Bat out of Sheol

by Phedre no Delaunay de Montreve

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

6. Part IV

A Tribute To The Vampire Chronicles
Part Four

Chapter One

O Sacrum Convivium O Sacred Banquet!
recolitur passionis eius his passion is renewed.
(Enigma - Mea Culpa)

The sound of glass crunched underneath her boots, reminding her almost of the sound of crunching bones. Her long dark hair that cascaded in ripples at her back floated behind her, as she dared to go further, looking with slight amazement at the brilliant murals painted on the walls.
Was this the place where she would find the remnants of Osiris? She was certain, it had to be. She knew.
Approaching the throne sent feelings of excitement and intimidation throughout her body, and though she didn't understand why, it thrilled her. Her fingers hovered at the ready over the top of the stolen vial, a smirk playing at her lips.
That fool, Ramses. Did he have any notion of what she was plotting? Or maybe he was too busy with that girl, Julie. Either way, he wouldn't stop her now. And she didn't see him around.
She saw the crystalline remains littered on the ground in front of the throne. She thought, "This has to be it." Eager with anticipation she knelt beside it, and gathered the remains in one pile, pulling out the cork from the vial with her teeth when it was done. With caution and grace for want of not wasting a drop, the woman poured a bit - just enough - onto the remnants, and capped it again quickly. They rattled, and the change began. But she knew it wasn't enough. She rushed to the walls and gathered some of the shelves and such that were still there, and propped them against the throne. She then rushed to the door where she had left the sledgehammer she had brought as a 'just in case'. She climbed up the shelves and held the sledgehammer firmly in her hands, and with a single mighty blow, the blazing light of the sun filtered through a gaping hole in the ceiling.
The change accelerated faster than even she anticipated. She hurried down from the shelf and watched in sheer childlike amazement as the pieces seemed to piece themselves back up, as if two poltergeists were finishing a puzzle, reforming the shape of a man. He was tall, of good muscular build, his dark hair somehow regaining their plaits that framed his face.. His skin was still hard and white as was to be expected from Amel's change, except now, his eyes had that same azure blue color that the woman's had. And like her, he appeared to be of Egyptian descent, with prominent, stern regal features. Still, he wasn't in complete glory yet - while the formula combined with the properties of Amel's blood worked at a frantic pace, the change still needed more time, and more sun. Or perhaps, something else. The roar of Amel's hunger for blood screamed in his ears. Yes, he would feed, all in good time. But then the shock of standing rendered him motionless.
He could move. He looked down to his arms and moved them cautiously. He murmured under his breath in amazement. How long his soul had hovered over his remains that had never been scattered or completely destroyed, since his unfaithful wife Akasha had betrayed him! How long he had been in despair! But now, he was free, all thanks to this woman. He looked up to her with an unprecedented smile.
"Thank you," he said, almost expecting his voice to come out crackled from lack of use. But then - he was born again!
"Oh no!" The woman replied, already examining this man before her, her eyes scanning every portion of his naked body. "Thank you!"
Enkil raised his brows - this woman was somewhat odd. He looked up to the hole in the ceiling and realized something else. The sun! He was awake and in the sun, and it did not hurt him. Rather he noticed that it was helping to rejuvenate his body. "What sorcery is this?" he questioned under his breath, then turned his eyes back to the woman. "You did this?" He asked, his voice regaining its power and command that he had once used in Egypt when addressing his people. "Who are you?"
"My name is Cleopatra," she answered with cheer, "Former queen of the Nile. I have brought you back, good king!"
"So you know me," Enkil replied in kind, then paused with a thought. "But do you know me as Osiris, or as Enkil, once great ruler of Egypt? Dismiss that. You are Egyptian. I trust that you have good knowledge on such things, especially if you are what you claim - a former queen of the Nile. Cleopatra, that name sounds so familiar.." He paused once more, as if trying to remember. But most of the memories of his life had gone a bit hazy in all his time out of body. He was certain Marius had talked about it before, but no. He could not remember. He slowly turned his head back to Cleopatra, a regal gesture. "Everything can be sorted out later. I will only trust my fate in the hands of the Gods."
Cleopatra was almost awed. He believed in the old gods - she felt the conviction in his voice. She had almost forgotten all of them, long ago. And even then, she wasn't sure if she had ever truly believed. And the way he moved and spoke was just like that of a true king. All of her doubts dissolved. The only thing that troubled her was that he spoke a little bit too much for her tastes - but ah! She already was finding herself mesmerized by his voice and charisma. She took a few steps forward, and rather forcefully, she grabbed Enkil by his shoulders and pulled him to her, pressing her lips so roughly against his, so full of passion, that he felt consumed by her.
His eyes widened so that the whites of his eyes were plain to see, it had been so long since he had felt the tenderness of another. He hesitated, but then he remembered Akasha's betrayal and the weariness of the years, and soon his arms were encircled around Cleopatra's waist and he too returned the passionate kiss.
Even in this moment, part of the two's mind was on something else. Cleopatra had prepared her dish of revenge, and now she only had to wait for it to cool.
Ramses and Julie would taste her vengeance soon enough. But that doesn't even discount the bitter retribution Enkil was only waiting to deliver to Lestat and his compatriots.
Cleopatra began to press Enkil into the throne, her lips never moving off of his. She was ready, and to his surprise, he found that he was too. Retribution could wait. There were more pressing matters at hand.

