"

"No..."

"South America?"

"No...my love, why are you asking me this?"

I crane my neck a little to look up at him. "We are both immortal, with endless lives in front of us, with millions of dollars at our disposal, and yet we've never traveled."

"We go places," he protests, "concerts and plays in other states. We take vacations sometimes."

I shake my head. "But we've never actually traveled. We fly for a few hours, sleep over, and then fly back. We've never spent any time anywhere except New Orleans."

"We've been in Miami," he tries, but then he sees my face and smiles. "No, I suppose that was not a vacation."

"A good dozen vampires under one roof," I laugh. "More like an ordeal."

He laughs with me, and pulls me up a little. "Are you getting a wanderlust, Lou'?"

"Maybe...Lestat, when you were under ground that first time, I did not go anywhere. Armand and I traveled to a few places, but afterward, I stuck to a few haunts and did not move from there. And now...I want to see things! I want to...I don't know..." my voice dies away feebly.

Lestat kisses my forehead and makes me look up at him. "And where would you like to go? Tokyo? London? Peru? Las Vegas? Topeka?"

I smile at his joke. "I just want to go away for awhile, see things I've never seen..."

"All right," he says agreeably. "We'll go when you feel stronger--"

"No, now," I insist, sitting up so I can look at him. "I want to go as soon as possible."

I've surprised him, I can tell by his face, and for a moment he looks worried. Then he grins and hugs me.
"Very well, we'll prepare everything and leave tomorrow. I will need to let David know, and make a few arrangements with a hotel, and then we can go."

"Where?"

"I'll let that be a surprise," he smiles slyly.

I make a move to stand, and he pulls me back down. "Lestat, let me up!"

"Where are you going?"

"Upstairs to pack," I try to break away again, and he merely holds me tight.

"No, chere, there is plenty of time for that. I have something better in mind for tonight."

Lestat puts his hand over the back of my neck and brings my head down. Our lips meet, and I am filled with a warm rush that instills a feeling of safety. He would never let anything hurt me. He turns off the webvision with a thought, and for the rest of the night, the room is utterly dark.

I sigh and stretch, gazing over my new surroundings. I had forgotten what hotels were like, but it's nice to know that some things do not change. The beds are hard, the rug utterly flat, and the chairs are unnaturally stiff. Or perhaps it is just the alien feel which I do not like. And this is in one of the best hotels in Las Vegas, or at least that is what Lestat tells me.

"So, where do you want to go first?" Lestat asks, flopped across the large bed. He opens up a large guide which the hotel gives away as a compliment to their high rollers. "There are shows, casinos...and apparently more casinos. Anything you had your mind on?"

I shrug and sit beside him. "Not really. I do not even know what shows are here."

"Mostly topless girls running in place, it seems," he answers me in a bored voice. "And some paltry magic shows. Of course, there are 3-D rides downstairs we could see."

I shake my head and glance out the window. "I wonder if Marius knows about this place," I muse. "He does," Lestat laughed, "and he calls it a travesty. When I told him we were staying here, he said 'Cesar's Palace makes a mockery of ancient Rome, and should be torn down and replaced with a parking lot'."

I smile, he does a wonderful imitation of our fatherly Roman. "He feels rather strongly about it, doesn't he?"

Lestat nods, then bolts upright and heads to the phone. I am so surprised that I do not think to ask him what he is doing until he is dialing.

"Lestat, who are you--?"

"Hold on," he says, "I know where we're going." He pauses, then starts talking. "Yes, I need to get in touch with the Mirage ticket offices...thank you..." He looks up and grins at me. "Just a moment, chere, I've figured out where we're going tonight...oh, hello? Yes, I want to buy two front row seats to Cirque du Soleil...money is no object...wonderful! Yes, my credit card number, which one, which one..." he feeds them a long string that I cannot keep up with, reading off of his Discover card. "We'll be by to pick them
up in awhile. Thank you!"

"What is Cirque du Soleil?" I ask. "I've never heard of that."

"You will love it, darling, simply love it!" Lestat jumps up and puts his boots on. "Come on, we've got a fairly long walk to get there!"

"Walk?" I slip my shoes on, and he helps me up. "Why don't we take a taxi?"

"What?" he gasps in mock disgust. "No, you have to see everything! Believe me, you'll enjoy the trip.
Just let me know if you start to feel tired, and I'll carry you."

"Lestat!" He takes my hand and pulls me steadily out of the room, taking me down in the elevator to the bottom floor. It would take hours if we took the stairs, we are on the top floor in the suites. We walk outside, but he draws me to the side where there is a large man-made lake near the hotel. It looks remarkably empty, and for such a crowded street, that seems unusual.

"What are we doing here?"

"You should read the guides more, darling. Just wait a for a few minutes."

I follow his example and lean on the rail, watching the water idly as it laps against the edge below me. He puts his arm over me, and while I instinctually flinch, I manage to fight it down and hold still. I have seen many male couples here, and it seems to be less of a problem than elsewhere. Still, he notices. "If this makes you uncomfortable," he starts, but I shake my head before he can finish.

"A force of habit," I admit. "I really do not enjoy the looks we receive sometimes, especially the cruel ones. But no, this is not uncomfortable."

He kisses my cheek. "My poor lover, to be cursed with modesty. Don't worry, I'll keep you safe."

"I believe you," I whisper, leaning against him.

Suddenly a voice blares out over a hidden intercom in the street lights beside us. "Ladies and
gentlemen, the water show will begin in thirty seconds."

"Water show?" I ask, but Lestat only nods and holds me closer. Now I do not mind so much, the night is rather chilly and his body is warm enough to keep me sheltered. A soft mist appears at one end of the lake, slowly increasing until the entire lake is covered, and the mist rises around us, nearly hiding us from the crowd. Of course that is when Lestat makes me kiss him.

Now the music starts, I recognize it as one of Mozart's best, and huge jets of water, pushed by what must be bursts of air, fly more than a hundred feet into the air in time with the notes. The fountains run across the lake, then back the other way, then criss-cross each other, mimicking the music. The water spins around in wide circles and does tricks I did not believe possible. Then, as the song comes to its close with strong, slow notes, the water shoots up in synchronized volleys on each side, slowly coming in to the center. Finally the song finishes with a great finale, and the water shoots up throughout the lake, creating a powerful wind that blows across the audience that has gathered.

"Did you like that?" Lestat asks.

"That was beautiful," I reply. "How did you find out about this?"

"I have my methods," he responds slyly.

As the crowd disperses, mostly into the casino, Lestat takes my hand and guides me through the sea of mortals, weaving between clusters of people. We walk for several minutes, waiting impatiently at intersections and moving quickly through the sidewalks. We are often besieged by people on the corner trying to hand out free pornographic material, but Lestat influences them to turn away from us. It did take a rather forceful look from me to make him ignore them, though. At last we arrive at the Mirage, but we don't go in immediately, as I thought we would. There is another crowd growing near a smaller lake, and Lestat effortlessly takes us through to the front, where I may lean on the rough hewn rope railings. This hotel front is done up in a Caribbean theme, complete with one miniature galleon on one side. Men in costume are getting in, and I guess that we are in for one more show.

"Now, there are some loud noises and flames in this," he warns me, "but those will be over quickly." I give him a nervous look, but it is too late to back out. Then men on the ship, dressed as pirates, begin their act, boasting over the treasure they have just stolen. A moment later another ship, this one with men dressed as British sailors, actually seems to sail into the lake and commands the pirates to stand down.

That's when the cannons begin to fire, and explosions burst out around us. One gigantic firestorm opens up above us, and I cannot help but huddle against Lestat. I will admit that fire is beautiful, but so much of it also scares me half to death. I instinctually turn to my maker for protection, and he eats up my need for him. And in a minute, much to my astonishment, the British ship actually sinks. The captain goes down with his ship, and the pirates celebrate, inviting the crowd inside to share in their victory. As the people begin to go in, the British ship starts to rise, and the captain is still standing on his ship! Mortals continually amaze me, and I am beginning to believe this trip may not be so awful after all.

"You all right?" Lestat whispers.

I nod and step back a pace. "Yes, the fire only startled me."

He smirks, and I can tell he knew I was frightened, but he is kind and lets it slide. "I promise this next show will be easier on your sensibilities," he says, leading me into the casino.

As soon as I step into the Mirage, I am immediately disoriented. There are buzzing and ringing slot machines everywhere, with mortals walking in and out from corners as if this place was a honeycomb. The lights are distracting, and I feel the onset of a headache.

"This way," Lestat says, quickly taking me through the floor. I don't know how he can find his way so fast, but soon we are out of that mess of gambling and in a quieter hallway with a ticket office. He stands in line, and suddenly everyone in front of him inexplicably has something else they need to do. Within seconds we have our tickets, fourth in the front, and he is assured that they are the best in the house.
Then he takes me to the shop just across the hall.

It must be the Cirque du Soleil shop, and now I have my first clue as to what goes on in this show. There are old fashioned masquerade masks, posters, and other items. I head to the CD selection first, though, and listen to the songs on each disc. They are strange and wonderful, and as I smile, Lestat insists that we buy them all. He would do anything to make me happy. He hates to see me depressed, and I wish I could be less despondent, if only for him.

Once we have all the CDs in a bag, we stand in line, close to the front. We go in as the doors open and take our seats, and I am surprised by what I see. The room is vast and wide, painted entirely black, with a large stage in front. As we snuggle down together, an interesting pre-show is taking place. A man dressed in a disheveled tuxedo is standing with the ushers to lead people to their seats, but instead he takes each couple around the audience, sometimes crossing the stage before taking them back outside without going anywhere. It becomes great fun to watch him work, and now I know why Lestat didn't mind standing in line to get in, instead of being fashionably late. We avoided becoming targets, and he knew I did not want to be seen so openly.

"Lestat, did you know about this?" I ask.

"Danny gave me a few tips before we left," he admits.

The lights darken, and then mist pumps over the stage. Spotlights shine down on two dancers, who are dressed in gorgeous costumes of red and orange. They flicker like candles, spinning and tumbling effortlessly. After what seems like a short time, they disappear and three swings come down from the ceiling, and the three girls on them begin an air show that involves them flying back and forth on elastic cords. I am reminded of birds, if song birds partook of aerobatics. Their routine and the music that accompanies them are amazing.

Now they go back into the ceiling, and a single man dressed only in tight pants comes down on two wires with a frame of a cube around him. He whirls it about almost casually, performing stunts and maneuvers of great dexterity. Occasionally he soars across the room like an angel, followed by a girl on stage that moves as elegantly on foot as he does in air. Lestat stirs beside me, making a small sound of appreciation, and I feel a twinge of jealousy. I reach over and pinch his hand.

"Louis! What was that for?" he asks in a voice only I can hear.

"They are off-limits," I respond testily in kind.

"Chere, I would never eat them! It would be a crime to destroy such talent."

"I did not mean that sort of off-limits."

A slow smiles spreads across his face as he understands, and he relaxes back, but this time he caresses my hand.

There are many other performers, all dressed as imaginatively and all as graceful, but the show is over too soon for me. I sigh sadly as the lights come back on.

"Did you enjoy that?" Lestat asks.

"Oh, it was wonderful! I wish we could see it again!"

He rises and helps me stand, and we head back outside. There are shops that we visit, but we make very few purchases. I notice Lestat is checking his watch periodically, and I ask him why. He refuses to answer, only saying "it's a surprise," and smiling devilishly.

An hour later I am back on the street, following Lestat to another casino. The lights outside are stunning and keep the street lit up as if it were day, or at least as much as I can remember the day, but the machines are so loud that I am never tempted inside. We pause in front of our hotel to watch another water display, and then we finally arrive at a hotel which I do not spot the name of. However, I do notice their marquee sign. They have a different performance of Cirque du Soleil on in half an hour.

If it is possible, they perform just as well, if not better, as their counterparts at the Mirage.

Finally, a few hours before dawn, we are back in our hotel. Having a hot shower feels relaxing after that long walk, but it is the foot rub I receive in bed that really eases my sore muscles. As I lay back on the pillows, Lestat slowly works his way up my legs and back, massaging all of the tense spots. I am half-asleep when he finishes and lays beside me.

"Did you enjoy tonight?" he asks.

I smile at him and kiss him. "Thank you, my love. It was a perfect night. I had not seen such beauty in ages, if ever." I kiss him again. "Except when I look on you, of course."

"Oh, but I pale in comparison to you," he says, playing with my hair.

"Mmm...are the windows shut and covered?"

"Mmm-hmmm..."

"And the door locked?"

"Locked up tight."

"And the 'do not disturb' sign up?"

"Of course, with a message to the main desk not to bother us during the day."

I smile and snuggle into his arms. "I'm glad we're so high up. The slot machines will not wake us up." I close my eyes, and I feel him pull the blankets up over us.

"Tomorrow night, I will take you to see the replica of Michelangelo's David," he whispers in my ear.

"A replica?"

"Eighteen feet tall, just like the original. In fact, they say it is made from the same marble block as the first. And then we will go to the art shops, and the Venetian hotel so you may buy a few masks, and then we can watch Siegfried and Roy."

"Who?"

"They are a pair of magicians, my love, supposedly very good. But they can wait until tomorrow."

"Especially since I have things I want to do right now," I mumble.

"Like what?"

"I'm very sore, Lestat. My legs are still aching from all that walking we did. But I know that certain activities would take my mind off of that for awhile."

He grins at me. "Activities? Like what?"

I smile and nuzzle his throat. "Let me show you."

We remain in Las Vegas for several nights, but finally we both grow bored and decide to go somewhere else. I mention that we both decide only to leave. Once again, he is the one deciding where we will go. I know this is partially out of his concern for me, and partially because I know of very few places, but it bothers me when I know also that he controls me totally. He is mine and I am his, but the force of his personality is so strong that I inevitably yield to his whims.

This leads to a fiery argument, where I call him domineering and controlling and he calls me demanding and overly emotional, and for a few moments I actually consider slapping him. Then in the middle of telling him that I would like some say in where we visit, I get dizzy again and collapse. He catches me before I hit the floor, and he sits on the bed as he holds me. I think he knew I might lose control once more. I feel like a rag doll in a child's hold, and I merely lay limp in his arms, my head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he whispers to me. "I do not want to argue. I did not mean to force you to another place. It's just..."

"You do not want me to over-exert myself?" I ask.

"Yes," he admits, kissing my cheek. "we have not been out for very long, and it's all been such a shock to your system...you used to be able to fight with me all night."

I smile and return his kiss. "I know you mean well...but I am not an invalid, Lestat. I can think for myself. I want to know where we are going, all right? I want to know where, and when."

"Perhaps I should not have encouraged you to say what you think and feel," he grins. "Very well, I surrender. You'll have a greater say. But, can I still have a few surprises for you? Please?"

He gives me his sad puppy face, and he knows I cannot resist that. I kiss his pouting lips and nod. "Yes, you may have that. Now, where are we going?"

"Walt Disney World."

I look up in what must appear to be shock, because he starts to giggle. "Lestat, that is a child's park!"

"Not entirely," he insists. "Look, they're having a special week in a few days, and this would be the perfect time to drop in."

I narrow my eyes. He has a habit of giving himself away without knowing it when he talks, and I can usually catch his little slips. "A special week? What is it?"

He looks down on the ground. Oh, this cannot be good. "Lestat...?"

"Well...I mean, you don't...like being...stared at, and I thought...I thought maybe it'd be nice...if...if you would kiss me in the street without caring what people think, or hug me or hold my hand in public...without moving away..."

"Lestat, you are not answering me."

"Disneyworld...has a time when...they invite...well..." he looks at me, and I suddenly realize his meaning.

"Same-sex couples," I finish for him, and he nods again, staring at the rug. I lift my hand to his face and make him look at me. "It is all right, I am not angry at you. You should have told me before, but...it is fine."

"You aren't angry?" he asks, and this time his sad puppy face is not an act.

I shake my head. "No, it is entirely agreeable. You are considerate in your own ways." I hug him tightly and rumble in pleasure as he reciprocates. "Now, shall we leave?"

He grins and tightens his grip on me. Our bags and souvenirs are already packed and on their way to either Rue Royal or the Disneyworld hotel, so all he must carry is my body and the soft blanket already around my shoulders. He goes to the open window and steps out, and then we are drifting through the air. I look down at the pretty lights below us, but the sheer heights are disconcerting and I bury my face in his chest for most of the flight.

We must stop half way across the country in Texas, and we bed down in the soft red dirt there. I have never really seen the desert before, and Lestat allows me a long time to merely take in my surroundings. There is no town nearby, so I can see the entire sky without any light blocking my view. I can see the Milky Way flung out over the heavens so that the sky looks almost white in areas, and other stars twinkle in the heat. I lay down beside Lestat, who keeps the scorpions, tarantulas and lizards away from us, but we can still hear the small frogs croaking in the distance. Frogs in the desert, imagine! He points out various constellations, showing me lesser known formations that I had only read about.

"How did you learn all of this?" I ask. I was a wealthy child, and even my education did not include as much information as he knows.

Lestat smiles at me and holds my hand. "Ah, Lou', when you grow up in a dark castle in a dark forest, with little light except for the moon, you learn the stars if only to find your way."

A coyote howls in the distance, and a dozen more howls answer to it. An owl hoots not too far away, and I see a silhouette of a bat fly across the full moon. I can hear a rattle snake slithering around beneath a prickly pear cactus only a few feet away, but it is not coming near us. Lestat has projected the idea that we are poison to everything nearby, and they leave us alone. There are wild flowers beside us, unopened, and a tumbleweed unexpectedly runs right over us. And I had thought the desert was a vast expanse of dead land.

Finally I cannot keep my eyes open, and he holds me as we sink into the hole we'd already dug. The cooling dirt washes over us, and I fall asleep with him beside me.

The next night we finally arrive in Disneyworld, and literally fly into the hotel room. At first the management does not know how we entered our room, but Lestat convinces them that we already had a key through the mail. As he speaks to them at the door, I root through the drawers by the beds and discover a map. I sit cross-legged on the bed and unfold it on the mattress, and the burst of color dazzles my eyes.

"I thought I would never get rid of them," Lestat huffs as he closes the door and comes back in.

"Chere, we have to see Tomorrow Land," I interrupt him, pointing at the spot. "And we have to visit Adventure Land, too. And I want to see the Haunted Mansion, and the Pirates of the Caribbean! And look, they have dance clubs here, too, we can go there, and see the fireworks...oh, Sea World is nearby, and so is University Studios..."

"Universal, Louis."

I look up, and he is smiling at me. I know why, it is because I am so exuberant right now. I rarely appear eager for anything, and whenever I do laugh and smile, he just stands back and watches.

"Can we go there?" I ask. I sound like a child to my own ears.

He laughs and sits by me once more. "Yes, we can go see the fish and dolphins and sharks, and then we can ride all the movie roller coasters...Now, would you like to get some sleep, or would you like to go out and explore right now? We do have this room for a few weeks, so we have plenty of time."

I shake my head and sigh. "I wish I could, but I'm so tired right now...that was such a long flight."

"Shhh...let me help you..." He does his best to refold the map and gives up halfway through, tossing it on the floor. I do not complain, as that is probably the safest place for it right now. He pushes me flat against the mattress, slowly undoing the buttons of my shirt with his teeth. The touch of his soft lips sends tingles down my spine. Once he finishes my shirt, he moves to my jeans, carefully opening them up, his tongue occasionally flickering elsewhere. The sight of him there doing that is erotic enough, let alone the sensation of his hands wandering around. My shoes are already off, so he just moves to my bare ankles and grabs hold of the denim in his teeth, steadily pulling at them. My pants are tugged off, and he puts his lips to my foot, kissing his way back up to me. I groan as he comes up my leg, but I can't help my sharp whimper when he comes between my legs. Then he is moving back up to my chest, playing
with the crevices of my body.

"This...isn't exactly...getting some sleep..." I manage to gasp out, clutching at him.

"But it is getting some..." he laughs quietly. "Relax..."

It is the only warning I receive. A moment later he assaults my body, gently conquering me as he enters, filling me up entirely. I hug his body tight against mine, and I curl my nails into him. Blood runs down my fingers. He snarls involuntarily and digs his fangs into my throat, taking long drinks from me. Blood surrounds me.

I shut my eyes until it hurts, and I bite my lip in sexual agony. I want it so much...I want him...to have him completely...but I might lose what I value dearly...

But it was my humanity that drove me to insanity...

Let me know exactly how you feel. Do not worry so much about decorum and politeness, that was what he said, yes? And I want to, so very very much...

Another thrust into me, and I hiss with ecstasy...I cannot stop myself I do not want to stop myself I want him entirely in every way I bury my fangs in his throat and drink back what he has taken. His body hardens against me in surprise, if not abject shock, that I have finally given in and done this. He reacts out of sheer confusion and withdraws, trying to escape, but I grab him and hold him, rolling over to pin him beneath me. His blood is an elixir of love and passion and spices whirled into one, and now that he realizes what is happening, he no longer fights me. Indeed, he turns his head aside to oblige me. He doesn't turn it far enough for me, though. I put my hand up to his jaw and draw his face away even farther.

I drink and drink and drink, and he only moans in my hold, allowing my attack. His arms come around me, but a strange thing is happening. His arms, once strong enough to crush me without a thought, no longer feel so mighty as they did before. I spot one of my hands out of the corner of my eye, and it is growing even whiter, the fingernails like mirrors. Any lines that were left disappear. I feel him try to adjust his position, and I shove him back down. I laugh wildly and stare into his eyes.

"Now, Lestat," I grin mischievously, "it is my turn."

He puts his arms around me and kisses me deeply. "Take me, chere. I won't resist."

"Of course you won't," I tell him. There are curtain cords on the window, and I easily snatch them through the air.

When I look back down, Lestat is seemingly awed that I have mastered this skill the first time I used it. I tie the cord around his left wrist and loop the other end around the bedpost, then throw it to the other bedpost and tie his right wrist, stringing him up nicely. He could break them easily, but he loves this fantasy. I play with him, Lestat would make a perfect boy toy if only he were weaker. He arches his back, and I slip my hands beneath him and lift his hips up. He opens his eyes wide as he figures out what I am going to do to him. For so long he has been the one on top, in control, that now becoming the one on the bottom is a jolt. I smile and look into his eyes as I push into him, violating him sweetly. He moans and his hands clench into fists, almost unable to stand the pleasure. Is this how I have looked to him?

I am in him for several minutes, and the clock ticks each second by slowly. Finally I climax, and he does simultaneously, and I fall on top of him bathed in a cold sweat of blood. I languidly stroke his arms, still bound, and I tease him by only slowly undoing the knots, releasing him to hold me against his chest. He kisses me tenderly, and pets my hair. I simply relax in his arms, exhausted from my efforts.

