Francois smiled sweetly down at the twenty-something young man on the bed. His looks belied his age. In fact he was over a hundred. He had been twenty when he was converted to a vampire in 1917. Another immortal vampire; another poor soul Raine expected her to save.
She gently stroked his cheek. And Hers.
Her Karl who "Aunty Diva" had taken from her.
He was so peaceful in his sleep. He wasn't the insane Diva/Saya-obsessed slave they turned him into every waking hour. He was just Karl Fei-ong, her good friend; her best friend. She would help him. She had to and wanted to.
"Stupid boy," She murmured softly. "Why don't you ever listen to me?" A tear fell from her face to trail its way down his. "You NEVER listen to me and now look what happened."
Still the boy slept on as he would until his body was fully healed. "Be glad I love you, Karl," She continued her one-sided conversation. "I wouldn't have gone to so much trouble for anyone but you." He moaned near-imperceptibly in his sleep.
She returned to stroking his cheek. This was a soothing effort and a comfort to her as well. He was hers. No one would take him from her now.
Oh yes, she would help him. Cure him of his mania and restore his peace of mind. And if he had trouble coming to terms with the horrors of his past; she would be there for him and no prissy, little, childish Diva or stuck up, annoying, conniving Amshel to get in her way. And her dear mother couldn't have him either. Not that she wanted him.
"Solomon caused your death, didn't he, love?" And Solomon would pay, too, even if his intentions were good.
He was shirtless under the covers upon this bed. He wore only the pair of black pants Sora was nice enough to place upon him on his retrieval. Francois reached out a hand and stroked the many pale and fading scars that etched his beautiful and chiseled body. A fine Asian boy he was indeed, she remembered him being described and smiled wryly.
In the distance the phone rang. She frowned and listened closely as a servant answered it. Even two stories above and several halls away she could hear them.
"Hello? Oh, hello Mr. Goldshmidt. You and Mr. Goldsmith are also joining us for dinner? Splendid. I will inform miss L'arc en Ciel."
Francois smiled again. Oh yes, victory would be hers.