Bat out of Sheol

by Phedre no Delaunay de Montreve

Vampire Chronicles Vampire: The Masquerade Kabbalic Crossover. More to come. Part IV up!

1. Default Chapter

A Tribute to the Vampire Chronicles
Part One

Prologue

Hello again. It is I, Lestat de Lioncourt, your favorite guide into the realm of the supernatural. Did you miss me, my love? Because I know I missed you. It's been a terrible time, hasn't it, being separated from one another like this? I know you must have been utterly dying to know what has been happening in my life, and of course, as always, I won't disappoint.

Let me begin by saying the following tale will take you into a part of my world that I had not even dared to think in my wildest dreams I would ever experience. And that does not even touch upon the fact that no vampire has ever thought possible. Strange isn't it, that even I, the vampire Lestat, would be caught off his guard by this one. Indeed, throughout this tale, I quite frankly can tell you that sometimes I felt like I would surely go insane. The thoughts kept passing through my mind, "Can this possibly be real? Is this really happening? Is SHE real?"
Ah, but I am getting ahead of myself. In fact, I have not even properly introduced myself to any newcomers.
I've already given you my name, and the fact is, yes, I am a vampire. I am not the only one, of course, as there are many others, some of whom I will describe soon enough. In fact, I look fairly human. The two distinguishing attributes I have that can mark me as unnatural are my nails, which take on a glass-like appearance. While gloves or even that fingernail polish substance the mortal females are so fond of easily covers this, the other, my skin, is not so easy to disguise. Usually, it is extremely pale, a deathly white color to be fairly more elaborate. However, in one of my past adventures, I tried to kill myself by exposing myself to the sun in the Gobi desert. Unfortunately, or fortunately for that matter, I am simply too powerful for even the sun to kill me, while it did bake me quite considerably, and left me with a tan reminiscent of a "surfer-boy". And this seems to compliment well my somewhat long, usually unruly mane of blonde hair, and my gray eyes, which easily take on a blue or violet appearance. And yes, I do have fangs, but they are usually barely noticeable to the untrained eye. I am also about 6 feet tall, which was quite impressive back when I was alive.the last year of which was in 1789. Intriguing, isn't it? But back on the earlier topic, yes, the sun can kill vampires, unless they are powerful enough, like me. The sustained heat of a fire can also kill a vampire, but garlic, crosses, and holy water are a pack of myths. And as you can plainly see, I am not much like one of those silly apparitions you may be used to, in those movies.. Dracula, Blade, even that horrendous little flick, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I suppose its all well and good however, that the truth be diluted by these little fantasies. Even so, I must admit that at one time, however, I did want to be known. I wanted all the vampires to be known, perhaps because I wanted to 'see what would happen'.
I tried to accomplish this task by becoming a "Rock Star". I became quite popular and famous too, and spread out the secrets of vampires and my own life through my songs, appearances, and interviews. I enjoyed living in the light, so to speak, but unfortunately my plan failed, as no one truly believed that I am a vampire. However it did attract some attention, from the most Ancient and Powerful of our kind and from the Talamasca, a mortal institution that observes the happenings of the supernatural. My musical stylings even caused the Mother of Us All, Akasha, to awaken. And so it was that she tried to take me as her lover, (I must admit to myself how dangerously beguiling my charm is) and the Ancient ones, Maharet and Mekare, destroyed her. Or rather, Mekare did. Maharet and Mekare are red- haired twins, and two of the eldest vampires, after Khayman.
But enough about them, and onto more about me.

After the Queen of the Damned incident, a man named Raglan James who had the power to switch bodies came to me with a proposition. I foolishly accepted, and he "burned me", to use the vernacular. He attempted to trick me, and my friend, a once-member of the Talamasca, David, helped me. With his help I properly regained my form, and David got a new one of his own, too. I sired him to become a vampire, as well. And in my adventure after that, I met the Devil himself. And out of all my adventures, perhaps that was the one that best helped me cope with my adventure that I will tell you in this story. But anyway, after that adventure, nothing much happened to ME, but rather, Louis and David. Using the assistance of their witch friend, Merrick Mayfair, they rose the spirit of the ghost child, Claudia, whom I will explain in a moment, because she does play a significant role, if a symbolic one, in this story.
In a moment of insanity, or something I don't know, Louis sired Merrick and made her one of us. This I didn't and still don't mind in the least bit, although the Talamasca did, and now they are trying to stalk us or something to that extent, angry about Merrick's initiation into the Dark Gift.
And that is where my adventures have taken me thus far. For now, the four of us, Merrick, Louis, David and I, have a small apartment in San Diego, California. It is nothing like New Orleans, but it is a very beautiful city, nonetheless.
Finally, I get to the subject of Claudia. Claudia was but a small child when I worked the Dark Trick on her and made her into a vampire, like us. And while her mind continued to mature, her body did not, and she began to resent Louis and I deeply for it. She was a beautiful child, with hair in perfectly spun spirals of gold, and blue eyes that seemed to send off a glitter in the dark. Pale, like one of us, and with an appetite for blood that was as voracious as that of an adult-vampire. And a ruthless killer too, that one. I had taught her well, so it seems.
In fact she had even tried to kill me, with Louis acting as her accomplice. And when they ran off to Paris, she met her own demise at the hands of the vampire Armand, who committed suicide after my adventures with Memnoch, the Devil. About Louis - Louis was one of the first I had ever sired. He is quite the attractive male, with luscious dark curls of hair framing his elegant face and contrasting with his vivid green eyes quite nicely. He is much more reserved that I am, and more resigned than I am. Louis adored Claudia and still does, and he was quite distraught at her death.
Well, now that all these not-so-tedious facts have been arranged, it is time for my story; I must tell you though, at certain points in the story I must step back as narrarator and allow some of the others to tell parts of the story at the time.
But don't worry.. I'm here with you now. Come with me, bask in my warmth, and indulge yourself on my words.

Chapter One

The silence of the apartment was somewhat welcome to me, as David, Louis, and Merrick had decided to go on their own throughout the city. I was relaxing against a very plush recliner David had chosen, and it was upholstered with luscious satin, in a design reminiscent of the Renaissance. The apartment itself was a bit empty save a few items of furniture, and some Monet paintings hung up on the walls. My agent in Paris as per my instructions put all of our possessions from the New Orleans flat in storage. Back to the apartment, the windows were well covered by thick crimson red curtains, nearly the color of blood. There was one other recliner like the one I was sitting in, a small desk with a small chair beside it, an in the two adjoining bedrooms there were identical queen-size canopy beds.
I usually like to live in more luxury than this, but we did not know exactly how long we would choose to stay here, so I humored David and went with the 'minimal'.
Abruptly, I sat up and headed into one of the bedrooms - my bedroom. I looked at my appearance in the full-length mirror, and smoothed out my unkempt blonde hair. I adjusted my leather blazer, and examined my other clothing - a beige shirt underneath, and gray slacks. I slightly adjusted my sunglasses, put on a pair of black gloves, and got ready for my night on the town.
I was getting a little hungry, as it were, so it was time to look for a meal. I slammed the door behind me and made sure it was locked, although I didn't think I really cared if anyone would break in or not. Even more so, I doubted anyone would. It was a nice neighborhood, though not what I was accustomed to.
So, I went on my walk down the street. I usually choose to feed on the more despicable creatures, finding those creatures that prey on others and being quite the effective angel of the night. I grinned at the thought, and continued my walk down into a section of town called "Hillcrest". This side of town I liked very much, it was bright, kept quite well, and was always dotted with passers by. But, now where would I find a proper meal.
Hmmm. I continued on my walk, casually reading minds and seeing if I could pick up anything that might be of use to me. And, I did. One lone man was eyeing a young girl walking past him, by herself, as the story stereotypically goes. The man was tall, and muscular; he obviously worked out quite a bit. He had shaggy brown hair that looked like it hadn't been brushed this morning, and his eyes seemed a bit dark, and vacant.
The girl was a bit different story. She was cheerful, and thinking about going to some restaurant to meet up with friends. And she was obviously young, she seemed to be about 17 to me. She was wearing a tight white tank top that exposed her breasts to an extreme degree, wearing those pleather pants that seem so popular today, and while it was a common site in this town it surprised me nonetheless: her head was shaved. This did not detract from her beauty however; she had large eyes, and full heart-shaped lips that were probably the most distinguishing, lovely feature on her face.
Well the man was continually thinking to himself what terrible things he'd like to do to this young girl, and quickly justifying each thought to him with, "She must be asking for it with a top like that." Like I thought he would, he began to follow the young creature, and I too began to follow him.
It wasn't too long before he'd grabbed the girl and thrown her into an alleyway, holding a knife to her neck, cupping his free hand over her mouth and quietly threatening her to keep quiet or else he'd slit her throat. She was crying and about to scream, when he started trying to rip off that shirt that barely seemed like a covering at all.
I decided not to wait much longer, after all, the hunger was crying out to be sated and the demonic look in his eyes was so very mesmerizing for me. I stepped out from the back of the alleyway, in full view, and let the man see me. His eyes widened, and the girl saw her window of opportunity and bit deep into the man's hand. He yelled, dropping the knife, and she ran away with a speed I'd seldom seen in mortals. Before he could even so much as blink, I was behind him, one of my arms around his waist, the other curving over his chest. "Hello," I whispered into his ear. "You've been up to terrible things lately, haven't you?" His eyes widened, he struggled in my arms, but I was much too strong for him to scarcely move. The blood-scent emanating from this man was growing to be too much to bear, and I didn't much feel like playing with my food tonight. I quickly sank my teeth into his salty neck, letting the teeth tear easily through his skin. The blood poured into my mouth, and ecstasy soon overtook me. I could feel his heart beating next to mine, and visions of his life began to pour into my mind. He'd been repeating his activities from this night quite often, going out more than twice a week to find young girls who "begged for it" as he liked to put it. He lived alone in a stale-smelling apartment, and was always alone, only he, his penthouse magazines, and his erotic novels.
I continued to drink, and I could nearly feel the pleasure of it in every cell in my body, and I knew he could feel the pain I was giving him in every cell of his. I wondered if he could feel my heartbeat, too. To drink like this, must be one of the most intimate moments one can experience.
That's when I heard her voice, sounding like a serpent's hiss in my ear. "Not quite, Lestat.."
I let the nameless man's body drop to the ground. I had drunk my fill of him anyway, and he would soon die. Then I swiftly turned to see the origin of the voice, standing in front of me, her eyes piercing into my own.
She was as tall as I am, her long, black hair that seemed to shimmer blue curving gently at her waist. It was wavy, and it reminded me of the ocean's waves at night. Her eyes were like the color of the moon, silver, and dangerously beautiful. She was wearing a gown of sheer navy blue silk, and I could see the curve of her body through the nearly see-through silk.
She curved her amethyst painted lips into a smile, and extended her hand towards me, and her lips parted, allowing me to hear for the first time that luminous voice.
"We meet at last, my sweet, sweet Lestat."

Chapter Two

My voice caught in my throat as I stared at her. She knew my name. My name! She was no mortal, and she did not seem to be a vampire, either. Her skin seemed fresh and illuminating, and soft. How plush it seemed, like the flesh of a sweet plum. Not hard and white, like the way vampiric flesh is usually. Somehow she seemed in a way like Memnoch the Devil from one of my past adventures, but not so much so, either. She was looking at me in a nearly menacing way, but somehow I found it strangely alluring, and seductive. Her lips curved into a frightening grin, and I had to wonder if she was trying to intimidate me, because it certainly seemed so.
"Lestat," she said again, her tone like that of a woman who hadn't seen her lover in nearly a decade, thick, breaking, and full of love.
I chuckled, breaking the silence. "You think you cause me fear? Anyone can know my name! Anyone can know me! For all I know, you only know me from my concerts, my musical albums, or my books! It has happened before, the nameless fan that comes up to me, saying, 'Lestat, here, take me,' gesturing to their thin little throat! Whoever you are," I said, extending my finger out to her, "Who do you think you are to harass me? Do you not know that I am a monster? That I could rip your heart out with my own hand before you could so much as blink those silvered eyes of yours? What is it that you want from me, coming here, watching me, calling out my name?"
The strange woman simply laughed, a glorious sound that reminded me of those small bells tied cruelly to a cat's neck, chiming as it walks. She elegantly waved her other hand in front of her mouth as she laughed, like a saloon girl would with a fan, keeping her other hand extended towards me still.
"Lestat, Lestat, that is just like you.. to wave out threats without knowing your opponent." She slowly walked towards me, keeping her hand extended, as if she meant for me to take that small, glowing hand into my own.
"Who are you," I said, incredulous, as I could almost feel that immense power she held hidden in her delicate little shell, circling around me, analyzing me with those cold, silver eyes. "What is it that you want?"
"My name," she murmured, "Is Lilith. I am the queen, the mother of the true demon race. The first! The one who started it all," she said, letting the words roll off her serpentine tongue and flow into my ears. "And I've chosen you. You, Lestat de Lioncourt, the self-proclaimed devil, the brat prince, to come along with me, into a paradise like you could not possibly imagine."
Much to her surprise, I laughed. I laughed directly in her face. "I have no reason to believe you," I said. "You who just come to me like this! Appear out of nowhere and expect me to respect you? That is truly a laugh." And I forced another laugh out of myself for effect.
"I do not expect any sort of respect from you," she said, maddeningly calm, which made me tempted to hurl all sorts of insults at her just to see if I could get any kind of rise out of her. She smiled at me again, and just continued, although I had the feeling that she knew what I was thinking. "I have been watching you, for many a year now, since the day you killed those wolves with your own sword. Since the night Magnus came to you and made you into one of those pseudo-demons that most look down upon. I have watched you, smiled with you, wept with you, and my dear, nearly fallen in love with you. You are simply magnificent, and I must have you for my purpose."
While I was pondering the words, "Nearly fallen in love," she took my hand and grasped it hard. I was taken aback with her strength, because she seemed such a frail creature.
"Oh really," I said, a little preoccupied in thought to come up with a better retort. "And what purpose would that be, pray tell?"
"I would like to redesign this world by the fruit of my womb," she said, whispering it into my ear, the whisper sending a shiver down my spine. "You'd like me to prove it to you, hm?"
Her words confused me. I didn't know what she meant, and furthermore, I didn't know if what I thought she was hinting at was even physically possible.
"Come with me, Lestat," she said, and the world around me seemed to be dissolved in some sort of black haze. It was dizzying, and chaotic, and I seemed to turn in a spiral of madness before a room materialized all around me.
Flower petals gently rained down onto me, and my eyes widened as I could smell the aroma of scented oils and candles. And the room itself was blindingly beautiful. Rich tapestries hung on the walls, plush oriental carpets decked the floors, old-style lanterns hung from the walls, and the light gently reflected off of the wallpaper, which shined a metallic pattern of falling autumn leaves. But most distinguishing of all was the extremely large bed near the center of the room against the wall, whose oak bedposts reached nearly to the ceiling. And about the room there was the continual flicker of gold.
I turned quickly to the woman who had led me to this place, Lilith. "Why have you brought me here," I demanded of her. I spread my arms, my palms pointing upwards, my face donning a confused expression that seemed partially enraged. "What do you want of me?!? What does all of this mean?"
Lilith simply laughed. "I thought I had told you, sweet prince."
"All you said was something about the fruit of your womb. Oh, no. That isn't possible!"
Lilith laughed again, this time it was more a girlish giggle. "Silly Lestat! You cannot possibly understand. Not until you taste of my crimson river." Once this was said, she lifted her hand and grabbed her dark mane and pulled it away from her neck. "Come, Lestat. Drink."
Suddenly the blood scent was intoxicating, and I was soon in front of her like a moth to the flame. I wrapped my arms around her slender waist, and pulled her lush body against my own. I could feel her heart beat against mine. Slowly, I lowered my head down to her neck, and I let my fangs brush up against the soft skin of her throat. But, I hesitated.
"Is something the matter," she murmured seductively into my ear. "Surely you have hungered for something more since you tasted of Akasha's blood."
I drew back. "Akasha? What do you know of Akasha?" I did not demand it of her, but her words were enough to make me hesitate longer. Still, the scent of her blood was overpowering, and I nearly felt dizzy.
"Akasha is nothing," she murmured, and took my hand, drawing me close. "Now drink, Lestat, drink! And all will be revealed."
There was a certain urgency to her words that would have normally made me suspicious, but the blood scent was too much, and the hunger was mounting to a height that it was almost painful. I roughly pulled her close to me and without the slightest hesitation I sank my fangs deep into her throat.
Her blood poured into my mouth and I savored the flavor. This blood was unlike anything I had ever tasted before. It was very thick, like a syrup it seemed, and it was hot. So very hot. In fact it seemed like there had to be some sort of foreign spices in it, and oh! It was like fire! And it was like I could feel her heart beating in my mouth, as if the very organ itself was pumping more of the delicious fluid down my throat. And I could hear her voice in my mind, although she was not even moving her lips, saying to me, "Drink, Lestat, drink more!" My hands clutched tighter to her delicate frame, my fingers digging into her body with all my preternatural strength. It would have caused a mortal to cry out in pain, but Lilith did not so much as move, as if she could not feel it at all.
Suddenly I had to disengage and I shoved her back violently. The entire room began to spin. My skin felt alive! It was filled with feeling as though a violent blaze was traveling throughout my whole body and spreading throughout under the thin layer of my skin. I could feel almost everything! The cool draft blowing against my skin, the comforting heat of the lantern onto my skin. It was revolutionary! It was like nothing I could remember feeling before. And I could feel a mounting desire traveling throughout my entire body, shooting up my legs, down my arms, and centering into my stomach.
And the room seemed to glow now, not like before. Things seemed to transform. I could almost see faces looking back at me from the lantern's light.
My entire face must have been contorted in some sort of amazed look, as Lilith looked at my face then laughed. "Lovely isn't it," she said. "Are you pleased, sweet Lestat?"
Before I could scarce move she had lunged at me and tackled me down onto her plush satin bed. Her nails seemed to extend as she ripped every article of clothing I was wearing into shreds.
Her fingertip traced down my own unused organ, and it seemed to spring to life. I was amazed as I could feel it! And this was beyond anything I had ever felt as a mortal. The pleasure of it cascaded throughout my entire body and seemed to hold me captive, as if it became my whole world. And more disturbing still, the bedposts seemed to begin to writhe like serpents, no, they became like serpents, perpetually moving to imitate the way a snake crawls.
Quickly, as if she didn't have much time, she parted her legs over me and pushed the fullness of my organ into herself. My eyes widen, and I cried out, as my entire body seemed entrenched by her spell. My mind was blank and filled with visions of snakes and apples which I could barely understand. She continued to move myself in and out of her, and I did nothing to stop her, laying still. Until the moment when my entire body seemed raptured by her touch, and I could feel something pouring out of me and into her. She quickly got off of me, and fell to my side, and as the serpentine bedposts became still and retained their original state, my organ too fell back to its usual relaxed position, and my skin started slowly to grow cold, harden, and go back to its usual white vampiric luster.
And I was in a panic. "No, no," I called out, half dazed. "More! More! I must have more! This is unfair! This is not right! More!!!"
Lilith smiled and simply kissed my cheek. "By this time tomorrow night, you will be a father, Lestat."
I heard her but I was not listening, and I grabbed her arm and made a fierce effort to try to pull her back to me that I might sink my fangs back into her luscious neck, such a soft neck, a lovely neck.
She shoved me back down and shook her head. Without a word, she snapped her fingers, and I was back in my little apartment, maddened, and very alone.