"I suppose this really is the happiest place on earth," I whisper.

"Only when you are here," he answers. "And now, chere, I believe you wanted to go to sleep?"

I cuddle up to him, safe and warm in his embrace. "Mmm...sleep..."

"Louis...why...?" he starts to ask, but I silence him with a kiss.

"Not right now," I hush him, "tomorrow. We can talk tomorrow. Right now, I need to sleep before I pass out."

The next night, the amusement park has for some reason decided to stay open insanely late into the night. The things Lestat can do when he wants...We walk down the cobble stone street, hand in hand, not nervous about it because most of the other men are doing the same thing. Men kiss men in the street, and women hug each other, no longer merely girlfriends in the platonic sense. There are very few "normal" people on the street, and they do not seem to care what we do. I have never felt so unencumbered by society.

"So, now what shall we do?" Lestat asks me, leaning against the ivy encrusted wall. "We have been through Epcott, Tomorrow land, and seen Mickey Mouse's house."

"Now we have to go to Adventure land," I insist. "And we still have to see the Haunted Mansion, I want to see that. And the Indiana Jones ride, and the Pirates, and--"

He holds up his hand to stop me. It annoys me when he does this, but in his defense, I could have gone on for ten minutes. "All right, to the jungle we go. Just remember, don't cry to me when we come out soaked."

It takes a few hours, but since Lestat influences the mortals to look the other way as we walk through the long lines, we see much of what the park has to offer in one night. Many of the rides are indeed enjoyable, but I like the Indiana Jones ride best. It is so dark and cool in the tunnels, with black lights on glowing cobras and paintings on the walls. There are even puffs of wind from the walls that really feel as if arrows are being fired at us. And Lestat was right. We do come out of Adventure land soaked. Never sit in the last seat on the log rides. There is no one to lean over you and cover your back. The best part, though, is sitting on the roof of the Cinderella castle and watching the fireworks. Since no one can see us and nothing can block our sight, we have a marvelous view of the exploding lights and colors. With our legs dangling over the edge, I lean against his body and rest my head on his shoulder.

"They are like thousands of candles flickering in the wind," I whisper, as a white sparkler pops. Lestat chuckles and puts his arm around me. The breeze up here is icy. "That one looks like a river in the sky," he points to a blue one. A bright orange one flares up. "And there is the sun."

After a few minutes, the grand finale explodes before our eyes, and just before it finishes I look over at Lestat's eyes. They reflect the fireworks so beautifully, I swear he has the most clear eyes I have ever seen.

"Louis...last night...why did you finally drink from me?" he asks.

I smile softly and look at the ground so far below us. "I was wondering when you were going to ask that."

"It's not that I mind," he starts quickly, but I wave him down.

"No, I know that. It's all right." I lean against his body, staring at the stars for awhile. "I'm not sure. I don't want to be weak anymore, that was certainly part of it. And I've always wanted to be able to hold you down beneath me."

Lestat laughs. "Yes, that was certainly enjoyable."

"But most of all, I simply wanted to. I wanted to taste you, I wanted to have you in every possible way. I missed out on ten years, Lestat. I just wanted back a little of what I missed."

"You wanted to own me," he whispers.

I am about to protest when I stop to think about it. I nod slightly. "Yes, I believe that is true. I want to be strong enough to make you mine."

Lestat hugs me and gives me a sweet kiss. "That is how I've always felt about you, chere."

"But you've always been stronger than I have," I argue.

He shakes his head with a chuckle. "Physically, perhaps, but it's hard to be spiritually strong enough to love you. I have to learn to hold my violent temper in check, and learn to compromise. Bad enough that I have to be mature sometimes."

I start to laugh, and for several minutes he merely holds me as I pitch into a laughing fit worthy of my brat prince himself. The thought of him trying to be mature sends a picture of Lestat in a business suit into my head. Lestat with a power-tie, oh, that is quite an image. Finally I stop laughing, and he tilts my face up so he may kiss me.

"Ready to go to bed?" he asks.

I nod, and he gathers me into his arms. Careful to avoid the gaze of any humans, he takes me back to our hotel.

"I will make arrangements with Sea World tomorrow," he smiles to me, getting into bed. "And once we have finished our shopping here, we'll fly over there."

"And we have to see Universal Studios," I remind him. "I want to see everything." I strip off my clothes and climb into bed, remembering only now the danger of stripping in front of Lestat. It is like dangling a piece of meat in front of a tiger, and while it is not a flattering comparison, I rather enjoy the results. He rolls and pins me down, kissing me fiercely. I am strong enough now to stop him, though, and I decide to show him exactly what I can do now. I brace myself, then flip him onto his back and hold his wrists down. With gravity on my side, he can't push me off. He struggles a little until he realizes that he has no choice in being on the bottom tonight.

"Ah, so now things are starting to get interesting," he grins, relaxing.

"Mon chere, you have seen nothing yet." I force a kiss from him, trespassing deep into his mouth. His lips are like delicate sweets, to be slowly unwrapped and savored. I break away and stare into his eyes, cool and gray. I can see my reflection in them. "I wish I could find chains heavy enough to hold you down," I whisper in his ear, "so I could take my time, without worrying if you would escape."

He grins and lets his head fall back. He can be quite the seducer, it's as if his entire body has perfected the 'come-hither' stare. "What if I promise not to move?" he replies. "I would do my very best to hold still."

"Then keep your hands here," I say, pushing his hands out to the edges of the mattress. "You may hang onto the bed if you feel the urge to move."

Lestat grabs the sides, yielding himself up to me. He trusts me so much, and I have only seen it now. I was so blind before. He would be my slave if I only asked. Tonight I'm asking.

I may never have shown him what I am truly capable of in bed, mostly because I was never strong enough to conquer him, but now I will show him exactly what sort of lover I am. I run my nails down his chest and stomach, drawing little red streaks down his perfect skin and watching as they fade away. I bend down and kiss his right nipple for several minutes, almost making it numb with all the soft rubs my lips give it. Lestat groans as I do this, and he wants to bring his hands up, to hold me or perhaps even to turn the tables and do this to me, but instead he only grasps at the mattress.

Now that he no longer expects anything harsh, I gently nip the skin at my teeth and suckle the blood from him. Out of the corner of my eye, I see his arms tighten until he is unbelievably tense, and I hear his claws dig into the bed. I smile at my ability to do this to him. My other hand drifts down from his chest to his side and slips beneath his body, slowly teasing my way along the center of his back. His body arcs up, trying to escape its touch, but he can only rise a few inches before he must stop, held back by his grip on the mattress. Of course, since he's several inches off the bed, I lightly run my fingertips over his skin, then scratch down the center of his back. He groans and strains in my hold, so I put my hands on either side of him, where his ribs end, and squeeze just enough to get a firm grip. The result is immediate. He whimpers and falls limp against the bed, his blonde hair flung out against the blue pillows. He is gasping for breath and I have not even used all of my energies yet.

As I fondle him with one hand, I run my other hand through his hair, caressing his face and throat. He turns his head to the side to encourage me, and I brush his cheek again. My dearest is such a sensual creature, he loves to be handled. He needs me to show that I love him with all my heart, no matter how many times I say it. I kiss him once, then trail my kisses down his face to his throat, nuzzling the spot I will bite. He bares his throat to me, so eager for me to take him. I begin to part his legs to the side, to make my access to him easier, and he sighs sadly. He thinks I have given up the idea of drinking from him. Little does he realize I have no intention of restraining myself, although this little maneuver will take a great deal of agility and strength. Still, he has no idea what I have in store for him.

I reach into the nightstand and pull out a small jar of perfumed oil. Of course, he has no clue as to what it is for. I have a feeling he has never even heard of lubricants before, let alone used them. He is so accustomed to straight-forward love-making, and no one has introduced him to the benefit of mortal luxuries...in a way, I don't mind. It just proves he's been faithful to me in the most physical sense. Now I am the one to show him what love can truly be.

"What...is...what...?" he whispers incoherently.

"Something I picked up in one of their bath and body shops," I say quietly. I open it and dip my fingers in, gathering enough to smear upon his hind end, and I laugh as he gasps in shock.

"Lou', what...are you...doin' to...me?" He tries to look down at me and see what I am up to, but with his arms spread so far, his shoulders only rise an inch.

"I just want this to be as gentle as I can possibly make it," I smile. He looks nervous, as he usually does when I smile. It never bothers him when he's on top, but when I smile and I am in control, for some reason he becomes disturbed. I know it is not because I went mad, however. He did this before then. I think I scare him sometimes.

"But...it's cold..." he whimpers.

"Shh...I know," I add another handful just to tease him. "Don't worry, we'll warm it up."

"Ohhh, hurry..."

I put the jar aside and get into position, straddling him possessively. He loves this, he simply devours every occasion I take to make him mine. I wonder sometimes if I could be the dominant in our relationship all the time. I am sure he would not argue one bit, but then I don't think I could keep it up. Besides, he is so strong and I am so tired...

But not that tired. A few final adjustments and then I slide into him, relishing his cries of ecstatic agony. The scented oils are the perfect addition, they make this so much easier. It takes less effort, and now I am able to keep this up for much longer. I climax once, and he does about the same time, but I have much more energy and keep going. He groans and tightens his hold on the bed, body taut and sweating. I take a deep breath, plunge into him as deeply as I can without hurting him, and then bend radically at my waist. I have always been the most flexible of our coven, (save perhaps for Daniel, but then he has much more practice at it than I do) and with a little exertion I manage to dig my fangs into the lower part of his
throat. I drink, but even over the blood rush I hear his cry, and then a strange tearing sound. I drink and thrust, and finally we both reach our zenith once again.

As I withdraw, I notice that my lover's breathing is ragged and short, and his skin is paler than usual. I lift my head and look into his eyes, and they are rimmed red with unshed tears.

"Lestat, are you all right?" I ask, putting my hands on his face.

He nods, and I sigh in relief. I collapse against him, turning my head to the side, and only now do I see what that tearing sound had been. Lestat has ripped two pieces of the mattress away, a frazzled chunk in each hand.

"Oh, my love," I whisper and kiss him. He must have tossed the pieces away, because now he wraps his arms around me. Several minutes pass by as he kisses me deeply, invading my mouth. Now that I no longer expect anything, he flips me onto my back and holds my hands down. I didn't even think he had any strength left, let alone enough to keep me prisoner. Still, it's not as if I am fighting back very much. I lay still, allowing my hair to fly around my head, and he moans merely looking at me. I will admit, it is a boost to my ego that I can do this to him.

"Are you certain you are the weakest in the coven?" he asks slowly.

I smile slyly. "Not after what we've done these past few nights. I imagine I could pin Marius down if I put my mind to it."

His hands tighten around my wrists, and I give a faint struggle, enjoying the sensation of being
restrained beneath him. "If you even go near the others with any amorous intent at all, I will not only toss you over my shoulder and carry you away in front of all them--"

"You wouldn't!"

"--yes I would, and it wouldn't be very good for your virtuous modesty, would it?--I would also tie you up, lock you up in our bedroom, and spank you."

"Sounds tempting."

Lestat is about to make another retort, but an abrupt yawn cuts off whatever he was about to say.

"It's almost time for the sun to rise," I say, a sad note creeping into my voice.

He nods, reluctantly releasing me. We both snuggle together, with the blankets just up over our shoulders, and our legs tangled together. He takes me into his arms, and I fall asleep as I have for many nights now, with my head against his shoulder. No matter how strong I may grow, it is always a comfort to be embraced by my maker.

When we awaken, I find myself in a surprising position. Lestat is now in my arms, and his head lies against my chest. I kiss his forehead and smooth his hair back from his face, and he smiles softly in his mortal sleep. His smile is so mild that for a moment I wonder if this is actually my lover. He is so different when his infinite guards and walls are down, and his true emotions shine through.

I make a move to shift my position so I can sit up, but he grumbles and tries to edge closer to me. I merely roll my eyes and put my hands back over him. Even in his sleep he gets what he wants. Still, I hardly have the heart to rouse him. He is so sweet and seemingly innocent like this. He is my precious little angel.

"Lestat..." I whisper to him. "Time to wake up."

He groans and pushes his face against my chest. "Jus' five more minutes..."

I grin and kiss him again. I give him five more minutes, caressing his arms and back and enjoying the feeling of holding him. When his five minutes are up, though, I gently push him away. He groans and opens his eyes, obviously irritated.

"Why did you do that?" he mumbles. "I'm still tired..."

My dearheart has never been a "twilight" person, he's never at his best when he's just woken up. Well, at his cognitive best, anyway. He's so vulnerable right now it's hard to restrain myself, but I really want to see Sea World tonight. "Come on, we have places we need to go," I urge him, trying to pull him up. He sighs and allows me to lift him to a sitting position. He tries to rub the sleep from his eyes as I get up and throw his clothes onto the bed and step into mine. I finish getting the shirt over my head, and as I turn around I notice he's openly staring at me.

"What is it?" I ask, wondering if something is wrong.

Lestat only smiles and looks down at the bedspread. He gathers his clothes and quickly dresses, and when he's done I toss his wallet to him. He catches it nimbly and tucks it away, then steps close, opening the window up. "Ready to go?"

"Um...Lestat?"

He tries to look into my eyes. "What's the matter, chere?"

"The bed..." I mumble, "it's missing pieces."

He looks at it, then back at me. "Yes, so?"

"What will the humans think?"

"Oh, Louis, it is less than nothing! I've paid so much already they won't care a bit. I'm sure we'll have a new mattress by the time we return!"

Without any warning, he sweeps me up into his arms, and then we are flying out the window heading for Sea World. Florida looks much like Louisiana from above, but Lestat gradually ascends higher and higher until the ground becomes one green blur. He says that he feels safer up here, but I'll never understand why. I don't care if I am stronger now, I am still afraid of being so high up. I tighten my hold on him and close my eyes, but I can still feel the wind whip around us.

Suddenly he stops, and we merely hover in the air. I feel his hand on my cheek, and I look up.

"Darling, are you all right? You're shivering. Are you cold?"

He knows it is not that, though, I can hear it in his voice. It is so balmy even up here.

"No, it's just, we're so high and..." my voice trails off feebly. I know I've never been so scared before, but for some reason, I am terrified I will fall.

"We could go lower," he offers, but I shake my head.

"No, I have to get over this myself," I whisper. "But make sure your grip stays tight, yes?"

He nods and I feel his arms wrap even more around me, crushing me against him. "I won't let you fall, my love."

"I know," I say. "I know."

Finally, after what feels like hours yet I know are only minutes, we arrive out of sight near the entrance. He sets me down, but it is still a few moments before I can stand on my own. I must hang onto him like a clingy child for balance.

"If you're not up to this--" he starts.

I wave him off and kiss him. He deserves it, he's been so sweet. "I am, Lestat. I am still a bit tired, that's all. I would have thought your blood would take care of that, but..."

"After such a long sleep?" he smiles. "My blood helped you, yes, but it will still take a long time for you to recover fully." He holds me upright, putting his arms behind me and holding my the back of my throat, tilting my face just a bit. I part my lips just a little, and it is enough of an invitation for him. He turns his head and puts his mouth to mine, threatening to devour me utterly. Now my legs really do go weak, and he is the only thing keeping me from collapsing in a heap.

He breaks apart and smiles at my half-closed eyes. "We'd better go inside, don't you think?"

"Tease," I whisper, straightening myself. He steadies me a bit more, and then we head to the gate. Oddly enough, we seem to be the only ones here, aside from the workers. We get inside, and then I realize we really are the only sight-seers here. "Lestat...?"

"Yes, Louis?" He is grinning. Oh, he has planned something, he never grins like that unless he has something up his sleeve.

"Why are we all alone in here?"

"The privileges of being obscenely wealthy, chere." He picks up a map from somewhere and holds it out in front of us, spreading it wide. "Only a few exhibits absolutely had to be shut down, but those are merely the shops and a few children's spots. The main store is still open, and so are the large attractions. So where would you like to go right now?"

I look over the map with wide eyes, and in my side vision I can see Lestat smiling broadly. I must look like a child in a candy store. "I...I'm not sure...there are so many places...I...what's this?" I point to a picture of a large aquarium with people walking inside.

"You always make the right choice," he whispers, refolding the map and tucking it away. "Come on, I know where that is."

"But what is it?" I ask. He only grabs my hand and gives me a little tug, making me follow just a few inches behind him. As we walk, I continually glance around, trying to take in everything at once. One thing that does catch my attention, however, is the roller coaster near the edge of the park. I take a deep breath, then slowly let it out. Whatever we do, I must keep him away from that. He will want me to ride it with him, and there is no way I am setting foot on one of those contraptions.

"What do you think?"

His question pulls my gaze back to the front, and I stop, frozen for several seconds. This building must be the largest aquarium I've ever seen, and I cannot even see all of it. There is a tunnel before us, and Lestat gives me a tiny pull forward. I do not budge, though, and he turns back at me once more.

"Louis?"

"It's very dark in there," I whisper. "Are you sure it's safe?"

My maker smiles again. He loves to make a show of guarding me, he simply cherishes every moment I depend on him. Lestat comes back and puts one arm around my waist, slowly drawing me with him. I feel no shame in edging closer to him, or holding his other hand with my own. Ever since we woke up, I do not feel so embarrassed to show affection towards him.

The darkness swallows us, but within seconds we step into the main area. I breathe in sharply, amazed by what I see. It is if I am walking under water. There are soft lights that illuminate the tropical fish and the coral habitats for them, I almost think we are swimming with them. Or rather, flying. They look more like birds than fish.

Suddenly a dark shadow looms overhead and passes over us. I look up and shudder, pressing against Lestat once more. Sharks are indeed beautiful and impressive, but it is a far different thing to watch them on the Discovery site than to see them not two feet away.

"It's all right, the glass won't break," Lestat murmurs in my ear. "What kind of shark was that?"

"I...I believe that was a gray tip shark," I manage to get out. It sweeps past us once more in a smooth glide, and I sigh. It does not seem to notice us. "No, it is a norse shark." I gaze after it, and notice more shadows on the other side of this tank. "There are more of them."

"Would you prefer to see the turtles?"

I smile up at him. "Sea turtles?"

"And seals."

I nod and allow him to guide me through the maze of corridors, looking at a batch of sea horses here, then a few lionfish and then the sea turtles. They seem so light weight, they way they float about in the water. The light reflecting in the water shines on their shells and flippers. I could watch them for hours, but my lover has a short attention span for an immortal. I walk beside him as we leisurely stroll around, and of course he has to stop next to the huge set of shark jaws in the corner.

"'A replica of the Mega-mouth's teeth'," he reads from the sign, "'a shark once thought to be extinct but found several years ago'. Louis, you could fit in this thing's mouth!"

That I did not need to hear. I grab one of his hands and lean back, playfully drawing him after me. "Come on, there's much more this way."

I think he knows these creatures make me uncomfortable because he smiles and lets me manhandle him. We come to the seals, most of whom are sleeping right now, and they are adorable creatures. They remind both of us of Mojo, except they are more streamlined. Then we come by the otters, who do not have the sense to go to sleep and instead are whizzing around their habitat, appearing to have a marvelous time. They are so charming they manage to keep Lestat's attention for nearly fifteen minutes. It is only when they decide at last they should take a break that Lestat and I finally leave the aquarium.

"Now where to?" I ask. Silly question, I should have suggested a place.

"When we came in I noticed a roller coaster at the side," he says eagerly, and my heart sinks. Actually, it sinks into my stomach. Apparently I have no say in the matter because he picks me up and in an instant, we are there. I stare up in horror at how high this steel monstrosity is. "Come on, Louis! You have to try this!"

I find myself being dragged alongside him until we are at what seems to be the launching pad. He puts me in a seat in the front of course, ignoring my feeble protests, and lowers the strange bar over my head, locking it into place. Then he sits down next to me, putting his own safety bar down. "Ready?"

I nod, might as well get this over with at least. Suddenly the seats start moving, and my legs are left dangling over the edge.

"We won't fall out, will we?" I squeak.

"Of course not!" he laughs. "If you start to get scared, just close your eyes."

Oh, that's reassuring. "Lestat, I do not trust any form of entertainment where I need a safety lock."

He only launches into a laughing fit.

We start up the incline, and I am forced back into my seat. I look around and see the park spread out around us, but soon I notice that everything is getting smaller and smaller. Just how high are we going? I turn to tell Lestat that I no longer want to do this, but as I look up, I finally notice just how far flung the stars out. At the apex of this climb, it is like we are surrounded by stars just as we once were surrounded by water.

"It's beautiful..." I whisper. That's right when the roller coaster decides to shoot down. We plummet almost vertically, and the ground rushes up so fast that I have no time to scream before we shoot back up into a series of loops and then go into what Lestat refers to as a corkscrew. We twist and turn and rise up again, slowing down as we near the next hill.

"Are you all right?" Lestat asks.

"Mmm...is it almost over?" I mutter.

"We're halfway through," he informs me gleefully. "Now we have the tunnel to go through!"

I have no time to say anything as we dive down again, but this time we charge straight into pitch black darkness. The wind rushes around me, echoing loudly as we emerge and whoosh to the side. I tighten my grip on my bar, but a moment later we are moving horizontally again, and we slow to stop.

Lestat removes his bar, then helps me up. "Did you like that?"

"I...Lestat, if you ever take me on one of those things again, I will make you sit through an entire opera! Awake!"

He shivers at the thought, but he holds me anyway. "It's okay, my dearest, it's over. Would you like to go sit down somewhere?"

I nod, and he walks me down the steps to a large park with a lake, where we sit on the water's edge. He relaxes against a tree and pulls me against his body so he can keep his arms around me. Even with no one near, he is very territorial, and I am his territory. I snuggle down in his hold, and he runs his fingers through my hair, caressing my face and arms. There is a very slight breeze wafting over the water, which laps gently at the grass.

"Do you still feel tired?" he asks me.

"After that roller coaster?" I smirk. "Yes, I'm still tired. But it's not as bad as it was before. Now it just passes in waves. One day I will be tired, one day I will not. And you? Do you feel tired?"

"Of course not. I'm too strong to be so severely affected by going to ground now."

I once would have thought he was telling the truth, but not now. My Lestat has such a habit of telling me things and then forgetting what he's said, and I know him well enough to know when he's lying.

"But I thought you said your blood was not that strong against it," I reply.

"When did I say that?"

"At the gate, when I stumbled a bit. You said your blood helped, but it was nowhere near enough. And this evening when we woke, I had a rather hard time dragging you out of bed. Maybe I should be asking if you are all right."