Chapter Two

Ah, my darlings, finally after that period of inevitable silence I return to your arms. I grow sickened inside when I think about how long it has been. Why, I haven't even felt like myself lately, as if I was possessed by some other entity that was hardly I, the Vampire Lestat.
And still I get that feeling. But I'll have you know, I have tried as best as I can to return to you in stunning clarity.
Do not take your eyes off of me - I am now in control of all that you see and hear. Amusing, no? At least I thought it was, and in my opinion it is hardly a conceited thought. Ah yes! Everyone is entitled to my opinion. And why shouldn't they be? I am after all, the Vampire Lestat.
When I last left you, my darling grandson Nicolas had run off to parts unknown, and my ill-gotten daughter, the Neo-Claudia as we now refer to her, was murdered by him. I suppose it goes without saying that when the contents of Nicolas's 'good-bye' letter were read to us, everyone was shocked. And why shouldn't we be? Claudia was well loved enough - or at least liked on some level by most of them. At least that's what I perceived. And Nicolas - well, he was the 'baby' of our little immortal family. We had all, for the most part, helped raise him and instruct him, even though his childhood was tragically cut short by that malicious demon Mahalath. Allow me to recap this for you, dear reader, if you hadn't the slightest idea at all of what I am speaking about. If you have, (like you should!) then please. Humor me.
Now, to regroup. Lilith, the mother of all demons or so it is proclaimed, was thought to be a mythical figure by not only myself but all of the vampires in the known world. But I was proven wrong. As charismatic as I am, I happen to be a magnet for such beings like the Mother of Us All or even petty thief Raglan James. And even the Devil, although all of that are tales previously related in my other novels. Lilith, to put a long story short, used me to create a girl, Claudia, I named her, for all the ironic reasons. Perhaps the name is cursed, who knows? I don't know yet if I believe in curses, but after some trials with Lilith that are related in the past few installments of this ongoing saga, Claudia and Louis had managed to find the time to create the boy Nicolas, the same as Claudia had been. A demonic general of Lilith's, known only to us as Mahalath, stole the boy away from us, and with the help of my angelic lover Azza and his few allies, we had managed to steal him back. Naturally, the boy was quite traumatized, and all this is revealed in greater depth in his narrative. He grew violent and insolent, but for the love of Armand (gag me) he attempted to mend his ways. In the end however, Mahalath came to him and there was a struggle involved. Mahalath and Claudia were the casualties, both killed by Nicolas, and he left us a note vaguely outlining this for us, and left for somewhere that no one had any idea.
And there you have it, my dears. Ah, if you've been faithful to me, I pray I haven't bored you. Perhaps you're simply riveted all the same, no?
Back to what I was saying. We were all distraught, yes, of course. Ah, and poor Louis.
"This has to be some sort of lie! I can't.. I won't, I refuse to believe this!" Louis's eyes glazed over a sweet crimson, and as he clenched his eyelids shut, blood tears streamed down his ivory cheeks. "Why would he do such a horrible thing? No, it has to be false. It has to be." His eyes slowly opened, revealing that beautiful vivacious green that I had fallen in love with centuries ago. He turned towards me, and I could not stand to look at the anguish written all over him. "Lestat," he murmured, and I felt as if another tiny arrow had struck my heart as he said my name.
I moved closer to him, placing my hand against his cheek and drying his tears with my thumb.
"Louis," I said, feeling at least as much agony as he for the bitter situation, blood tears of my own sliding down my cheeks. "Let's not fool ourselves. I'm sure he didn't. do it on purpose.."
I said it as gently as I could, but sugarcoating my words did not help the medicine go down. His eyes widened as his lips parted open in an incredulous gape, and he tore away from my touch, his look of shock turning into one of hatred and despair.
"I can't believe you! Oh God, Lestat, I can't believe you at all! How can you be so, so callous?! I can't take this anymore. I'm going." With one bitter look of resentment, he turned away from me and began to storm out. I reached out to him, but he pulled away from me.
"Where are you going?" I asked, almost helplessly. I couldn't remember the last time I had ever sounded so vulnerable, and deep down it disconcerted me.
"I'm going to look for him, what else do you think? My God, he's out there somewhere, and who knows what's happening to him? Who do you think I am, Lestat, to just abandon him like this? If you think I would, then you don't know me nearly as well as you thought you did." Louis scowled at me, and turned away, ready to depart once more.
"He doesn't want to be found, Louis! He said so himself!" I said it more harshly than I guess I should have, but I didn't want Louis to go. Now was not the time for this! I wanted him to stay here with me, with the rest of us, and maybe we could have found a way to sort all of this out..
But what answer I received I did not want. "Damn that letter," Louis said through clenched teeth, his voice filled with malice, "And most of all, damn you!" And with that, he was gone with all the speed that his preternatural gifts allowed.
I nearly staggered, at a loss. The ache in my chest was almost too much to bear, and I could stand it no longer. My dear Claudia was dead, Nicolas was gone, and now, so was Louis. Perhaps it would have been worse if I had taken Louis's words seriously, but I understood him. I knew he was only lashing out at me. But still, his words stung all the same.
I stepped out of the room into the hall. Azza stood outside the door there, in his human form, his dark spirals a bit askew, looking as if he tore at them himself in frustration. His perfect oval face seemed in a different sense of beauty now- the type of beauty something gets when it is masked in sorrow. He reached out and gently placed his fingertips against the sleeve of my jacket, tugging at it lightly.
"Lestat?" He asked, his voice dark with concern. "Please, speak to me. At the very least, say something!" His voice was frayed deeply at the edges. Since the discovery of what had happened, for some reason I could not bear to look at him. I just couldn't, and even I could not explain it to myself.
I cast him a flat look. His heart-shaped lips trembled. I could not remember if I had ever seen Azza look so emotive in the entire time I've known him. Still, I did not respond, but only sighed, and began to move away from him. I saw his expression become more endowed with despair, and he glowered. I didn't bother to see what he did after that, but only descended the staircase and rejoined the others.
It was a vision of perfect despair, for all those assembled. Marius, Armand, Bianca (although she seemed less affected by it, she hadn't known either of them), Vittorio and Ursula were there. Armand looked at me with almost the same glower that Azza had given me, and I didn't even cast him a glance for that, I only sank into the nearest chair with a breathy sigh.
"What are we going to do now?" Vittorio asked me, and I shrugged. How in the hell was I supposed to know? Louis was gone, Nicolas was gone, Claudia was dead, and I had no idea what to do about it.
There was nothing I could do, and I hated to admit it, especially to myself.
"As much as I don't want to lessen the gravity of the situation," Marius said, his voice disheartened, "There's something else we need to think about."
"And what's that, old chum?" I asked Marius, trying to sound as lighthearted as I could.
"Remember when Akasha reawakened, how many vampires seemed to. go up in flames? Something similar is occurring."
Armand looked to Marius, and I could see he was trying his best to care, even though the boy was a vision of perfect apathy. "Oh? Is that so?" He asked, although his undertones suggested he couldn't care less.
I saw Marius annoyed by this, but he was understanding. "I suppose for now I should say no more. Nothing much has happened yet. It could just be something minor."
"If it was the same as before, who would have the power to orchestrate such a thing?" I asked Marius, although my mind wasn't very focused on what he was saying.
"Maharet and Mekare have the power, as does Khayman, I should think," Vittorio suggested. "But none of them are likely to do such a thing."
"No," Marius agreed, "Not likely at all."
"Plus it doesn't seem to be the demon's style," Vittorio added, but Marius dismissed this comment. Even after all that happened, he didn't believe that 'demons' were behind it at all. I guess I can't blame him, either. Who would believe it? Well, maybe I would, but even then I don't know what I would think if I were in his place.
"What has happened anyway?" Bianca asked. "What do you mean, that it's started again?"
"Well," Marius began, "A vampire safehouse - nasty little places, was assaulted in a very similar way to Akasha's. All the vampires burned up without even seeing who did it. I believe there were only two survivors, but they didn't see anything. This all happened very recently."
"I'm sorry, but I can't care about this right now," Armand said apologetically to his maker, and rose, "I would prefer to discuss this at a later time." His words were stiff, formal, with no emotion, and he was soon ascending the staircase to be alone. Bianca looked towards him pitifully, but did not follow.
"This leads me back to my previous question," Vittorio muttered under his breath. "What do we do now?"
Ursula let out a husky sigh and leaned against him, resting her head on the curve of his shoulder.
It was a damned good question.