Chapter Three

I had just gotten dressed when Louis arrived home. Naturally, I was very excited, and I rushed out to tell Louis all that had occurred.
Louis de Pointe du Lac was one of the first vampires I had ever sired, and we share a bit of a love-hate relationship, though I like to think that it is more the former than the latter. He used to be the weakest of us all, until he drank more of my blood, which made him stronger. He has dark hair that contrasts well with his lovely green eyes. He is much more reserved than I am, resigned, and much more into the arts and reveres life more than I am and do.
Louis listened with a straight face throughout the duration of my tale, then he swiftly turned so I could not see his face.
"You don't believe me, Louis?"
"Lestat, I am beyond not believing you. Too much has happened that I have no reason not to believe you now. But I am."
Louis turned back to face me, and I could see anger reflected in his vivid green eyes. "How could you do such a stupid, reckless thing?!? Have you learned nothing! Who knows the extent of this woman's power, her intent? Did you think of the risk you were putting your life and other's lives at? Who knows who she is, what she is, for god's sake! My god! How could you do such a stupid, stupid thing?"
I smiled rather impishly at his words. I sort of knew Louis would behave this way. "But aren't you curious? Don't you want to see what will happen? I mean, she must be very powerful, for her blood to transform me like that. To be able to see! Those colors, those lights, those visions!"
"You sound like one of those drug addicts," Louis mumbled, but I did not let him interrupt me.
"And imagine! Imagine! If what this Lilith said is true, then I will have a child. A child, Louis, can you picture that? The first true-born spawn of a vampire."
Louis shuddered, and his hands clenched tightly into fists that I could nearly see his cold veins pulsating underneath his skin. "Why are you doing such a thing, Lestat? Do you really want such a thing? Did you learn nothing from Claudia?"
"What a marvelous idea. If the child is a girl, I think I should like to name her Claudia."
This simply enraged Louis, a sight which I found dreadfully entertaining. "How dare you, Lestat! How dare you! I can't believe you would say such a thing, much less do such a thing!"

"I like to be unpredictable," I said, and started to laugh cheerfully.
"And in doing so, that makes you all the more predictable," I heard another familiar voice state. I turned, and saw it was David, another one of our companions.
I turned and saw him, beautiful David. He was taller than I am, with lovely thick brown hair, and determined eyes. He was once in the Talamasca, I mentioned before, and has been one of my most loyal and trusting friends.
"Ah, I believe you've heard most of the conversation?" I smiled at David, glad he arrived. I was interested in his take on the situation.
Louis sneered with disgust and tossed his hands up into the air. "David, maybe you can talk some sense into him," he said, exasperated. "He obviously will never listen to me."

"Well," David said, closing the door behind him and walking towards the center of the room, "Lestat, tell me what you know about this Lilith."
And I told him all that I saw, described her intense beauty, her words, the way her blood tasted and the way it made me feel.
David's face was one of immense concentration. "Lestat, do you know the legend of Lilith?"
I shook my head and told him, "Why no, I haven't. So the little beauty has her very own legend, does she?"
"Yes, she does," David continued. He went and lounged in one of the recliners and took a breath. "Lilith was the first woman, according to the Kabblah and Talmudic lore. She was Adam's first wife, and his equal, as they were made the exact same way, from the clay, so to speak. She refused to submit to Adam, so she fled the Garden of Eden. Adam, heartbroken, prayed for her swift return. God sent a small fleet of angels after Lilith, and they demanded her return. Lilith refused. So God cursed her, saying that all her children would be demons and scores of them would die every day, and Lilith for vengeance said that she would go after the children of man then, and steal them away and kill them. So this is how Lilith became the mother of all demons, and she would go in the nighttime into men and women's houses to try to steal the children away. If a child was giggling in their sleep, it is said Lilith was playing with them, and the parent would have to go tap their nose and tell Lilith to be gone from them. It is also said that Lilith becomes the wife of Samael.."
"But I thought Memnoch had said that he was the only one allowed out."
"Let me finish," David said. "But Samael was castrated so they could not have any children, because their children would surely destroy the world. Samael is the Lord of all Demons. He was the chieftain of the angels of God's throne in heaven, when he was cast out, he became the chieftain of all Satans, or Demons. And Lilith herself is said to be the first succubus, the queen of all demons."
"So Lilith came to you because she wanted yours and hers spawn to destroy the world," Louis said thoughtfully. Then he glared at me. "You see what you've done now, Lestat?"
"Nothing has happened yet, Louis," I said. "Come now. You don't know what will happen!"
"But I'm sure you want to find out," David murmured. "Anyway, Louis, even if Lestat had disagreed, Lilith would probably have taken him by force."
"But there's no way Lestat could have known that she would have," Louis replied. "He just willingly went along with her, he didn't even try. Some strange being, neither human nor vampire, appears to him and he goes along with her like nothing! As if it's all one dandy little tea party."
David looked towards the window. "The sun will be coming up soon," he said rather quietly. "We better prepare for the day."
"Oh," Louis said, as if remembering something. "What about Merrick? Where is she?"
"She said she needed to do something, that she will return in two or three days. Well no more time for chat, we better fix the drapes."
I had nothing more to say, and neither did the other two, so we all began to head to our respected rooms.

Chapter Four
THE DAUGHTER

Lilith birthed the child sometime around noon. "Ah, such a beautiful child," Lilith murmured when she first saw the lovely daughter. She knew what Lestat would want to call this child, and having no objections, she named her Claudia. Claudia grew quickly by the hour, and by three o'clock, she had already taken on the appearance of a three year old.
Claudia had lovely blonde hair in perfect coils, a small nose and perfect, tiny little lips. She also had lovely gray eyes, that easily reflected the colors violet and blue. Lilith enjoyed dressing her up in old time fashions, from one of her favorite time periods, the Renaissance. She dressed her up like a princess and tied white blossoms into her hair.
But there was no time for this.
"Come now Claudia, we must find my handmaiden, Priscilla. There is work to be done! And oh, I have a feeling that little Priscilla has been very, very bad."
And Priscilla was.
Priscilla was a lower level succubus, and Lilith's personal handmaid, which gave her considerable prestige. This would have given most some degree of conceit, but Priscilla was always passionate and pure- at least as pure as a succubus can be. However, lately the other succubi had been trying to influence Priscilla, especially her own twin sister, Michelle. Michelle was jealous of Priscilla's position, so she tried telling Priscilla that she could get away with more due to being Lilith's favorite. And Michelle very well knew that Lilith is a very strict mistress, favorite or no.
This evening Priscilla was traveling along the road of a small town that was surrounded by woods. She was on the more shady part of town, the low neon glow of the surrounding bars and clubs casting their glow upon her long, lustrous brown hair that hung in intricate waves a little below her chest. Her daring brown eyes slowly found what she was looking for - a man that she and Lilith had both been watching for quite some time now - Stephen.
Stephen had always intrigued Priscilla especially.
He was a bit of the solitary type, always alone, although under it all he was considerably lonely. He was also and excellent artist, and Priscilla found herself falling in love with his paintings. He was tall, and had two-tone hair.. much like Two Face from the Batman films, but one side was dark brown, the other blonde.
Priscilla had found him first, but Lilith claimed him even after Priscilla had expressed her interest in him.
But tonight, Priscilla thought that Lilith would be preoccupied with Lestat's child, Claudia. So she tracked Stephen down, and went up to him. Today, Stephen was walking around this shady section of town, trying to sell some of his drawings to tattoo shops.
He noticed Priscilla immediately, as she was blindingly beautiful, as a succubus should be.
"Well hello there," he greeted her, though it was out of his nature. But a succubus has a magnetic grip on any man she meets, and he was already drawn towards her. "What's a pretty girl like you doing on this side of town? You could get hurt."
Priscilla felt her blood rush up to her cheeks, her cheeks growing hot and reddening. "Would you be the type to hurt me?" She smiled at him, surprised at her own bashfulness. A succubus, shy with a man? It didn't seem possible. But oh! How Priscilla admired the man, how she had watched him afar for so long, like Selene watched over Endymion.
"Of course not," he said, making a swooping bow as an old time gentleman would. "If anything, I would protect you, of course."

"But," Priscilla whispered, walking over to him and pressing her body softly against his own, "What if I asked you. to hurt me?"
Stephen's voice caught in his throat. "Now why," he mumbled into her ear, "Would you do that?"
She pushed him deep into the dark alley, where she thought no one could see them. Quickly, her fingertip glided down the seam of his pants and it seemed to unbutton by some magical force. She pulled up the hem of her own pure white dress, and quickly he pushed himself into her, his breath growing heavier and accelerating.
How happy Priscilla was! At last she had her beloved Stephen, and she quickly pumped her hips, to meet him blow for blow. She felt the pleasure mounting her, she was about to achieve her climax.. when..
"Priscilla.. how dare you. And in an alleyway, of all places."
Her goddess, her mistress, Lilith stood before her in all her ebony glory, her midnight dark hair shining like the night. Priscilla quickly dismounted and bowed. "Please, please, I.. you know how I felt!"
"So passionate and pure," Lilith said demurely, placing her fingertips to Priscilla's chin and forcing her head up to look at her. "And that was one of the reasons why I adored you so. And look! Look!" She forced her to look at Stephen, who had his soul drained out of him during the short conversation and fell down to the ground. His large brown eyes that Priscilla found so beautiful to gaze into for hours grew vacant, his skin seemed to lose its luster, and his body its movement completely.
Priscilla gasped. "NO! No!" She quickly turned to face Lilith and glared at her. "How could you!"
Lilith sneered. "You dare?! I chose him for myself. I would have feasted on him tonight, had you not spoiled things. But ah well, while I am disappointed I still have use for you yet."
Lilith stepped to the side, her skirts rustling as she did so. And the child Claudia stood there, her curly hair longer now, looking a little older now, at least four years of age. Her gray eyes looked at Priscilla curiously.
"Claudia," Lilith said, boredly, "Go get her. Rip her throat out, and bring her plump little heart back to me. Come now, mommy wants it!"
Claudia looked up at Priscilla, her face straight, then her tiny lips curved into a terrible, nearly lip-splitting grin.
"I'll give you a head start," Lilith stated matter-of-factly. "Now go! Run!"
Priscilla didn't understand how a small child like this could kill her, but her eyes went wide with fear, and she turned, running deep into the woods. Claudia was soon after her, flying in mid-air, and Priscilla began to scream.
Her long brown hair flew behind her, the pure golden strands that framed her face brushed against the visage, brambles tore at her smooth ivory legs, branches scratched at her face, and Claudia just laughed innocently behind her, as if it were all a simple game.
Priscilla was nearing a river, then she fell down. A rock cut into her right hand, and she winced, biting her lip. Mud caked her white dress now, and she quickly stood, turning. The child was gone. Priscilla's chest heaved, as relief flooded her system. "I'm safe," she said softly, then turned towards the river, and gasped.
Claudia floated directly above her, smiling sweetly.
"Sweet.sweet child," Priscilla began to say, pleadingly. "You.. wouldn't hurt me would you? You wouldn't hurt a simple hand mai..AAAH!"
She screamed as Claudia lunged down, and bit her fanged teeth deep into Priscilla's thin throat, and in one simple yanking motion of her head, as a dog might do, she effectively liberated Priscilla's jugular vein from her throat, and her little fist punched through Priscilla's chest, finding the still beating heart and taking that too from her body.
Priscilla's eyes went wide, her mouth formed into a circle, and she fell into the river, the body floating away.
Lilith appeared directly beside Claudia, the blood from Priscilla had ran down Claudia's little neck and stained the chest of the dress. Lilith sighed.
"So dreadfully hard to find good help in this day and age," she said as she watched Priscilla's body float downstream. Then she turned to Claudia. "And gosh! Your dress is totally ruined. Come, let's go to the castle."

Claudia handed the heart to Lilith, and she took it, and bit deep into it.
"Blech. Tastes rotten, just like the girl's soul was," she said, and tossed it into the river. Then, she took Claudia's hand, and that dark spiraling portal appeared above them, and Claudia and her mother floated up into it.