He opens his mouth, but I know that look in his eyes. It's his "maybe-Louis-will-buy-this-one" look.

"Don't lie to me, my love," I warn him. "If I must be honest, so must you."

He hesitates a moment, unsure of which way to go.

"I will not think any less of you, Lestat. I love you."

He sighs reluctantly, but I have won. He is only ashamed to show weakness to me, and I just have to reassure him now and then that I love him.

Lestat looks down at me, and gives me a quick kiss. "It...is not as bad for me as for you, love. I'm wide awake at night, it's only waking up at twilight that is difficult for me. I just want to sleep in bed forever at times."

"But you wake up earlier than I do."

"Not recently. I've only been getting up a few minutes earlier than you, sometimes not even that. I just don't show it as much."

"I thought you said it was good to say exactly what you were going through," I gently scold him.

"I know, I know...it's just, I'm so used to ordering you about at home, it's hard to take my own advice."

"Yes, you've always ruled the roost, so to speak."

He pets my hair, curling it between his fingers. "I'm sorry, chere. Old habits are hard to break,
especially in that house. There's a lot of history there. Some of it I wish I could escape."

"We could always move," I offer.

"Move?"

"Yes, move. Pack our items up and go somewhere else. Perhaps a small house out in the country..." my voice trails as he looks down at me in shock. "All right," I concede. "A large house. A mansion."

He grins. "That's better." He stares back out over the lake. "That's not a bad idea, actually. We just rose to have a new start, we should have a new place to live as well."

"Some place without all the old memories," I add.

I feel him nod behind me. He strokes my hair and arms, and I feel myself drifting off again.

"We could build a mansion on the outskirts of a large city," he offers. "We don't have to leave Louisiana if you don't want to, though."

"I've lived there for such a long time, Lestat. A change of pace would be most welcome."

He sighs and relaxes. "Yes, it would." The wind blows over us again, and we both smile. "That feels so good," he whispers. "Well, where do you want to go from here?"

I shake my head and kiss him. "Home, Lestat."

"Home?" he asks in disbelief. "But...we haven't even left the country! What about Universal Studios? What about all the traveling you wanted to do?"

"Not all at once," I smile, "otherwise we wouldn't have anyplace new to visit. I want to go home now, and begin looking for a new place."

"Can we at least finishing seeing this park?" he pouts. "I want to buy a Shamu doll."

Lestat with a cute little plush whale doll? The thought makes me laugh and laugh, until Lestat finally grows frustrated and throws me over his shoulder, carrying me to the shop. It is a good thing we went to ground, I would have been mortified to be in that position in front of the sales clerk before.

The flight back to New Orleans takes less time, and we are home just as I am falling into the death sleep. Lestat carries me inside and upstairs, careful not to hit my head against anything. I hear him pushing the blankets back with his mind, and then he gently slips me into bed. My eyes are shut, but I am still awake enough to feel his hands pulling off my shoes and socks, sitting me up to remove my shirt, and then putting me back down so he can take my pants off. I groan helplessly. I wish desperately to make love to him again, but it is simply too close to dawn. The last thing I feel are his hands smoothing my hair back, and I hear him whisper that he loves me, and then I am asleep.

The next night, I wake up to find him already gone. He obviously slept beside me, though, because the pillow still has a depression in it, and the blankets are ruffled. I sigh and sit up, and I notice that once again he's set out my clothes for me. I need to talk to him about this, I don't want him taking over every choice I have. I still reach over and pull them close, and as I do, a note falls from the bundle. I pick it up and look it over.

I smile despite myself and begin to dress. When I am finished, I head downstairs and find my lover circled by a ring of magazines stacked several feet high. The living room has never been such a mess, not even after the time Lestat hosted a party downstairs for a few heavy metal friends. We were picking up bottles and cigarettes up for nights afterward. More accurately, I was picking them up. My dear Lestat has always been something of a messy child.

"Lestat, what is all this?" I ask, moving some magazines so I can sit by him.

"Oh, different things," he replies. "Some are building plans, some are real estate catalogues, some are advertisements for empty space...I picked them up on the way home."

"On the way..." my voice trails off and I look to the clock on the mantel. "Twelve forty-five?! How could I have slept in?"

Lestat smiles and kisses my cheek. "It was a rather long trip back, chere, and you were awake the whole time."

"So were you," I protest in a small voice.

He puts his magazine down and puts his arm around me. "Yes, but I am used to it. You were tired from all the walking and flying we've done the past few weeks."

"But you didn't sleep in."

"Who said I didn't?" he laughed. "I woke up only two hours ago. Now, are you hungry, my love?"

I nod. "Yes, but I don't want to go hunt."

"That's fine, you can drink from me, as much as you like."

I smile at him, and turn to face him better. He puts his arms about my waist and tilts his head, baring himself for me. I kiss the spot I mean to bite and nuzzle it, doing my best to make this pleasurable for him, and then I pierce the strong skin. His blood is such a heady wine, and I only barely feel his fingers wrapping around my head, caressing my hair so softly. He allows me to drink my fill, holding me as I break away. I am still not used to his potent blood, and I swoon into his arms. I half open my eyes and stare up at his smiling face.

Lestat stretches me out over the couch and adjusts the cushions under my head, spreading the afghan over my body. He smoothes the hair from my face, he must love doing that, and kisses my lips.

"Go ahead and sleep, mon amor," he whispers. "I'll find the best houses and locations, and you can make the final decision."

"I can live with that," I reply, closing my eyes.

When I open them again, it is an hour and a half later. Lestat is beside me still, with two piles beside him, one much smaller than the other. I sigh and sit up, looking over them.

"What are you doing?"

Lestat visibly jumps back an inch or two. "Lou', don't do that!"

"Do what?" Not awake five minutes and already I'm making him upset.

"Chere, you startled me."

"You must be very absorbed in what you're reading if I startled you."

He grins and shows me the magazine he is looking it. I see a large picture of a beautiful two story house with several bedrooms and a magnificent space for a living room. And a fireplace.

"And there are more," he says, bringing out the rest of the small stack and placing them out like flavors of ice cream. I stare over each one, taking in the different floor plans and designs. Each one is a work of art in itself.

"But Lestat, how many mansions do you own now? Couldn't we move into one of those?"

Lestat's grin broadens, and he takes me into his arms and kisses me. "My precious angel, we are going to move into something entirely new, with no history in it. Everything else is to be auctioned off."

"But...the expense..." I whisper. "Building something new..."

"You think too much of money," he laughs. "I would spend every nickel and penny if I thought it would make you happy." He allows me to rest against his body, keeping one arm about my waist to hold me tight. His other hand pets my hair and face, stroking my eyelids. It is very relaxing, and I am still drowsy.

"Here," he says, noticing how close I am to sleep, "let me put you to bed, and I'll bring up the best magazines for you. That way you can read them in bed."

"I feel so weak," I sigh. "I can't even leave the bed for long, it seems."

"Nonsense, you went jaunting about America a few nights ago! You're just a little tired, that's all. You'll be wide awake and running about in time for the party, you'll see."

"Party?"

Lestat's eyes widen in shock that he's given something away. He gets so wrapped in what he is saying that he forgets what he shouldn't say. "Did I say party?" he tries to play innocent.

"Yes, you did. What party?"

"Well, Daniel wants to celebrate the new gardens they had put in. He says they're very pretty. The whole coven will be there, and I really want to go--"

"Lestat, you know I don't like parties, and you were just going to take me over without telling me!"

"That's not true! I was going to let you know before it started."

"I know you, darling, all too well. You would have told me we were going out, and that it was a surprise, and you would have flown me all the way to Florida without telling me anything, and only once we were right outside the door would you have said what was happening. Yes?"

"Louis, where do you get these outrageous ideas?"

"You did it when the last party came around, Marius' big millennial bash."

"That was different."

"How?"

"The year two thousand only comes around once, my love! Besides, you were so depressed then that I was desperate to cheer you up." He sighs and stares at the ground. "Of course that obviously didn't work out well, did it?"

I can't tell if he is taking a cheap shot at my sympathy or not, but either way it works. My irritation fades, and I allow him to hold me even tighter. "My insanity was not your fault, Lestat. No amount of cheering up would have helped me then."

"But it might help now!" he grins, kissing my temple.

"You do know you are incorrigible?" I grumble with a smile.

"Yes, it's why you love me," he says, pushing me up so he can get out from under me. As soon as he is up, he bends down to pick me up. I expect him to cradle me in his arms as always, but instead he bends further and puts his shoulder at my waist, slinging me over his arm.

"Lestat!"

"Yes?"

"Put me down this instant!"

"I'm sorry, chere, I can't quite hear you. Your head's too close to my rear."

"Why, you..." Fine, if he wants it that way, I'll give it back to him in spades. I reach my hands down into the seat of his pants and give him a fierce pinch.

"Yikes! Louis, stop that!" He tries to swat my hands away, but he is not flexible enough.

"I'm sorry, Lestat, I can't quite hear you. Your head's too close to my rear."

"You spoiled--ouch!" He has made it to the stairs, I can tell because every time he twists, he scrambles to keep his feet on the steps. "Quit it!"

"No," I say just as stubbornly and give him another good one.

That's when I feel the first hot slap on my much-mentioned rear.

"Lestat, you brat, stop that right now!"

"Then stop pinching me!"

"Put me down first!"

"You'll collapse!"

"I will not!"

"Will, too!

"Will not!"

"Will, too!"

"I walked down here, didn't I?"

"Exactly, you don't have the strength to get back up!"

"You insufferable--ahh!" Another slap. "How dare you spank me!"

"If you would just stop pinch--innnggg!" His voice ends in a cry as I give him two at once. "Just wait 'till we get up to the bedroom!"

"At this rate, I will have to wait!" Indeed, my efforts have made our ascent so slow that he hasn't gone up even halfway yet. He takes another step and I pinch him again, and he slaps me even harder. I'd be indignant if I wasn't laughing so hard. Lestat makes a desperate run up the stairs, jostling me so much I almost slip from his shoulder. I get one last good pinch in before I am flying backwards through the air to land roughly on the bed.

"There! Now be a proper fledgling and lay down so I can punish you!" He runs to the drawer for the ropes, but his face drops as I laugh.

"Lestat, I can break those now, remember?"

He groans and tosses them back into the drawer, but then a malevolent grin spreads over his face. "But you're not strong enough to break chains."

My eyes narrow. "You don't have any up here."

He gives a sinister laugh and rushes to the closet. "Oh, my sweet Creole, how little you know me!" Dropping to his knees, he digs around in the darkness for a moment, then triumphantly waves a tangle of chains at me.

I'm not certain, but his chains look strong enough to hold me. I decide not to chance it and make a break for the window, but before I can even get off the bed, I feel his warm hand clamp around my ankle and forcefully drag me back towards him. He flips me onto my back and holds me down, obviously wondering where to wrap the chain first.

"You can't do anything if I'm wearing clothes," I remind him.

He bends down and steals a kiss before I even finish my sentence. "Watch me." He rolls me over onto my stomach again and gathers my hands behind my back.

"Lestat, make up your mind and quit rolling me around like a toy!"

"But you are my toy!"

"Only in your dreams."

"Then I must be asleep."

I feel the cold metal slither around my wrists, binding them securely with several loops, and then the heavy padlock clicks solidly down. I try to jerk my hands away, but he isn't done yet. He takes another long length and circles it around my upper arms, keeping the chains behind my back and bringing both ends back with another padlock. My upper body is securely fastened, but not one link has come across my front.

Locked up like this, I can only twist vainly as he pulls me up and kisses me. The room is silent except for the soft sounds of our mouths together, denying me any protest I might make. His free hand caresses my cheek and hair, drifting down my shoulder and the chains on my arms to firmly grip my side, just below my ribs. My body shudders and relaxes helplessly in his arms, inviting him to take whatever liberties he might wish.

He looks up at the dimmer switch for a second, and the lights fade ridiculously low until it seems like dusk. His fingers slowly come up to my face and gently seize my jaw, forcing my lips to part and open up just enough. Now he kisses me again, tasting the corners of my mouth as I offer no resistance, save for a useless wriggle. I can't break steel yet, I'm not that strong. His lips remain on mine for a long time, not caring how much I try to turn my head since he's holding me still.

Finally he breaks away, simply staring into my eyes. In my peripheral vision I see his hand reach into the nightstand and pull out a familiar object. The ball-gag, bright red with black straps. We haven't used that in ages, when he wanted to see how it felt. Tonight will be the first time I've had to wear it. Without bothering to ask permission, he pulls my mouth open again and slips the ball in, reaching behind my head to fasten the four velcro straps. Then he traces my lips with a finger and smiles.

"Can you say something, chere? A whisper, a groan, anything?"

I try to oblige, but all I can manage is the tiniest of whimpers, a pathetic mew even a kitten would laugh at. His smile only broadens and he gives me a small kiss on my forehead. I can feel his fingers playing with the ends of my hair, tickling my throat as he walks his fingertips to the top of my shirt. Gradually he undoes the first button, then the second and the third. I lift my head up slightly to watch him, then I look back up into his face.

"You are so seductive when you're gagged," he murmurs. "I think it's your eyes, you look innocent, like a virgin temptress." He slips his hand beneath my shirt and pinches my nipple hard enough to make me whimper again. He rubs it for a time, twisting it and stroking it as if it belonged to him.

I lay my head against his body so I can see, and that's his cue to undo the next button. He's taking too long to undress me, far too long, and I growl affectionately at him, trying to tell him to hurry it up. He pats my cheek condescendingly and shakes his head.

"Oh, no, this is not up to you. I'm in control tonight, you have to take whatever I force you to. I might drag this out for weeks, undoing only one button a night." I shake my head, no I want it now, but he kisses me again. "No, no, don't try to make me do anything, or else I'll button you back up and leave you alone. Would you like that?" I shake my head timidly. "Would you rather I go on fondling you?" I nod, realizing this is no fantasy, he really is my master tonight. "Good, then hush and relax."

He undoes two more buttons, only four more to go, and he scrapes his nails down my abdomen, licking a few drops of blood from his claws. My back arches involuntarily, throwing my head back, and he kisses my throat as if he meant to thrust his fangs in. Instead he goes back to my shirt, undoing the rest of the buttons and throwing my shirt open as far as he can. He takes his palm over my chest and stomach, rubbing my skin and muscles, and then runs his fingertips lightly over the exposed skin. The tickling sensation is irritating and infuriating, and I can do nothing to stop him. I attempt to pull my arms up, but the chains only pull taut and keep my body locked up tight. I try to buck and get his fingers off of me. My only reward is his laughter and a handful of pinches which only make me writhe harder, until my chest is heaving as I gasp for breath.

The tickling stops when he tires of watching me struggle. I watch him undo the first button of my pants, then the second. He pushes the small pieces of cloth back and circles the exposed skin with his finger. That area of my body is so rarely touched as deliberately as this, it makes me want to moan.

"Does my little love like that?" he asks, smiling as I nod. "Then let's keep going." He pulls the zipper down and tugs off my pants in a tediously slow pace, revealing my legs an inch at a time. I should have just let him carry me up without pinching him, we would have been at the "thrust-and-scream" part by now. The anticipation is killing me.

At last he gets the damn pants off, but I forgot about the underwear. He reaches his hand beneath the cotton cloth, grabbing me and squeezing very, very gently. Knowing that I am completely under his power is such a turn on I don't need very much foreplay. He figures this out pretty quickly. Handling me carefully, he lays me back on the bed and slips my last free bit of clothing off. I watch as he scoots down toward the lower half of my body so that his knees are by my ankles, and his hands are flat on my calves, pushing my bare legs out wide.

Without any warning, he bends and kisses my inner thighs, nuzzling the sensitive skin with his lips. His tongue flicks out, hot and slippery between my legs, followed quickly by his fangs which sink into the soft flesh and drink from the artery there. As he does, his hands curl around my knees to allow his fingers to rub behind the joints. Half bound as I am, weakened by blood loss, I can only mew as he clutches my legs tight. Every time I so much as twitch a muscle, his hands close like vises until I lay still like an obedient sex slave.

After a few seconds of drinking my strength away, he swirls the blood around to heal the gash, then looks up briefly. I can see the glint in his eyes as he grins at me and brings himself back up to kiss my throat. He sprinkles me with light, teasing kisses that trail down my chest and around my nipples, then down my stomach to directly between my legs, where the kisses continue until I feel his mouth engulf me. His tongue dips and winds over me, sucking and ever so softly scraping his fangs down the length. Instinctively my thighs close about his head and my knees clamp over his shoulders, while my heels dig into his back. Lestat quivers beneath me, and I realize that he is now as much a prisoner as I was. I might not have the strength to break these chains, but I can certainly hold him down as long as I want.

Lestat only figures this out after he makes me mewl in agony as I climax once. He tries to rise, but I manage to press him back into the mattress. Glancing up in surprise, his eyes meet mine, and I smile around the ball gag. I pull a little closer to him, rubbing myself against his lips, and he quickly discovers what I mean. With no alternative, he wraps his lips around me again and continues to suck, small noises escaping from both of us.

After a few moments, he drinks the blood I shoot into him and tries to rise, and I laugh lowly behind my gag. He looks at me again, and I shake my head. Now he is getting frustrated and he struggles to push himself up, but it is no use. He has no leverage. I use a small amount of effort and slightly drag him closer, until he has to keep me in his mouth just so he can breathe. Oh, I am going to pay for what I'm doing to him, I just know it. I might as well earn my punishment, though. I thrust against him as he makes little slurping sounds, growling impatiently as he drinks again, but I make him please me twice more, unable to move anything except his tongue. When I finally let him up, there is an amused fire in his eyes.

"I hope you enjoyed that," he hisses with a grin. "Because you're going to get a good spanking for that!"

As if I really minded?

Lestat picks me up and slings me over his lap, adjusting my body so that if I struggle, I'll tip forward. The first slap comes down with quite a bit of force, and I buck and whine. Then another, and another...he doesn't slow down, and I start counting the strikes. Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen...

"It's lovely watching your ass turn red," he laughs mockingly, slapping me again. He pauses to run his fingers over my cheeks, and his fingers feel cool, my rear must be hot. He strikes me several more times, and it feels like he really is tanning my hide. "And it shakes nicely every time I smack it."

Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty...I can't help it, I struggle violently and slide off of his lap, landing on the soft carpet. Instead of hauling me back up, he follows me down, rolling me onto my stomach and pushing my knees beneath me. My lower body is now completely vulnerable to any assault.

"Have you ever had a rim job, chere?"

I look at him in confusion, what on earth is that? And then he shows me. His tongue, scorching hot and smooth, slips into my bottom, spinning around and around. I tighten up in astonishment, listening to his delighted giggles. He loves controlling me, he simply loves the fact that I can't fight back. At last he tires of this game and sits up, grasping my hips against his and plunging deep inside of me, ramming himself as far as he can go. I try to scream in ecstasy but I can only manage a mewling gasp. The sheer strength of his thrusts pushes me forward, and he slams himself hard against my ass, pounding the hell out of it. When I feel that I am about to pass out, he orgasms into me. I have a short respite of a few seconds to catch my breath, and then he is taking me again, having me like a mortal has dinner. He forces his way in until I feel his hips right up against me, and he makes me serve him as many times as I made him.

After what must have been an hour, he helps me stand and pushes me back onto the bed. I lay helplessly before him, staring into his eyes as he practically leers at me. He sits beside me and draws a hand down my chest, petting me as if I were Mojo. Then his finger starts making little loops around one of my nipples, pressing it down as it grows firm and rubbing it some more. Minutes pass, and I start to squirm. He hasn't made any move to unlock me, or even remove my gag. I try to tell him to let me talk, but I only manage a strangled garble.

"Would you like to say something?" he laughs.

I nod eagerly.

"Do you want me to take the gag out?"

I nod again.

"And untie you? Do you want me to stop playing with you like this?"

I nod. I don't like this much now, I'm tired and I want to sleep.

He grins wickedly. "Make me." Now he ignores my ineffectual protests and continues to fondle me, running his hand languidly over my stomach and legs. As much as I enjoy it, I really do want to sleep, though. I swear, the moment I am able to get him into this position, I will have no mercy with him.

"Louis...?"

"Mmm...?" I whimper.

"I'll take off your gag on one condition..."

"Hmm?"

"That you stay in chains for tomorrow as well."

It is amazing that I can growl behind this gag. He laughs and kisses me again.

"Of course, if you don't want me to take off your gag..." he smiles, and I frantically nod my head. "Then you agree to stay tied up tomorrow night?"

What choice do I have? I nod with a sigh. He puts his hands around my head, and his fingers deftly undo the straps. His hands are so warm and comforting that I almost forgive him doing this to me. Almost. He slips the gag out from my teeth and tosses it aside as I groan in relief.

"There, isn't that better?" he asks.

"Much," I answer. "But why did you take it out now if you want me to stay in chains?"

He lays beside me, cuddling close and stealing a kiss first. "Mrrrr, because as much as I like to use your vulnerable body, I love talking to you more."

My eyes cloud up with tears, and I allow him to take another kiss. "Oh, Lestat...I love you..."

"And I love you. Now, would you like to go to sleep?" Lestat closes up the window and the door, then pulls the blankets up over our bodies.

"Hold me?" I ask, and he nods, wrapping me up in his arms. The light dwindles down to nothing, and my eyes shut as I rest my head against his shoulder. "Lestat...?"

"Oui, ma petite cherie?"

"Tomorrow night, when you let me out of these chains...?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"Will you let me do these things to you?"

He grins, taken by surprise by my question, and nods his assent. "Chere, when I untie you, you may do whatever you wish to me."

"Are you sure you want to make that kind of promise?" I smile slyly. "You may wish tomorrow that you hadn't."

"No regrets, Lou'. When I release you, I'll be your pretty slave for as long as you want."

I kiss him, and on that happy thought, we both fall asleep.

I wake up, and for the longest time I can't figure out why my arms won't move. I give a little jerk, then pull harder, and the resulting clang jogs my memory. I groan as I remember my promise and shift about under the blankets, wondering what Lestat has in store for me. The bed is already empty, and I can hear him moving around downstairs. A few seconds later he is coming up the staircase. The door opens, and he's holding an armful of the magazines he'd been reading last night.

"Louis, you're up! How long have you been awake?" He sits beside me and places his papers on the nightstand.

"Not long. Why do you have those?"

He smiles and grabs my shoulders, pulling me up so he can steal several kisses. When he releases me, he slides behind me and pulls my body back against him. For a long time he doesn't answer my question, merely running his fingers through my hair and touching my face and chest. His fingers flick over my nipples, and he walks his tips down my abdomen to tickle between my legs. I can't help my moan, and I lay my head back on his shoulder. It is quite a show of trust for one vampire to bare his throat to another. He puts his lips to the skin and sinks his fangs in, but he only takes a sip. He draws the blankets up to my waist and brings the magazines up, opening the first one for me.