Chapter Three

As the hours passed by, I found idle ways to pass the time. I took a stroll, I fed, things of that nature. I tried in vain to scan the minds of others for any sign of Louis, but no luck whatsoever.
I leaned against the wall of a building, and crossed my arms, watching the mortals walk by. A pleasant surprise was a sight of a young girl walking by wearing a black shirt that read in cursive on the front, "Lestat Sucks! And don't you love it?" I chuckled aloud at that, and she heard me, and looked towards me. Her eyes widened and she smiled widely, and I heard her tell her friends, "Look! Doesn't he look like Lestat?"
Their reply was for her to shut up and they seemed a bit embarrassed at the young girl's outburst, but I found it all thoroughly amusing. At least it was a distraction, albeit a small one. I sighed.
"Louis, where are you?" It was a few hours until dawn when I finally returned to Armand's home.

When I returned, I was greeted with the sight of Maharet having a rather serious-looking conversation with Marius.
"I agree," Marius was saying. "Perhaps your home in Myanmar would be a good choice. if what you're saying is true, you two cannot be risked." Maharet opened her mouth to speak, then turned and smiled benignly at me. "Ah, Lestat. Good that you're here. I wanted to speak with you."
"With me?" I asked, a bit confused. "What's this all about?" "Remember what I mentioned to you earlier?" Marius asked me. "Maharet has some information that I find most disconcerting." It wasn't exactly what he said but the way he said it that gave me a chill.

"What do you mean?" "The vampires that were attacked. I could see through their eyes, Lestat. Do you know what that means?" She nodded. "I'm sure you do. I saw the attacker. He was a tall man; Egyptian. He had dark hair separated in plaits.. with a voice I could recognize anywhere." "Who was it?" I asked tentatively, the blood draining from my face. "Come on Maharet, don't leave me in suspense all night!" "You should know. I told you all about him years ago. Upon the order of he and his wife, I had my eyes gouged out, and my sister lost her tongue." "You don't mean.."