Chapter Five
INTO THE CASTLE

Samael walked slowly down one of the narrow stone hallways of his castle. He was very tall, reaching a good 7 feet easily, although he could change his form if he chose. And since he had indeed been an angel, Samael of course was excruciatingly beautiful. His tree-bark brown hair hung freely and wildly about his face, accenting his large violet eyes, delicate nose, and full rosy lips. His body had a nice muscular build, which could be easily seen in the way that the maroon velvet clothing he usually wore clung to his skin. He also had a fondness for long billowing capes, in which he chose black to complement the maroon.
Samael's day had been quite trying for him. Two of his prime advisors, Natalia and Mykael had been trying to sway his mind on several topics, and while he valued their opinion, he much preferred to do 'his own thing'. Tonight, he had been looking forward to Lilith's return. She had told him she would be gone for two nights, and he didn't mind. She was a succubus, and she had needs that he simply could fulfill. He understood.
However, tonight, she crossed the line.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a little yellow-haired child running across the hall, for a fleeting moment. He swiftly turned, and followed after her. A child, in the castle no less? There were no children in his castle, and there was no reason for them to be.
The child began to ran faster, and Samael was in hot pursuit, until he decided that he had enough toying with the child, and simply increased his speed so much so that in one blurred movement, he appeared to appear directly in front of her. He snatched the child up by the front of her dress, and pulled her up into midair.
The child whimpered as he examined the exquisite loveliness of the child. Her golden tresses, perfect spirals of gold, her rebellious gray eyes, her heart-shaped lips. He noticed that dried blood caked the child's throat and the front of her little Medieval dress, and he shook her, making her cry out, laughing at the sound.
"Now, where did you come from?" He smiled devilishly at the child. "Where? Or shall I have to.. play with you to get the information out of you? Yes? You would like that wouldn't you." He laughed again and shook her harder, watching her tiny head shake violently at the movement, and she started to cry. A small stream of blood tears trailed down her cheeks as she wailed out for her mother.
At the sight of this, Samael quickly threw her against the wall, and the child began to cry louder.
"Blood tears? A vampire? A vampire wretch in my own home? Who dares allow this!!"
Samael quickly began to draw his jeweled sword from the scabbard, when Lilith appeared.
"Samael.. You will not hurt this child," She said, situating herself to stand directly in front of the child. "I will not allow it."
"Whose ill-begotten wench is this?" Samael yelled at her, still not sheathing his blade. "Whose?!? I will not allow a vampire wretch in here! Do you not know? Vampires are a mistake! They are not true demons, but mortals who pretend to be! They are a mockery to all it means to be a demon! I despise them all, and you, my own wife, knowing this, allows a vampire scum into my home! My place of business!"
Lilith sighed, and turning to the crying child, scooped her up into her arms as if she were a doll and cradled her, murmuring to her that she must be good, that she must be quiet, that mommy will handle this.
Samael felt his temples pulse, and he felt like screaming, like snatching that little child out of Lilith's hands and bashing her tiny head against the wall.
"You dare show such affection to a beast like that in front of me!!"
Lilith turned swiftly to meet him and glared. "How dare you speak like that about my daughter." Seeing the shock upon his face, she smiled. "Yes, that's right. Claudia here, is my daughter."
Samael swallowed hard, unable to contain his shock. Finally, he managed to choke out, "And..the father?"
"A vampire. That is all you need to know. I do not need you trying to seek out the father."
At this, Samael became enraged, repeating to her that Vampires are a mockery to all things demon, that what she had done had simply crossed the line.
Lilith shrugged. "There is nothing you can do about it," she replied calmly.
Samael smirked, then turned. "I give you till the morning to remove this .. thing from our home. Wife or no, some things I cannot allow. And I will not allow this."
Coolly, he moved to leave the vicinity. "If I find her in the morn, I shall kill her. And your forgiveness will not be an issue. If it is, we will find a way to alleviate that, shall we?"
Lilith screamed at him, her voice reaching high pitches that only a banshee could, making the child Claudia writhe in her arms and cry out.
Samael frowned at her, and stopped his walking for a short moment. "Lilith, I am being merciful. You know I love you, I have loved you since the dawn of time, but do not ask for more."
And with that, he vanished.
A tear slowly ran down Lilith's cheek and splashed down softly onto Claudia's dress.
"I suppose I have no choice then," Lilith murmured, bouncing Claudia gently in her arms. "I suppose I have to take you to your father."

Chapter Six

That day, while I was sleeping, I had the most curious dream. It is true in the past that often I dreamt of Claudia, the ill-fated child vampire Claudia that is- but I hadn't for some time and this came as quite a disturbing surprise.
I was back at my flat in Rue Royale, and I was in Claudia's old room. It seemed older though, as though I was back when Claudia was alive. Her mural of the fantasy-land on her walls so fresh, as if it had just been painted. The rivers, and streams, and forests she adored.
"You've come, Lestat."
I remembered her sweet little voice, as a small child's voice should be. But Claudia's was measured and toned, as a matured woman's should be.
"Why wouldn't I come," I had told her in this dream, and had bent down to her to look her eye-to-eye.
"Oh, arrogant father. Don't you see? You're going to be in trouble. Big trouble." She pointed her finger at me, that tiny little finger, those chubby little arms! Her stunning yellow hair decked in those bonnet ribbons. Those fancy dresses we bought her to wear.
It was as if nothing had changed, nothing at all. "Oh, but much has changed," Claudia had told me, and turned. "For your sake, you should hope for the better."
"And what will you hope for, my sweet?" Claudia had smiled evilly at me, those tiny, precious little lips curling intoan expression that did not seem correct for her angelic little face. "My dear father, I should hope you burn in hell."
At this, the sun was down, and I awoke, abruptly. I was laying in my bed, the windows covered up with shutters and thick heavy drapes to keep the sun out. I sat up, already being fully dressed as I did not change my attire from last evening, smoothed out my hair and stepped out into the living room.
Louis and David were already awake, and were looking at me intently as I entered the room.
"Good evening," I said playfully, reaching over to toy with a lock of Louis's hair. He moved his head slightly to the left so I couldn't touch him, but I persisted until he reached up and moved my hand roughly out of the way.
"This is not a good time to play games, Lestat," David warned me. "Louis and I both had disturbing dreams last night."
"Dreams? What is this talk of dreams," I said with a laugh, and turned, although I too was somewhat troubled.
"We both dreamt of Claudia," Louis said to me. "And David wasn't even alive to meet her."
I turned, and shrugged, dismissing it. "And what is that supposed to mean to me? Do you think I care?" My tone was angry, perhaps more angry than I had intended it to sound. I turned swiftly again, and David put his hand on my shoulder. He was about to say something when we heard a knock on the door. I twitched. The knocking continued, but no one moved to answer the door.
"Well? Isn't anyone going to answer that," I said impatiently. No one said anything or moved, so I swiftly went, and pulled the door wide open.
What stood there astounded me. Lilith, in a dark chashmere dress with the top so low one could almost see the whole of her breasts, and standing by her side, a shy and timid girl who appeared about six, with curled yellow hair, small little lips.. Why she looked exactly like the Claudia we all knew, except when she opened her eyes to gaze at me, I nearly could have thought for a moment that I was staring into a mirror to look into my very own eyes.
My daughter.
"Claudia," Lilith said, "This is your father. Say hello to your Papa!" The child's eyes widened, and she ran up to me, and wrapped her chubby little arms around my legs.
"Be good, and listen to your father," She said warmly to her. "He will protect you." Then, she looked up at me. "Your daughter's life could be in danger. Be wary and take care of her." And Lilith turned, preparing to be on her way.
"But wait," I said. "Who is after her?" "Soon, the whole of the world will be her enemy," Lilith said. "Do not let her die until she is ready to do so." And with that, Lilith was gone.
I looked down, my heart filled with strange joy to just look at the child. My daughter. Mine. And she was as beautiful as I had expected her to be.
I scooped her up into my arms and looked at her face. "Claudia, Claudia. What a good girl you are, yes?" Then I noticed the blood staining her cute little gown. "And with a voracious appetite too, I presume?"
I turned to face Louis, and despite his earlier protests, he was looking at the child in awe. David too, was well perplexed.
All I did was smile, and said, "I am assured that all your doubts are washed away now, hmm?" I smiled, heading to the bathroom with the girl, then stopped midway there and turned to Louis. "Well, Louis? Aren't you going to help me bathe her? The poor thing has caked blood all over her."
Louis, like a wordless zombie, followed after me, and we left David in the living room.
Louis and I enjoyed bathing her, washing her golden hair, scrubbing her skin and rubbing lotion into it until it was like silk. Louis had in his eye a happy, but almost forlorn look, and I had the feeling that in his mind he was thinking about redemption lost with the previous Claudia.
Claudia too enjoyed it, giggling and splashing us with water. Despite it all, she was quite the sweet child.
Louis and I spent the rest of the evening playing with her, and talking to her. We learned from Claudia that some tall man with a big cape had been threatening her, and shaking her. She had told us the whole tale, David intensely listening in the background.
Then, I resigned myself to sit in the living room with David while Louis took Claudia to my room, to tell her marvelous little stories that would fill her dreams with lavish feasts and dancing princesses.
And I was content. Louis's hatred had melted away at the sight of the girl, and she had completely won me over, with her innocent beauty and sweet demeanor.
David, however, was not at ease. "Her story sounded like it was referring to the fallen angel, Samael, who I believe I briefly told you about before."
I shrugged. "What does it matter? Matters not to me."
David narrowed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "I just wish I knew better what was going on! I think tomorrow night I'm going to do some additional research."

"Do whatever you want to waste your night," I said. "I believe Louis and I are going to take Claudia to buy some new dresses."
"Do what you please as well, Lestat," David said, then abruptly got up, took my face in his hands and kissed me roughly on the mouth. "Just please.. Please don't give me cause for worry."

I simply smiled, shrugging off his gesture. "Do I ever, really?" I turned with a laugh and got ready for my sleep, as the sun would be rising very soon.

Chapter Seven

That evening, I was roused from my sleep by Louis shaking me violently. Annoyed, I shoved him off of me and got up abruptly.
"Louis," I muttered, running my fingers through my hair as I sat on the edge of my bed. "What are you doing?"
"Lestat, there is something you must see." Then he grabbed me by my arm and pulled me into the living room.
What I saw was quite the surprise. Claudia stood there, looking about the age of 11. Her body was taller and lean, somewhat plucky, her arms longer and slender. Her face had rounded out a little more, her eyes a little larger, and her mouth seemed more heart-shaped and generous, a little bit like my own. Her curled hair was much longer now, reaching down to her waist. She had a thin white sheet wrapped around her slender frame, looking up to me with eyes slightly widened, her lower lip quivering.
"She has no clothes," Louis said, and looked up at me. "She'd outgrown what she had before already."
"I can see that," I said with slight sarcasm.
David entered the room from the other adjoining room with one of his dress shirts and slacks. He handed them to her, and she took them, nodded a 'thank you' and scurried off to the restroom to change.
"We should take her out to buy her some new dresses," I said. "Imagine all the pretty sort of things we can get for her in this day and age!"
"I have a feeling that she'd outgrow those quickly enough too," Louis replied softly. Then his eyes seemed to get misty with old memories. "Lestat, this is a sort of a blessing isn't it? I can see.. I can see with my own eyes how Claudia would have looked had we not interfered in her life, had we let her grow.."
"And to think you were once adamant against my decision," I said, giving a quiet chuckle.
"Oh, but I still am," he said. "But I can't take that out on an innocent child."
"So you're going to take it out on me?"
Louis's lips just seemed to reflect a ghost of a smile. "You're terribly bad, you know that? But you only like it when I tell you, so I can't tell you anything without you enjoying it."
Claudia then came out of the bathroom. She looked quite the comical sight, with the much too large pants looking like a pair of gray circus tents on her legs, and the dress shirt like a limp sail on the mast of a ship.
She looked at me, an urgent look in her eyes, her lips twisting into a frown that did not match her face too well.
"Oh," I said, spreading my arms to behold her, "This will never do, will it Louis? David?"
David smiled and shrugged. "No, Lestat, I guess not." So, I gathered the barefooted maiden up into my arms, and we headed out to the nearest clothing shop.
On this side of town, the three of us had benefits. If any of us were hungry, the streets were decked with all sorts of mad denizens waiting to be picked up; if any of us needed clothing of any type, all sorts of stores lined the streets. And it was to one of these stores that we headed now. And there was always something of interest going on. Concerts, plays, shows of all types. The city was constantly alive.
It was a small children's clothing store, in which the clerk continued to give us strange looks at Claudia's attire. Claudia was happy though, searching through the clothing for something she might like.
"Anything you want is yours, Claudia," I told her. "Choose to your heart's content!"
Claudia turned her little face to me and smiled brightly. I smiled back at her, and I must say I could almost sense a warm feeling inside. Dismissing it, I moved to stand next to her and watch her.
Eventually, she chose a small black sleeveless dress that had a little chain going around the waist.
"That makes you look very adult, Claudia," David told her with a chuckle. At this comment Claudia frowned, looking down at herself in the dress she had chosen. "Should I get something else then?" She looked up at me with those widened eyes that now seemed to reflect violet.
"Why, no, Claudia my dear! You look beautiful," I honestly told her. At this, she smiled and spun in a circle before me, looking like a sweet faerie in a whirlwind.
Claudia then chose a pair of cute, small black shoes that had a nice shine to them, the type with a small flat heel and a strap to secure them in place.
After that, David, Louis and I took Claudia out on the town. We took her to a lovely little violin concert in the park (and she fell in love with the sound), to an art exhibit, and to the beach so she might watch the sea. Claudia fell in love with all these things, and at this Louis was very pleased.
"She has the vampire eyes," he said quietly to himself.
I didn't understand what he meant, but Louis seemed so happy like I hadn't seen in a long time, and I didn't really care, so I didn't question him. We just watched David and Claudia playing on the beach together, silently.
"I wonder how long this will last," Louis said after a period of silence. "I wonder.. If she'll be ripped away from us, like before."
"Only if you try to get her to kill me, like before," I said, suppressing a laugh. Louis was about to say something more, when Claudia rushed up to me, tugging on my pant leg.
"Father, I want a violin! I want to make pretty music like the men played in the park!"
I looked down at her smiling face, and I swear to you this child was more beautiful than any painting Boticelli could have ever created, or any angel in heaven. She was truly Helen of Troy, incarnate.
"Anything you like, you will have!" And as I said this, I took her in my arms and swung her around.
It seemed exceedingly rare to have a peaceful moment. So our days seemed to progress like this. I had purchased a violin for Claudia, which she never tired of playing, day after day. Some days she would hole herself up in one of the rooms, just playing, and playing. And she continued to grow. Before long she appeared to be at age 15, next, she seemed almost an adult- a seedling adult, about 18 or 19; no more, no less.
It was at this age that she ceased growing altogether. I was a bit relieved, because now we could buy her all sorts of clothing without her having to worry about outgrowing them. Claudia was very intrigued with my old style clothing, so we had a dressmaker come to recreate the dresses of my era. She decked her golden curls in bonnet ribbons, and wore all sorts of elaborate dresses you would have expected to see on a noblewoman.
Louis seemed a bit saddened yet pleased at the same time at this sight, and I knew he was thinking that 'So this is how Claudia would have looked if we hadn't done this, and 'I am seeing how she would have looked like that', and on and on, the boring conundrum of thoughts that constantly riddles Louis's mind. Louis continued to take Claudia out to places, and taught her to marvel at the wonders of this world around her at all times. I thought it was a bit silly, but then again, I never really cared for such things, did I?
And though I didn't really care to notice it at the time, it seemed that Claudia and Louis were getting abnormally close.
David too was enthralled with the girl. He began to teach her of all sorts of things that he had learned all his life and in the Talamasca. She was a fast learner and took to it quickly, and before he knew it, in a matter of days she had already devoured all the knowledge he had to give.
David, however, was riddled with worry. It was three weeks, and Merrick hadn't returned yet. I had told him not to worry, that it was like Merrick to do these things, but then again these words were mindless comfort and in all reality I did not know her so well.
But then again, I was comfortable and happy- why should I have really cared?