"Now, chere, I want you to look at these and tell me what you think, and be honest."

"What? You want me tied up just so you can show me houses?"

"Among other things," he purrs, petting my thigh. "But yes, I wanted to make sure you wouldn't go anywhere until this is done, that way I can start it immediately! See, this is one of the mansions I thought you might like..."

He makes me read for hours, staring endlessly at floor plan after floor plan. We try to read faster, but there are times that he’ll put a magazine down before I’ve seen everything, so I’ll have to ask him to get it again, and that leads to a few squabbles of:

“Lestat, wait, let me see that one again!”

“Which one?”

“That one by your hand.”

“This one?”

“No, the other hand.”

“This one?”

“It’s next to the Home Design issue.”

“Oh, I see it.”

“Not that issue, the other one!”

“Make up your mind!”

“Well, if you would just get the right one--!”

and this happens several times.

We narrow our choices down to two, but that's where we can't make up our minds. The first is a two story Victorian house with an attic and cellar and over twenty thousand square feet. It is sumptuous and I can already imagine the sort of furniture I would like to put in it. The second choice is a four-story tower with a courtyard behind it. Admittedly, there is only a little less than half of the space in this than the Victorian home, and a long staircase, but the sheer romance of living like Rapunzel in her tower is irresistible. Of course, Lestat does not agree.

"It would be cramped, and we wouldn't have much room, and we would get into more arguments than we do now."

"But there's more room in that tower than in this house," I argue.

"See, we're already arguing!"

"Don't you find it romantic, like living in a faerie tale?"

"Louis, it would be like living in a giant cock!"

I turn to stare at him, and I wish my arms were free so I could shake him. "Is this why you wanted me tied up, Lestat? So I couldn't turn around and smack you?"

He grins and kisses me. "Mm-hmm. But seriously, chere, look at that floor plan. We wouldn't have any room for your books or two studies."

I'm about to argue when I realize that he's right. I study the plan again, trying to make it fit everything we will need, and it just won't work.

"Besides, my love, that cellar in the other house is perfect for...well..."

"For what?"

"Think of it as a playroom," he smiles. "With a bed, perhaps some chains, a large screen web vision."

That sells me. He takes the magazine and stands up, leaving me to fall back on the pillows. He abandons me for awhile, and I strain my ears to listen to his phone conversations. I can tell he is calling up contractors of every sort before contacting auction houses. He really does mean to sell everything off.

When he returns, he slips back under the bed sheets with me and wraps his arms around my body, snuggling against me. His head disappears the blankets, and all I can feel are his teasing kisses on my chest, slowing making their way down until he puts his mouth around me. His hands are planted solidly on my thighs, making sure I can't hold him down or kick away. He licks at me at first, then threatens to devour me, firmly sucking me into him. I climax once, but he doesn't move. He continues to work for several seconds until I climax again, and still he doesn't move. After the fourth orgasm I am gasping for breath and groaning like an animal in heat. The fifth passes me by in a blur, followed rapidly by the sixth and seventh, and still he isn't moving. I buck against him, trying to throw him off, but he grabs my hips and draws me further into him. I never dreamed of this kind of torture. I'm already starting to go numb, and I try to plead with him to stop, but I can't form words. I can only moan, and I hear myself mutter fragments of phrases.

"Don't...stop...n'more..." Even to my own ears it sounds like I am begging him to keep going, and for once he is listening to me. I have a strange thought that he is going to drink all of my blood this way. Another orgasm. Thank goodness for vampiric stamina! I lose count at fifteen, and my head falls to the side. I watch the clock tick off the minutes, and only half an hour later does he stop.

The room becomes entirely dark, and I can tell he has turned the lights off. I feel his body scoot down to the foot of the bed, and I hear him move around in the dark. He is dragging something on the floor, it sounds soft and metallic at the same time. Then I feel his warm hands grab my ankles and pull them together, wrapping cold chains around them. I hear the lock click, and then he locks the chains to what I can only guess are the bedposts. When he is done, my legs are held securely in the center of the bed, my feet dangling off the side.

"Lou', have you ever heard of tickle torture?" he asks.

Oh, I have a bad feeling about this. "Lestat, whatever you're thinking of, don't!"

"And who's going to stop me?" I hear a ripping sound, and then something soft brushes across the sole of my foot. I jerk involuntarily, and he laughs. I feel it again, and as I growl in irritation, I figure out what it is. A feather, pulled from a feather duster. The point of it circles my toes and drives down the center of my foot, making it arch away, but I can't escape. The chains are too tight. It brushes my heels and slithers over the sensitive surfaces, and Lestat only giggles every time I whimper and struggle.

The feather starts up my legs, agitating the skin of my thighs and between my legs, where he lingers for awhile. It feels like the softest of kisses, but he starts poking the tip at my balls, and it feels like ants pricking me. It tickles the small amount of my rear that is visible beneath me, and starts up again, rubbing my chest. Finally he gets to my lips, and I squirm under him, trying to turn away. His entire body is on top of me, torturing me with these damn teasing touches. One of the blankets falls over my eyes, blocking off even the most faint light.

And then he disappears.

For a moment I think he's left, although I didn't hear the door open. I wriggle a little, trying to move, but I'm stuck in this position.

"Lestat?" I whisper. Then louder, "Lestat, where are you?" No answer. I try to sit up, but there is some weight holding my head down. "Lestat!"

Suddenly there is a fleeting touch over my chest, and then it fades away. He must still be here, he is toying with me. Well, he can't have long, there's only a couple of hours left before dawn, and he's promised to untie me before then. I swear he's going to wish he hadn't done this when I get through with him. A few minutes later, there is another touch over my face. Three minutes later, a brush over my thigh.

This is going to be a long two hours.

The next night, I wake up in Lestat’s arms, free of last night’s bindings. He’s wide awake, I can tell. When he’s in a mortal sleep, I can usually hear him breathing softly, and his grip is slack. Right now, though, his arms are snug around my body, clutching me to him, and his fingers are running gently through my hair. He doesn’t know I’m awake yet, and I wish I could stay like this forever. Even if I’m nearly as strong as he is now, I’m still his fledgling. I’ll always feel safer in his arms than anywhere else. Still...I’m very hungry. With a resolute sigh, I pretend to wake up.

“Is my love awake?” he whispers in my ear.

“Mmmm...” I reply, I’m still too tired to talk. It’s still difficult dragging myself from the bed.

“Is my love hungry?” he asks.

“Mm-hmm...”

“Then he probably wants to go out and eat?”

I nod again, and even that is too much effort.

“And my little Louis is probably still too tired to hunt, yes?”

Another nod, smaller than the first. I’m falling back asleep. Last night really wore me out.

“Then he will be glad that his lover has already gone out, and eaten enough for two.”

I smile up at him, opening my eyes at last. He’s grinning, and he adjusts himself a little so I may sink my fangs into his throat. I take tiny sips, and he allows me to draw as much as I want, holding me close so I feel warmer. I drink for a long time, gently draining away his strength until I am the one holding him, as if he was my fledgling.

"You promise...you’ll be gentle?” he whispers as soon as I let up.

"Shh..." I whisper to him. "You just need to lay still. I'll do everything for you." I gently set my lips on his, slowly kissing down the side of his face, just beneath his jaw, then to his throat. He knows I mean to bite him again, but I draw it out, teasing the smooth skin. I run my fingertips over it, breathing there as I suck slightly, still not breaking the skin. Having my mouth so near without having my fangs driven in makes him writhe beneath me.

"Please, chere...do it...take me...now..."

"Must I?" I laugh. He really has no idea what I have planned for tonight. Still, I need him weakened beyond exhaustion...without giving him any warning, I sink my fangs in and drain another large amount out from him. His body stiffens up, unable to do anything else.

“My beautiful maker,” I kiss him. “Now you are mine completely.”

"I always am," he protests faintly.

"Not as you will be tonight. Everything you did to me, you shall receive ten fold." I kiss him deeply, allowing him to taste his own blood in my mouth, then slip a velvet nightshade over his eyes. His reaction alone is worth last night's torture. At first he gasps, then tries to shake it off. I keep my hands on his wrists, though, holding him down just enough to let him know he has no say about this. Finally comes acceptance, where he relaxes and allows his head to tip backward a bit on the pillows. His lips part ever so slightly as he breathes softly. He is simply a delectable prisoner, I could just eat him up. Literally.

I gather him up into my arms, enjoying the feel of a willing captive in my power. So wonderful that he trusts me this much, so sweet to have him like this. The Vampire Lestat, mine, all mine. To do with as I please. I give him a reassuring kiss, he must not be afraid of this at all, not one bit. I would absolutely hate to see him cry.

"Wait here," I tell him. "I need to gather a few items from downstairs."

"I'm not going anywhere," he replies wrily.

"No, you're not," I smile again, and leave him there. I rush downstairs to the living room and gather the fresh roses I had delivered just this evening, and then I collect the tassels of a curtain cord and a beautiful blue candle, then run back up with my load.

I stop when I reach the bedroom doorway. Lestat looks so vulnerable right now, reclining on the bed like a prized possession. His naked body contrasts beautifully with the dark blankets and satin sheets. He hasn’t touched the nightshade, only waiting for me to return . He adjusts himself; he doesn't know I am standing only a few feet away. The lighting is just right, it makes him seem like a harem slave, not yet broken. I want to complete that effect, if only I had some...incense! I silently lay everything upon the nightstand and I retreat to the bathroom, opening the cabinet. There is a box of jasmine incense, which I bring with me and set in the holder we have in our bedroom. With a thought I light the tip.

Lestat takes a deep breath and immediately catches the scent. "Louis? Are you in here?" He's getting worried, I can tell.

I stand beside him for a moment, and simply watch his movements. Every motion of the lips, every twist of his foot, even a nervous turn of the head is erotically alluring. He’s too weak now to do much, exhausted from my feeding. He lifts one hand to his hair, running his fingers through the strands. I pick up one of the roses, a full one that has already blossomed out, and I tear out a few petals. He hears the sounds and turns toward it. I allow one petal to drop onto his abdomen, and he jerks at the tiny sensation. For vampires, our senses tell us everything about our environment. For one whose sight has been blocked...the slightest touch turns into an overload. I drop another one on his chest, just beneath his throat, but his sudden buck throws it off.

"Lestat," I say sternly, "you must hold still.” To drive home the point, I gather some of the chain left from last night and bind his ankles and knees together. Instead of locking his arms up, I just grab his wrists in one hand and continue with my other.

"But, what...what are those?" he murmurs. "They're cold."

I bend down and whisper in his ear, "Petals, my love."

"Roses?"

"Mm-hmm..." I lay one petal over his left nipple, and then one on his other side. A handful falls over his nether region, making him gasp and groan simultaneously, and he thrusts with his hips to try and kick them off. Only a couple fall, but I speak as if I am displeased. “No, naughty slave. Who said you could do that?”

“But, Lou’, they’re driving me crazy!”

I drop another handful between his legs again. He squirms horizontally, unable to move but a few inches either way. The petals are making quite a nice nest, and I run my fingers through the silky pieces, picking them up for him. He sighs in relief, then cries out in frustrated anguish when I let them slip back down onto him. He bucks again, but I just replace the ones he throws off.

“Such a disobedient slave,” I chide him. “If you keep this up, I’ll have to punish you.”

“And you aren't now?” he groans, thrusting again.

“Not compared with what I’m about to do to you,” I laugh, taking up the rose which is still only a closed bud. I touch the very tip of it, still cool and moist, to his lips, and he whimpers.

“I thought...I was the one...on the top, no...matter what,” he manages to whisper.

“I’m glad that you trust me so,” I smile, kissing his cheek. “That you can let yourself be vulnerable...and helpless...” I gather up the rest of the rose petals that I’ve torn and toss them all up into the air above his body. One by one they plummet slowly and strike his skin, and he howls at the multiple sensations. When they finish falling, I give him a few seconds to catch his breath, and then I take the rose bud back over his lips, down his chin and throat, to his nipples, where he struggles uselessly.

“Now you must hold still,” I command. “Or else you’ll regret it.” I release his hands and move to the lower half of his body.

The rose travels down the center of his body to his nest of petals in between his thighs, then down to his toes. I am just as merciless with him as he was with me last night. He tries to drag his body up toward the head of the bed, but I laugh and grab his ankles, checking his movement. Then, making sure he knows his place, I pull him little by little back to the edge, where I am waiting to torture him some more. My fingertips are cruel on his soles, and if the rosebud was irresistible on his lips, it’s pure torment here.

“Louis...please, enough...” he gasps, wriggling pathetically.

“No, never enough,” I tease him, but I let up and come back around his side. “Now, are you going to be a good little slave, or do I have to teach you a lesson?” I fondle his petal nest, and he squirms enough to make me lose my grip. “I suppose so.”

“What are you--?”

I sit down next to him and pull him up, wrapping my arms around him like a python. I set the candle I brought in on the nightstand and light it. He hears the flame start up and really starts to struggle, growing more and more frightened as each second goes by. I quickly put my hand on his face, stroking his cheek to calm him down.

“No, no, it’s all right,” I say in a soothing voice, picking the candle up. “I’m not going to burn you. I promise.”

“Then why...?”

“Shh,” I whisper in his ear, nuzzling his earlobe. He groans as I work on him with my lips, and just when he least expects it, I slightly tip the candle over his chest. A tiny droplet of wax hits his skin, and he cries out in sudden surprise.

“Louis! What was that?!”

“Just some candle wax.”

“It hurts!”

“Is it still hurting?”

Lestat opens his mouth to say yes, but he stops before he does. He bites his lower lip, and I know what face means. He’s thinking. “Well, no...but that’s still no reason for you to do that!”

“No?” I laugh as he tenses his body up in anticipation of another drop. Who am I to disappoint him? I let another one fall on the opposite of the first, and then another, and another...within a few minutes, I have spelled out a single letter L.

“Did you do what I think you did?” Lestat snarls affectionately.

“Depends. What do you think I did?”

“What did you make on my body?”

“Just a letter L,” I giggle. “I’ve branded you.”

“You enjoy this far too much,” he says.

“Scolding me, Lestat, when you can’t stop me?” I smile, kissing his lips again before he can react. The stolen ones are always much sweeter. “If you don’t start acting a bit more submissively, I’ll sign my entire name.”

“I swear, Louis, the moment you let me up I’llllllaaaahhhh!” he yelps in shock as I tip the candle over his nipples, covering them up. Before the wax has time to harden, I press the rose petals in, making him look as if he has intentionally dressed in flower petals. I place the bottom of the candle on his abdomen and draw it down his body, letting him feel exactly where it’s going. He can anticipate what I’m going to do next.

“Louis, stop! Wait, don’t do that! Please, no!”

I love the sound of his begging, and he knows it, it's the only reason he's doing it. I hold the candle just a hair’s breath from where I’ll spill the next dollop, hovering it over the sensitive skin. “And what would you do, to convince me not to give you another treatment?”

“Anything, please!”

Anything? I think about things I could do to him or make him do, but I dismiss each one as impractical. Finally I hit upon an idea and lean down to his ear again. “Tell you what. You come up with three different things I can do to you, and I won’t drip anymore wax on you. I’ll choose one of those ideas and torture you that way. But if you don’t come up with three, I’ll coat rose petals in wax between your legs.”

“All right,” he smiles, knowing he can think of three things he’d like. Before he says anything, I lay my fingers over his lips.

“No, don’t start yet. I’m not finished. You’ll only have a minute to think them up and say them, and if you don’t get them in that time, I’ll drip wax on you and do what you‘ve suggested! Ready?”

“What? No fair, wait--!”

“Start!”

I’ve “knocked him for a loop” as David would say. My love does not handle time limits well.

“Um...ah..."

"The clock is ticking, Lestat."

"Um...ice! You could torture me with ice cubes!”

"How?" I ask, intentionally making him waste time.

"How? Don't you know?!"

"Fifty seconds left."

"You can slip it over my skin and face, and make me beg," he says, quite accommodating today.

I nod even though he can’t see me. “All right. Forty seconds left.”

“You could spank me,” he offers, but I laugh.

“What? You call that an idea? I could have thought that up.”

“With a paddle,” he amends quickly.

“That’s not bad, but do we even have a paddle?”

“There’s one in the kitchen, left over from Halloween!”

“That will do. Twenty-five seconds left.”

“Ummm....you could...um...”

“Twenty...”

“Uh...come on chere, you know I can't handle time limits!”

“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five...”

“Wait, just a moment more!”

“Four, three, two, one!”

“Writing!”

“What? What on earth do you mean?”

“I saw it on a website,” he says quickly. “They tied a man up, spread him out and wrote things on him.”

“Like what?”

"Like...'kiss me' on his lips, 'slap here' on his cheeks, and they drew pictures on him, too."

"Oh, that could be fun," I sigh.

“See, three!” he says triumphantly.

“Yes, and it’s a shame you came up with that last one after the time limit was up,” I laugh. “So you know what I have to do to you.”

Of course he protests fiercely, but what is he going to do? I’m not cruel, though. I leave some petals between his skin and the wax, so he doesn’t feel too much heat, and then press the rest in. Now he has red petals over his nipples and between his legs, he looks scrumptious. Now for his suggestions. I wouldn't mind writing all sorts of things on him, but that would mar his natural beauty, and he's far too stunning for that. The ice, certainly, and perhaps a whip. But first, the paddle. I leave him there to retrieve the necessary items, and when I return, I find him trying to pull the petals off, but he‘s doing it so gingerly, one at a time. I just smile and grab his hands again and pull him back, hauling him up over my lap.

“Now, I did not like it so much when you spanked me so hard,” I tell him, gripping the paddle, “but if that’s the way you like it, then so be it.” I bring the wooden board down hard across his ass, which quivers as it’s struck. He cries out, arching his back, and I smack him again. “Keep count,” I order. “I’ll stop when I reach twenty.”

“Twenty?”

*smack*

“Ah! Three!”

*smack*

“Four!”

I keep my blows slow and steady, giving his skin time to warm up between smacks. Both of his cheeks are turning a nice shade of dull red. As much as both of us enjoy this, I don’t want to hurt him too much. I spank him again, and he howls in painful delight.

“How many is that?” I ask.

“Thirteen,” he mumbles.

*smack*

“Fourteen!”

I raise my arm up high, bringing it down hard enough to rock his body.

“Aagh! Fifteen!”

His ass is practically glowing.

“Now how many?”

“Eighteen.”

I spank him again, and the last one is my hardest. Lestat gasps in pain as I toss the paddle away, and I give him time to rest, caressing his rear in light strokes. As soon as he has his breath back, I set him on his back on the bed and pet his face. Time to go from the punishment to the sensuality we both love.

While he relaxes on the silk sheets, I pick up one ice cube and hold it over his face. He’s still wearing the nightshade, so he has no idea what is above him. I watch the moisture from the cube coalesce on the sides, running down my fingertips on the way to the bottom corner, where it all gathers together and hangs for a moment. I hold my breath in anticipation, and Lestat guesses something is about to happen. Then the drop spills onto his lips, running down the side of his mouth to his cheek.

“The ice, I presume,” Lestat smiles.

“Of course,” I answer, lowering the ice cube down to his lips, running the cold surface along the soft skin and brushing it against his chin. I make it travel over his throat in a straight line to the center of his chest. I gingerly tap it on his nipples, relishing his groans and the struggles he makes. I slow my pace as I bring it over his abdomen to the rose petals, then down his thighs to his feet. That cube is all but gone now, and I pick up another and return to his lips, allowing the droplets to wet his face before running it over his entire body. His muscles shine in moonlight now, the water like finely spun lace on his skin.

“So, Lestat, when is the party?” I ask in mock-innocence.

“Party?” he mumbles. “What party?”

“Daniel’s party,” I remind him.

“Daniel’s...? Oh, that...about...two weeks...” he manages to whisper. “Really, Louis, it’s not important now...”

“And what is important now?” I kiss his moist lips.

“What you’re about to do to me,” he smiles.

I take off his blindfold so I may see his eyes. When he can look up at me again, he grins and puts his hand against my cheek.

“Well?” he asks. “We have the rest of the night, yet. What else do you have planned for me?”

“Want to make love in the backyard?” I laugh.

“Right now, with the dew coming down and the chill setting in?” he responds. “Lead on.”

Two weeks later, I am standing outside of the Night Mansion, Lestat’s arm around my waist for support. We can both see the lights shining in the windows, lighting the large house as if it were one of those small porcelain houses with a candle inside. Laughter echoes from various rooms, the sounds of mortals drunk and drugged, not suspecting they are tonight’s meal. I can also sense the vampires inside the mansion, Daniel and Armand, Marius and David, Jesse and Khayman... How will they react when they see me here? I mean, I know I’ve been invited, but still...

“Ready?” Lestat asks me, giving my hand a little tug.

I snuggle closer to him, burying my face in his shirt. “Do I have to go?” I hear myself ask. “I don’t like parties, and this one will be especially loud.”

“Chere, Daniel will be devastated if you don’t come, and all of the coven wants to see you,” he insists. I knew he would. “Look, it’s only for one night, and if you really feel uncomfortable, we can go upstairs to a private room.”

I sigh sadly, but I still nod. There’s no way I can get out of this. He tightens his hold on my waist and pulls me with him to the front door, where he rings the doorbell. Danny opens the door almost immediately, and his face brightens up instantly.

“Lestat, Louis! Come in, we’ve all been waiting for you!” He steps back to let us through, bringing us into the loud music and the swarm of gyrating humans. Instantly I feel like I’m back in the Las Vegas casino. My body starts to feel weak and dizzy, and my head starts to hurt. I try to hold it together, but I can’t help grabbing onto Lestat’s arm for support. Fortunately Daniel notices and, with Lestat’s help, guides me to a spare room far enough away to dull the noise and flashing lights.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper as they help me into a couch. “I didn’t expect this at all. I mean, it hasn‘t happened for awhile...”

Daniel smiled understandingly and holds my hand. “It’s all right, Lou’. Don’t worry about it. I’m glad you came, I promise to keep drunk ones away from you two.”

“What?” Lestat pretends to take offense. “That’s not fair!”

I smile and shake my head. “Don’t stop your debauchery on my account,” I laugh, “I’ll be all right in here. Just don’t get too drunk, or else neither of us will be able to walk.”

Daniel gives me a small kiss on my forehead before promising to bring me someone sweet, “someone on a wine cooler,” and then he disappears back into the throng of inebriated mortals. Lestat looks longingly after him, and I kiss him once.