"I don't have a clue as to how it's happened.. but it is my belief that Enkil has somehow been resurrected." Maharet sighed, turning away from me. "I know there was someone else with him, but I couldn't see them in entirety. That's also another problem." "You're certain it's him?" Marius questioned, moistening his lips in anxiety. "If it is." Maharet nodded decisively. "I'm sure of it. Enkil is back, and by the looks of it, he wants revenge." I staggered backwards, feeling my mouth go dry. The blood drained from my face as I recalled in a flash my own encounter with Enkil, when he was practically a statue. How he tried to crush me with his own bare might for jealousy of Akasha. the fear, my heart racing, only saved just in time by Marius.. I swallowed. Marius looked to me, concerned. He had read my thoughts, and knew the pattern of them. "I fear for you Lestat, if our suspicions are true. I fear for you." "Does he.. Does he know, do you think, about what happened to Akasha?" I asked, looking to Maharet. "Because if that's the case, then he might go after you and Mekare. Although I think Mekare could probably make short work of him, no?" "We can't be sure of that," Marius chastised. "And we can't risk either of the twins. You know that. Besides that, there's someone with him. We don't know who that someone is, and how powerful they are." I sighed, feeling a little shamed out of my stupidity. "Then what? Sit here and wait for him to come to us? And then flop down on our backs and say, 'Hey Enkil, come kill me, woo hoo'?! I think not. I won't stand for such.." "I never said that," Marius replied calmly and coolly. "We just have to come up with a plan." "I want to help you, Lestat," a familiar voice said behind me, sounding rather helpless and pitiable. I turned and saw Azza there behind me, his fingertips once more clutching feebly at my jacket sleeve, looking out to me under his veil of eyelashes so thick that they nearly looked false. I would have found him irresistibly precocious had the sight of him not made me feel as though my heart was being churned by bitterness. My words came out stiffly. "That isn't necessary." "Why not?" He sounded so vulnerable, so easy to break in my hands, so helpless! I could see it in him too, he was placing all before me, and I was knowingly tossing it aside. I wasn't doing it out of spite or vengeance, no, I don't think I'm that cruel. And it hurt me equally as much to do such a thing to my beloved dark one, but I just couldn't. He was inherently connected to those demons, and I was raw. I couldn't bear salt on my wounds now. "Because," I said, irritated, "I can't do this right now, 'Az. Don't you understand that?" "No, I don't, and don't expect me too either, because its too lacking in judgment for anyone to grasp! God!" He turned away from me then, ready to tear out of there. My breath caught in my throat, and I reached out to touch one of his curls, just to show at least the tiniest shred of affection to make up for how cold I knew I was being. But, he slapped my hand away. In the iciest tone I had ever heard in my entire life, he spat, "That isn't necessary." He looked at me with a sneer, walked out of the room and slammed the door behind him. I sighed. What was I doing? I slowly turned back to Marius and Maharet, who had been silent during this little squabble. "You shouldn't be so cruel to him," Maharet said gently, but I shook my head. "Forget it. Let's get back to the problem at hand, shall we?" Marius shrugged and replied, "I think all we can do now is wait and see what their next move is. Then when we have a better idea of what we're dealing with, we move from there. Until then, Maharet, you need to make sure you and Mekare are safe. And Lestat, lie low. In fact I think everyone needs to lie low. Maharet, try to get in touch with Khayman whenever possible. He might know something." "That sounds reasonable for now. Alright." Maharet then looked back at me with sudden compassion. "And what of Nicolas? Any news?"

"No," I said rather glumly. "He's gone. I have no idea where, but he's gone. And Louis is searching for him as we speak." "Seriously? That's not very good. it isn't safe, at all." "I know." I closed my eyes and turned away from the two, crossing my arms and closing my eyes Mon Dieu. Why did all of this have to be happening right now?

Chapter Four

"Louis hasn't returned yet?"
I turned to see who was talking to me. Armand stood in the doorway of the room, leaning against the doorway as he stared at me. "Well?"
I shook my head and turned back to whatever it was I was doing, going through the books in the library just for a distraction. "No. He hasn't. Why do you ask?"
Armand walked over to me and shrugged, "I don't know. I wanted to talk to him, I suppose."
I looked at him incredulously. "Why?"
Armand frowned. "Is there something wrong with that, Lestat? I didn't know I needed your approval to speak with him. Where exactly did he go, anyway? Did you do something to upset him?"