Chapter Eight

DEVIOUS INTENTIONS

Samael paced in front of his table of advisors. He was in one of his secret rooms that, while everyone knew about it, even Lilith did not know its whereabouts. It was a small room, with a huge tapestry on the wall that had Samael's sigil as its chief design.
There was a 'table' towards the center of the room, but it was more like a series of pulpits connected together.
Samael's three chief advisors sat at this table: Mykael, Natalia, and Tristan.
Mykael was somewhat short and dark, with smoldering dark eyes and a wild, untamed mane of dark hair. Mykael was the common sense of the bunch, and the most devious as well, as he was always thinking up useable plans and efficient ways for Samael to do things. Out of all his advisors, Samael valued his opinion the most.
Then, there was Natalia. Samael liked her very much, as she was the one that sated his bloodthirsty nature. Natalia was the first that wanted him to draw for the kill, and many a time Samael disregarded common sense and followed her word just as an excuse. Natalia was tall, ethereal and pale, her gaudy ebony curls framing her face and giving her an irreproachable stance.
Finally, there was Tristan. He was the most attractive of the bunch, with his unruly blonde hair and blue-violet eyes. He was also very tall, and the most muscular of the bunch. He excelled at all things, marksmanship, hunting, combat, etcetera. However, his submissive nature made him fail at ever hoping to become a leader. Tristan was dreamy and idealistic, but he was also the most sensible and with the most morals. He acted as Samael's conscience, if it is necessary for a fallen angel to have one. And he always functions as the "I told you so."
It was before these three that Samael stood now, explaining his predicament to them. Since he had seen the girl Claudia, his rage commenced to grow to biblical proportions.
"I don't even know how to find the child," Samael yelled at them, tearing at his hair with his muscular, shapely hands. "Lilith refuses to tell me, and besides that, she's veiled the child so that way I can't find her myself!"
Natalia sneered, then chuckled, pressing the back of her hand to her lips. "Just go after all the vampires! Kill them all! I want to see their dark blood stain the walls!"
Tristan was just silent, and seemed mortified at the thought, while Mykael added, "Calm down, Nat, remember what happened at the last Buffy convention?"
Natalia rolled her eyes and turned her face away, while Samael commenced to grow even angrier.
"I didn't come here to play games," He said, the rage mounting in his voice. "If I wanted your comedy routine, I would have asked for it!"
Dripping with sarcasm, Mykael mimicked, "If I wanted your comedy routine, I would have asked for it!"
Samael cast a glare onto Mykael that would have made Medusa's blood run cold, and Tristan and Natalia looked at each other, fearful that Samael may do something drastic.
Mykael, however, was not fearful. He waved his hands in front of his chest with a sigh, then said, "Oh, please. I have no time for this drama club. You should have known that, of course, I already have a plan."
Crossing his arms, Samael turned away to glower and dwell to himself. "This better be good," he mumbled, as he only allowed Mykael's insubordination because he valued his opinion.
"Obviously, you need one of them on our side," Mykael continued. "They'll trust one of their own."
"But how," Tristan questioned. "They're pretty much a close-knit society. It would be impossibly hard to get one to betray the others."
"One that is hurting," Mykael grinned maliciously, tapping his fingers together. "One that will blame the others for his loss."
"It sounds like you've already got a candidate," Natalia said. "Is that so, Mykael? But how?"
"I've got my ways," Mykael replied. "His name.. Is Daniel Molloy." Samael was silent for a few moments, recalling the name. "You mean the one that wrote Interview with the Vampire?"
Mykael nodded. "That's right," he said, with a tone that one might have thought he was talking to a small child. "The vampire Armand had turned him into one of them not so long ago. However, according to my sources.. Daniel thinks that Armand is dead, and he's suffering."
Tristan's eyes widened, his lips lightly quivering as he asked, "Is Armand really dead?"
"Who cares," Natalia countered. "I say, the only good vamp is a dead one! Kill them all I say! Samael, let us drown them in their own blood! Let's see if they like blood so much then!"
Samael turned, rubbing his chin softly with his index finger and thumb. "I favor Mykael's plan," he said. His lips then curved into an irrepressible grin. "So.how should we proceed?"

Chapter Nine

Daniel Molloy sat alone in barren, stale apartment, hunched over his knees, with his palms pressed against his eyes. Since that night that he had seen on the news.. Armand, hurtling down from the top floor of some building, bursting into flames.. He had only felt two emotions: loneliness, and despair.
The deep, resonating ache in his chest had refused to fade all this time. And all he thought of was Armand. He thought of Armand, he felt for Armand, he breathed in Armand. It seemed to him that he had never even been this enraptured with Armand even when he was alive. Oh, his Amadeo.
He didn't know who to blame, he was unsure of what to think of the situation. Confusion was his wine and his bread. All he knew was that he wanted his master, his lover, Armand.
Daniel rarely went out anymore. The only times he left his lonely little apartment was to feed, or to pick up a royalty check for Interview with the Vampire for a little bit of money just to pay the rent.
And as vampires go, Daniel was just a simple fledgling. He was only recently made. His skin still seemed soft to the touch, it still seemed alive- if barely. His eyes were now dark, brooding, yet vacant. His dark hair had lost its sheen, and was wild, having been unmanaged in some time. Mortals who had seen him always thought him to be a homeless bum, or a druggie.
And so, this was the state Daniel was in when the fallen angel Samael came to him with a proposition.
A large, spiraling, dark oval of a portal opened up and widened onto the ceiling. It seemed flat up on the ceiling, as if it were a simple door being opened. A fierce wind seemed to rip through, ruffling Daniel's hair roughly, and blowing one of his royalty checks that had yet to be cashed across the room. "Hey!" Daniel quickly got up to go after the check, and while he was surprised of the portal, he didn't really care if anything happened to him; he didn't really care if it meant his death.
And then Samael began to descend from the gaping mouth. His velvet cape billowed about him, his dark hair flying about his face in a movement that seemed almost theatrical. His lips spread into a coy grin as his feet finally touched the ground.
Daniel turned around with a maddened expression on his face, then his lips twisted into a grimace as he yelled, "What the fuck?"
Samael's grin grew wider, as he brought out his arms in front of him in a comforting gesture. "Yes, what the fuck indeed," Samael said in a benign, benevolent tone. "You poor child, you've been suffering, I see it now. And to think you suffer so for a cause that is not even your fault!"
Daniel's muscles tensed, as he crouched down into an almost fighting stance. Like a cat he bared his fangs at Samael, unsure what to make of him. "What the hell do you know," Daniel yelled again. "What the hell are you?"
"I am your loving guardian angel," Samael said with as much love in his tone that he found as sickeningly possible. "And I've come to help you."
"I don't need your help," Daniel grumbled. What he needed was Armand. And Samael knew this.
"I know who really killed Armand," Samael said soothingly. "It was the other vampires. The others! I will help you get back at them, if you choose to help me."
Daniel's eyes widened. His suspicions were right! He always thought Lestat was responsible. After all, Lestat hated Armand.. Or at least Daniel thought he did. Daniel also believed that only Lestat would be capable of doing such a thing. More thoughts continued to race through Daniel's mind when Samael, reading his thoughts, asked, "How would we find this.. Vampire Lestat?"
Daniel's muscles relaxed, and he hunched upwards more comfortably into a standing position. "What does it matter," he sighed. "Vengeance would be nice, but.. It won't bring Armand back."
"What if I told you that it might?" Samael smiled, drew his hand upwards, and snapped his fingers. What happened next astounded Daniel.
Armand seemed to appear right before him. Armand in all of his glory, reaching out to Daniel, calling his name. "Daniel, Daniel, you must listen to the Angel, Daniel. You must avenge my death! Do not let me die in vain!"
"Armand! I won't! I won't let you!!" Daniel raced over to the apparition, reaching out to grab the vision of Armand, when Samael snapped his fingers together again, making it promptly disappear. To this, Daniel quickly whirled around to face Samael again, and cried out, "Bring him back! How can you do this to me!"
Samael reached out to take Daniel's hand. "Armand will come back to you and love you again if you help me," he told him gently. "It is his wish."
Daniel looked at the outstretched hand, and he began to reach out to grab onto it, cautious and hesitating. "If this.. is Armand's desire," he whispered slowly, "Then, how can I to refuse?"
Samael grinned once more. "I was hoping you'd see it this way," he said, and grabbing Daniel's hand, he pulled him closer to himself and wrapped his arms around him in a tight embrace. Then, the two began to ascend into the gaping mouth above them.
Daniel was amazed when they finally came to a stopping point. He looked around his incredible surroundings, and saw that he was in a room that seemed to be enshrouded in a purple mist, with dark floors and a high ceiling. Samael ushered Daniel into the center of the room, and asked him, "So tell me boy: How can we find the Vampire Lestat?"
Daniel furrowed his brow, and nervously ran his tongue over his lips. "I honestly have no idea," he said finally after a moment of silence. "He used to live in New Orleans, but he moved away from that area. God knows where he is now."
Samael continued to push Daniel towards the center, shaking his head. "It is a terrible situation, but I think I might have a tool that will help us."
Then, he handed Daniel a long leather whip, and on the thick cable part used for the smacking, were hundreds of rose thorns meant to bite into the flesh. It had been cured with some form of acid that was unrecognizable to Daniel.
"How is this going to help anything," Daniel asked, looking at it perplexed, until he finally took the handle into his hand.
"Turn around, and you'll see."
Daniel followed Samael's instructions, and saw, in her terrible beauty, Merrick, chained with some sort of thick metal to an X-shaped stone shield that a tall, malevolent statue of an unknown god was holding. Merrick's dark hair was matted all about her, her skin bleeding in certain areas, but healing quickly. She looked up at Daniel with her tormented green eyes, her lips trembling. "Help me," she whispered, but her throat was too hoarse to make a louder plea.
"This one might know," Samael said. "But she isn't cooperating. Extract the information from her any way you wish. You may even find that whip to come in handy."
Daniel nodded wordlessly, and he stepped up in front of Merrick. He swallowed hard, knowing that in this moment, he would betray his entire race. He would forsake them all. He had to question himself if this was worth it.
Apparently, it was. Daniel snapped the whip hard across Merrick's legs, hearing the rose thorns rip across her ivory flesh. Merrick screamed hoarsely, and it was a terrible, terrible sound.
"Tell me," Daniel whispered, his eyes wide as a small blood tear streamed down his cheek, his words shaky and uneven. "Tell me, where is the Vampire Lestat!"
"How can you do this," Merrick cried out. "Why?" "Shut up!" Daniel snapped the whip menacingly close to her body. "I'm the one asking the questions!"
Samael turned away to hide his pleased smile. Now, it was just a matter of time.

Chapter Ten

Claudia

Life seemed to go well for the four of us. These past few weeks, I had grown tremendously, both in mind and soul. David was a wonderful teacher, and he taught me all sorts of things, from simple reading and writing to occult lore. On the topic of occult lore, I had asked him once why I should know these things, and he had replied that sometimes, but not always, there were more to these tales than what met the eye.
To this day I still adore David, his lovely British accent and his fierce eyes. But he was always distracted. He continually asked the others about some woman named Merrick, and while they didn't really talk about her for David's sake, I had gotten the impression that she was one of them.
Of course that was all it was- simple adoration. My father, Lestat, I naturally love dearly. He was my teacher in all subjects that the other two refused to touch. He taught me to be proud of what I am and my nature, although even Father himself does not know the extent of these things. His face was perpetually animated, and it was easy to see what he was thinking of reflected on his face. My own gestures seemed like a mirror of his own, and I became a bit rebellious like him-if in a more subdued manner. Also, I have an easier time concealing my emotions when I have to. But usually, I took on his need for grandeur, his need for anything spectacular.
Louis was a different story. I always had felt drawn to him, even as a child. There was a dreamy aspect to him, equally nightmarish, that created an impenetrable wall there. A wall few could really get through. Father managed to do it all the time, but that was only because he knew Louis so well. He always seemed to know what Louis was thinking. David hardly breached it at all. I don't think they scarcely knew about the wall, but I saw it. I knew it was there. And behind that wall was a terrible void.
I wanted to get over that wall. I always tried, but it was there. It became a terrible fascination. As a result I spent more and more time with Louis, and we became closer. Father and David began to notice how much time we spent together, and Father even seemed a little annoyed by it, but he never really said anything.
The time Louis and I spent together was absolutely lovely. I wouldn't have traded it for anything, anything at all. Sometimes he would just sit beside me and listen to me play the violin. Sometimes we would just sit there together, doing nothing at all. And my feelings continued to grow.
Finally, one evening, Louis and I could be really alone. David had wanted to be alone with Father, and the two went out together. And Louis and I were alone together in one of the rooms.
Louis looked up at me with those bright, vivid green eyes that I would almost feel found when I looked at them, and asked me, "Should we go out? I don't want you to get bored."
I walked slowly over to him, almost feeling like I was going to float, and threw my arms around his neck, leaning against him. "I just want to be alone with you," I murmured softly into his ear. "Just to be together."
Louis hesitated, then I felt his arms circling around my waist. "Claudia," he whispered.
Slowly, I leaned my face against his and pressed my lips softly against his own. I could hear him intake a quick breath, then the gentle pressure of his mouth pressing back against my own. My eyes were half closed almost dreamily, my flesh feeling delighted as I ran my fingers slowly through his silken hair. He responded by deepening the kiss, allowing me to feel the heat of his mouth, allowing me to slowly move my tongue into his mouth. At this, Louis quickly broke the kiss, and looked deeply into my eyes. He took in another sharp breath.
"When you look into my eyes, you see him, don't you," I said, my tone one of despair.
"Your eyes are identical to his, it is true," he said slowly, turning his head away so I could not see his expression. "But.. You are so much more different than him."
"Then why do you always pull away from me," I asked, my voice feeling thick, my eyes watery. "Why?"
"Because.. you make me remember her." Her. The first Claudia. And in that moment, I hated her. Because of her, Louis suffered so, because of her, Louis can't be with me?
"I love you." At the sound of those three words, my eyes widened, and it seemed my own heart would stop. Those three words I had been so longing to hear, finally escaping the prison of his mouth!
Then I felt a sinking feeling, as I had to ask, "But.. you mean as a daughter, don't you Louis?" My voice began to feel thick again as blood tears began to run down my cheeks.
I felt his thumb graze my cheek, taking my tears away. "No," he responded, his tone sounding so serious I almost felt ashamed. "My every waking thought is of you, being with you, hearing your voice. I.. I can not imagine what I would do if something were to happen to you. My soul would die. I've loved a few others in my lifetime, but never, never so deep and profound as what I feel now."
I leaned my head against the curve of his shoulder, and for a brief moment, I pressed my lips firmly against his neck. "I love you too, Louis."
He buried his face deeply into my thick curly hair, and it was just the two of us, one heart beating next to the other.
It was at this moment that Father and David came home for something.
Father recoiled when he saw us together. "Excuse me. Am I interrupting something?"
Louis's head shot up from where it lay buried in my nest of hair, and looked towards Lestat. "Why no, actually," he said with a tone of belligerence, "I was just professing my undying love for your daughter. Unless you find that to be something of consequence, then no."
I looked with widened eyes at my father, staring into his gray eyes that were identical to my own. At times, I was angry when I looked at his eyes, because I felt lost. Sometimes I felt like I wasn't an individual, that I was just a clone. A clone of the previous, ever-present Claudia, set with Lestat's eyes. Sometimes I felt like I could never escape her ghost. Tonight I had actually thought things were beginning to turn, I had felt true bliss.
But, I loved Father most in the world, if next to Louis. I didn't want to anger him. I didn't want to hurt him. If loving Louis did these things then I would simply.
Lestat shook his head, smiled, then laughed with mock gusto. "Well, Claudia, do you accept this declaration?"
My lips grew into a reflexive smile, and I nodded. "Of course," I said faintly, hoping Father wouldn't be upset, although he had no reason to be. At least I didn't think he did.
Lestat waltzed over and patted Louis roughly on the shoulder. "I love you as well, Louis, though you may not think on it too often. However. Claudia is my daughter. The only one I should think I will ever have. And as long as she is happy, I have no problems. But break her heart, anger her, give her some cause for jealousy." He smiled brightly, a strange smile I had never seen on his face before. "Then I shall have to make your body burst into a million flames!" He laughed again, that same, mock laughter, grabbed his gloves off of the desk (apparently that is why he returned), made a show of putting them on, hooked his arm under David's, and the two were off.
Louis slowly turned his head to my own, and looked into my eyes, his eyes set with a faint glimmer of confusion. "I daresay that I've never seen him act like that before," he said. "But then again. he's never had a daughter before."
I made a little happy sigh, and saying nothing to reply, I went back to my self-appointed task of getting my lips better acquainted with his own.