“Go on,” I tell him, “don’t worry about me so much. I know you want to go have some fun.”

“But, Louis, I don’t want to leave you alone,” he argues faintly. "There are so many of those mortals running around, and you're not up to defending yourself..."

"I don't have to," I remind him. "The rest of the coven is here, right? I'm sure one of them will come running to my rescue, if only to talk to me."

He hugs me, running his fingers through his hair, and I'm glad that while I may no longer mind being seen as homosexual in public, I still feel too modest to make love in public, otherwise we might become quite a spectacle. His hands are rather warm, threatening to put me to sleep.

"You sure?" he asks, seeming so worried that he is abandoning me. I nod and give him a little nudge toward the door.

"Yes! Go! Enjoy!" I watch as he drifts away into the throng, but I am completely unafraid of what the humans may try. I am fairly certain I could fight them off if they do anything. I close my eyes and lean back, allowing myself to unwind for a moment. A minute later, I feel the presence of an extremely powerful vampire in front of me. I look up in surprise, then relax.

"Khayman, it feels like I haven't see you in ages," I say, watching him take a seat beside me.

"Strange," he grins, "time must pass faster beneath the ground. It felt like eons without your brat and your gentle banter. It's good to see you again. How are you feeling?"

"Just a bit weak," I answer. "The dizzy spells come and go, but I never can seem to shake the exhaustion."

"And Lestat? How is he?"

"Only a little tired, before dusk and after twillight. Sometimes he doesn't wake up until I do."

He puts his hand on my arm, about to say something, then looks down in surprise. "That's odd," he muses, mostly to himself, "I don't remember you being so strong."

I blush and glance down. "Lestat and I...well...he wants me to recover soon, and I wanted..."

Khayman laughs at my reticence. "You mean you have both been sharing blood at last. It was bound to happen, I was just wondering when. Tell me, little one, are your new abilities everything you thought they would be?"

"To be honest," I whisper, "I've hardly used them. I originally wanted them so I could take a little initiative in bed, and that's all I've used them for. I haven't flown or lit things on fire."

"I'm glad to hear that," comes a familiar voice from the door. "Most of our fledglings would love to have your new strengths, at least I know I can trust you up to a point."

I look in frightened surprise. Maharet. I knew it would happen, I just wish it hadn't been so soon. I sit up straight, wondering if I can run to find Lestat, but Khayman wraps his arms around me, holding me like a prisoner. Maharet comes closer, and I push myself back against my captor, terrified she will declare me a danger and destroy me on the spot.

"No, Louis, it's not like that at all," she shakes her head with a sad smile. "I'm not here to hurt you. I want to make sure you're completely well, and that you won't go insane again." She sits down on my other side and holds my hand. "Don't struggle, then it won't hurt."

I can't help it. I shut my eyes as she begins her assault. It feels like my brain is sand, and she is running her fingers through it. The sensation makes me feel nauseous. I must have whimpered or groaned, because she squeezes my hand reassuringly, and Khayman's hold turns into an embrace.

"It's all right, Louis," he whispers soothingly. "It's almost over. You are doing well."

"Hurry," I mumble. "Feel sick..."

Finally she stops. I can feel her mind retreat out of mine, and then Khayman is only holding me to comfort me, letting me rest my head on his shoulder. I hear Maharet leave, but I don't care anymore. I feel too sick to care about very much. I just keep my eyes closed and drowse in his powerful arms. I start to feel better as I drift into sleep, nestled against his warm body.

"Would you like me to find a bedroom for you?" Khayman whispers.

For a moment I am tempted to escape the party and crash for the rest of the night, but Daniel would be hurt and Lestat would worry too much. "No," I sigh as I sit back up. "I think I'd like to take a walk, so I don't fall asleep."

"Hey, Louis, I brought you someone!"

I look up, and despite my ill feelings, I can't help my smile. Daniel is half walking, half dragging what seems to be my intended meal. This mortal is dressed up much like Poe's Fortunato, in clownish livery and happily drunk. "Is this my wine cooler?" I ask. "I did not realize this was a costume party."

"Only for the guests. After all, our special little circle all came as vampires, remember?"

"True," I admit, taking this veritable feast from him. Still a little self-conscious of eating in front of others, I'm glad that Khayman draws Daniel into his arms and takes several sips from him. I take advantage of the distraction and draw a substantial amount from my victim, not enough to kill him, but enough to ease my hunger. A side result is that I become a little heady. I send my accommodating guest away, fated to have a terrible headache tomorrow, which he will blame on the liquor. I look over and watch Daniel stumble deliriously away. His throat bears not just Khayman's mark, but three other bite marks as well. I think he's serving as the vampires' main snack, a yummy treat to savor between humans. He must be fairly high on the blood of junkies and drunks. What a life.

"Still want to take a walk?" Khayman asks. "I will be staying at the party, but if you truly want to stretch a bit..."

I nod eagerly. "Yes, I need to get away from the mortals. They're so loud, and the way they keep moving makes me feel like I'm on a ship at sea."

He smiles and helps me up, showing me over to the french doors. "The new gardens are over this way. I recommend the right path, as the left one just leads around them in a big circle." With that, he returns to the party, leaving me to roam. I must have passed Maharet's test, then. They would never let an insane vampire wander about alone.

I step through the door and walk forward, and in a few seconds I come upon a stone path that diverges after awhile. The right path goes straight into what looks like a large row of hedges, while the left just runs along the outside of the hedge. Taking Khayman's advice, I enter into the hedge and find myself in a maze, much like the old European ones I've read so much about. This is such a wonderful surprise that I forget about the party and start walking.

I put my hand up against the greenery, but I feel a sharp sting and withdraw as quickly as I can. There is a small puncture on my palm that disappears within seconds, and a drop of blood escapes to the ground. I take another look at the hedge and notice it is made of rose bushes of different types. When I look ahead, I spot something standing in the corner, and when I get closer, I see that it is a statue of an angel, wings folded inward. She is trapped, almost covered in the flowering vines, encapsulated in those lethal thorns. She would be dead if she were not already stone.

"Heaven is dead and beautiful," I whisper to myself. I shake my head, disturbed at my thoughts. I can remember snippets of when I was insane. Not pleasant. I leave her behind and keep going. Every few feet I see other statues that Daniel has selected, mostly beautiful angels and faeries. There are one or two fountains with mermaid sculptures pouring water into still pools and lights inside the water, making it sparkle in the dark. I can tell the sculptures that Marius must have put in, well-crafted pieces of boys in contrapasto, athletically turning and twisting out of the shadows, into the light, and back in again. For a moment I think I see an authentic Benini, but I am mistaken. It is only a well crafted replica of his David.

The most disturbing ones are obviously Armand's choices, mostly draped in shadow and thorns. They are gargoyles and dragons, glaring down at any passerby from the tops of the hedges, threatening to leap down and devour me. In a corner I spot a vampire gargoyle, its wings spread out like a cloak and one clawed hand reaching out, Armand's version of Daniel's angel. In the dead ends, where no one will step, goblins jump up halfway through the ground, and dragon heads jut out from the sides. There are small breaks in the hedges, like windows, and through them I spot other corridors with other menacing stone guardians. The wind blows eerily through the leaves. I can hear the party behind me, but the laughter is faint. I feel all alone here, but not alone at the same time, as if these statues were about to start walking.

It is a maze one could go mad in. I sigh and close my eyes. No, that won't happen again. I like this place. I'll tell Lestat we need to put one in when we have a new house. I keep walking, delighting in each new sight. I can hear the soft trickle of running water cascading over rocks, but I don't see it. Then I turn another corner and stumble into the center of the maze.

All three of them must have worked on this. The center takes the form of a square courtyard, with a stone mosaic at the center with twisting vines of roses pictured. Four stone benches surround it, and a large fountain shaped like a geyser pouring down slowly over large stones is at the exact middle of it all. In the corners are similiar fountains, only a bit smaller, and soft grass everywhere else. Two trees stand on either side of this place, against the hedges, but they are not real trees. Their trunks are made of silver and their leaves are jade, and amber fruit hangs from their branches. I walk in and sit down to rest, and I notice smaller additions, like the bronze ducks "walking" from one fountain to another and little colorful crystals lining the fountain rocks. There is a tiny fawn hiding in the corner, birds "hopping" all over one another on the trees. It is simply beautiful.

All of a sudden, a light mist of smoke begins to pour out of the tops of the fountains, dripping down to the ground and flooding over the grass, obscuring it. I must have triggered something to make it start. As soon as the smoke is thick enough to form an ocean around me, I see a flicker of movement to my left, and when I turn aside, to my surprise I see faeries flying through the air. They drift around me like butterflies before darting off again. It takes a moment for me to realize that these are special effects created by projectors hidden inside the fountain crystals, but it is no less wondrous. I hear the sounds of Vangelis music entering the courtyard, and butterflies dance through the smoke in swirling patterns, accompanied by twirling stars. Life-size creatures follow soon after, gorgeous unicorns and dragons that look so real I almost believe they are actually here. Once they are gone, a single large dragon, red and gold with claws as large as my head, drifts lazily around me in a circle, disappearing back into the ground. The lights in the fountain brighten as they spout gigantic sprays of water into the courtyard, and it feels like I'm standing in a rainbow of rain. I'm getting soaked, but I don't care.

Hands, real hands and arms, hug me close, not attempting to pull me away from the water. I recognize Lestat's gentle touch and laugh, turning to face him.

"I love you," he whispers, his face just as wet as mine. "I love seeing you happy."

"Lestat, this was beautiful," I say, my grin matching his. I want to tell him about everything I've seen, but I don't have to. He puts his fingers over my lips and kisses my forehead.

"I know, chere. I followed you in here, I saw the entire spectacle." He brings my hand up to his lips and places a kiss in my palm. "I watched you dance with the butterflies, I saw you touching the unicorns...I was with you when the dragon appeared."

"And you're with me in the rain," I whisper back. I put my arms around him and rest my head on his shoulder, comfortable in his hold as his arms wrap around me. I watch silently as the fountains quiet down to their soft waterfalls, as the lights dim away to gray again...the music fades, but I still feel at ease. Maybe it's because I can hear my love's heartbeat, feel it next to mine.

"The party is almost over," he murmurs in my ear. "The humans are all gone, and the sun will rise soon."

"I wish I could see this place during the day, in the light," I sigh sadly.

"Believe me, chere, it is more beautiful now. The light causes the colors to fade."

"Really?" I ask. It has been so long since I've seen it, I can barely remember it.

"Yes. Colors seen in light are faded and washed out, but colors on a dark background...you cannot see the stars at noon, chere."

I open my mouth to respond, and instead I yawn. "I want to go to bed, Lestat."

"Your wish is my command," he says softly, scooping me up. "Shall we walk back through the maze, or shall I just fly us out?"

"Just fly," I tell him, "but slowly, not too high up."

"Very well, my love," he answers, and we slowly ascend into the air. I watch the maze spread out beneath us, complex and dark. Did I really make it to center? His boots brush the tops of the hedges, and we fly no higher than thirty feet up, where we near the mansion and drift right into the open window of our guest room.

"Are you all right?" he whispers as he helps me undress. The air conditioner is on, chilling the air.

"Yes, why? It wasn't so cold out there."

"I meant about what Maharet did to you."

"You know about that?" I mumble, undoing the buttons of his shirt and pants.

"Mm-hmm. I don't like that she didn't warn you..."

I can hear his voice growing angry, and I pause in my work, holding his face in my hands. "Don't bother about it. She did what she thought was necessary, and that maybe I might try to run. And Khayman was very kind, neither of them were cruel."

"I know, he told me," Lestat nods, finally nude. He takes my hand and brings me to the shower, which he starts up, waiting for the water to reach the right temperature. He steps in, then helps me follow him. The water is deliciously hot, pouring down our bodies in voluminous streams, running through my hair like thousands of fingers. There is a fresh scent filling the steam rising around us, I love the soap Armand uses in all of these bathrooms. The lather coats both of us so that it's hard to keep a grip on my lover, and the water gently strips it all away, warming both of us up after that cold spray. I look up at him and smile.

"What is it?" he asks, smiling back in confusion.

"Your hair looks strange when it's wet," I laugh. "I so rarely see it sopping wet and pushed back, you look..." I stumble, at a loss for words.

"Stunning? Radiant? Splendiforously attractive and gorgeously sexy?" he suggests.

"I was going to say modern."

Lestat laughs and holds me close, his hands firm on my bare shoulders...both hot and wet...he runs one hand back over my hair. "And you, my fledgling, look like a beautiful spirit beneath a waterfall, tempting his poor lover to the watery depths."

"Actors must certainly have vivid imaginations," I protest mildly. "You mean I am a Lorelei, a siren?"

"Well, it's the truth. Or would you rather I lie and say you look like a drowned rat?"

"You are impossible," I smile lazily, turning the shower off. He retrieves the towels and dries me off first, then himself. Once we have both wrung most of the excess moisture from our hair, he puts the wet rags back on the sink and guides me to the bed. My eyes are half shut and I am only partially alert. "So what are we doing tomorrow?"

"I thought we might go to the Books-A-Million in the center of the island," Lestat smiles at me. "David and Marius are going, and it would be nice to talk with them again." He helps me pull the blankets back and slip between the cool sheets, then bring the heavy covers back up.

My mind isn't as settled as my body, though. We'll be seeing David again. Every time I think of the Talamascan, I become extremely jealous of my maker, I don't care if he's seeing Marius now. I cuddle up against Lestat, our faces are only inches apart.

"Lestat...?"

"Yes, love?"

"What do you think of David?"

"What do I think of him? I think he's very stuffy and rarely lets himself have any fun. He spends too much time with books, and would probably catalogue the speed different paints take to dry, if given the chance."

"You could say the same about me," I whisper.

"Never! You would never stare at paint. Some independent foreign film, perhaps, but never paint. Besides, while he is one of my fledglings, he'll always be second best."

"I love you, Lestat."

"Love you, Louis. Sweet dreams."

"Lestat, you know I love you, but sometimes I simply cannot understand you."

He glances at me with a bemused expression. "What do you mean, chere?"

I spread my hands, indicating the street we are walking on. "This! I mean, we are going to sell everything and start anew, and suddenly you want to go on a shopping spree!"

He whirls around and stops right in front of me, smiling and showing off his fangs. Even though it is well past sunset, he is wearing the darkest shades I have ever seen, and he lowers these enough to stare at me with his beautiful eyes. His hair is combed back, mirroring the look he had in the shower. He is wearing a deep blue silk shirt and blue jeans with black sneakers and a black leather jacket. Now, my Lestat was created in his early twenties, but in this clothing, with his "prettiest smile," he looks even younger.

"Now, Louis, just about everything is being auctioned off as we speak, and not all of the profits will be needed for our new house. I want to go on a little spending trip."

"So where exactly are we going that we couldn't take a limousine?"

Lestat grabs my hand and pulls me closer, not caring that we are on the sidewalk of a busy street. "Mon petite ange, I do believe you are getting spoiled with this rich living. Besides, I thought you might want to walk a little. It's a nice night and the street signs are so pretty right now."

"You didn't answer my question," I remind him. "Where are we going?"

"Oh, here, there..." he tightens his hold on my wrist and pulls me after him, not willing to let me go. We pass several stores, especially pornography stores, and I have a fleeting thought that he is going to drag me inside one of them. After a long time we turn a corner and find ourselves in a more respectable part of the island, with families of tourists and people in business suits. And the prices on the objects in the windows have just tripled.

"Here we go!" Lestat smiles, taking me inside a store before I can even see what it is. Only when he releases and lets me look around do I see the numerous paintings that line this store's walls. Mostly there are reproductions, but there are a few gems that command prices in the seven zero range.

As my lover and I wander around, I notice that we're getting hostile looks from the clerk behind the desk and the security officer in the corner. While I pretend to look at a print of one of Monet's haystacks, I listen in to their conversation.

"What do you think?" she whispers.

"Maybe," he answers, just as quietly, "but why would they come in here? There's plenty of other places they could go."

"Their kind isn't too smart," she replies. "Keep an eye on them, okay?"

And they stop talking. I move around to look at a replica of Donatello's Magdelena, and the security officer surreptitiously follows behind me. Then Lestat moves around a corner into the Van Gogh area, and the officer quickly sweeps around me to get a better view of my love. Why are they doing this? Is it because we're a couple?

Lestat finally notices his quiet audience, and to my unsurprised aggravation, he plays with him. Lestat moves around one rather large pillar, and when the guard tries to head him off, he returns back the other way and comes near me, giving me a little wink as he passes by.

"He thinks we're thieves," he giggles in a whisper only I can hear. He leads the officer on a merry chase around the store, disappearing and reappearing back and forth until he slips a painting off of the wall, one of their few originals (it's a Cassat), and places it in front of the clerk. "Hello, ma'am, I would like to purchase this."

The security officer hears that and leans against the wall, breathing hard. His jaw drops in shock as the seemingly youthful "thief" pulls out a wallet full of credit cards. In his defense, Lestat rarely flashes his fortunes so blatantly, except on these rare occasions. The clerk takes the first card he offers in awe, and then her jaw drops when she reads the name there.

"Lestat de Lioncourt?!" she gasps. "Oh, my, I'm so sorry, sir! Of course, let me wrap it right up for you!"

"Have it sent to the big mansion on top of the hill, would you, my pretty?" he whispers in that sexy French accent. She just nods faintly and takes the credit card number, stunned by his voice. When she returns the card, he holds her hand a moment longer than necessary, then gives it a small kiss. "Merci, madamoiselle."

"I must be your biggest fan," she says dreamily. "I love listening to your CD."

"Ah, but my songs pale in comparison to your voice, mon petite. You would put the angels to shame."

"Oh, but you must have lots of girls lining up for you," she protests faintly.

"To be honest, not one girl," he smiles.

"Really?" she grins.

"Alas, my sweet, I am afraid I must go," he says suddenly. "I have an urgent engagement that I cannot put off." He stares deep into her eyes, and I can tell he is sending her mental images, who knows of what? I look into her mind and pluck them out, Lestat kissing her, brushing her hair, having her in bed. And guess who's bed he chooses for this fantasy?

"I shall always remember you. Adieu, mon ange." And with that he follows me out of the shop.

Notice he must follow me.

"Louis! Louis, wait up! Chere, hold on!" He picks up his pace and seizes my arm, making me stop and turn around to face him. "Lou', where are you going?"

I roughly shake him off and try to escape down an empty alley, but he catches up again and grabs my shoulders so hard it almost hurts. I wince involuntarily, and he lets go, afraid to harm me. I take advantage of my unexpected opportunity and make a break for it, but he catches on quickly. Now his hand is like iron around the back of my neck, pulling me back and pushing me against the side of a building.

"Louis, what is wrong? What has gotten into you?" he asks, bordering on snarls.

I pull my hand back and give him a good slap, and he leans back in surprise. Now I really do run, racing down the alley and back up the street. I can hear his footsteps starting up behind mine, and I turn another corner. While Lestat may be faster than I am, he certainly is not as agile. While I go left, he keeps going forward, unable to stop fast enough and hitting a lamppost. I hear his swearing behind me, but I don't turn back. I vault the fence in front of me and keep going, winding my way around and through buildings until I am thoroughly lost, but certain he can't find me. The area is very dark here, without any working street lights, but I don't care. I sigh and push my hair away from my face as I look back. No sign of him. Good, as I'm already starting to cry. I step back in fright when I hear a noise, but it is only a rat. I step back one more time, and bump into a wall, but suddenly the wall grows arms and grabs me, making me turn. Lestat.

"Running into a lamp made me remember that I can fly," he hisses. "Now why the hell--?" He breaks off when he sees that I'm crying. I try to turn aside or at least hide my face, but he won't let me. "Louis...what's wrong, chere? Please, tell me. What is it?"

What the hell, he's not going to let me go. "You're so cruel," I whisper furiously. "Why didn't you just top her for real, instead of just mentally screwing her?"

He is dumbstruck for a moment, and then he slowly shakes his head. "No, no, how...chere, how...?"

"I could see her thoughts, I could tell what you were sending her," I growl. "Do you imagine every pretty mortal in our bed?"

"No, Louis," he whispers. He brushes my tears from my face, and like a fool I tilt my head, inviting his caresses. "I love only you, only you, in the entire world. I'm sorry, Louis. I did not mean to tease you so mercilessly. I didn't think...I miss the adoring fans, chere, I really do. And to have it again, even for a few seconds..." He sighs sadly and puts his other arm around me, drawing me close. "I got carried away. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

I want to stay angry with him, I truly do, but it is an impossibility. I love him too much. "You mean that?" I ask in a tiny voice.

"Mm-hmm." He lays one hand on my cheek and makes me look up, and then he kisses me. I melt right into his embrace, yielding predictably to his charms. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

I chuckle and lean back. "Lestat, you do not have to buy my affections back. You're forgiven. You do not need to make it up."

He grins and shakes his head. "Oh, but I have to, chere, and I will. I have to let you know how much I love you and how sorry I am."

I roll my eyes and hug him again. "And how exactly will you do that, then?"

"First, by dressing my lover in exactly what he deserves!" he says with a characteristically dramatic flourish.

"'Stat, if you're thinking about dragging me to one of those perverse porn shops--!"

He puts his fingers on my lips, shushing me. "No, my sweet. Nothing like that." He tightens his hold around my waist and gently ascends upward. The breeze as we move across the sky is warm, and the view of the island from here is breath-taking. The neon signs, even the most obscene, become miniature jewels lying on black velvet.

We set down in a dark alley behind a rather large department store, and Lestat pulls me inside. He seems to know exactly where he wants to go, so I follow wordlessly behind him until we stop in front of a large rack of different clothes. He looks at me critically, then back at the rack, and selects a few items.

"All right, this will do for now," he says. "To the dressing room, chere."

We find them soon enough and he rushes me into one, closing the door. "Hurry, chere, and let me see each one when you try them on!"

"Lestat, some of these are far too small!" I protest.

"I know, my sweet."

I can almost hear his grin.

It is hours later that we finally emerge from the store, several thousand dollars poorer, and instead of being dressed in my usual torn jeans, frayed sweater and worn shoes, I am now attracting looks from everyone on the streets. My pants are pure black, with soft black boots that rise over my calves, out of sight, and I'm wearing a tight, dark shirt with a black overshirt that is open in front. Lestat has also made sure that I am wearing sunglasses, though he's insisted that I let my hair hang free.

"Now where are we going?" I ask, squirming in my clothes. It's not that I am uncomfortable, I am just unused to this type of clothing.

"You'll see, it's not too far from here," Lestat smiles, then suddenly stops. I do not notice he has halted until a few seconds later, and when I turn around he is paying for something. He catches up to me, a strange look on his face.