"My God, Armand, why does everything have to be my fault around here? Everything that goes wrong, that must be Lestat's fault! Isn't that right?"
"You're the one that said it," Armand smirked, and looked at me expectantly. I saw he wouldn't leave until he got his answer, and I conceded with a sigh.
"He went to go search for Nicolas, for all the good it's going to do him."
"Oh." The smirk faded off of his face almost immediately at that name, a sigh filled with despair vacating his lips. "I should have known. maybe I would have gone with him."
"You would have?"
"Yes.. There's so much I want to say to him. To Nicolas, I mean. But.." Armand sighed once more, shaking his head, a very human gesture. "I wonder if he'll ever come back of his own volition."
"Maybe for you," I said with light disgust, then smiled. "Although maybe it would be best if he didn't."
Armand narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"He killed her. I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about that. I don't."
"She was his mother. Of course he didn't do it on purpose, are you mad? Do you think so lowly of him that he would purposely do that? He even . You saw him afterwards! You saw how he was! I can't believe you would say such a thing about your own grandson, Lestat, your own blood! You make me sick."
"Love can color one's judgment. Believe me. I should know."
"Oh shut up! Just shut the hell up! You have no God damned idea what you're talking about!" With that, Armand violently turned away from me and stormed out of the room, fuming.
Maybe he was right. Maybe he wasn't. And I was bitter, so I couldn't care less either way. When that child was given to me, that Claudia, I tended to think of it as a miracle. Maybe a Godsend. And it was the impression I got that Louis saw her as a second chance, at least in the beginning, and then afterwards he saw her as somewhat else entirely. She was something very special to me, a girl of beauty, a girl of inner sweetness - and she was of my blood. My blood! That shouldn't have happened. It was something that could never have happened. But there was intervention involved and she was, she did happen. I don't even fully comprehend it now, either.
And then he was born, and while I was glad about it, I didn't know what to expect. He was of my blood, he was of Louis's blood - and he was of that demon's blood too. That Lilith, I mean. I didn't think about it then, but when we rescued him from that hell - I'm sure that's the time that it began coming out. I don't hate him. I couldn't. At least, I was sure I couldn't.
And these were the thoughts that were running through my mind as I stayed there awhile longer, and then exited the room. It was nearing the dawn when I finally left the room. I heard murmuring. Marius's voice again, I was sure.
Although I'm fairly sure that he knew I was there, there was always that chance he didn't. So, with stealthy catlike grace, I decided to go have a peep of what he was doing. I crept near the kitchen and stood just by the wall, I closed my eyes, and decided to have a listen before I made my grand entrance.
Two voices - one was Marius's, and the other was a man's voice, although I couldn't much recognize it at all. Yes, it had to be a complete stranger - to me, I mean. Marius sounded awfully familiar with him, himself. The words were easy to make out.
"How much of the elixir does she have, Ramses? If she has a lot of it, the results could be - catastrophic. You said yourself that she isn't exactly the most stable woman in the world." Marius's voice.
"She only has only the one vial. I didn't think she would do this with it. But now, I think I know what it is she's planning." The stranger's voice. or rather, this Ramses's voice. My breath caught in my throat at that name. I remembered in my early travels how I was told of an Ancient named Ramses, but then Marius clarified for me that Ramses was no vampire. I moistened my lips and continued to listen to the conversation.
"What's that?"
There was a low, abysmal chuckle. "I thought it would be obvious by now. Revenge. On me, and probably Julie. And this man. this Enkil, it doesn't look like he's very happy with you vampires, either."
Marius sighed. "It doesn't appear so at all. But this was to be expected. I'm just shocked that . that vial managed to resurrect him. I would have never thought it possible, you know."
"The elixir is amazing indeed. So amazing that I vowed to myself never to brew it again. But. somehow."
I decided it was high time that I make my appearance. I had to know. This did affect all of us and no matter how I felt about my own personal problems, my curiosity does sometimes rule both mind and heart. Marius looked up to me almost amusedly, and clasped his hands together with a wry grin. "Lestat. I thought it was you standing there, eavesdropping. Such a childish thing. shouldn't you have grown out of that by now?" "As much as I appreciate your parental chastising, now you know, and I have to know. What the hell's going on here?" I uprooted my eyes from their position on Marius and looked at that man sitting beside him, that Ramses. He seemed tall, of muscular build, and of course, Egyptian. His dark wavy hair was perfect, his face, quite handsome. Well off looking as well. The suit he was wearing was Armani. All in all a dashing figure, although out of the three in the room, well. Anyway, the curious thing about the man, as he appeared Egyptian and all, was the fact that he had these strange blue eyes. And I could tell he was no vampire, but even if I couldn't, I recall Marius telling me about the dense creatures. And well - "Curiosity killed the cat," Ramses said with a low chuckle. "Strange expression, especially for me. So, you are called Lestat? Marius told me of your dealings with Akasha and Enkil in the past. Very interesting."
"So I take it you didn't read my books," I said with feigned annoyance. I sighed and relaxed my posture. "It looks like you have the answers to all of this. What were you talking about, 'elixir'? And -"
"Hold on, hold on," Ramses said. "I'll explain it to you. And you and Marius can explain it to the others. I'm afraid I can't stay long, you see. Someone is waiting for me."
"The abridged version will do," I said, moistening my lips nervously with my tongue. I wondered with anticipation of what secrets he would reveal.
"My name is Ramses. The Damned, if you will. Long ago, as you know, I was once Pharaoh of Egypt. I led an attack on the Hittites. I discovered something there forbidden. The Priestess of those people had learned a forbidden secret, to make an elixir or immortality - I sought that secret. I saw how she fed it to a few doves, and how they could fly tirelessly in circles in the sky, and how no matter what became of them - they could never die. I forced the knowledge of how to brew it out of her, and then I consumed it - and became as I am now. Damned. Of a surety, like you, I have increased strength, agility, the way my mind works - all improved. But all my desires can never be quenched. Food, drink, sex, my appetite for these things can never be sated." He paused and looked to me with a weary smile at the shocked and horrified expression on my face. "Don't worry about it. One grows accustomed to it, after awhile, as difficult as it is. I was tired, though, after some many years of it. At first I tried to use the potion for good. To grow great crops and such. But these couldn't be destroyed or digested, and the people who ate it grew ill and died, for the obvious reasons. A little work of the imagination there. I didn't realize it at the time though, and the disaster that was those experiments caused was horrifying to me. I realized the potion could be of no use to anyone. After a time, I even tried to kill myself. I consumed so many different poisons, I lost count. So, I went into a sleep, to be called upon by the Pharaohs if they needed my guidance. Cleopatra was one of those Pharaohs. With the sunlight, I was revived - we need the sun for such things - and so I guided her. We fell in love. And yet, there came a time when I had to leave her to figure things for herself. I returned to a debacle. Basic history now, a tragedy in my eyes then. The whole Caesar-Marc Antony fiasco. She begged me to give Marc Antony the potion when I offered it to her. I refused. Then she had the crazy idea of giving it to the soldiers. Immortal soldiers to defend Egypt. Marc Antony put that idea in her head, so much was obvious. The Cleopatra I knew would have put serious thought into it before she came up with such a thing. I refused, of course, and she took her own life with the asp, as it was written; such is the truth."
"But then if Cleopatra died. how is it." I began.
"There came a time when my mummy was found. A miss Julie Stratford inadvertently revived me with the sunlight, as the Pharaohs of the past had done for my guidance. She had taken me to a museum at one point, and when I recognized Cleopatra's mummy, I was horrified. I used the elixir on her mummy. As selfishly as I loved her, I brought her back from the dead. But she wasn't the same. she was like a rabid clone of the Cleopatra of my past, that I had loved. And now. well. You can see how that all worked out. Lestat, am I pronouncing your name correctly?"
I nodded absentmindedly, absorbing his words. Certainly, I had never heard this version of the story of Cleopatra before, and I suspect most people never have. Part of me found it oddly romantic, if twisted: a new take on an ancient love story. I repeated the words, 'rabid clone' in my mind. What exactly did he mean?
I didn't have time to ask though, as the door was slammed open by a wild-eyed Louis.