Chapter Eleven

Lestat

By the end of the week, David was frantic. Merrick hadn't returned, and no mindless bit of consoling could comfort him. And Louis and Claudia weren't helping, either. They were too enraptured with each other, and went out so often that at times I barely got to see either of them. I must say that for once in my life, I was actually a little jealous of Louis. He had gotten Claudia's attention more than I had. However, I had my hands full with David's worries and problems, and Claudia was happy, so I didn't pay much attention to it.
The following few nights, I humored David and allowed him to pull me all over the city, and exploited my powers to take him everywhere across the country, and then some, all in search for Merrick. Okay, so I was a little bit concerned. But I didn't pay much mind to it. Merrick was known to go off and do things on her own. And I didn't care, she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She is a vampire AND a witch, there isn't many forces in this world that I know of, save the ancients, that could easily take her down. I told these things to David, but it didn't faze him.
I was growing excessively weary of it all. And then, something terribly curious happened. We had another visitor.
It was late one evening, Louis and Claudia had themselves draped over each other on the sofa, silently reading out of an old book of poems, David doing some research on Lilith/Samael lore, and I was listening to some classical music on the radio. We were all interrupted from our preoccupations when a loud, obtrusive knock sounded on the door.
I sighed, running my fingers through my disheveled mass of hair, secretly hoping it wasn't Lilith coming to end our lives of mindless contentment. What I saw, however, was beyond surprising.
Maharet stood in the doorway, her long red hair slightly messed, curving frantically around her face that was slightly tanned due to being out in the sun, her eyes looking weak and tired, the blood scent coming from them maddening. Maharet is one of the oldest of our kind, and by far one of the most powerful. She is as old as the Mother of us All was, and her only weakness was probably her eyes, as her eyes when she was a mortal were plucked out. She now has to resort to getting the eyes of mortals, and she usually chooses blue.
It was disturbing, seeing her there, staring at me with those pulsing blue eyes.
"This is unexpected." I simply let the words pop out of my mouth, without really thinking on them.
With her inconceivable strength, Maharet shoved me away from her path.
"Where is she?"

There was a certain rage to her tone, that I could not identify. And this excited me because it never happened before. In the back of my mind, I wondered what would happen.
Bewildered David stood, attempting to properly address her. "Maharet. Is there something we can help you with?"
Maharet simply gritted her teeth, grabbed the very surprised Louis by the front of his shirt, pried him off Claudia and sent him stumbling across the room.
"I cannot allow you to live," Maharet then said, her voice changing to a much more calm demeanor. "I am sorry. But that is the way things must be."
Then, I realized the extent of what was going on. I quickly stood up, and yelled, "Maharet! No! I won't let you!" Louis's cries soon joined my own.
"No! You can't do this, she has done nothing to harm you or anyone! She doesn't even feed!"

Claudia lay half curled up in a ball on the couch, her features paralyzed with fear. I almost attempted to make a rush at her, but she held up her hand towards me, and gave me the wordless threat that she would indeed destroy me if she had to. But Claudia was my child! The only child I would ever have! She was a sheer miracle, something that may and could never happen again in this world. And it wasn't my nature to take orders from her or any ancient. I continued to saunter forwards unevenly towards Maharet.
"I won't let you." Maharet looked at me coldly. "Why are you so attached to this girl," she said. "Its apparent why Louis is.. But you? I don't see the connection."
Then she turned and studied Claudia's face, and a wave of surprise struck her. "I see. But in any case, mercy never helped anyone."
A long torch of fire seemed to emanate from Maharet's eyes and fly towards Claudia. I gasped and tried to run forward towards her, to protect her, to do something, and Louis was quickly on his feet as well, a blur, trying to shield her or do something.
Then I heard her unearthly scream. "NO!!!" A strange wave of nothingness struck both Louis and I and sent us both flying backwards, away from her, and bursting upwards from the floor, an ethereal wall of fire. It had an appearance like natural fire, but then, there was a strange quality that made you know it was not so. Perhaps it was its intensity, the way it blazed..
And Maharet's fire seemed to only blend into it, like the way the flame of a birthday candle might in a bonfire. Then, the ethereal fire seemed to cage Maharet, and threatened to close in on her.
Claudia looked surprised for an instant at the show of her own power, but then her face merely gained a sated look, a look of determination to protect. The way a mother animal might look when she protects her pups.
"I don't want to have to strike to kill," she said slowly, her voice faltering. "But. don't ever come here again. Don't ever threaten me, nor Louis, nor Father, nor David. I won't allow it, not now, or ever. You are a fool to think I would. To think I would just lay here and do nothing while you made feeble attempts to destroy me. No. I'm sorry if I disappointed you."
Louis seemed silently relieved in two respects: One, that Claudia was safe, and Two, that she did not make to kill Maharet. I was relieved as well, but more so for the former than the latter.
Claudia lowered her eyelids, and the flame immediately dissipated. I think she scarce knew her own powers, and I could see they frightened her.
"Please leave," was all she said. Maharet stood speechless. Obviously this was something she could not comprehend.
After her initial moment of shock, she turned towards the door. "I will return, Lestat," she said to me quietly. "With others. Don't think I've given up yet. But if our entire race is destroyed, I will personally come after you."
I chuckled at her threat, then slammed the door as she left. Then, Claudia collapsed onto the floor, crying, and I could see the charred carpet bits where her flames had stood. Louis quickly moved towards her, and embraced her almost crushingly against his chest. I walked over to her and gently mussed her hair, David a wordless sentinel in the background.
"Don't worry, Claudia," I said. And for once, I had nothing else more to say.

Chapter Twelve

For the next three days, we were busy packing up our meager belongings and had planned to leave. Too many unexpected guests were arriving here as they pleased, and we feared it would attract unwanted attention. David, however, was reluctant to leave, as Merrick had never returned. Louis was also concerned, as he and Merrick had a few brief romantic encounters, but since he and Claudia had grown 'closer', he seemed to mostly lose interest in any topic having to do with Merrick. This sounds cold, but knowing Merrick, she was probably off somewhere, so none of us thought much of it. David could not be comforted, however.
"What if the Talamasca got to her? Who knows what they were planning!" He yelled, and paced back and forth, seeming to wear holes into the carpet with all his pacing.
"Merrick could easily destroy any one of them," I said dismissively, abhorring the mundane tasks of placing our trivial objects in boxes. I would not have normally done it, but David was insisting on not leaving behind any possible evidence or anything that may leave residual cells on it, that they may attempt to figure the secret of the Dark Blood.
"Then.. what about Lilith, or Samael?"

"We have no reason to believe that they would do anything to harm Merrick."
"Ah, but we do," he countered. "Remember how Claudia described Samael's threatening of her? How he went on about how he loathed vampires? Of course if Samael knew Claudia's whereabouts, he would have came here already. But he hasn't, so apparently he doesn't. Maybe they took Merrick, to interrogate her.."

I stood up, and smacked my legs decisively. I narrowed my eyes at David, and I felt that I had humored him long enough. So many weeks have passed, and all he could do was drone on about Merrick. Merrick, Merrick, Merrick! I was getting sick of it already and I had hoped he'd just stop with it already. But he didn't, and he hasn't, and if I heard her name one more time.
"Lestat, what are we going to do about her? So much could have happened to Merrick by now!"
"That's it," I said, and slapped him soundly across the face, hard, but not too hard to send him reeling or anything. This is not to say I was not without compassion, I understood how he felt. But that goes without saying.
"I've had enough," I continued. "Merrick is more than capable of defending herself. You are hardly giving her enough credit! And beyond that, I'm just tired of hearing it! She'll return when she's good and ready!"

David's chest heaved, and he bit on his lower lip. Then, his eyes lit up. "Describe to me once more the portal you and Lilith went through, when she took you to her bedchamber."
So, I did. David was listening intently, which made me a tad bit suspicious. I continued though, not really giving much heed to it.
"We have no reason to believe that Claudia doesn't have the same power," David continued. "Maybe she could take us to Merrick!"
I sighed out of frustration, and bitterly agreed. "Fine," I said. "Let's find out."
David and I headed into the adjoining room where Louis and Claudia were at. Claudia was singing, and playing the violin along with her strange tune. I had never heard her sing before, and I was surprised at how good she was. Her voice was crystalline, angelic, and lovely. I stood for awhile at the door with David, and simply listened, as she sang,
"I always sit in the cold Where it's dark, and alone.

Is it because the dark is the only place Where you can find a shadow? You find me there, you bring me warmth Carry me down, to the hearth It isn't a home, it is a sepulture You throw me down, into the pyre. You watch my tears burn away Burning in you, burning in me, burning away.."

Then I heard that awful sound a violin is capable of making, the terrible scratching sound one makes either when pressing down to hard or improperly. Obviously, our intrusion was distracting.
"That was amazing," I said, and David and I began to clap. Claudia's face reddened into a blush, then gave a slight curtsy. Louis smiled.
"She is, isn't she," he said. "She's just embarrassed." He began to stand, away from where he was laying on the bed that he and Claudia shared. "She wrote the words, too."
I gave Claudia a gentle embraced, then stood back and beheld her. "Interesting words, what was their meaning?"
She gave a little sigh, and turned, placing her violin on its stand. "It is about being nothing more than someone else's shadow, and that you aren't allowed to live the same life twice."
I was about to say something more, when David rushed past me and placed his hands on Claudia's shoulders. "Tell me Claudia, have you learned of you powers of teleportation?"
"Well. I experimented a little with it," she softly confessed. "I've had nominal success."
"And where did you use it to teleport to?" I inquired as I stared at her.
"Louis and I went to visit his brother's grave," she mumbled, and this enraged me. I didn't know the true reason why, if I was just angry that she shared so much with Louis she didn't share with me, or if it was just the unspoken rules we had in my household that only I was allowed to break. "You are forbidden to go back to New Orleans," I said with clenched teeth. "Louis, you know that! If I am not allowed back, for fear of the freaking Talamasca, than none of you are to return!"
"She wanted to see," Louis said matter-of-factly. "There was no harm in it. Besides, they couldn't follow us even if they wanted to."
My shoulders slumped. He was right, but then again I never liked to admit it when others were right.
"What is your reason for asking, Father?" Her tone was so sweet any residual anger melted away instantly. I sighed, feeling a little ashamed (just a little) and turned to face David. "He wanted to know."
David looked into Claudia's eyes, his eyebrows raised, worry apparent on his face. "Is there a way you could take me to Merrick?"
"I think so," Claudia said. David turned towards me without any hesitation visible on his person. "Let's do it, Lestat."
"We don't know where she might be. We may appear in a compromising area."
"She might need help."

"Fine, as long as Claudia can get us back."
"I can."

"Very well, it is decided then. Let's go. Just tell us what to do. Claudia instructed the three of us to hold on tightly to her body, and to concentrate on everything we knew of Merrick.
In a few moments, she must have locked onto Merrick's aura or something like that, because we soon found ourselves floating, ascending into a dark, spiraling abyss.

Chapter Thirteen

Claudia

I cannot begin to describe to you what I beheld. It was a horror in itself. There was so much that I had not seen. I faintly remember that as I child I had once done a thing that was of equal, perhaps lesser, vileness. I barely remember chasing down a young woman, ripping out her throat with my teeth and giving the heart as an offering to my mother.
This was somewhat comparable to what we saw here. At least I thought at the time it was. Father, Louis, David and I arrived in some strange place. I have to say it must have been some sort of parallel universe on its own. Then again, I was ignorant of such things.
Anyway, we were surrounded by a dense fog. Bits of it were pure purple, its natural color, but the majority of it was red. If gas could be stained, then this was it. At least gas can be tainted, I think, and this gas was tainted heavily with the droplets of blood. Not to mention, much to my disgust. Bits of undead gore floating in its mix. Also, the entire room reeked with affliction. The stench of death held immense power over our standing, and death's shadow seemed directly over my shoulder. When we entered this place, the four of us were immediately hit with feelings of nervousness, dread, and bitter anxiety.
David the worst of all. He was tearing at his hair, the stench and the sight of the floating bits of gore distressing him beyond all belief. Also, it became worse.. much worse, when he saw her, chained to this massive, ancient looking sentinel.
Merrick, I presumed. Dangling like a virgin sacrifice, barely clinging to life. She was held with thick, metal chains that seemed very sturdy by the looks of them. She was swathed in her own blood, her flesh torn in all sorts of areas of her body. It didn't look good, by any means.
David, in a frantic, ran up to her. "Merrick, oh my God! Merrick! Are you alright!" Father rushed over to join him, and Louis, and then I, all yanking at the chains, until finally our combined strength managed to liberate Merrick from her chains. In reality she fell like a stone, hurtled is more like the word, to the ground, her hair flying back from her in a large blackened fury. To us four, however, she seemed to go slow motion, to float, her clothing flying around her gently in a ripple of bloodied torn rags, her hair gently caressing her brutalized face.
David caught her. He held her close to him, cradling her gently. "Merrick, oh, Merrick, please, speak to me." Blood tears ran down his cheeks, one dropping down onto Merrick's cheek.
"Uh.."

Sound. Movement. She slowly tilted her head towards David, and the remaining three of us watched, captivated by her movement, which seemed to take an eternity.
"No, don't speak," he murmured, thinking better of himself. He held his free wrist to her mouth, so she might drink, regain strength. She did, biting slowly into his wrist with no visible hesitation. She drank deeply for a few long minutes, her actions obviously draining David much to an extent it was a wordless communications from us three. However, David did not falter, and in a moment, Merrick had drunk her fill from him. We had expected she would rejuvenate immediately, but instead, her head fell back, and she fell back into slumber.
David looked up to me with tear-stained eyes, asking me the meaning of this. Asking me what this meant, like I should know. I may be the product of Lestat and Lilith, but all I have is the wit of the former and the strength of the latter. Not the courage, not the knowledge, and hardly the wisdom. I was at a loss. He seemed to expect something of me but I did not know what to give. Also, I didn't think I was the proper one to give it.
Louis just looked at me with a wordless stare. "Let's get out of here!" His words were urgent, and I knew he was right. There was no time for melodrama, least of all here.
Father wordlessly agreed, having been shocked by this display. The trio crowded around me, I embraced them all as best as I could, and in less than a moment's time we were back at our apartment.
David lay Merrick on a bed; she slept so deeply I wondered if she could ever wake up.
Louis was examining her wounds. "They're pretty bad, but she should heal quickly, in no time." He bit his lip and turned away, fear evident in his eyes. As I understand, he doted on her, once. Before I came.
A sudden unexpected guilt punched me in the face, so hard, I almost staggered backwards. If I had never came, Merrick would not be hurt. Had I never came, no one would be in danger. Had I never came.. Louis would still be doting on Merrick.
I hated myself then with all my will. I wish I would simply disappear. Suddenly I felt weak, dizzy, faint. I felt like all my strength had just depleted, left my system. My legs could no longer hold me, and I fell to the ground like a porcelain doll being carelessly discarded by a vain child.
Father rushed to my side, and Louis also, and they grabbed my arms trying to life me up to my legs, asking me in a flurry of questions what was wrong. But my limbs simply felt heavy, useless. My eyelids grew heavy. I suddenly felt as if I should die, all through an act of will. I felt like my soul would drain away, and all I had to do was wish it..
This was when Louis grabbed me, slammed me against the wall in desperation, and roughly kissed my mouth. I daresay, it was enough to drive me out of my self -pity, at least for now. My eyes widened, and I felt life slowly seeping back through me. Very slowly, for my will was not all too great.
"Claudia," Louis said, his voice thick with despair mingled with hope. "What happened?"
Father stood like an imposing gollum in the background. His usually impish eyes had lost their glow, looking at me with something in his eyes I seldom saw. No, make that never.
Fear. It frightened me beyond anything, to see my father afraid. Yes. It did.
"I simply wished to die." David walked up to me and did something I'll never forget, he slapped me so hard across the face the entire room went reeling.
I stumbled upwards and into Father's arms as he shouted that David was being an idiot, a fool, and how dare he raise a hand to me. Louis's raging objections rang the room louder than even Father's. David was merely apathetic to the verbal onslaught, and he yelled louder over them all.
"She's being selfish," he nearly howled. "Here Merrick is laying covered in her own gore, and she's thinking that she should die! I won't have it in Merrick's presence, not now. Just please." He turned back towards the sleeping Merrick and waved his hand dismissively in our direction. "Just go." Father gently swayed me over to Louis, giving him a stern look to go. Louis gently took me into the living room, and Father let David have it.
I had never heard him speak to David like that before, and I felt guiltier than ever.
It was then we had a visitor at our door. I was surprised, and then Louis answered it. Louis was even more surprised.
A vampire stood there, and he appeared to have been somewhat young when he died, but well into manhood. Louis apparently recognized him.
"Daniel, what are you doing here," Louis asked softly, too well disturbed to be imposing.
"I heard a rumor you were here," Daniel said, his beady eyes darting around the room, until they came to rest on me. He seemed to be drenched with blood sweat, wringing his hands together, precariously nervous, anxious. "So. It is true. The herald of the apocalypse is here, the female form of the Antichrist."
Louis sneered, getting ready to push Daniel out of our home. "What the hell are you rambling about? I've had my fill of games, and I don't need them anymore. Tell me what you want, or get the hell away from me. And her." He nodded his head towards me. "Okay?"
"You're stressed," Daniel said, calming somewhat. "Is something the matter?"