"What did you buy?" I ask him, but he just shakes his head.

"Nothing important. Have you ever been in a Books-A-Million, Lou'?"

I know he is changing the subject, but I don't press. "No, Lestat. I had not ever heard of that until you brought it up last night."

He smiles at me, then takes my shoulder and turns me to the left. "Look, chere."

I smile indulgently, but when I see the building, my jaw drops a little and I gasp. "It's...huge..." I whisper, stepping closer. Books. Rows and rows and stacks and two stories (two stories!) of a gigantic warehouse simply filled with books.

"Mon petite..." he whispers in my ear.

"Oui?" I whisper back, still in shock.

"It's a bookstore," he says. "Not a library."

I tear my gaze from the shop and look at him. "You mean...?"

"Go explore," he smiles, giving me a little nudge. "I'll find Marius and David somewhere on the second floor, take your time."

I nod and walk in. Out of the corner of my eye I watch him vanish upstairs, but my attention drifts all around me. Where to start? I am literally surrounded by books. Mortals everywhere are silently wandering around. I look for a good starting place, and I decide that the best thing to do is start in a corner and work my way around, as if I was in a maze. Or amazement, rather.

I start at the cookbooks, quickly moving through the travel section through the computer and math books until I hit the science fiction and fantasy. Normally I am not interested in these types of stories, but some of these books catch my eye. There are shopping baskets made of wicker on the end of each shelf, so I take one and begin to place different books inside. There are old authors I've grown to enjoy, and find new works from them, and then there are new authors I have yet to discover. Once I am finished there I find the mysteries and romances, and then the standard fiction. Amusing. Lestat's pen name is still there on the shelves. Apparently our stories will never die.

At last, hefting along a full basket, I trod upstairs and look around here. Mostly I find philosophy books and other items I have already read, but not too far away I spot a small lounge, with chairs and sofas set into neat groups around coffee tables. I head towards it, and suddenly I hear familiar voices. Lestat has found David and Marius. At first I eagerly head towards them, but then I hear one of them mention my name. They are talking about me! I duck behind a tall shelf, peering out around the books at them as I try to hear their conversation.

Marius and David are sitting in two large sofas, a closed book on each lap. Both are dressed rather well, despite the fact that David has left the edges of his shirt in tatters so as to conform with modern fashion. My Lestat is in the third sofa, or rather he is draped over it, his legs dangling off one arm while he leans against the other. And what do I spy in his lap except Macbeth: A Modern Retelling. I roll my eyes. I really have to find a way to break him of this addiction.

"But was he angry, or was he crying?" Marius asks.

"Both!" Lestat growls, but more at himself than at them. "And neither...he wasn't angry, but he was..."

"He was upset?" David asks. "Crying and angry?"

Lestat nods. "He slapped me, then ran away as if his life depended on it, and when I caught up to him, he started crying until I kissed him, and then he was smiling again."

"Well, what did you do to provoke it?" Marius puts his book down and leans forward.

"Nothing!" Lestat snarls, but the other two know better. They lean back in their chairs and wait for him to answer more truthfully.

Lestat growls again and looks away. "All right...I was flirting with the girl there."

"You were teasing him," David says firmly.

"No, I wasn't!" Lestat practically hisses, eyes glowing at his fledgling. "I didn't even think he knew. It wasn't intentional, I wasn't trying to get a reaction out of him!"

"Well, you're probably going to have to get used to that," Marius sighs.

"What do you mean?"

"Lestat, you two have been underground for a mere ten years. That is hardly enough time to drive every last vestige of madness away."

My hands grow cold and I close my eyes tight. I am not sane again? I am still a danger?

"He is not mad," Lestat insists, and I smile. He loves me so much...

"I did not say he is," Marius defends himself. "I said there are still symptoms left. Didn't Maharet tell you last night, after she examined him?"

I lean against the shelf, glad that it is bolted to the floor. Does the entire coven know what happened at the party? Am I the village lunatic now?

"Yes," Lestat moans dramatically, allowing his head to fall back. "She said he is no longer a danger, but that he is still not entirely well. That his mind is still imbalanced. But he hasn't done anything wrong!"

"No," David says softly. "But even when he was insane, he was not violent. Lestat, while you two were traveling, did anything like this happen? Did he get emotional all at once, without warning?"

Lestat nods in reluctance. "He would get angry, and say I wasn't giving him much choice in where we were going. Then after a few minutes of heated argument, he would grow faint and collapse. But that was all my fault, not his!"

"Then you know not to tease him, that you shouldn't flirt with mortals," Marius says. "He is extremely vulnerable right now. His shields are completely down, he simply cannot defend himself. It doesn't matter how strong he is physically, but mentally he is devastated. He needs more time, and you need to take care of him."

"It's not easy," Lestat whispers, looking very tired all of a sudden. "Not easy...he is so unpredictable at times. I had no idea he was going to bite me that first night, I was terrified until I realized he wasn't going to hurt me. And then every time he collapses, or breaks down and cries...I'm afraid he won't stop, and that he'll try to hurt himself again."

My eyes narrow. What? When have I tried to hurt myself? The night I went insane? That night is very fuzzy in my head, I only remember bare details. We were yelling, and I was crying...something else happened.

"I don't think he'll try that again," David shakes his head. "He seems truly happy now, except for these little outbursts, and those will probably fade with time. You just need to keep an eye on him, and let him know that you love him."

"And that he must not bottle everything up inside of himself," Marius adds. "Lestat, you have to be considerate and kind, and above all, mature."

"Mature..." he groans. "My poor Louis' sanity depends on how mature I am."

"So I might as well count myself as lost, is that it?" I ask with a tiny smile, joining them in the last open sofa. Marius eyes me warily, not sure if I was listening in to the entire conversation or not.

"Well, it is a rather far-fetched idea that the brat might actually grow up," David grins, lightening the mood.

"'Lestat' and 'grow up' do not go together in one sentence," I tell him.

"It's hard to think of our Monsieur Rock Star as a responsible parent," Marius laughs, not worried anymore.

"Now you're just being mean," Lestat pouts.

I smile and lean over enough to kiss his cheek, grabbing his closest hand. "My poor lover, I'll make it up to you."

Lestat smiles wickedly. "Wonderful! I know exactly where we'll go!"

"You little--!" I stammer. "You wanted me to promise that!"

"Of course."

I look up again in exasperation and notice that David and Marius are staring at me in what looks like shock. I lean back nervously, worried by their unblinking looks. "What? What's wrong?"

"You kissed him," David says in a whisper. "In front of us."

"In a public store, no less," Marius gasps. "Louis, are you feeling all right?"

Lestat and I look at each other, and we start to laugh. That only makes them even more amazed, to see me break decorum and not care about what other people think. And there are several people staring at us, some who don't seem bothered and some who are openly hostile. Some things never change.

"Yes, Marius," I smile, still holding Lestat's hand. To hell with every one else, I love him and I don't care what they think! "I feel fine. I feel better than I have in centuries."

A week later, I wish I was back in the bookstore with David and Marius, not that I mind what is happening now, it's just very disconcerting at times. Lestat and I finally settled on where we will have our new home built, and exactly how it will be built as well. We are moving out of Louisiana at last, heading to the middle of Texas where the nearest city is twenty miles away. It's only a two minute trip to fly there, though, and Lestat stopped arguing about it when I said I wanted a perfect view of the stars every night.

The land is beautiful, full of grass and gnarled, wispy trees. Oddly enough, the largest expense was having water piped in, but it will be worth it. We have plans to create our own artificial lagoon, complete with a waterfall and fish, with a glass enclosure over it to keep sand out during storms. It will be fun to swim in it, Lestat has already decided what the house warming party will be like, although his idea makes me wonder now if insanity is contagious. But that is not all of what the house will be. Or actually, what it is becoming.

The contractors have already gotten most of the house up. All that remains are a few more of the furnishings and luxury items. The carpet is in, along with the mahogany finishing, and the front foyer is made of marble. On the back of the house, facing the area where the pool will be, we've had a beautiful patio put in, with an overhang of logs in the Mexican style. In fact, the entire house is done up, not in a French or even vaguely European style, but with a distinct Southern flavor. I have no doubt that we will tire of it after a few hundred years, as we have of the New Orleans flavor, but right now I adore this adobe work.

The house is two stories tall, with a spacious basement which we'll use as our bedroom. There are several guest rooms upstairs with no windows, but these rooms have doors which lead to a balcony that rings the top floor. Potted plants and flowers hang from the beams and railings, and every room has a beautiful view. The best room by far, though, is my library.

My library is one large room two stories tall, with shelves circling the room and a desk with chairs and cushions in the center. Every shelf is filled with books both old and new, with spaces for ancient scrolls and even parchments. I have one shelf reserved entirely for Lestat's Shakespeare collection, but for the most part, everything inside is mine.

Sometimes it feels like a fallacy to call any of this mine. After all, he buys it all for me. He tells me that it's jointly mine, because I keep tabs on his accounts, and give him tips on where to invest, but really the amount I create for him is negligible to his earnings. I make a few thousand. He makes a few million. At best, I could only buy a few tapestries or books. He's really the one who takes care of me.

These are the things I'm thinking as I walk around our slightly empty but excitingly new house. Only half of our paintings are up, and we have yet to get the garden and pool going, but it's still nice. Sometimes I feel like a concubine in his one-person harem, bought off with books and wonderful things to keep me happy.

"And I can't even give him that," I whisper to myself, leaning against a wall. The picture beside me is one of a desert landscape, with a purple sky and orange sun. It's a strange looking piece, but I like it for some reason. I turn my eyes from it. Lestat bought that as well, when he saw my smile at it. "He does his best to make me happy, and all I can ever do is hurt him, and go insane." So morose, he must love me for my face, that's all I have to offer. But I'm not pretty.

I walk up the stars and head to the second floor of my library, then think better of it and head to one of the rooms up here. I find myself in Lestat's hobby room, where he has brought a few of his favorite items and stacked them haphazardly in corners and tables and shelves. He wouldn't mind if I looked through them, so I begin to dig around the boxes and bags. I find puzzles of every sort, then mechanical baubles and toys, and then rows of comic books and cards. These seem rather interesting, so I look through a few, but they are quite disturbing. Witches, magic, blood, wars between heaven and hell...I vow to myself never to read another Hellblazer and turn my thoughts to something else.

A Rubik's cube, already messed into different colors. I have something of a personal grudge against these toys. No matter how long I try, I've never been able to solve one. I pick it up and sit back against the wall, twisting and turning the blocks.

"Louis?"

I keep rotating the pieces back and forth, managing to get one side entirely yellow. Now for blue.

"Louis?"

Hmm, instead I've fixed the red side. All right, now for the blue.

"Louis, chere, where are you?"

All right, how on earth did I fix the green? Damn, I hadn't noticed I'd messed the yellow side. I twist it around some more and get blue at last, but at the cost of red and green.

"Louis?"

And now it's completely scrambled once more. It figures. I never was very intelligent.

"There you are!"

Suddenly a strong hand clamps down on my shoulder, startling me so much that I yelp and toss the cube into the air. I hear the familiar laughter and watch pale fingers snag the cube from the air right in front of me.

"Louis, dear, you can be so excitable sometimes," Lestat smiles, throwing the cube back onto the table.

"You surprised me," I counter, pretending to be mad. He knows me too well. He puts his arms around me and holds me tight, kissing my cheek and throat. I tilt my head for him, giving him a clear strike, but he only kisses me once more and draws away.

"No, Lou', not right now. We're going shopping."

"Where?" I let him take my hand and lead me downstairs to the garage.

"To a specialty shop, for the fish" he grins, unlocking the Porsche and opening the door for me so I can sit down. I watch as he shuts the door after me, then leaps over the top and comes in through the other door.

"For the house warming party?" I ask, already knowing what the answer will be. "Lestat, I still cannot believe you want to go through with this."

He starts the engine and we head out, speeding along the dark Texas highways under the stars. I'm glad we moved here, if only for the view. An odd thought pops into my head, and I begin to laugh.

"Louis?"

I chuckle at his curious face. "I just thought of it."

"Of what?"

"That saying. The stars at night are big and bright..."

"Deep in the heart of Texas," he finishes for me. "And I thought they were exaggerating."

I lean back in my seat so I can look through the window at them easily, and the steady drone of the engine and the wheels on the road, along with the lingering heat, make my eyes grow heavy.

"There's a blanket behind you," Lestat whispers.

"It's not a long drive," I mumble. "I'll be awake as soon as I fall asleep."

I've never understood how he can do it so well, but he manages to keep his eyes on the road while his mind carefully lifts the blanket from the back of my seat and settles it over my body.

"I know, sweetheart, but you look sleepy. Take a nap. I'll wake you when we get there."

"You can be so sweet at times," I whisper, already falling asleep. I have strange dreams of being blind and helpless like a newborn puppy, kept safe and warm only because Lestat is next to me, holding me tight. I dream that there is a hell around me, and demons, but that nothing can hurt me because my lover is there. It is disconcerting but reassuring at the same time. Even through my dreams and the endless layers of sleep, I can feel his hand caressing my hair.

"Louis...? Wake up, we're here."

I open my eyes and find myself surrounded by bright lights and a multitude of mortals milling around me. I take a deep breath and push the blanket off, getting up as Lestat opens the door for me. I am forced to take his offered hand to steady myself before I stumble to the left. "Is it nearby?"

"Right in front of you."

We walk into the large store filled with shelves filled with fish of every type, gauzy tropical fish and clear tiny little things, small sharks, silvery fish, golden fish, sea horses, and star fish, plus the ubiquitous tiny castles and rocks for aquariums.

"Kin I he'p you?" asks a lady to our right, behind the row of little skeletons and divers that display their aquarium decorations. One of the heads is missing its eyes, which bothers me greatly for some reason.

"Yes, we're here to place an order," Lestat smiles, giving her a slip of paper.

She takes it, nods, and runs back behind the counter. When she returns, she has another slip that she gives to my lover. "Awright, they should arrive in a couple days, er, nights. Just a few rules with these thangs. They can go in yer swimmin' pool since ya don't got chlorine, and they're pretty durable, but be real careful ya don't swallow 'em. They won't fight, just make sure you feed 'em plenty. Keep the filters running all the time, and cover 'em up during a sandstorm. And don't feed 'em too much, or else they'll get too big."

Lestat thanks her and we leave the store, but instead of heading right back home, we head for an alley. There is a rather drunk man laying in the corner with a sober man stealing his wallet, not that it has very much in it. I exchange a look with Lestat.

"You're driving," I remind him.

"Spoilsport," he complains. "Very well, you may have him."

The would-be thief has no idea what hits him since Lestat starts drinking as soon as he grabs him. My drunkard is too stupefied to care. By the time we both finish, I am quite tipsy and feeling much better. Lestat has to help me up, and he puts my arm over his shoulder to help me walk. I really don't need it, but I don't refuse it, either. He gets me in the car and puts the blanket back over me, shutting the door even as I start to fall asleep. I am only aware of the engine starting and the trip back home beginning before I close my eyes again.

Our bedroom is the very lap of luxury. The basement is completely safe from any sunrays, and there is nothing flammable in the walls around us. The bed is large and remarkably soft, with fluffy feather blankets and pillows and a carved headboard. A soft and lush carpet three inches thick lays on the ground, with red, white and brown marble patterning all over it, so we don't have to worry about blood stains. In fact, the entire room is done up in a relaxing shade of rose. In the corner, there is an antique desk and chair that is older than I am. I insisted on the desk, although it will make rolling around on the carpet in extreme ecstasy a little more challenging. But I wish we were rolling around right now. Instead...do they have to see me like this? Then they'll know how ugly I am.

"I still think this is an odd idea," I say, pulling on my swim wear.

"There is nothing odd about it," he argues, doing the same. "Vampires enjoy swimming as much as the next person."

"I have a feeling Armand will like it as much as a cat would."

"Tigers like the water," he protests.

"If he was a cat, he would not be a tiger. A lynx, perhaps, but never a tiger."

"More like a housecat." Lestat lays down across the bed, stretching out next to me. "And what about you? What would you be?"

"A black panther," I smile languidly, enjoying having his body beside mine. "A swift and silent creature running through the jungle, climbing trees and leaping from rock to rock. And you, Lestat?"

"A lion, what else? A beautiful king of the beasts with a gorgeous mane and a magnificent tail, languidly surveying his kingdom."

I laugh and reach my hand down to his swim trunks. "Mmm, I wouldn't mind some of that tail right now."

"You've become insatiable, you know that, right?" He grins and rises, holding his hands out to help me stand. Instead I hold my own hands out to him, and after a smirk he obeys and picks me up, carrying me out to the balcony where he leaps over the railing. We drop slowly until he sets me down on the side of the pool, and I pull out a few more lawn chairs and towels. Even though we have a glass house set up over our pond, the desert nights can still get cool, and the heated water will only warm us so much.

The fish are already swimming around in their tropical paradise, darting through the colored lights and around the fake boulders at the bottom. The pool is extremely deep, maybe thirty feet, and a hundred feet around, with a waterfall at one end spilling over a tiny cave. The space there is only large enough to hide two people. Lestat insisted on it.

A few minutes later, the mortal guests arrive. They do not know about our pool party, only that there are going to be drinks and drugs at the garden. We've invited them so we'll have a ready meal nearby when we get hungry. Our grounds are so large, we are able to keep nearly a hundred humans without having any come close to either the house or the pool.

Armand arrives first in his limousine, accompanied by Daniel, Marius and David, and Pandora, who has brought Gabrielle along with her.

"Isn't it amazing,"Lestat laughs with me as they each come out, "that you can get so many vampires into one car?"

"Lestat!" I scold him. "He just brought half the party, and you want to make fun of him?"

"But it's so easy," he protests. He quickly turns to the approaching group and opens the glass door for them. The vampires all look somewhat out of place in their clothing. Armand is wearing bright red swim trunks, and his lover is in a matching style, only in violet. Marius has dark blue short with sandals, and David has somehow managed to find a pair in brown. Only David... Gabrielle is in a blue suit with yellow sunflowers on it, and Pandora is in a white bikini. It seems that only a vampiress can wear a white bikini and still look wonderful.

"Lestat," Armand smiles a bit too much, "really! We could hear you all the way outside."

"You never could break the peeping tom habit, could you?" Lestat smiles back.

"And neither of you can be civil with each other," Marius scolds them. "At least Louis has a few manners."

"Cannonball!" Daniel yells, running forward and making a flying leap for the pool.

I look down into the water and project the thought dive! dive!, and the fish manage to get out of his way before he can blast them all out. As it is, the water rises up in a magnificent crest and completely deluges the rest of us. When I can open my eyes again, everyone is soaked, and David is gasping for breath. I can't help it, I start laughing. All of these dignified vampires look like wet cats, and at least one of them is as mad as a wet hen. Poor Armand.

Daniel finally pops back up to the surface, spitting out some water. "Come on in, the water's--" he stops as he sees the looks everyone is giving him. "Uh...never mind, I guess you know what the water's like."

"Danny..." Armand growled, diving in after him.

"Ack!" Daniel cried, disappearing back into the water.

"Mother, are you all right?" Lestat grins.

"Ugh, youngsters," Gabrielle sighs. "I'll survive, 'Stat." She gives him a small kiss on the cheek and then hugs me. "It's good to see you again, Bookworm."

"I'm glad you came," I say, smiling at her old nickname for me.

"Come on, Panda," she says to her companion, "we might as well go in now."

Pandora follows her in a smooth swan dive, cutting the water effortlessly. It startles me to see how well they swim, but then I remind myself that Gabrielle would have swam through rivers and oceans, and Pandora most likely would have accompanied her recently.

"They are quite remarkable swimmers, aren't they?" David says, sitting down in one of the lawn chairs.

"And you would notice because...?" Marius asks, sitting beside him.

"Just admiring the view," David replies.

"Be careful," Lestat warns him. "That's my mother you're talking about."

"Such a protective son," I tease him, and he gives me a wicked grin, staring at my feet and then back up at my face. I realize that the water is right behind me, and my eyes open wide as I figure out what he means to do. "Lestat, no!" He puts his hands on my shoulders and pushes me, and he deftly avoids my hands as I try to grab him. "I'll get you--!" I cry as I go under.

It's been a long time since I've been in the water. I dive down to the bottom to get my bearings, and when I look up, I can see the Gabrielle and Pandora floating above me, and Armand is by himself, examining the waterfall and the fish around him. I brace myself against the boulders, wondering if Lestat will come down after me, and then suddenly I feel two hands over my eyes.

Guess who, the playful request comes into my head.

Danny, I smile, turning around. Before I can react, he plants a quick kiss on my cheek. He looks like an undine under here, his short hair swirling around his head. You are so sassy sometimes.

Somehow he laughs underwater, and he runs his fingers through my hair. I missed you, he says.

Daniel is such a puzzle at times. He is our most mercurial vampire. He can be delirious, morose, tense, relaxed, enraged, delighted, murderous, helpful...in short, he is never dull, which makes him the perfect partner for Armand.

He kisses me again, and I put my hands on his shoulders, hugging him. I missed you too, little one. It's been a long time since I gave you an interview.

And since you took that little drink from me, he smiles broadly. Do you mind if...? He nudges his lips to my throat, and I indulgently tilt my head aside.

But be careful, not too much, I remind him.

He makes a tiny nip and sips a small amount, clasping me to him. I hold him against me until he stops, giving me another kiss.

I love Armand, he sighs, but if it wasn't for him...

I know, but I have Lestat, and I could never leave him. I look towards his maker, who is still swimming around the fish. You'd best go to him now, before he gets suspicious.

It's a little late for that, he smiles.

I look up at what he's staring at and nearly swallow water. Lestat is right above us, a cruel glint in his eye. He reaches down and grabs both of our throats, hauling us back to the surface. He isn't strangling me, but I cannot be sure about Daniel. In any case, he does not let either of us go.

"Armand," he calls out, "come get your fledgling!"

The auburn vampire pops out of the water and glowers at his lover. "Danny, you are really working on it tonight, aren't you?"

"Don't know whatcha mean, boss," Daniel grins.

"I am never letting you have a drugged mortal again," Armand hisses, but there is no mean intent in his voice. He takes Daniel from Lestat and drags him back underwater.

While that is happening, I look around the poolside. It seems while I have been under, just about everyone else has shown up. Jessica and Maharet look strange in their matching orange swimsuits, but at least Khayman is wearing shorts and not just what God gave him. Surprise of surprises, Eric and Santino have both appeared, Eric in black and Santino in burgundy. And Mael is in green, slowing easing into the water and staring at the fish. He spots me and waves, and I wave back, but I don't have time to say hello.