Chapter Five

The sight of Enkil in Versace was quite pleasing to Cleopatra's eyes. "It suits him so well. I can't even picture him in ceremonial Pharaoh garb now," she thought to herself, as she studied his eyes, that beautiful smoldering hue of blue looking so very beautiful in the candlelight, the plaits swaying ethereally over his face as he moved, looking like tiny, dainty chains. She smiled as she mused these things to herself, the white wine tasting so delicious and crisp as she drank it down ravenously.
And the sight of Cleopatra feasting awed Enkil. The vast amounts of food she consumed didn't compute. It didn't seem feasible that such a slender, beautiful woman could horde as much food as she did. Plates and plates of various sorts of meats glazed in fine sauces, mashed potatoes dressed in garlic, salads, fruits, cakes, and the never ending melee of wines. And the way she ate the food was deceptively mannerly and lovely. Enkil looked at the food itself with disinterest - despite the other miraculous changes the elixir induced himself, he still could not partake of human food. Only the blood. He had also fed before coming to this place. Five mortals he drained completely dry - yet still! He wasn't satisfied. That need for blood still screamed in his ears. He pressed his lips together and moistened them, resting his head against the flat of his palms in almost horror on the situation. As old as he was, he knew he shouldn't have the need to feed as often. But now, he felt more starved than the newest, drained fledgling. It distressed him. What did it mean?
Enkil snapped to attention as Cleopatra stood, wiping her fingers elegantly on a cloth napkin. "Come on. I'm ready to go," she said with a smile.
He stood and nodded graciously to her, and the two began to exit the restaurant.
"Excuse me, ma'am? Will you please take care of the bill?" The host looked to her a bit apprehensively, and Cleopatra almost pitied the poor fellow. So young, yet sometimes people had to die young. She had, once.
"Won't you take care of it, darling dear?" She asked to Enkil, using the little pet name Alex Savarell had called her those many years ago.
"Of course," Enkil replied, and approached the host. The young man made a small smile, and Enkil reached out to shake his hand - a modern gesture that Cleopatra had shown him. The man was confused, but nevertheless he reached out to do the same. Roughly, Enkil yanked the man towards him, almost dislocating his shoulder - and sank his fangs deep into the man's neck. The host gasped, his eyes widened, but the ecstasy of the vampire's kiss overtook him. The others in the restaurant watched on in curiosity - of course they didn't know what was going on. It was when Enkil let the man drop to the floor, lifeless and dead, when a woman let out a soprano of a scream. And how sweet it was.
Pandemonium ensued. But despite all of that, Cleopatra and Enkil made their exit discreetly.
The cool breeze felt good against Enkil's hard flesh, and the moon looked beautiful to him. He kept growing amazed at the wonderment of it, and regretted all those years he had been nothing more than a pile of crystalline shards on an obsolete temple's floor. He closed his eyes tightly at the memory.
Akasha.
What a faithless wife he had, he thought to himself. She thought she killed him - or at least, he thought she did. He didn't really know what was going through her head at all. How cruel, he thought. How very cruel fate is. A low chuckle crept out of his throat. Oh, he knew. He saw that book - Queen of the Damned, and he remembered that boy, Lestat. Why Akasha fancied him, he never knew or much less bothered to ask. But her faithlessness had led to her own undoing, and he almost relished reading that final chapter when that witch Mekare - and he remembered her well - so violently murdered her. It wasn't to say he didn't love Akasha - he loved her well, and to an extent he missed her - but he was glad she got 'what was coming to her', one of Cleopatra's favorite sayings. And he could only presume to imagine the Gods' wrath on her in the afterlife.
He opened his eyes and looked to the beautiful once-queen of Egypt, a smile lighting up on his face. How alive she made him feel! He could do anything. And it wasn't just silly infatuation that made him feel that way - the elixir mingled with Amel's presence pumping through his veins made him feel as a God.
But of course, he had figured out long ago that, that was what he was. But he wasn't the only one. He had worshippers, hadn't he? Even Akasha had agreed, they were gods! Ra had decided as he guarded the day, there must be a guardian for the night, hadn't he? And so Enkil was so aptly blessed, and so they had chosen to pass on their blessing.
Ah, Khayman! Enkil remembered. He wondered if that fellow was still alive. He was in that one book. He thought he might like to see him again, that steward that so unquestioningly followed his orders long ago, despite his feelings of sympathy for those witches.
He was brought out of his reverie when Cleopatra spoke. "Daydreaming again, good king? We have work to do! Don't you feel it?"
"What is it you believe I should be feeling?" Enkil asked in a regal tone, looking to her, so lovely. Perhaps he should make her his bride, he thought. He was sure the Gods would smile upon that, this new queen who seemed so worthy.
"I feel them. I think she's around, and that means he's around too. Don't look at me like that. Ramses, Ramses! I told you about him! We've got to get rid of him before he tries the same with us. Selfrighteous bastard."
Enkil didn't much care for her tone of voice, but he only nodded in agreement. "What would you have me do? I don't see what you're getting at." But right when he said that, he sensed the underlying tone of urgency in her words. And he sensed her.
That woman, standing across the street, fair of skin, somewhat dark of hair, clothed in a plain dress and nothing much unusual or unseemly about her. But those eyes! They were the same eyes that Cleopatra possessed, that he too possessed.
Cleopatra sneered. "Julie Stratford."
"That's her?" Enkil asked, although he did not need an answer. He had agreed, no, vowed more like, to assist Cleopatra on her path to revenge. It was, after all, the least he could do, he reasoned. And perhaps aiding her quest would work best to assist him on his own.
Julie began to run. Enkil and Cleopatra pursued. Julie felt her heart hammer in her chest as she ran from the two, turning down street corner after street corner, desperately praying that she would lose them. Terror struck her, and she found her eyes locked on the path in front of her; she could not bear to even look behind her for a moment. She silently cursed herself for having the curiosity to investigate the restaurant, to peer closer and see if that woman was who she thought it was. But who was the man with her? To her knowledge, only she, Ramses, and Elliot, other than Cleopatra of course, had taken the elixir. And Ramses had promised her that he would make no more elixir! What was going on?
The world continued to go by at a strenuous pace as she ran, until she felt she had to stop. Not out of physical fatigue, but the horror simply got to her. But she heard their voices, their voices! She looked around wildly, what could she do? She wet her lips with her tongue as she wildly looked about, hoping there was but some avenue of escape that she might take.
Then she felt a hand clamp down over her mouth. She writhed and pulled away, her strength apparently more than the man anticipated. She turned and looked to him. She knew off the bat he couldn't be human. His flesh looked too much like marble for that, his black hair too rich of luster, those green eyes too vivid.
She backed away from him, but he raised his hands in peace.
"Let me help you!"
She looked to him incredulously, her suspicion almost too much to bear. "Why?"
"I got a look at both of them too, all right? And I don't know what or who you are, but it looks like you're running from them, too. Just be quiet. If you don't follow me, fine, but I'll feel bad about it later."
"Who are you?"
"There isn't time for introductions. I feel them coming." He grabbed her by the arm and led her away down an alleyway, and she began to feel even more nervous. Why had she even agreed to come along? She didn't even know where she was going anymore, the patterns of streets fading by much too quickly. God, she thought to herself, What am I doing?
Soon she found herself outside of a house. Wasn't this the neighborhood she had left Ramses at? She asked herself, but couldn't say more when the strange man had slammed the door of the house open.