"There's no reason for you to care," Louis said coldly, slamming the door in his face and turning towards me. "Do you know what that was all about?"
I shook my head, passionate and pure, and ran towards him, wrapping my thin arms tightly around his waist. "No, Louis," I said, my voice thick with sadness, choking on tears as the blood tears ran down my cheeks. "No, I don't, and I am afraid!"
His hold tightened on me, and we had nothing more to say, just the silent hope between each other that for now, the horror had ended.
But oh, little did we know that it had just begun.

Chapter Fourteen

Lestat

Now, I was beyond frustration. I did some things and said some things that maybe, in all my conscience, should have regretted. But I didn't then, and I don't now.
I grabbed David roughly by his shoulders, and spun him away from Merrick's sleeping body. At least I have the decency not to disturb people in their sleep. I cursed and shoved him into the adjoining restroom, taking care not to slam the door too loudly.
"If you ever," I said, my tone dripping with malice, "If you ever even think to raise your hand to my daughter again, I will do certain things to you so terrible that not even I in my anger can think of them now!"
David's eyes remained cold and impassive. His tone was neutral. "Is that a threat, or is it a promise, Lestat? I cannot very well recall when you have spoken to me so."
"Oh, it's a promise," I said, turning away from him, walking into the other room to join the others. "You can bet on it."
The rest of the night went as you can very well guess. Boring. As the sun rose we all went to our respectable sleeping areas, but in the morning, something happened that was damned strange.
Where we woke up, it was not where we lay down to sleep. It was that room where we found Merrick, enveloped in purple smog. I was there, David was there, Louis was there, and much to my chagrin, Claudia was there.
We were all laying, and as slowly as we were to get up, I saw someone there I did recognize. That damn weasel, Daniel Molloy. The one who had interviewed Louis, Armand's fledgling. I was surprised and disgusted all at the same time. What place he had in this strange puzzle, I had no idea yet. But I saw something clenched in his hand.
It was the dark handle of a long whip, studded with what appeared to be rose thorns. I could smell an odor of something like acid emanating from the lash. And he had the audacity to snap it towards me, as if that little toy could threaten me, the Vampire Lestat! I could have almost wept at the humor of it. And I did. I stood, and laughed in front of him, a laugh so hearty blood tears traced their ways down my cheeks, and I wiped them away with a few showy flicks of my wrists.
"Ah, Daniel," I said, letting the words draw out and almost slur on my tongue. "You haven't lost your sense of humor."
"Say what you will, Lestat," he said, quivering with rage for reasons I didn't know. "But I will avenge Armand's death."
"Armand?" I smiled complacently at the boy. "What is this that you speak? Armand tried to kill himself. That's all. And if he hasn't come home to you yet, then I can certainly see why."
Daniel's eyes narrowed, and he lashed the whip again. "Whatever you say, Lestat. Whatever you say. I'd much rather believe lies fresh off of the Devil's tongue."
I spread my arms benignly. "Then you shall have them. The sky is red, grass is purple, and Armand was in my bed last night, telling me how much he'd rather be in my arms than yours."
This enraged Daniel that once again he sent his lash flying towards me, this time, with an intent to hit me, his target. I grabbed the lash without any thought at all, tightening my grip on it, letting the gentle pain of the rose thorns bite into my flesh, when I felt the burn. I cursed in French at let go of the lash, examining my hand. And it was burned. I could see my skin dark and charred around the area that the rose thorns had bit into. Then I heard Daniel's mocking laugh.
"This time, I have the upper hand," he said in challenge. "I'd like to see what you propose to do. But, give me the girl," he gestured towards Claudia, "And I'll go so far as to let the other two go unharmed. You are a different story."
I stepped up to him, and much to his surprise, I used my much superior strength to slap the little toy out of his hands. "Say it again, I dare you." I grabbed him by the wrist and began to squeeze it. "Come on, Daniel. Has your audacity faded away so quickly?"
Daniel pulled himself away, but not before he made an effort to grab his lash again. I picked it up before he could, and struck him in the legs with it. His mouth widened and he gaped at me, in anger. Then his lips pursed into a strange grin. "If you think that's the only plaything I've got to mess you up, Lestat, you're wrong."
I grinned. "Is that so, boy?"
"Yes, it is," said Daniel in reply. And reaching down into depths of a smog so thick not even my keen Vampire abilities were able to make much of it, he produced a long, iron blade. A blade laced with the same scent of acid I had detected before. "En garde."
So it was Daniel and I, whip against blade. I was about to meet him head on in battle when a familiar voice rocked the two of us.
"Enough!"
It was Armand's voice, calm and radiant as it ever had been. We turned and saw him, emerging from the depths of the smog. His porcelain face, his thick auburn hair that floated about him so easily, all that abhorred beauty shone like a star in the purple darkness. Daniel gaped, and there was pure silence. The loud sound of the sword clattering on the ground shattered it. "Ar.Armand," he stuttered. "You're.alive!"
"Of course I am, you fool," he said, his voice dripping with an anger I had never heard before. "And you.you, my child, my lover, have betrayed us all."
Daniel made a sound of protest, running up to Armand, Armand slamming his fists into the back of Daniel's head, making him black out.
"Let's get out of here."
Claudia, David, and Louis had been silent the entire time, watching, and now they were stunned. But Claudia nodded, but before she could do anything, Armand interrupted. "Focus on my thoughts, and we'll be at my home."
She nodded. And in the blink of an eye, we were there. It was his home in Miami, and we could see through a small window the dark purple skies, and the peaceful clash of the ocean against the beach.
Armand carried Daniel's unconscious body to a couch, and dropped him onto it. "He shall be properly punished," he assured us.
And there was someone else standing there, one I did not recognize. Two, rather.
One was about Armand's height, with lovely brown hair, full lips stretched into a thin frown, and a lovely long nose. He was quite handsome, and by the looks of him, Italian like Armand. He was also very young when he died, by the looks of him. Standing next to him was a woman, also young when she died. She was a bit taller than him, with long black hair that complemented her porcelain features, an oval face, and crimson lips. Her dark eyes stared back at me. She wore a long, plain but velvet dress, maroon with little decoration. A gold circlet accent with pearls wore delicately in her hair. He wore, by the looks of him, attire fit for a nobleman in the Age of Gold of Italy.
My eyes widened in slight disbelief, and I turned to Armand. "Who are these people?"
The woman curtsied, in synch with the boy's generous bow. "I am Vittorio di Raniari, and this," he said, gesturing to the woman beside him, "Is my love and maker, Ursula."
With that, he slowly walked over to the speechless Claudia, examining her. "Curious," He said, his Italian accent thick and making him a bit not comprehensible, "Her soul seems as black as night, but her heart as pure as gold."
"What in the hell," I heard Louis murmur, gathering Claudia to him protectively.
"I met them not long ago," Armand said, trying to calm us. "They're on our side. The ancients, however, are not swayed to join us."
"What in God's name are you talking about," David said. "What's going on? And Merrick? Where is she?"
"She's safe upstairs," Armand said dismissively. "We have more important matters to discuss."
And the entire tale was unraveled. The fallen angel Samael was after Claudia and myself, planning to destroy us both. And his unfaithful wife, Lilith, had plans to use Claudia to make it into her own spiteful view of the world.
Obviously, this would not do for us. Samael despised the vampire race, and would soon destroy us all if he had his way.
"No!" Louis's eyes welled with tears, and he pulled Claudia's body close to his own. "No, I won't let this happen. Claudia, I won't lose you. I'd be destroyed if I allowed it."
She caressed his face for a fleeting moment, then pulled away. "I'll do what I have to," she said firmly, nodding. "To save you, Louis. To save you, Father. David, Armand, Vittorio, Ursula, yes, even Daniel.. Everyone."
Armand nodded, but I protested. "Mon Dieu! This is unspeakable! Claudia, you don't have to do anything. And neither do any of you. This is ridiculous." However I was grasping the issue at hand, and my protests were meaningless, even to myself.
Armand knew this and said nothing. "I'm not sure what you'll have to do, Claudia, but it may involve a final conflict with the fallen Angel. I am still learning what I can."
Vittorio nodded towards Armand. "Amadeo, we will help however we can."
Armand simply looked at me with a smile that read, "I am glad to see you." "Everyone should just get settled in proper rooms for now," was what he actually said. "Everyone's upset, or confused. Tomorrow evening, we make plans."
So it was agreed. Claudia and Louis wanted a room together, David demanded to be at Merrick's side, and naturally Vittorio and Ursula already had their own room together. To my dismay, me alone with Armand.
Armand took my arm. "There's a lot I have to tell you." So he did, as he chained Daniel to the wall down in the basement.

Chapter Fifteen

Claudia

Louis and I spent the rest of the evening together, alone in the nearest room. I was not paying much attention to our surroundings, but it was quite lovely as far as I looked. The walls were sponge painted a delicate cerulean color, the doors that were made of glass also acted as windows, heavy shutters on the inside that somehow did not seem quite out of pace. These doors connected to a white balcony that overlooked the sea, and one could hear quite audibly the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. Thin, sheer silk drapes floated gently as a breeze passed through them, making them wave; Louis had opened the doors. Through the open doors we could smell the soft spices of the sea, and the condense of the night. However, none of this seemed to entice me as much as what I saw before me. Louis, in all his beauty. His eyes shown vividly by the moonlight, the ocean breeze gently ruffling his hair. The thin light of the moon also reflected on his pale as death cheeks, which somehow seemed to reflect a barely noticeable blush.
I was entranced as always to behold him, and my body yielded to his
without much thought. He held me close, fervently whispering into my
ear, "I love you, Claudia, I cannot bear to lose you."
My own arms wove tightly around his waist. "I love you too Louis, more than you can ever know."
We stayed like that for a while, holding each other and murmuring professions of love to one another. Until finally, he withdrew, and I left with a decision.
"We might very well die," I told him. "So there's something I want to do. Please.. I don't know if it will work, but if Lilith's blood has the power, there's no reason mine might not."
He was confused for a moment, until he realized my plan. "But Claudia.. there could be grave repercussions."
My eyes filled with the red blood tears. "I don't care, Louis! Let me just know you once, in a way no one has known you before!"
He nodded, silently, all arguments gone from his system. He gently to my arm, and kissed my wrist, then let his teeth dig into my flesh, as carefully as he could. I could feel my blood pour into his mouth.
He drank fully, until there was a visible blush to his cheeks that almost made him look mortal. Then, he pressed the heels of his palms to my shoulders, and pushed me down into the silken sheets of the bed. My dress slid off easily with little or no resistance. As did my undergarments. Louis's clothes flew off too, with little grace, and his warmed lips pressed softly to my neck, then my lips, which parted under his. Our tongues met in a careful dance, his fingertips caressing my ribcage until they found their way to cup my breasts. Then, he carefully pushed himself into me. A gentle pleasure arose from it that I had never known into my entire life, my arms sliding around him as he continued to slowly thrust himself into and out of me, my cries soft and unheeding. He only murmured my name softly, "Claudia, Claudia," which seemed to sound like the crash of the waves against the shore. The wonder of it seemed to go on for greater than an hour.
He spent himself into me, and I could see the flush quickly fading. He knew it too, and simply lay beside me, pulling my body close to his own. "I love you," I whispered to him, his fingertips brushing my cheek.
"I love you as well." His head gently rested against my own, and my eyelids felt heavy, closing.
Knowing the windows were tightly shuttered and draped, I leaned next to him and let myself drift into sleep.
I slept more deeply than I ever did in my entire brief life. I had a strange dream, but it was comforting.
I saw her. She looked almost the same as I did when I appeared to be five, except her eyes were blue instead of gray.
She was wearing bonnet ribbons in her hair, and a lovely Victorian era dress. The original Claudia.
She pointed an elegantly gloved finger to me, and said in a threatening tone, "Don't harm him. Please, don't."
"I would never," I replied, leaning down towards her.
She removed her finger from its place and her tense body relaxed. "I know you won't," she said. "And I'm glad you're here. I was hateful towards him, so hateful. But it is only out of spite that I cannot be what you are, that I cannot have him the way you did."
"I understand."
"Do all that I could never do as a woman," she said. "Because I have done all that you could not do when you were a child."
I nodded, then the sequence ended, and all I dreamt of was Louis.

Chapter Sixteen

Lestat

Armand and I had talked very late into the night about everything. He told me about Vittorio and his peculiar ability to see souls, he told me how he had met him on one of his wanderings in Tuscany. He told me how Maharet had sent him to go find me and try to convince me that Claudia was our enemy, which ended up in finding Daniel about to fight me with a sword. And he told me all that Maharet knew.
It wasn't much, to say the least. Maharet knew much about Lilith and Samael, and wordless Mekare did too. Over the years, they had studied up on lore. Jesse had mentioned before the awe that was their private library, which Maharet had been careful with her not to see too much of. Armand suggested to me that many of these scripts had to do with ancient demonology. At the time when Jesse revealed to me this part of her story, I hadn't quite understood why Maharet had wanted to hide most of it from her. I understood a bit now. What Maharet did realize, however, was Claudia's immense power. She had sensed it the minute Claudia was born, and there was a violent tremor in her body. She had a sudden feeling of oppression, as if she were being closed in on by all sides in a narrow room. And encompassed in that was a feeling of sheer and indefinable horror.
She had pinpointed the feeling and had gone with Mekare to investigate. And she found us, in our little home. She was enraged to find that I was harboring such a creature, and decided it would be best not to get Mekare involved just yet. She wanted to check things out on her own, only to try to destroy Claudia, and was thwarted in what she described as a "dazzling display of power."
Maharet had found Armand first, who had already met with Vittorio and Ursula. Maharet had asked Armand to try to go reason with me, so she and Mekare to the best of their ability had sent him to try and go find me. And he ended up in that strange, clouded place, shocked to find that Daniel had betrayed us.
And so that is what he told me up until now. I absorbed it all although I was much too weary and aggravated to pay much attention. Plus, beyond that, I always made it a point never to listen too closely to what Armand had to say. Perhaps it was a habit, but I never really cared.
After he had described everything, he remained quite after awhile, then just raised his eyes up to my own, as if expecting an answer.
I gave a sneer and turned away. "Well, what do you expect me to do about it?"
He turned away. "Nothing, I suppose. What can you do?"
I didn't like his tone of voice, the way he extended the word "can" and gave it an undertone of deep sarcasm. I gritted my teeth. "What are you trying to say, Armand? Would you like to see what I "can" do?"
He simply smiled at me, picking up the rose thorned lash he had taken with him for what kinds of purposes.. and examined it. "I prefer my own leather stock," he whispered lovingly to it. "But, I'll give it a try."
Disgusted, I arched my head back as he began to smack Daniel across his bare stomach with the rose thorns. Daniel's eyes widened as he awoke suddenly from such a rude awakening, and crying out loudly in response to every smack against his body. He writhed and wailed for Armand's mercy, that he was sorry, that he only did it out of love for Armand.
"Oh. God! God! Armand!! Please, mercy, I love you! Please!"
Armand simply smiled a grin full of anger, love, and sadistic glee. Once again with an infinitely elegant flick of his wrist, he assailed Daniel's helpless body with another round of stern, hard smacks of the lash. "Prepare to be punished, Daniel! Punished, punished, punished!"
I didn't like to hear how he relished those words, and I prepared to take my leave. Daniel screamed. My stomach lurched. I really left then. "Who knows how long he'd be down there," I thought. I made my way to the closest room and chose to forget about it as best as I could. Unfortunately, I had a disturbing dream about it as I slept that day.
A very..disturbing.dream.