"And as for you," Lestat starts, looking at me, but I don't give him a chance to finish. I grin and lunge forward so I can duck him beneath the surface. Before I can take time to savor my victory, his iron hand snakes around my ankle and pulls me down with him.

I've never seen him like this before, except maybe when he's asleep. His hair billows out around his face, and he seems suspended in time. The light reflects oddly on his skin, and the tropical fish swimming around us make him seem more like a mermaid. I mean merman. Someday, I will somehow get him in a costume.

He puts his arm around my waist and guides me over to the waterfall. On the way we pass his mother hiding behind a rock with Pandora, and Daniel is squirming in Armand's grip at the other corner. Once we are safely behind the screen of water and mist, he helps me up into the space behind the waterfall, and then he comes up beside me. It's not a rocky crag we're in, that would be uncomfortable. Instead, the space has been lined with plush cushions covered in plastic so they won't get wet. It feels like sitting on an air mattress.

"Now, care to explain why you were kissing Daniel down there?" he asks me in a rather motherly tone.

"Lestat, I do believe you are jealous," I smile, giving him a quick kiss. So nice that he at least pretends to love me.

"Look, you are mine," he says sternly, "and while I am also yours, it does mean that we don't make out with anyone else!"

"I didn't kiss him, he kissed me!" I protest.

"Splitting hairs, aren't we? What's the difference?"

I reach my left hand around his waist while my right comes up behind his back to cradle his head in my palm, and I gently pull him towards me. Allowing my eyes to close halfway, I give him a very soft, tender kiss, lingering on his lips a little while as his arms wrap around me. After half a minute, I pull back.

"I just kissed you. You did not initiate it, therefore you did not kiss me. Do you see the difference?"

He grins and shakes the hair out of his eyes. "I'm not quite sure. I think I might need another demonstration."

"If you insist," I whisper, "but this time, why don't you kiss me?"

"I will do as my lover requires," he chuckles, and gives me my requested kiss.

We break apart a few inches, and I take the time to look around our little sanctuary. I had not noticed before, but the way the light shines through the waterfall makes this area seem like a crystal cave. Small rainbows dart around the wavy lines that the water makes.

"This is so beautiful," I whisper, running my hand through the cascading water.

"I'm glad you like it," he replies, kissing my cheek. "Hopefully I can get you in here once in awhile."

"So you can see me half-naked?"

He shakes his head. "So I can see you half-naked, and wet, and happy."

I blush and look aside. "Lestat...?"

"Yes, chere...?"

"Never mind, it's a stupid idea," I try to say, but he interrupts me.

"If you want it, I'm sure it isn't. What is it?"

What the hell, I might as well ask him. I turn and face him. "Could I get you in a mermaid costume?"

He stares at me, stunned. For a terrible minute I'm certain he thinks I'm losing it again. And then he grins and laughs. "A mermaid tail? I didn't see that one coming." He puts his hand on my face, making me come closer. "If you promise to wear one, then I will, too. In fact..." his voice trails off ominously.

"In fact, what?" I prod him on.

"Halloween'll be here soon," he says.

"Oh no," I shake my head, but I can't stop my small smile from growing, "the entire coven seeing me like that?"

"We can get them to wear tails," he offers, but he shakes his head quickly. "No, they would never go for it. Well, we could get them to come in costume, anyway."

"No, Lestat," I say firmly. "I will attend any costume party you throw, but this is something I want kept private."

"Party pooper," he smiles, kissing my nose. "Very well, I didn't want them seeing your tail anyway."

I sigh and roll my eyes. "Only you can take something and make it vulgar."

"I love you, too, my proper little fledgling." He gives me one more kiss, then grabs my hand. "Now come on, it's time to go back out. You can't stay away from the party forever."

I groan and lean back. "Am I that easy to see through?"

"Only to someone who knows you."

"What if I promise to give in to your every desire as long as we're in here?" I ask innocently.

"You little tease, you shouldn't do this to me."

"Aw, c'mon, 'Stat, take the offer!"

We both look to the side suddenly and find that the water has been split down the middle, exposing both of us. I can see Armand is sitting on top of the waterfall, his body blocking the flow, and the entire coven is staring at us. And Daniel is treading water just a few feet away, laughing up at us.

"We'll pay to watch!" Armand nods.

"Will you take suggestions?" Eric yells before Maharet slaps the back of his head.

"Fledglings," she mutters.

"C'mon, don't cool off!" Daniel cries, apparently not finished. He splashes some water on us, egging us on.

Whereas before I would have been horrified at the appearance of an audience, right now all I want to do get back at Danny and Armand. But then why was I so nervous before? What is wrong with me...? With a friendly snarl, I leap down on top of Daniel, dousing him underwater. I hear the entire coven gasp in surprise, and then they start to laugh as I levitate another bucketful of water up high, and then bring it back down on his head.

"You little voyeur!"

"Hey, I ain't the one hiding like a pair of teenagers!"

While I have him retreating, I turn and watch my love reach up and snag Armand's ankle and throw him into the water. The red mess of hair bobs up quickly as he spits out some water.

"You know, Armand," Lestat laughs, "for something so small, you make a rather large splash!"

I swear I see steam escaping from the top of his head. "You--!" he sputters, trying to form a coherent thought. "I'll make you eat your fish!"

"No you don't, they cost too much!" I yell, ducking him under also.

Suddenly hands push my shoulders down, making me go underwater. I whirl in the water, catch Daniel's waist, and thrust him down to the bottom of the pool. When he comes back up, he spits out water in a beautiful arc...right at Jesse's feet.

"Ewww, you little brat!" she squeals, lifting her feet up. "I'll get you for that!"

"Hey, I'm the resident brat here!" Lestat yells, wrestling with Armand, whose left hand is searching for a fish as his right is firmly clamped onto Lestat's hair.

And then Jesse hovers into the air, preparing to dive in after Daniel.

"Ack! Marius, help!"

"You got yourself into this, little one," Marius says fairly, but then Jesse splashes violently in, sending waves over just about everyone. "Aah! Jessica!"

"Sorry!" she laughs, grabbing Daniel's wrist before he can slip away.

"'Sorry' won't cut it," Marius smiles threateningly, putting down his soaked newspaper. "You got my paper wet. Prepare to be dunked." He dives gracefully into the water, and it would have been a perfect ten points if he hadn't landed on Pandora and Gabrielle, who were still trying to make out behind the boulders.

"Marius, while I know you are curious about us..." Pandora starts, carrying him back to the surface.

"...you shouldn't come in unannounced," Gabrielle finishes, splashing water at him.

"I didn't mean--stop that--Amadeo, David, Danny, help me!"

Daniel just smirks. "You got yourself into this, old one--gluggle!" he gurgles as Jessica and I team up on him.

"Ungrateful--David!"

David just shakes his head. "I didn't let my notes get wet, and if I leave them, they will."

"You rotten--Amadeo!"

"I'm coming, Padrone!" Armand yells, but as he lunges forward, Lestat grabs his foot and drags him over the surface of the water before tossing him up and watching him perform an unwilling bellyflop.

"Ow, that stings!"

Meanwhile, no one had noticed that Khayman was climbing up on top of the waterfall, preparing to dive. He stands straight up, puts his arms up, and bends his knees. It is at that point that we all see him, and we all give a simultaneous "No, Khayman, don't!" to no avail. He leaps forward, but he's forgotten to go vertical. Instead he does another bellyflop, making an even bigger swamp of water splash over David and Santino. The only reason the fish aren't gasping for breath on the concrete sides is because they've wisely hidden themselves down around the bottom.

"Khayman!" Santino growls, standing up in shock.

"My notes!" David yells.

"Owww..." Khayman groans, not moving much. "That...no...feel...good..."

Maharet rolls her eyes. Of the entire coven, she is the only dry one left, except for Eric. "Makers," she sighs.

"I can't believe you did that!" Santino keeps going. "You knew that would splash! You know I hate getting wet! I can't stand it!"

"Oh, hush!" Eric laughs, pushing Santino into the pool.

"Of all the rotten luck," David mutters, putting his sopping notes down. "Here I come, Marius!" He runs and leaps into the fray, bouncing Gabrielle away from his lover.

"Hey, lay off my mother!" Lestat yells, dangling Armand from one ankle.

"Don't worry, I can take care of myself," Gabrielle replies, dragging David to the bottom.

While we are enjoying ourselves, I notice that Maharet is smiling at Eric, who is shaking his head frantically. She laughs, points her finger, and makes a motion. Suddenly he is flying through the air to land on top of Jessica, who had until then kept from being splashed. I watch the water from his landing rise up towards Maharet, who makes it stop in mid-air and holds it up threateningly, looking around for her selected victim of her mental waterballon.

Everyone notices her weapon, except for Khayman who is still flat on the water, and for a moment, everything is silent. Then everyone drops everyone (Lestat lets go of Armand, Jessica and I let go of Danny, Pandora lets go of Marius, Gabrielle lets go of David, Santino lets go of Eric) and tries frantically to escape under the surface. Vampire legs dangle hilariously before me as I wait a moment before also plunging down. I look around for Danny, and once I find him, I grab his waist and push him back to the surface. He started it, after all, and I feel a strange satisfaction as I feel the waterball nail him.

I look back down and watch Mael float amongst the fishies, oblivious to the carnage above him. Shaking my head in disbelief I swim back to the surface and use Khayman's body as a floatation device. All of this exercise is wearing me out.

"Having fun, Louis?" Maharet asks, brushing her hair.

"More than I've had in a decade," I answer, and she smiles at me.

"I can't wait for the Halloween party," she laughs.

"Louis, wake up. Lou'? Come on, open your eyes."

I grumble and try to turn to my side, but he kisses me, knowing I can't resist him. He chuckles as I return his advances, putting my arms around him even though my eyes are still shut tight. As my hands drift lower, though, I can feel something rolled up in his hands. He must have been reading before I woke up. Curious, I force myself to take a look.

"Entertainment magazine?" I whisper in surprise. "Wait a moment, I recognize that...it's what you bought that night, that you wouldn't show me."

"You mean in Miami?" he asks quietly.

I nod, taking the magazine from him and sitting up. I flip through it quickly and stumble on a feature called "Where are they now?" There are pictures of many music stars I recognize and many that I don't. Then I see why Lestat bought this. One entry devoted entirely to him.

"Lestat de Lioncourt: A musician in the mid-eighties, this rock star captivated the country with his gothic lyrics and showmanship. Wearing a black cape and proclaiming himself a vampire, he toured America setting records for ticket sales and concert attendance, despite only cutting one album. His sudden rise to fame and success was only surpassed by his dramatic exit from the spotlight. On Halloween night, during his last performance, a riot broke out, resulting in hundreds of injuries and the death of one girl. Lestat was seen riding away in a convertible with two people, and after disappeared from public life. There have been as many 'Lestat' sightings as Elvis sightings, and although he is believed to live in New Orleans, the last sighting was over ten years ago. His fan base is still solid, however, probably more lasting than any other group, and rumor has it that he is in seclusion working on a new album."

I look up at my lover and read the longing on his face. It's so obvious, why didn't I see it before? He only woke me up to give him reassurance. "You want to return to the stage," I mumble, not entirely surprised. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I never found the right time," he answers, glancing at the ceiling. "Besides, Maharet and Marius would flay me alive if they even suspected."

"Why?"

He looks at me as if I have told him that the sky was green. "Chere, they don't want me up there singing our secrets and flaunting my fangs!"

"But no one truly believed you were telling the truth up there," I argue. "You were a...how did Marius put it?...a clever performer, and an author with a hook?"

Lestat nods.

"Lestat, why would they mind? There is no danger, except perhaps from the Talamasca, and even they never do anything but watch. There is no queen to worry about, no angry mobs with pitchforks and torches."

"But there is a Maharet. It's against the rules, chere," he sighs.

I think about that for a moment. "Actually, no, it isn't."

There it is, that look again.

"You really are amazing," I smile at him. "You have no rules to break, so you must invent them."

"But..."

"No, Lestat. There are only three rules, remember? We make no new vampires, we don't wander off, and we cover up the kill. You've already ignored one of them, and besides, there is no rule saying Lestat cannot be a rock star."

He opens his mouth to argue, then closes it. He tries again, with the same result. Finally..."Louis, sometimes you can be so right and yet so seemingly wrong!"

I cock my head. "Is that a compliment or an insult?"

"Would you mind if I returned to the spotlight?" he asks, avoiding my question. "Reclaim my adoring fans and, in essence, flip Maharet off?"

I chuckle at the image and shake my head. "Don't get carried away. Of course I don't mind, but treat her with some respect!"

"Oh, but Louis, it would be so much fun!"

Ah, there it is, his beautiful, playful grin. So much prettier than his pout, though that's sweet, too. "Now, Lestat--"

"Don't do that 'now, Lestat' with me, chere! I'm a grown vampire, I can do what I want."

"And you needed me to tell you that?"

"Always." He holds me against him, tenderly petting my hair. "You are my anchor, Beautiful One. Sometimes I wonder if I really am evil, if I could never be good, and then I think of you, and I realize I must be at least redeemable, because you love me."

"You make me sound like a saint," I protest faintly.

"You are my saint,"he whispers fervently. "My lover."

"Now that I can agree with," I smile, turning my head a little to kiss him. We both lay back on the mattress, slipping amongst the silk sheets. "You woke me up just to reassure you?"

"Mmm...among other things," he laughs, climbing on top of me. "I thought I might wake you up with a kiss and see where things took off from there."

We snuggle a little, but halfway through our amorous foreplay a thought pops into my head. "Lestat, may I ask you a question?"

"Certainly...but right now?"

"It's important."

He breaks off caressing my sides and looms over me, staring deep into my eyes. "All right, ask away."

"Well, if you're going to make a comeback, then you're going to be busy working most of the time."

"Oh, I won't neglect you, Lou'," he protests before I can finish, "I promise. We'll have plenty of time together."

"I know that, it's just...if you have a public life...then...do you mind if...I...?"

"If you what, chere?"

"It's...you see, I've been...writing a little...I mean, I had been before we went to ground...and I've always wanted...I read so much, and all...but I'd never..."

Lestat knows me so well. He deciphers my rambling and grins in amazement. "My little fledgling, do mean to say that you want to write another book?"

"'Another?' Lestat, I never even wrote one! That was an interview, Daniel really wrote it. Besides, I want to write...fiction."

He gives me a little kiss on the cheek and settles down next to me, putting his arm around me and drawing me close. His skin is so warm and soft, I can hear his soft breathing as he edges his arm even tighter around my waist.

"Fiction? What sort?"

I look away, thinking he'll ridicule my choice, but he lays one hand on my cheek and jaw and gently turns me back to him. He does not ask again, instead silently begging the answer with his eyes...beautiful gray blue eyes...like smoke and mirrors.

"You'll laugh," I murmur.

"Never."

I mumble something that even I cannot hear. He chuckles and tilts his head, barely resting his lips on mine as he tastes me, slowly invading my mouth while he cups his hand against my head and twists his fingers into my hair. He pulls back only an inch or two, so that I can see him speak. "Trust me. Tell me."

"Romance." I could pretend to be beautiful and brilliant.

I close my eyes, expecting laughter, mockingly sweet laughter, but it would hurt just the same. I don't hear it. Instead I feel his fingers stroking my eyes and cheeks, tickling my lips until I move my hand to block him. He seizes my wrist and pushes it down against the mattress, and when I try to fight him off with my other hand, he does the same, pinning me down beneath him.

"Why would I laugh at that?" He kisses me roughly now, driving his way into my mouth. I force myself to stop struggling, and when he finishes his kiss, his hands slide down my body, one stopping at my side and giving me a good squeeze. The other takes hold of the back of my neck, tilting my head back to expose my throat, and then he slips his fangs into my skin. I barely move. He withdraws, then comes up to give me another kiss, and lets me drink back a few drops of my own blood.

"My love, if you truly want to write romance novels, then by all means, do," he whispers. "In fact, I can help you with the love scenes."

Lestat starts to nibble on my earlobe, his breath hot on my skin. He captures my hands again, pressing me down helplessly against the bed, and for the rest of the night, I am his captive held thrall in his iron grip.

I wake up and look around. My bed is empty again, but it's still warm. Lestat must have gotten up only a little while ago. The blankets are up around my throat, he must have done that, but they fall back as I sit up. I feel a little sore from last night's romantic encounter, but it is nothing a hot shower won't fix. I slide out of bed and step into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I leave it unlocked in the hopes that my lover will join me.

Since it is one of the rooms we spend the most time in, the bathroom is also one of the most luxurious rooms. The fixtures are elegant to say the least, and the towels are unbelievably thick and soft. A mosaic lines the floor, a beautiful picture of a swirling vine and flowers. There is no lavatory, only a sink, a bath and a mirror. I lean against the sink and look into it.

I stare at myself, examining the contours of my face, the thinness of my fingers, the eyes set deep into the bones...my skin no longer looks even slightly human, but is instead a milky cream color. My eyes look like jewels, rocks in alabaster. How can anyone love it? Lestat...my wonderful Lestat...he thinks I'm pretty.

Where did that thought come from? Narrow? Is it? I look closer. It is...somewhat...it's not really that bad. And my eyes...? No, they aren't too large...are they?

I look down at my body. I really am thin, aren't I? Grotesquely thin. My arms are so bony, my legs are more like sticks...but Lestat loves me. Yes. He tells me he does, and he takes care of me.

Damn it, who keeps saying that? No, I am not a concubine. I'm not! Am I? I'm not kept like a concubine. But Lestat does take care of me. He buys me clothes, and books, and whatever I want...but I was independent once. I had a house, my own little house.

I remember. My books, all my favorite books, and my journals, my diaries. Lestat burned it. And then took me in. I'm his "little bird," his "pretty chere" and "helpless fledgling." I depend on him. He keeps me happy, and I warm his bed. I am a concubine. I thought...I thought he...he tells me I am beautiful. He says I am pretty. Beautiful. Gorgeous. What about my mind? Intelligent? Kind? Anything that doesn't have to do with my body? No. I am pretty. That's all. Maybe not even that.

"But I thought he loved me," I whisper to myself. Why am I always such a fool?

Those voices again...I know them from somewhere...so familiar. So true. I sink to the floor, resting over the side of the bathtub. I feel sick, so very sick, and tired. I want to sleep. I'll forget all the pain if I can just sleep. I find myself staring blankly at the veins in my hands, faint blue under the white pall of my skin.

Without really thinking about it, I rake my claws over my wrist, and I watch the blood spill out. I feel detached, as if it's someone else doing this, someone else's body. The slash heals after a moment, so I cut again, over and over until I begin to feel light-headed. I make another tear. Blood pools inside the tub, running down in rivulets to the drain. My blood isn't red, it's black. Bitter laugh. So this is the black blood I promised to drink. The blood that flowed around my ankles in the street that night so long ago. Rip the skin again. So much flowing out of me. Is it my pain or my love, my sadness or my--?

"Louis, stop!"

I barely feel his hands wrap around me, holding me back from hurting myself. I don't struggle, and merely lay limp against him. I'm so close to sleep...

"No, don't cry, you've lost too much blood already."

Cry? Am I crying? There is blood in my mouth and I drink, clamping down hard on the source. Mmm...Lestat's blood.

"Now stay still," he whispers, "I'm taking you to bed."

"As usual," I mumble angrily. I don't hear an answer. The next sensation I feel is the silk sheets against my skin, the soft mattress...and then cold metal links around my wrists. "Want to make sure I don't run away?" I snarl.

"I won't let you hurt yourself," he says, such a soft voice.

I laugh bitterly. "Yes, must keep the concubine pretty."

He doesn't answer. I look up into his eyes, he's startled by what I've said, I think. I expect him to touch me and tell me like a child not to cry. Instead he slips over to the sofa and turns away from me. The room is silent except for our breathing. I sit up as much as I can and see that his shoulders are shaking ever so slightly. He's...weeping?

I glance down at the chains. Did he really think these would hold me? He must have forgotten how strong I am now. I crush the links and pull free, quietly moving to sit behind him. He is startled when I touch him, he might think I want to hurt him. Trying my best to reassure him, I fold him into my arms, hugging him to me.

"Shh, don't cry," I whisper, resting my cheek to his shoulder. His tears always make me feel like protecting him. "Don't cry."

"I can't do anything right," Lestat sobs, covering his face with his hands. "I try to take care of you, but I keep failing. And now...it's starting again, and I don't want to lose you."

I close my eyes and sigh. I'm still very sleepy. My head feels a little clearer. "Is this what I did before?"

He gives a little nod. "Yes. You tried to kill yourself after..."

"After what?"

He opens his mouth to answer, but no words come out. He shakes his head frantically.

"Lestat, please...I need to know. I can't remember it, you have to tell me."

"But I'll lose you again."

"I'm close to the edge already," I tell him. "It's killing me not to know. Please..."

Lestat continues to cry, but at last he nods and turns toward me. I get my handkerchief and wipe his tears away, and I give him a little kiss. I need to know what happened to me before this, to make me lose my reason, and I know this will be difficult for him.

"You know that I love you, yes?" he whispers in a harsh voice. "I would do anything for you, you have to understand that!"

"I know," I reassure him. "It's what's kept me alive for so long." Then why did I just try to kill myself? No, it didn't have to do with Lestat. This is my fault.

"You...disappeared one night," he starts, very hesitatingly. "You had come by for a book I'd found for you, and we started to talk, but then you said you were getting hungry. You promised you'd be back in a few minutes...and you didn't come back. After an hour went by, I was going to go look for you, but the phone rang."

He pauses here, and I half-feel like shaking him to make him start again. He is working up to it, though, and I give him time.

"I didn't recognize the voice. He said he had you, and was going to kill you unless I sent him one billion dollars, and then he hung up."

"I...remember..." I whisper, the words triggering my memory. "I was attacked...and tied to a bed. I heard them call you..."

"I tried to get the money together, chere, I did! But it was all tied up in stocks and investments...and I asked the coven for help, but Mekare couldn't find you. They'd shielded your presence from us. They sent us a piece of your hair, and said they'd send more if I didn't pay up. It took her three nights to find you, to find the one spot in the world that she couldn't see, and when she did, we came after you."

"That's...I remember something, but it's all fuzzy..." I mumble. "What happened?"

"We...found them...four vampires, barely fledglings. Who knows who created them. And when we found you...God...you were bone thin. They hadn't fed you anything. You were naked, except for a bloody woolen rag you clung to. We could see all your wounds and open slashes...they never intended to give you back, they were torturing you to death."

He stops again, he really does not want to finish telling me this. His tears start up again, and I lap them up. Odd, the way this has turned out. Our positions are reversed. I am the strong one now, sheltering him in my arms.