Chapter Six

"Louis!" I shouted, my voice coming out louder than I had intentionally bade it. He quickly stepped inside and waited patiently waited for a young lady that was with him to enter, then slammed the door shut loudly. It was Ramses voice I heard then.
"Julie! I thought I asked you to wait for me at the hotel."
"Julie?" I asked, then recalled Ramses's words about how a miss Julie Stratford had revived him those years ago. I studied her then. Those same blue eyes as Ramses's.
"I'm not your mindless sidekick," Julie said with a sharp laugh, in a feigned attempt to be playful. Her posture straightened as she grew serious, then: "Ramses. I saw them."
Louis nodded at these words, and looked at Marius, then at me, square in the eye. "I did, too."
"Who?" I asked, lamely, although I had at this point pretty much figured it out for myself. Still, I had to say it.
"Enkil and Cleopatra, who else?" Julie replied with a sigh, pacing over to Ramses, and then relaxing into his arms as he wrapped them around her. She then looked up to Ramses quizzically. "And who are these people?"
I didn't pay attention to what he was saying as I rushed up to Louis, and threw my arms around him. "Mon Dieu, Louis! You had me worried!"
Louis calmed at that and placed his hands on top of my arms, a fading smile on his face. "You're the one that always has me worried, Lestat."
"I thought you would have been long gone by now."
"I was. searching the city first." He sighed, his lips pursing into a frown. "It's obvious he's left town. And now with this Enkil situation."
At first I waited for an apology for his earlier comments, but none came. My shoulders slumped, but I let it pass. "I see."
He noticed my expression but said nothing. "What are we going to do?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"How long. how long before you think they're going to come?" Louis asked softly. "I'm sure Enkil will sense us in no time."
Marius looked to the two of us, then opened his mouth to make a suggestion, when the voice of another interrupted him.
"May I make a suggestion? Let's pack up your friends and get the hell out of here," Armand said, his tone dry as he looked at me flatly. Needless to say, he didn't look amused at all.
"And go where, pray tell?" I said, rather, snapped at him. "Hmm?"
"Night Island, you idiot," Armand said with a tone so light and friendly in reply to me, that had one not heard his words it would have sound perfectly cheerful.
Of course, as to be expected, I took his demonstration of sarcasm lightly and with good cheer, and ah - well, we took his suggestion.
To refresh your memory, dear reader, Night Island is the private island resort haven for mortal and immortal alike, really more for the latter than the former. A handy thing to have, and a great idea - one thing I'll give Armand credit for.
Although he probably got the idea from somebody else.
How we all managed to get away from Armand's home in the city without Cleopatra or Enkil noticing, I have no idea. But something else came to mind.
Suppose they were just toying with us. I mean things were too easy, weren't they? I suppose I could go on about that one. But there was something unusually odd about it, and I didn't like it.
I kept this suspicion, but didn't voice it - I let them have their period of grace and relax for the time being.
There was one point where Vittorio suggested to me in private that I ask for Azza's help.. after all, he had proven himself trustworthy, and powers like his were a force to be reckoned with.
"No."
"Why not?" He looked to me with utter confusion, not understanding the logic of my decision at all. And I suppose, it didn't make much sense, and even I don't know why I was doing that - throwing away a great ally. It wasn't that I didn't love Azza anymore - he was still as precious to me as he always had been. But then there was something else.. something else that I couldn't even figure to myself. And I think if it were a simple matter of pride I would have known that's all it was, but it wasn't. To put it simply, I just don't know at all.
"I don't feel like explaining it," was all I said at the time though. And that had to suffice.
For a few weeks, the killings escalated. Popular clubs (which we knew to be vampire havens) were blown to bits. The mortals suspected terrorism or just simple arson, which was to be expected. It's common knowledge that people will consider what seems more logical and real to them than any supernatural forces. And there was the mysterious deaths that no one could explain, and the witnesses all saw the same - the beautiful exotic couple, descriptions, etcetera.
I secretly thought to myself that the Talamasca must be having a field day with this one - but then again, they weren't likely to do anything about it either. Watch and always here, but good for nothing else. At least, we, The Coven of the Articulate, were safe here in the little haven of Night Island. We stayed for a few months, hovering over each other, always in a stalemate of deciding what to do. No one thought of anything, of course.
And then, the killings ceased. And for half a month we all hovered over each other still, but there was no sign of Cleopatra or Enkil. No one could explain it, and while we were cautious we had all started to grow tired of one another again, and the Coven of the Articulate scattered to the winds again.