Chapter Seventeen

That evening I was greeted with the unpleasant sound of Armand's astonished cries. I got up in a rush from the bed I was sleeping in and rushed up the stairs, to find Armand's figure frozen in the doorway of a bedroom.
"In my bedroom no less?" His eyes were wide as saucers, astonished. "I don't understand it!"
I crowded past him to see what he was looking at, and saw Claudia and Louis cowering beneath the sheets of Armand's bed. I gaped, and again was left with silence.
"We didn't know it was your room! I'm sorry!" Armand shook his head and moved to sit on the corner of the bed. "No no no, never mind that. Tell me, how was it done? Did you two really sleep together?" He smiled widely. "And in the way you know I am implying."
Claudia opened her stunned mouth to reply, and the entire house was rocked with the sound of my unearthly screaming.
That was in the early evening.
Armand had gone out to feed with Vittorio and Ursula, leaving the rest of us alone. For once, I wasn't in the mood to go out. My stomach felt weighed down and heavy with my thoughts. I sneered at Louis and sat back in my chair, while he remained silent.
It was an uneasy silence that lasted at least five minutes, until Claudia broke it.
"Father, please." Blood tears stood in her eyes as she bent down on her knees and placed her hands on my knees. "Don't be angry."
"I'm not angry," I said, shivering while I looked into her eyes. Those eyes, identical to my own. For one brief moment, I thought to myself if Louis thought that when he looked into her eyes. I only looked at her with a feeling of disgust. "I'm tired of your begging for approval all the time. Aren't you your father's daughter?" I stood, abruptly. "This isn't the time to be playing parlor games! Don't you realize what is at hand here?"
I turned and I could have wept, and I like weeping. However I didn't want to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing it, for now.
I was thinking to myself for a moment when Armand and his two friends had came home.
"That was fast," Claudia murmured.
Armand nodded. "It is fairly easy in a city of this magnitude. But there are more important things to discuss, is there not?"
And Armand went over everything with Claudia and Louis, the two listening very thoughtfully.
Claudia looked around nervously and sighed, her lips trembling. "What can we do?"
Vittorio looked at her and told her, "It seems as though you're going to have to confront Lilith, Samael, or both. You should look for higher assistance, mayhap."
"Higher assistance?"
Vittorio looked towards David. "Merrick is a witch, isn't she? And witches can summon deities or spirits, can they not?"
David dug his fingers into his pant legs. "I don't know if she's up to it."
Louis looked up urgently at David in reply. "But what other choice do we have? Samael and Lilith or going to keep making our lives a hell until they have their ways with Claudia."
"Like you already have," I mumbled hotly under my breath, but everyone else ignored it, except for Armand who cast a sly smirk in my direction.
"Who will we summon, anyway? You have to have some general idea."
Vittorio smiled. "To combat an angel, wouldn't an angel best know how?"
I looked up at him stiffly. All my experiences with angels were only bad ones. At least, with Memnoch it was. But according to Memnoch, there were no other fallen angels but himself. Demonology had always said otherwise, but I had believed Memnoch at the time. "What are you proposing?" I asked.
"Let's summon an old friend of mine."
He stood, and we all began to walk towards Merrick's room.

Chapter Eighteen

It took awhile to awaken Merrick. She awoke with a start, continuing to part her lips and press them back together as if she were a fish. She was obviously heavily disoriented and didn't realize where she was. Her eyes were wide and her breath erratic, as if she were terrified.
David clasped her hand tightly and was talking to her in a quiet voice, then pressed his wrist to her lips, allowing her to tear her teeth into his flesh and drink deeply. His face paled a little bit more visibly, and soon Merrick was on her feet, dressed simply in one of her customary shirtwaist dresses, a vivid red one, the same she had worn on the day she was made into a vampire. The same triple pearl necklace adorned her neck that she always wore, and I saw that this fact brought a subtle smile to David's face. She had very quickly come back to realization of everything that happened, but before we even gave her a chance to get used to the fact that she was safe amongst friends, Vittorio and Armand quickly bombarded her with a series of questions on how she might summon an angel.
Merrick's eyes widened, and sunk her teeth gently into her lower lip. "I've never done such a thing," she whispered. Louis reached out towards her and grabbed onto her arm, looking deeply into her eyes that were filled with a certain type of fear I had not ever remembered seeing in his eyes.
"Please Merrick, you must try. You are truly our only hope."
Merrick looked into Louis's eyes with a lovesick tone. However, she did not seem to find whatever she were looking for in his stare and turned away, and was amazed at what she saw before her that she had somehow not noticed before. Claudia, sitting attentively by the door, watching all that had occurred.
"Who? How?" Her vivid green eyes grew wider and astonished.
"Never mind that," I said abruptly as I quickly stood. "About summoning this angel.. Mastema."
We set to work quickly, as Merrick had suddenly felt a revitalized energy in her work. She quickly constructed a makeshift altar, with a few statues of saints that she had saved with her throughout the years. Armand, for some reason or the other, had a lone bottle of vodka in his pantry. It made me raise a brow but I didn't bother to ask, and I took it and gave it to Merrick.
She had everything prepared by midnight. Claudia, Louis, Armand, Ursula, Vittorio and I all stood in a loosely gathered circle around Merrick.
Merrick had made an elaborate protective magic circle on the ground, which had room enough for all of us to stand in. It was a strange pentacle with many Hebrew symbols sketched all around it, and I faintly wondered in the back of my mind if Armand cared that this may ruin his carpet.
It began. Merrick began to do her chanting in some foreign tongue I had never bothered to learn, gashing her arms with a jade knife and allowing her blood to spill freely into a golden chalice she had set up on the altar. She took some of the vodka in her mouth and spit it onto the altar with an almost disrespectful look on her face. She also had in her hand some sort of parchment that I could barely read from where I was standing. It read:
MASTEMA
AMETSAM
EMAMAST
ASTEMAM

"I bequeath the coven of arch angels! I call upon the forces of God! I call upon you, the Virgin, Saint Peter, open thy pearly gates! I call upon the forces of angels! I summon the angel MASTEMA! I am Merrick Mayfair, I will not be denied."
She had begun to burn the parchment and set the slowly burning scroll in to the chalice of spit vodka and blood, and hadn't even finished her chants when a large reverberating sound caused the whole house to shake.
A blinding white light filled the entire room causing even I to shield my eyes. The reverberation continued on for some time until I heard the group collectively gasping, and I looked up to see a beauty I hadn't recognized for some time.
The angel.
Words probably could never begin to describe the beauty of an angel. His hair reached his shoulders, he was tall, muscular, with a face that shone like the sun. His wings were pure white, a dazzling white light emanated from it, and seemed to be stretched all ways around the room. He also looked very.. 'pissed'.
"Why have you people summoned me here?" His eyes slowly looked towards Vittorio and Ursula, his face showing a faint measure of disgust, and perhaps underlying disappointment.
"We need to know," Merrick said, her voice showing no sign of being intimidated, "How we might defeat the fallen angel, Samael."
Mastema did not look surprised. "I have known about this," he said loudly, his voice causing some small objects in the room to fall to the ground.
He looked away. "And I know that it is useless to help you. Besides that, it is not my place."
"Can you not show us the way?" Merrick's eyes continued to look determined, and she did not falter. "If you do not, there are incantations that may bind you to show us the truth."
"The truth I can give," the angel said, raising a brow at Merrick's threat. "The sword of an Arch Angel. That is what you require."
Merrick's eyes widened. "How can we find one?"
"Find Azza." He smirked at us, then with a clap of his hands he disappeared.

Chapter Nineteen

After the summoning, the entire room was in an uproar. Armand was excited or perhaps just downright giddy, Louis and Claudia simply amazed, David solemn, and Vittorio and Ursula holding hands, exchanging some sort of secretive glance.
David paced and tore at his hair with his hands. "To find the fallen angel Azza? My God! How in the hell are we supposed to accomplish that?"
Armand was smiling, relaxing in a leather backed chair, thinking to himself. "Perhaps the old legends could help us at this point.."
"You mean the legend of Azza," Ursula said.
"You are familiar with it?"
"Yes, I am," she said. "But I'm not very good at retelling such stories, especially when before this.. I had no reason to believe them."
Vittorio looked at her horrified. "Ursula!"

"I am sorry, Vittorio," she said, letting his name roll seductively off of her tongue with her thick accent. "But as much as I love you, you must realize that I cannot really believe such sordid tales."
At this, Vittorio leaped up in an outrage. "Then how, how would I have known about Mastema, damn you! Sordid tales! Sordid tales? How dare you!"
A red film covered Ursula's eyes. "I am sorry," she murmured.
I turned away from the melodrama. "You shouldn't have said anything," I said with a bored sigh. "My god. Anyway, what is this tale of Azza?"
David cleared his throat. "I believe I may be able to shed some light upon this. Azza was an angel who fell for the sin of pride. Unfortunately for him, he didn't manage to get very far, as soon he was chained to a mountain and forced to endure some sort of torture for the rest of his days."

"Very similar," Armand said, thoughtfully, "To the tale of Prometheus."

"Yes, very," David replied. "Perhaps they are connected in a way."
"You mean perhaps there is something to the Prometheus story?" Louis slowly sat upwards, looking at him intently.
"It's a long shot," David sighed. "But it's the only lead we have."
"Even so, how would you find him?" I ran my fingers through my yellow hair. "I think if he was really there someone would have seen them by now."
"Not everyone can see angels," Ursula said softly, then looked at Vittorio, who was still bitter with anger that all this time, she had not believed him. "Take Vittorio with you.. To Greece. He should be able to see Azza."
Armand nodded, then looked towards me. "You should go with him, Lestat. You have ways with fallen angels, do you not?"
My shoulders slumped. No one had really believed my story of Memnoch either, so in this I felt a small kinship with Vittorio already.
"I don't see any problem with it. Come on, let's go." Vittorio nodded, and so we began our flight to Greece.
Of course we had to be careful, because of the time difference in Greece we had to make sure we arrived through and at the same time, or else the sun could have destroyed us through the simple thing of not being careful.
In a short amount of time, we had flown all over Greece, inspecting all the mountains of its terrain, which there were many. In my beginnings of despair, I hadn't even been able to appreciate the elegant beauty that was the country of Greece. The air thick with humidity and the vague scent of the sea, the ancient monuments, or even the moonlight reflected off of the clear waters, when we were near the shore. I could not think. All I could concern myself with was Azza.
Just when I was about to give up and tell Vittorio I had had it with this nonsense, Vittorio stopped flying in midair. "Look. It is him."
I looked ahead to a humongous mountaintop that threatened to touch the very heavens themselves, purple clouds swarming near its tip. Other than that, however, I saw fairly much nothing.
That was, until we descended to its foot, and I saw the humongous, thick chains against the mountain that were so cleverly camouflaged that I do not think that any mortal would have found them - or at least not easily.
And they shook. They shook, and rattled, as if some invisible thing was contained by the strange metals. Then the movement stopped, and the angel became very visible to us.
All angels I have found to be exquisitely beautiful, and Azza was no exception. The bountiful curls that bounced sumptuously about the wonderfully constructed face, the child like, pouting lips, the large eyes that seemed to reflect all of the colors of heaven and earth. And his arms! They were so taut and fierce, the torso so well constructed it seemed he was a living statue. Upon seeing him was like seeing an incubus, and now I could well understand the stories of mortals who saw those types of demons and had refused the company of any other or even drinking and eating out of sheer adoration for them. Why, his entire body was a masterpiece, though when I was feeding my eyes on his form I noticed with horror the torn flesh near one of his thighs, where his liver ought to be, and the little useless organ was growing back already. I did not know that angels would have such ornaments in their bodies, but I realized that perhaps this served some sort of tortuous purpose.
"What is it that you want, wretches," Azza hissed at Vittorio and I, although I could see a longing in his eyes. I had seen the same longing in Louis's eyes many a time.
"Azza, we require the use of your mighty sword," Vittorio said, without showing the slightest hesitation in his voice. "Please surrender it to us, as we can see you have no use for it."
Azza looked away, and I could see the immense hurt in his eyes. My heart ached to see such a beautiful creature so sorrowful. I found it increasingly strange, though I thought I may have loved him already. I could almost see now the precise reason he fell out of heaven.
"Prove to me you can use it," he whispered. "Then I was relinquish it to you, only if you promise to return it to me some day."
I looked towards him and sighed, my breath thick with infatuation. "How would you like us to do that, o angel?"
"When the eagle that picks out my liver and eats it returns, you must destroy it with my sword."
In my mind I was just picturing a regular type of eagle, and nearly laughed at Azza's request. But I supposed if I were him I might ask the same thing.
"No problem."
Azza lifted up his leg and twisted his body away, and I could see him sitting on some sort of sword. The steel shown with such a light that was like the moon, the handle bejeweled and inscribed with some sort of language of the heavens. I gasped and reached down towards it, when I felt Azza press his face against mine and brush his lips against my own as I bent down to grab the sword. I froze, and I could almost feel a strange light entering my body when he did so. And when I raised my petrified eyes to his own, that strange, pride reflected in his dazzling eyes, I completely understood why he fell out of heaven. If I were him, I might have done the same.
He rested his head against his arm. "It's coming."
I took the sword and was immediately reminded of my battle with the wolves that had attracted the attention of Magnus and even Lilith herself. And when I looked up to see the eagle, I was horrified.
It was no eagle at all! It was a Griffin!
It was as large as a lion easily, its head of a noble eagle, with wings as well, and a body that belonged to a savage lion. I was horrified, but Vittorio was already in action. He had taken his own sword that I hadn't cared to notice he was carrying, and was floating upwards and swung his sword viciously towards the Griffin's side.
It made a horrifying squawking noise as Vittorio's sword cut off a hunk of its wing, but it still managed to fly. Vittorio looked towards me urgently. "Lestat!"
The Griffin was still trying to get at Azza no matter that we were attacking him, but I knew if we let it get at Azza the deal would be off. I didn't know how Azza might retake his sword from us, but I imagined he had his ways.
I charged at the Griffin, aiming towards the head. It jumped upwards and scratched at my arms with its claws. It was horrifyingly painful, but I began to heal immediately. I could feel it.
I crouched downwards then jumped upwards higher in the air than the Griffin was situated, giving out some sort of strange warlike cry as the light of the moon flashed off of the steel as the blade flew through the air, slicing through it with little resistance as it traveled towards the Griffin's head.
I was surprised when it lopped off the head, I wasn't expecting that to happen. I was surprised it had been so easy to kill it, but then again it wasn't concentrating on battling us but getting Azza.
The Griffin's body collapsed onto the ground, its thick blood slowly pooling around it.
Azza's oval face slowly looked up to my own. His lips spread into a grin, and I could feel my heart leap.
"Thank you," he said. "Do come visit me again. But may I ask what you require my sword for?"
"To kill Samael," I said bluntly, the words just tumbling out of my mouth at his question. I nearly felt that I would do somersaults if he even implied that I ought to, but I saw Vittorio freeze, horrified, as if Azza would not follow through on the deal if he had known our intent.
Azza's face merely contorted into something bitter, and he relaxed against his restraints. "Good," was all he said.
"Why did you make it so easy for us to have the sword," I whispered.
He smiled up at me again, and I felt the same warming in my chest.
"Because, I am a sucker for a pretty face. What can I say? Hahaha." He seemed to have amused himself with using the vernacular language of today, and I felt I could have stayed there forever staring at his visage until Vittorio grabbed me by the sleeve and hissed, "Let's be off!"
Reluctantly, we did.