"It's all right," I whisper. "This won't hurt me. Tell me."

Lestat nods his head a tiny bit. "There...there were...bruises...all over you....your wrists were bleeding and broken from the chains...I could see where they'd whipped you, your entire body...and they'd shot you...just to hear you scream. There were acid burns on your body...and other burns...Marius looked into their heads...three of them would hold you down and the fourth would light a match and sear your body. You were terrified of everything. You huddled in the corner and cried when I came close. Your eyes were shut, and when I tried to make you look at me..."

"I remember that," I say quietly, "now. They ripped my eyes out."

"I had to stop Marius before he incinerated them, and steal your eyes back." Lestat sniffles, huddling close to my body. I keep one arm around his shoulders and hold his head to my chest, almost on my shoulder. "You wouldn't stop screaming, even when you could see I was there. I had to drink from you to calm you down. But when we were home..."

"What did I do?"

"Nothing. I bathed you while you were asleep, and brushed all of the snarls out of your hair. I cleaned the blood and dirt out from under your nails, and healed everything I could. For an entire week, you did not wake up. And then one night you did. I asked you how you felt, and for a moment I was certain you were going to cry and let me hold you...but you didn't." He shakes his head sadly, putting his arms around my waist. "You looked at me very calmly and said, 'I am fine, Lestat, thank you. I seem to have forgotten where I placed my book, do you remember where it is?'"

"And what happened after that?"

"I found your book, and gave it to you, and you read for a little while. I went downstairs soon after that, and then a few minutes later you came down and asked if I thought you were pretty. I told you yes, and you nodded, and then you asked if your face was too narrow. I didn't quite know how to answer that, so I told you I thought it was a good shape, and I thought you were beautiful. You started to go back upstairs, but before you got even halfway up the stairs, you asked if you were too thin. And I said no."

Lestat sighs and gives a shaky breath. "And then you said that was good, the concubine should always be pretty, and then you ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. I ran up after you, and yelled at you to open the door, but you didn't answer. I heard the mirror break. I panicked, and ripped the door off its hinges. You were slicing your wrists with a shard of glass, and when I tore it out of your hands, you screamed. You said you wanted to go home."

"Yes," I whisper. "When those monsters had me...there had been a mirror in that room you found me in. I had tried to kill myself the third night, they'd used the glass to take my eyes."

Lestat winces, but he manages to go on. "I got you out of the bathroom, and I wanted to tie you up so you wouldn't hurt yourself, but the moment you saw the rope, you clawed at me and bit my face. I let go in shock, and you leaped out of the window. I tried to follow you, but you disappeared so quickly, and I couldn't hear your thoughts...the next time I saw you was at the graveyard, when we went to ground."

My arms tighten around him, but it's not just to comfort him. He is my anchor, my security blanket, something I can hang onto to save myself from falling. I think he knows this. He nuzzles my throat, not intending to bite, just getting as close to me as he can.

"You said I went insane because I bottled everything up inside me," I say, almost accusing him.

"You did," he replies. "You tried to hold in all of that torture, instead of letting go."

"You said it was two lifetimes, not torture."

"I didn't want to lose you again, I didn't want you to remember."

"So it's all right to lie?"

"Louis...please...I was scared...why do all my fledglings go insane?...I want you to be happy."

"So it is all right to lie."

"No...I want to take care of you, and I don't know how to do that."

I laugh mournfully. "One child trying to take care of another...Lestat, you must not lie to me ever again. I need to know my past, or else I will be doomed to repeat it. I was having flashbacks that I did not understand, I was so afraid I was going insane again. I need to know these are just memories coming back to the surface. I need to know so I can face them."

"I'm...sorry, chere. I just...don't know what do to. I'm so afraid sometimes..."

"I know. I heard your talk with Marius and David. Lestat, I promise you I will not try to hurt myself or you."

"You promise?"

"Mm-hmm."

The worried frown disappears, replaced by his usual cheery grin, although he is struggling to maintain it. "Care to seal that with a kiss?"

I can't help my smile. My attempt on my life feels like it happened years ago. "You always turn everything into lust."

"I can't help it when the object of my affections is in my arms..."

"I suppose I can let you take a few liberties..." I whisper back, and then we are making out on the sofa. When we have finally released our tensions and feel better, I allow myself to drift to sleep in his firm embrace.

I wake up with Lestat wiping my eyes and cheeks with a tissue, I must have been crying again. I sigh and wave him off, I am fine now. As well as can expected. A thin sheet is all I have covering me, and I pull it close.

"Are you all right?" he whispers, standing up. His gaze runs over my face, searching for any signs of despair. "This is the fifth time this month you've done this."

I nod and take his offered hand, allowing him to gently help me to my feet. I manage to adjust the sheet over my shoulders, cutting the slight chill from the air conditioner. His arm comes around my waist while his other hand rises to my cheeks, cleaning away the last of my tears. My hands settle on his shoulders, and my head falls to his shoulder so I can lay my face against his throat. I can feel his hand as he caresses my hair, and for a moment I feel absolutely safe and warm. I can hear his soft breathing. His hair falls across my eyes, so soft. I smile and stand back.

"I will be all right," I say, brushing his cheek with my lips. "It was not so bad this time."

"I won't leave if you don't want me to," he says quickly. "They can have their damn meeting without me."

I shake my head and laugh. "You will only be gone for a little while, and nothing terrible will happen. I promise. You need to go. I'll be fine."

He really doesn't want to go, I can tell, and to tell the truth, I don't want him to go. But, if he does not, the comeback tour will be harder, and I want everything to go right for him. I want to watch him on stage, back in his element. He comes alive in a different way when he is performing. It is delightful to watch.

The rest of the coven knows about his intent to return to the spotlight. How could we have kept it hidden, when the radios won't stop playing his old songs and blaring the dates for his concert tour? So far they havn't said anything. Well, nothing much. Nothing from Maharet, in any case, not that she could stop it now. The music websites have Lestat's pictures up, and the news has switched from Cher's death to how Lestat has kept so youthful. Mortals are so fickle.

"Go on and take care of everything," I tell him, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "I will be here waiting for you when you return. I promise."

"If you promise..." he kisses me, then lets me go to put on his leather jacket. "Do you realize you are in love with a rock star?"

"I've known I've been in love with a star for years," I chuckle. "One that dims and brightens, but never goes out."

"My little muse," he grins. "I never realized how poetic you are until I read your book."

My eyes open wide in a mix of surprise and denial. "You read my book? Lestat, I told you not to!"

"Chere, how could I resist?"

"But Lestat--"

"Louis, you let millions of perfect strangers read it, but your lover must not lay his eyes on it?"

"I don't have to live with millions of perfect strangers!"

"Afraid of criticism? Really, you shouldn't be so shy about it, I simply ate up every page."

"But you shouldn't have--you liked it?"

He laughs and seizes the corners of the sheet wrapped around me, drawing me toward him. My arms are trapped beneath the fragile cloth, and I could easily escape, but I allow him to manhandle me. He puts both of his arms around me, holding me tight, and he steals a kiss before I can react.

"Yes, Louis. I loved it. I finally got to read some of your poems, and you write with such lavish detail...it was wonderful."

"It was pitiful."

"Don't you believe your own critics? Didn't you read what they put on the cover of your own book?"

"They only wrote that because it sold so well."

"Louis, how can you say things like that when they contradict and--and I promise to argue that point with you when I come home," he sighs in exasperation. "But before I go, I have a favor to ask of you."

"What could I possibly do for the Vampire Lestat?" I smile, no hint of bitterness in my voice.

"Mmm...lots of things," he smiles, nuzzling my ear. "But I have something else in mind...I want you to do something for me."

"Name it."

"Write a poem for me."

"What?"

"A poem for me to put to music, and sing to those millions of perfect singers."

"But...why? Why would you want that?"

"Oh, Louis, what am I going to do with you? All right, let's see, what do I want it for...it would boost ticket sales if I said I had a song written by the great Louis de Pointe Du Lac. It would be a brilliant masterpiece that would win a grammy, if Madonna does not buy them again. And it would show everyone that the celebrities Lestat and Louis are working together, and so in love with each other that no one stands a chance of coming between them, because I will personally eat anyone who tries to steal you away. Is that enough? Will you do it?"

"You certainly know how to ask," I whisper faintly. His voice has that effect on me sometimes.

"Will you?"

"For you? Of course." I glance at the clock and give a little groan. "You need to go now, or else you will miss your meeting."

"So I will be late, so what?"

"My love, you are late now. You will miss it entirely if you don't fly."

"Do you want me to go?"

"No...but I need to write that poem, and I mustn't have any distractions."

"And I am a distraction?"

"No, Lestat. A distraction is a minor thing. You would take up all of my attention."

He kisses me again, then lets me go. "All right, chere. I should be back tonight. You'll be careful, yes?"

"Yes, now go, or else there won't be a tour for my song."

He smiles wordlessly and steps to the window, opening it. Warm air blows in, rustling the curtains. He blows me a kiss, then ascends into the night sky. I watch him disappear, then close the window and let the sheet drop. I pull my frayed jeans from the corner and slip them on, then gather my notebook and pen. I head down the stairs to the front door and leave the house. The garden is not too far away, and I have a song to write.

The moon is full, offering plenty of light, but every once in a while a thick cloud passes over it, plunging the landscape in shadow. I don't mind, though. There are lights in the garden, little beacons cleverly hidden amongst the plants and behind rocks so the wires and bulbs cannot be seen, only the colored light. The stone path is well lit so there is no danger of tripping, and the small stream Lestat created for this spot also has lights running underneath it. The rose bushes have lights matching their colors, and every few feet he has set out beautiful lamps with electric candles dressed up as candelabras.

I cross the bridge that runs over the stream and head to the center of our garden, which is rather large. At my request, Lestat put in a simple little maze, made of ivy and climbing roses, but that only takes up a fraction of our garden. He had created this part with lights first, and then surrounded it with an artificial forest, one with no lights, so that this little spot would be completely secluded. Of course it helps that I can merely fly over the trees, but occasionally I wander through it. There are statues inside of it, though, and sometimes I can't shake the feeling that they are watching me. I only walk in there when Lestat is with me.

Finally I come to the center. The tall fountain, white with gray shadows, stands framed by the trees behind it. Silvery water pours from its top pier down to each pier beneath. The bubbling cascade has a remarkably soothing effect, allowing me to relax here as I cannot do in most other places. I sit down on the wide stone rim and trail my hand in the water, and stare up into the sky. The garden lights are dim enough so that the stars stay perfectly visible in the dark sky.

I take my hand out of the water and shake a few drops off, then pick up my notebook and open it up. Several pages have already been marked and scribbled on, so I flip through to the middle. A song? I've never written a song before. I know I've written poems, and poems can be set to music, but this is still a little intimidating. Lestat says I am a good writer, and so do all my critics...I sigh and force myself to think about other things.

Should it rhyme? Should I stick to grammar? Should I be straight-forward and honest, or flowery and poetic? Should I write it as a narrative?

Or am I over thinking everything once again?

I write a few lines, then scratch that out. I write a few more lines, then scratch out a word for another, then grow disgusted with it and draw x's all over that. One more thought comes into my mind, but before I even write it down I shake my head. No, I simply cannot sit down and decide to write a great poem.

I shut my notebook and stand up, following my steps back along the stone path. The stream is running past me now, and I feel that I am fighting against the current. My book came so effortlessly...of course, that was easy in itself to write. I was writing about myself and Lestat, or Lysander as I named the character. I'd named myself Lenore, after one of my favorite characters from Poe. The entire story had been about Lenore's hopes and desires as she dreamt about them. I suppose I could write another dreamy poem, but shouldn't I break away from what I've done before...?

There I go with the "should's" again. I open my notebook as I walk, to take another look at what I'd written and see if there was something workable...strange, it's awfully dark out here now. I glance up, expecting to see lights from the stars and from beneath the rose bushes.

Instead I find myself in Lestat's forest.

I nearly fly up and out, but I am still not comfortable with the idea of flight. The forest is not very large, I can walk through...if I had bothered to stay on the trail. I look around myself, but I cannot see through the trees. I wish I'd listened to Lestat when he'd told me how they had planted these already fully grown trees, then I could find my way out. Still...I am sure if I just walk in a straight line I will be out soon.

Twigs and dry leaves crunch beneath my feet, and I must remind myself that I am a vampire and a rather strong one at that, and I can easily defend myself against anything. So why can't I stop thinking I am walking through Sleepy Hollow? I wish Lestat was with me right now.

I see something large and black in my peripheral vision, and I turn to face whatever it is. It seems to move through the branches, and I take a step back. I hold absolutely still and narrow my eyes, focusing on it. It takes a moment for me to recognize it. Rodin's The Thinker. Damn statues. I take another step back and turn around, my face just inches from Degas' Dancer. Her bronze eyes are soulless, and the beauty the artist had intended is lost in the eerie shadows. I quicken my pace into the trees.

I spot a replica of Michelangelo's Dying Slave far to my right, and to my left is the Venus De Milo, looking like a victim of a deranged maniac with an ax. I notice the stone trail beside her, though, so I walk by her, keeping my eyes down. Of course I should have kept my eyes up.

I walk right into a gigantic gargoyle. Now I am glad Lestat is not here to hear my frantic little shriek. That's it, I'm flying. I zoom straight into the air, hitting my head on a branch, but I keep going until I am high enough to see our estate below me. Good grief, I was only a few feet from the treeline. I decide to fly to the other corner of the grounds, back to the pool. At least that is well lit.

I descend from the sky slowly until I gently settle on the grass just outside the glass door. I walk in, careful not to slip on the slick tiles, and move to the back. Hunching over my notebook to keep it dry, I glide across the water and through the waterfall, until I can rest comfortably in the niche behind the pouring shower. The mist rising from where the water hits the pool cools my body from the desert heat, and I adjust myself so I can lay my head on a pillowed surface. This is nice, I wish Lestat was here next to me. The waterfall is droning just a few inches away, a gentle lulling sound. I close my eyes, intending to keep them shut only a moment...

I wake with a jolt. That's it, that's it, where's my notebook? Aaah, no! It slipped into the pool! Quickly, before I forget, I drag it out. The pages are ruined, but the cardboard is still strong enough. My pen is a gel, thank God, praise God for that, I write furiously, Desc. and Asc. I'll remember what the notes mean, heav. is de. and beau. and I keep writing until I have all my notes down, the entire song transcribed in my own special shorthand. Guarding my precious notebook as it drips soggy paper clumps, I dash out of the niche and across the garden, running sopping wet up the stairs and not caring about the water damage. I practically fly into my room and sit at my desk, pulling out a pen and a sheet of paper. The entire song flows out through me again, and this time I do not cross out any lines.

"Louis, wake up!"

My eyes open in surprise. I am still in our bedroom, and Lestat is gently shaking me to rouse me out of my sleep. I must have dozed off on the desk. I look around myself in a daze, then I smile up at Lestat and throw my arms around him, showering his face in kisses. After the initial shock, he grins back and returns my little advances.

"You looked like you were in a nightmare," he whispers, cupping my face in his hands.

"I was...but then you came into my dream, and protected me, and woke me up." I nuzzle his lips with mine, and put my arms around his neck so he can pick me up. He carries me over to the bed, setting me down and sitting beside me, and kicks his boots off. "And how did the meeting go?"

"Hmm...? Oh, that...nothing they needed me for, stupid record company..."

"I wrote your song," I murmur.

"Already?"

Nodding, I move aside to make room for him next to me. He doesn't suspect anything and takes the bait, stretching out on the bed. Without warning I rise up and straddle his hips, catching his wrists in my hands and pushing him down.

"Chere, I think you're making this into a habit," he laughs, turning his head aside.

"Not tonight," I say, releasing him. Deliberately, I begin to undo the buttons on his shirt, spreading it wide open when I am finished. I put one arm around his waist and pull him up so I can strip his shirt away. He doesn't fight back, probably thinking I am like him, and prefer it when my lover relinquishes all control. Oh, I will get a reaction out of him, and hopefully a little struggle.

I let him back down on the pillows gently, then move down and firmly seize the top of his pants in my teeth, pulling the denim back to undo the button and force the zipper down. His eyes get bigger as he watches me kiss the soft flesh revealed, and when I peel back the cloth ever so slightly to expose his hips, he puts his hands over his eyes and groans. We have not done this in a few nights, and the suspense must be driving him crazy.

Since he is not watching, I put my hands on his back and push them down into the seat of his pants, squeezing him before I bring his jeans down. With a little maneuvering, I push his pants all the way down and off. He makes a move to get up, and I pounce on him again, forcing my way into his mouth. He moans as I kiss him, wrapping his arms around me. When he lets me up for a moment, I plant a tiny kiss on his throat, then an inch lower, and another inch lower...by the time I am by his navel, he is whimpering in anticipation. Without wasting any time, I firmly take him into my mouth.

He gasps as I start, but he has the prescence of mind to try what I did to him, holding him down forcibly. I feel his legs start to move, but before he can I grab his knees in my hands and push them flat against the mattress, spreading him out almost violently. He cries out, unsure of whether it is in pain or ecstasy, and I withdraw to look up at him.

"Don't try anything," I tell him. "Just give in."

His eyes are strangely frightened and excited at the same time. He's never really given in so completely, even when I had him in chains he was mentally prepared and shielded for the assault. Now I have him practically shaking in fear and delight.

"Surrender to me," I insist gently. "Be mine tonight."

Unable to respond, he gives me a tiny nod and lets his head fall back on the bed. His hands cover his eyes, but as I bend down to start again, I notice one of his hands runs into his hair, clenching and unclenching in energetic tension. I shift my position again, and this time he alternates between cries and moans, involuntarily thrusting against me every few seconds. His right hand slams hard into the mattress and he makes a strangled sound that I cannot decipher. All I can tell is that I've brought him to climax five times already. I know by the volume of his cries, and by the sweet blood I taste.

As I work, I rub his tender thighs with my fingertips and my palms, making them numb with my ministrations. He can't take this much longer. He tries to push himself up, rising on his elbows and throwing his head back with a low scream that resembles a howl. I smile to myself and then draw in harder. His arms give out and he falls back on the bed, breathing hard, drenched in a cold sweat. I swallow my last taste of blood and sit up, stroking his sides to calm him down. Lestat is still panting, so I lay down right next to him and pull him into my arms, petting his hair and face. His entire body is freezing, so I bring the blankets up over both of us, making sure he is tucked in. He snuggles up to me, alowing me to clasp his body against mine, and the breeze from the open window blows gently across--

I sigh in exasperation at my own carelessness. I can't believe I left the window open. Not willing to get up and let Lestat go, I concentrate and carefully lock the glass panes, then close the shutters, bring down the blinds and draw the thick black curtains. Once we are safe, I turn my head so I can rest my cheek against his hair.

"I love you, Lestat," I whisper, not really expecting an answer.

"I love you, Louis." His arm snakes around my waist, holding me closer. "For all eternity."

I had almost forgotten what concerts were like. Even though I am backstage in Lestat's dressing room, I can hear the mortal roar outside, and the constant drone is giving me a slight headache. I sit down in one of the chairs here, resting my arm on the vanity.

"Louis, chere, where's my shirt?"

"Over here!" I call, holding the white flowing garment up to him as he comes around the clothing rack. I toss it to him, and he catches it, quickly pulling it over his head. He's already in his boots and string-up pants, and the cape is flowing magnificently around his shoulders. Now he sits down next to me, staring into the mirror as he hurriedly applies the stage make-up.

"How many do you think are in the audience?" he asks me.

I shrug non-commitally. "Armand, Daniel, Jessica for certain. I don't know if Marius or David would want to be here. I doubt the others would come."

"And rogues wandering around?"

I nod. "I can feel a few every now and then, but they're only here for the music."

Finished with the paint, he starts to put his gloves on. "I can't believe I'm so nervous. It's not like I haven't done this before."

I smile and stand behind him, picking up the brush and drawing the few tangles out of it. I have the same effect I usually do, and he calms down immensely. "You will be fine, chere, I'm sure of it. You have thousands of fans out there who are dying to hear you."

"Mmm...I suppose a groupie after the concert would be nice."

I grab a handful of his hair and give him a tiny jerk. "Not while I'm here. You're mine."

He pivots in his seat and puts his arms around my waist, burying his face in my loose shirt. "Yes, and you're mine."

There is a sharp knock at the door. "Mr. Lioncourt, you're on in ten minutes."

"Be there in a second!"

I help him up and give him a fast kiss. "I love you."

"I know." He leads me out of the room and into the backstage area, just a little bit away from the wings. The crowd is really going wild outside. "Now you stay here and don't wander off," he says sternly. "If it gets too loud, then wait in the dressing room, but I want you here once the concert is over."

I nod accomodatingly. "You're sure you have everything you need?"

He grins. "Of course, chere. The instruments, the band, the electrical things, my songs, your song--"

My hand tightens on his arm. "Do you really think you should play that? I mean, it's not exactly in your usual style--"

"Hush, Lou'," he says, kissing me. "It is perfect, a masterpiece. It will be a hit single the moment I start."

"Ladies and Gentlement," the voice on the announcement system, "please take your seats. The concert will begin in seven minutes."

"I love you," he tells me, pulling back and going on-stage with the other band members to check the equipment one last time and gather everything together. There is a chair behind me with my name written on a sheet of paper on it, so I sit down to watch. The last minutes fly by, and then the house lights go down, the mortals start to cheer, Lestat gives me one last smile, and the curtain rises.

I am in awe as he sings and plays to the crowd, easily working them for every bit of applause he can get. He is a god beneath these spotlights, a wild animal thriving in his natural element. The amplifiers and other stereos are turned away from me, so the volume is tolerable, so I lean back in my chair, prepared to watch the entire concert.

When he gets to my song, however, I nearly get up and run away. I'm so worried about it, I can hardly stand to be in the same room as it is played. The lights dim down until he is alone in the light, practically crooning the lyrics. The mortal screaming dies down until the last note of the song finishes, and Lestat purposefully lingers on that note, drawing it out. When he finishes and the lights switch from in front of of him to behind him, to silhouette him, the crowd literally rises to its feet and yells its approval. I sigh in relief, and Lestat turns to give me a quick wink and a grin before going to his next song.

It is amazing, how things have changed so much. I look down at my hand, so pale in this light. It turns the color of any light hitting it. I feel so strong now, physically and spiritually. Lestat is with me. That is really all that matters. I had to go to ground to figure that out, we both did. But now he is back where he belongs, at the center of attention in my arms, and I in his, and nothing could be better. We had to descend so low to rise this high, but now we're both where we should be. Home. At the top of the world.

The End