Chapter Twenty

I arrived back at the house to only be welcomed by the disturbing sound of Armand's laughing and chanting. Puzzled, Vittorio and I exchanged a glance as we headed down into the basement, the origin of the sound.
My eyes widened as I saw Armand happily whipping Daniel's torso and watching him writhe about, begging for mercy.
"Yes! Yes! Make the sound! Make the sound, make the sound, I live for the sound!" Armand almost sounded. orgasmic.
Daniel moaned loudly in reply, blood tears sliding down his white cheeks as his naked body twisted and moved under the kiss of the lash.
Claudia, Louis, and Ursula were watching with half horrified half intrigued faces this entire ordeal, and I think Armand was even more 'turned on' as the mortals say, by the presence of an audience.
Vittorio coughed loudly to interrupt, then Armand turned with a rather pleasured look on his face. I thought to myself how much Armand seemed to have changed since we last encountered one another, and I wondered why.
"Were you successful?" He looked towards the lash he had been using with a fond look, tracing his fingertips down the leather as he gently placed it back down onto the table. Then he looked back up at me, and I was faintly reminded of Azza's dazzling, perfect lips.
Vittorio nodded. "We were," he replied. He nodded towards me and from behind my back I revealed the glittering sword, though the blade was covered in the thick blood of the Griffin.
Within moments Vittorio and I relayed the entire tale to them, though I left out much of my infatuation with Azza. Usually when I tell my stories I don't hold out anything, like when I told David and Louis about Gretchen, but this time, for some indiscernible reason I did.
Claudia looked up at me urgently, her petite lips trembling. "Father, what do we do now?"
"As much as I loathe to admit it, you are probably the most powerful here, Claudia," I told her. "You probably haven't even realized the limits of your power, much less your potential. You must be the one to end things." I held out the sword to her, and she reluctantly took the handle into her hand, nearly tumbling at the sheer weight of it.
"Get used to it. Tomorrow night, we go after him."
Claudia looked up at me and nodded, but Louis merely shot daggers at me with his eyes. I can't say I blame him, it killed me to give Claudia that sword.
That night she and Louis spent the night alone, which panged me with a faint feeling of jealousy. However, I had the chance to speak more with Armand. This I took advantage of.
"You've changed," I said.
"Not so passive? Depressed?" His eyes slowly turned towards mine. "Idiotic? Irritating?"
"Happier, perhaps." "Vittorio is family. A link to a part of me I never had known. He and Ursula had made me feel.. more like I belong. Not just someone powerful and respected, like it always had been in the Theatre des Vampires, or just blindly adored, like Daniel or Marius had done, but an unconditional belonging. It's strange, isn't it? Just so seemingly. illogical."
I sat back in my chair and sighed. "Armand, Armand, you always were so simple."
He smiled. "Or perhaps this is all a simple result of watching Sex2K on that strange MTV channel the silly mortal teens enjoy so much."
I suppressed a chuckle. "Is that so?" Armand sighed a bit wearily and pushed his hair back over his shoulders. "I must say, seeing that girl.. Claudia, has brought back unwelcome memories. About how I did nothing to save Claudia, I did not even try. I know now there were unconscious motives behind that."
"It doesn't matter." I shrugged. "If it wasn't for me telling them, she would still be alive. But now that I think about it, it had to happen the way it did. It couldn't have happened any other way. I don't think she could have really could have stood for being alive this long, Madeleine or no."
Armand nodded. "There was never meant to be.. a child vampire." We left it at that.

Chapter Twenty One

That morning, it was about time we embarked on our quest. We all stood in a loose circle around each other, deciding who ought to go. There was little arguing, until it was decided that David, Merrick, Vittorio and Ursula were going to stay. Claudia was trying in vain to convince Louis to stay, but he was adamant to go, and I had nothing to say about it. Other than that it was trite and meaningless conversation.
Armand, Louis and I then huddled about Claudia's slender frame, and she centered her memory on that hallway she vividly remembered. That one hallway in Samael's castle, where he had threatened her life. Then, before I knew it, we went flying through that strange abysmal place again, the floor dematerializing under us, and a new, stoned texture was soon under our feet. It was a strange sensation, almost like floating, though you never moved, but felt firmness, nothing, and firmness again. It is a bit difficult to describe, don't you see?
But continuing on, once that haze had cleared my vision I could tell that we were in a castle once more. It had that appearance of an 18th century castle, the stoned walls and ancient tapestries, the scarce antique décor scattered throughout the hallway. It looked to be depraved yet lush, terribly beautiful yet somehow crude, and ugly. I could understand why Samael might have chosen to make his castle like this. Light was even minimal, given off my unevenly spaced torches. It also gave him an almost sinister undertone.
Claudia narrowed her eyes down the hall, turning her head fiercely this way and that, making her yellow curls bounce as she did. It was almost cute. Then, she made a faint gesture for us to follow, and she led us into the depths of the hall.
We soon found ourselves at a large doorway, and we could hear faint sounds of speech on the other side. Crimson tinted perspiration dotted Claudia's forehead as she slowly pushed open the door. It was a large room, and by the looks of it, a library or a study. There were bookshelves lined with literature written in some language unfamiliar to me. A fireplace blazed against the farthest wall, and an elaborately designed oriental rug highlighted the hardwood floor. Nothing else was there, however. Upon entering deeper, the four of us were surprised by the strange statues dotting the walls. The walls all had large indentures, large enough for a man to stand in, and golden statues of men and women wrapped up in golden sheets were in each indenture, which were only a few inches apart. They looked so real, they could have easily been alive. Louis murmured something about these looking like molds for humans, but I dismissed the imaginative blabber. As I continued to take this sight in, a noticed two of the indentures were empty. I took in my breath quickly, then turned, and saw two people standing in front of the door, one female, one male.
It was shocking. They looked exactly like the statues themselves. The male was tall and lanky, his bones protruding but not as if he were ill-fed or sickly, for that is just how his structure was. His hair was a dark brown, and he had fierce eyes that glittered as he frowned at us. His body was painted gold all over, giving him that statuesque appearance, and a few emeralds were scattered decoratively about his body. The other, the female, had long straight blonde hair, was well endowed, also painted gold, with half-pearls glued into her pubic hair, which seemed oiled and recently brushed. The two were nude, with the exception of the male, who wore a thin gangly cloth about his waist. Taken aback by this I finally noticed the two were holding weapons, he a broad sword like the one I had used to kill the wolves of my youth, and she a dagger with a large jewel-encrusted handle. I had no doubt they had to be Samael's.
I took a half-step backwards, then the other three turned and noticed the two as well. A moment of uncomfortable silence ensued, the two simply standing there motionless like sentinels. Finally, the male spoke.
"Hello, friends," he said, making a long, elaborate gesture with his sword. "I am Laurent, and my companion here is Cynthia. We will be your entertainment for the evening." He smiled.
"Tabarnac," I muttered. Then I looked towards Claudia and said to her in telepathy, "While we distract them, you go find Samael." She looked at me in recognition, clamped her hand harder onto the handle of my beloved Azza's sword, then took retreated to the back of the room to wait for her opening.
At that point, Louis, Armand and I made a perfect horizontal line, and unveiled our whips we had chosen from Armand's stock. Armand had the rosethorned acid-cured whip, I had chosen a cat-o-nine-tails, and Louis an extra long one with studs of all variations. This seemed to unnerve the two before me, but I already knew we had the advantage over Cynthia, at least.
We moved into action, quickly. Cynthia retreated towards the back, holding out her dagger in a threatening pose. Laurent had his sword posed, ready to strike.
Louis struck out first. He sent the lash of his studded whip flying towards Cynthia, snapping her onto her stomach. Her mouth made into a surprised O, but she quickly regained her composure, and made vain efforts to cut the lash. Louis, however, had an odd talent with the thing. It was almost unnerving. He snapped it to Cynthia's hand with such strength, the studs rapping her knuckles with a breaking intensity, making her drop the dagger. However upon Louis's next strike, she grabbed the lash. Louis tried to pull it back, but Cynthia's strength was startling. But I made Louis as strong as myself, so I knew he wouldn't have a problem. He advanced to Cynthia, grabbed her by her arms and threw her into the fireplace, snapping the whip at her back and letting the whip fall into the fire with her as he did so. I smiled. He made me proud.
Of course, Laurent was not sitting idle this entire time. Armand and I worked to keep him busy. His sword sang through the air, cutting off three of the tips of the nine tails in my whip. I was not so experienced with the thing, but I was doing my best. I moved it upwards in a quick sweeping fashion, hitting his arms and forcing him to move them out of the way. Then Armand came in with his rose thorns. He snapped Laurent quickly on his back, the acid cures from the whip making a grotesque hissing sound upon contact. Laurent then quickly moved his sword towards Armand, but Armand was faster. In fact, we both were. All of our movements were of course enhanced with our abilities, and all three of us were too fast for the human eye to see but blurs. He brought down the thorns onto Laurent's forearms, the intense hissing sound beginning again. I then, with all my preternatural strength, snapped the remaining tails towards Laurent, then in one brisk movement, body slammed him into the fireplace along with his smoldering mate, Cynthia.
It was done. I looked around the room, relieved. But Claudia had already gone on.

Chapter Twenty Two

Claudia

In the midst of the battle, I had already pushed onwards. It all seemed dreadfully familiar to me, this castle, even though I had been but a child when I was here last. I continued to run, the sounds of battle getting farther and farther away. My heart ached for Louis and father, but I knew how strong they were. I was more confident in their abilities than in my own; half of my abilities and the limits of them were still unbeknownst to me.
Then, before I knew it, I was standing in Samael's throne room, Azza's sword clutched to my side. It was silent, save for the sound of torches burning against the walls. It had a high ceiling, three pulpit-like stands in front of me. Then, a memory surfaced. "Natalia.. Tristan . Mykael," I murmured to myself, then pressed the fingertips of my free hand to my lips, dreadfully surprised.
"So, you remember."
I turned at hearing the voice. And stood before me, in all of his dark glory, the Lord of Darkness, Samael himself. I shuddered involuntarily.
"Naamah, I told Lilith is was all a matter of time."
"Naamah?"
"Lilith had to use one of the souls of her Queens for your body, a new soul would not be given. You are truly Naamah, the compassionate. Hers is the only one that would truly take. The others, Mahalath, Igrat.. They are too vile to be born into a newborn babe."
I suddenly remembered it all in flashes. The blind compassion, the caring for everyone, even the fallen..
No! Not anymore, not anymore.. I am Claudia. I am Lestat's daughter, Louis's lover. I am not Naamah, not anymore. And I am here for a reason. A reason!
Seeming to hear my thoughts, Samael relaxed his shoulders and smirked, running his fingers through his thick mane of hair. "Cling to your reasons if you will, but you are one of us. Even if you renounce your name, Naamah, Lilith's dark blood flows through your veins."
"And so does the blood of my father, Lestat." I clenched my teeth and pointed the tip of the blade at Samael. "Enough games."
Samael unsheathed his own sword. "Let us begin, then."
We charged at one another, the holy steel of the swords singing together as they clashed, then the push of our strengths against each other repelled us both backwards.
"Not bad," he said with a coy grin.
I charged.
I ran towards Samael, ducking under his arm swing and thrusting the sword upwards towards his throat, but he was too fast, jumping backwards and hitting his sword against mine. I fell onto the ground. Samael's sword tore through the air towards my helpless body, but I rolled to the left, and brought the sword down onto Samael's legs. I sliced through angelic flesh. Surprised, he stumbled on his side, losing balance, losing control.
I jumped up in a flash, and let out an unnatural cry as I charged the sword toward his body, feeling the power in every cell crying out as well, my heart feeling weighed down with intense passion as an almost fire-like heat pervaded that pumping organ, the flames shooting down my stomach, my legs, up my arms, my neck, and through the sword! The flames shot forward as the sword did, catching Samael clean in the back, overpowering him, making him fall to the ground.
Then I swung the sword upwards, about to swing it downwards to lop of his head. But right when I was about to tear his throat, right when the steel was touching the soft flesh of his neck, I stopped.
"No," I whispered. "I refuse to take life, even if it is from one so vile."
"Naamah," his eyes narrowed, "You are a fool."
I turned and began to walk away. "Call me what you wish, but come after me again and I will not do you any favors. Samael."
I heard the sound of his feet running towards me on the stone. I turned, screamed, one of my hands outstretched, my palm flattened and fingers pointing upwards. I did not realize what I was doing until it was time.
That black, spiraling abyss opened up behind Samael. Some sort of shockwave emitted from my opened palm, forcing him backwards as he let out an anguished cry, hitting him into the abyss, then I closed my hand and it closed. I do not know where it sent him.
Then I heard Lilith scream.
She ran into the room and collapsed into a heap of the ground, crying, screaming, "Samael, Samael!" Over and over again.
I had nothing more to say. I returned to the others, and we left the castle, never to return, as long as any of us lived.

Chapter Twenty Three

Lestat

Upon returning to Armand's home, things slowly began to return to normal. Armand went back to his S&M, Louis and Claudia their lovey-dovey behavior, and Vittorio and Ursula were off to Tuscany to be alone together. Vampires can't stand to be around their own kind for too long, and I could already begin to see the coven breaking apart.
As for me, there was something I had to do. I took Azza's sword and returned to Greece.
I didn't tell anyone where I was going, I didn't want to hear the continuous moral dilemmas that would ensue. After all, of a surety, in their eyes fallen angels cannot be trusted. Especially after this Samael incident. But soon enough, I was flying over the rocky crags of Greece, the arid weather feeling comfortable and welcome against my skin. And I felt a feeling of being overjoyed at the sight of Azza's mountain, the tip reaching to the heavens.
I descended, and stood at the base of the mountain, and I could already see Azza's chains, moving slowly, almost lethargically, as I walked towards them.
Azza appeared before me, in all of his dazzling beauty. His eyes that seemed to reflect all of the colors of the universe slowly turned towards me, that seductive smile playing gently on his visage. "Hello, Lestat," he said slowly, drawing out my name on his tongue. "I knew you would return to me."
I silently nodded, almost in submission, which was a small surprise in itself. I showed Azza the sword, but his eyes were locked onto mine. "Lestat," he said again. I shivered at the sound of his voice calling my name.
And then I knew what I had to do. I pulled the sword over my head, and in a brilliant show of strength, I brought it down towards Azza.
Azza's body stiffened as he looked at me with a look of horror and dismay. But I'm sure he knew I would never do anything to harm him in any way.
The first of his bindings cracked. Once again I brought down the sword. In another harsh metallic sound, the crack went deeper. I continued this until I had fully liberated Azza's right arm. Then, I walked around to Azza's other side and continued to do the same until he was fully liberated of all of his bindings.
He slowly stood, stretching his taut arms and legs. I never noticed how immensely tall he was, but then he seemed to grow smaller, reaching a little bit over my own height. Those colorful eyes then seemed so full of joy. My lips parted to say something to him, but he put his index finger against my mouth.
Azza then put those shapely arms about me, and pulled me against his half-naked body as I allowed him to slowly press his lips against the small of my neck, lightly running his tongue along as he did this, moving a trail of kisses up my neck to my ear, then running his tongue down my jawline. I shuddered involuntarily, feeling give myself completely and wholly over to him, entirely enraptured to a state of pleasure that had never been known to me before. He slowly lowered his face to my own, his eyes half closed in almost a state of dreaming. I found myself studying his plump, comely lips, that seemed like the texture of rose petals, soft, and yielding. I could feel some sort of strange fire into myself as he wrapped those nearly invisible wings that were tainted with a dark as night color about my body, then my eyes widened as I felt his lips press ever so softly against my own.
I yielded again, completely.
As I felt the welcome sensation of his tongue entering my mouth, and a dance of our tongues ensued, it seemed as though we were floating. And then I realized my feet were not touching the ground. I looked down and gasped realizing that we were, then turned my face back to Azza's surprised. He simply smiled benignly towards me, then kissed me again, pressing his hips and thighs close against my own. I held tightly to him, knowing that I would let go, too overcome with pleasure if I did not do so. I closed my eyes, pressing myself to him, feeling the force of his luscious body against my own.
When I opened them, I was in front of Armand's house again. Azza looked at me sympathetically as he ran his fingertips through my thick yellow hair.
"I will see you soon, again, little demon," he whispered as he kissed my cheek, gently taking his sword from my hand. "Then we can finish what we've started, no?"
He took a step back as I protested, "Wait!" I reached out for his hand, but he simply ascended into the sky, and disappeared.
With a feeling that my heart was being crushed, I walked back into the house, with a surprise. Gabrielle was there.
She turned to me quickly, an incredulous look in her eyes. The others, David, Armand, a beaten Daniel, Louis and Claudia were there.
"So it's true?" She gave me a look devoid of all emotion, but that is what I expected from my mother. However, I was overcome with happiness to see her, even though I still felt rather crushed of Azza's temporary absence from my side.
"Yes," was all I replied. I was about to say more, but Claudia interrupted me.
"Father," she began to say.
"What is it?" I was annoyed that she had the impetuous to interrupt her father when he trying to speak.
Louis looked at her urgently, with almost anxious look in his eyes.
"I am pregnant!"
My eyes widened as my mouth gaped, then I heard Gabrielle's voice chime in unison with my own.
"Claudia, you are the damnedest creature!"

THE TRIBUTE TO THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES WILL CONTINUE.