Chapter Seven

Of course, that is hardly where the tale ends. Although for awhile, it seemed that way. A few years passed, things were peaceful, our lives got back to normal as much as they could, considering. And I was alone again. Louis had long gone to continue his search for Nicolas after the threat of Cleopatra and Enkil was thought of to be over with by their unusual disappearance. Everyone else went back to doing whatever it was they do with their lives, and Azza. I missed him. I hadn't seen him since he had stormed off, and I was highly regretting the way I had treated him.
And, I had, for some reason, returned to Miami. I didn't know yet if I wanted to stop by Armand's house and see if he was there. And I didn't, not just yet, anyway.
I wandered around for most of the night, until I found a good meal. Large cities are full of criminals, and the affair was easy. My cheeks flushed with new life, I continued to wander. I went down so many different streets and turns that at last I felt that I was getting lost.
It was then that I saw them. A large group of vampires, that all looked fairly young, (fledglings, I mean, the ages that they all appeared to be varied) and all of middle eastern. That was what marked them in my eyes. Or maybe it was the fact that they all seemed to be dressed in supplicant's robes. Take your pick.
This was a first. I approached as close as I dared, but then one of them, a tall male with dark hair set in plaits (that set off a memory of Enkil, although they didn't look much else alike) caught sight of me, and said something to the others. I didn't know what was being said; it was a language unfamiliar to me. But by the sound of it, I would guess to say it was some sort of Arabic dialect.
I was surprised when they all came after me. I could have probably stood my ground and fought them all, if I really wanted to. But sometimes you have to pick your battles, and I didn't really want to chance it with this one.

I ran.

I could hear them shouting to one another as they followed after me, nearly falling over each other unceremoniously, although a few of them continually got too close to comfort for me, my yellow locks just barely out of reach to one outstretched hand. Surprising myself, I found the chase a bit exhilarating.

When I finally gained the lead, I took one turn and ended up in a dead end. I could have just flown out of there, if that was what I wanted to do, but this proved interesting. Now I admit that it wasn't the smartest thing to do, but why the hell not?
I turned to face them, my lips curving into a grin. "Yes, why the hell not?" I said aloud, repeating my thoughts into words. The one who had spotted me, the one with plaits like Enkil, entered the alleyway, and looked past me, then up. He walked closer until he was standing directly in front of me, and yet, nothing! I was too surprised to reach out and do anything about him, though, and soon he turned and walked out of there.
I stood in a stupor. "What.."
"Lestat, you aren't exactly the brightest crayon in the box, are you?" A familiar voice crowed antagonistically to me.
I whirled around to see Azza, standing behind me, in his precocious human form, an impish smile playing on his lips. "Why, hello there! I saw the potential mess you were getting yourself into, and, ah well, you know."
"I could have handled myself," I said dumbly, the wave of emotion cresting over me. Azza, here! I felt as if someone had stabbed a dull knife under my breast plate and into my heart, and I ached for him.
"This doesn't mean I forgive you," Azza said matter-of-factly. "And yes, you probably could have destroyed them all. I concede to that." He shrugged his shoulders, splaying out his fingers in gesture. "But then that would have just alerted them that you were here, and I'm sure, that comes with its own set of problems, although they're no problems of mine." With that, he began to walk past me, humming some strange tune that I had never heard before. I gasped in protest and reached out to him, grabbing him by the wrist and pulled him towards me. He looked back at me, annoyed, his eyes partially veiled underneath his thick lashes, his ebony curls hiding part of his beautiful face.
"Why are you leaving?" I demanded of him, although even I had to admit I had no place to do so. But when have I ever remembered my place?
"I'm going to watch and see how this all plays out," Azza said as if it were a curse, those heart shaped lips curling into a rueful smile. "I refuse to do you any more favors. We're even."
I can't say what Azza saw reflected in my expression, but whatever it was, he instantly looked remorseful. He averted his eyes and sighed, bowing his head, if slightly. "Why do you care anyway?" He asked to me, quietly. "Aren't I just a little poppet? A pretty doll you got tired of playing with? That's what."
I silenced him with a kiss, placing my fingertips underneath his chin and tilting his head upwards, clutching the hair of the nape of his neck with my other hand. One of Azza's hands hesitantly reached upwards and clutched onto my blonde locks, his slender fingers entangling into my hair. I felt his tongue dart between my lips for a moment, and I sighed, until he pulled away. His eyes were widened, his lips parted as if in surprise, and he batted his lashes, almost seeming to be an adorable caricature of himself.
"Lestat," he murmured, as if like in prayer.
"Azza, no," I said to him, placing my hand to his cheek and sifting some of those errant, silken strands of dark hair away from his face. "I never thought of you like that. I never have, or will. There's no excuse for the way I treated you, and I'm not even sure why I did it."
His expression became a bit more relaxed, and he smiled then, a small, uncertain smile. "You're such an enigma, sometimes," He chuckled, although it was a heartless one. "I just thought. that you were going to be like the others."
"Others?" I asked, confused.
"I'll tell you, some other time. I don't feel like talking about it right now." He shrugged, and turned away from me. "Anyway, I have to go."
"Why? Where?"
He shrugged again. "I'm supposed to go see someone. I'll see you later." He turned his head back to me and smiled, this time, a warmer smile that oddly reminded me of the sun sinking over the horizon. "I promise."
With that, he was gone.
And with no better ideas, I went to Armand's.

Ursula greeted me wordlessly at the door, her expression unreadable, although I could tell it was nothing good. Worried, I brushed past her, and sped into the living room where I heard voices. Vittorio lay on the couch, and his skin crackled and burnt, and I knew he had been out in the sun. I gaped, and Armand looked up at me with an expression of concern that I had seldom seen on his face, and knelt by the two.
"What the hell happened?" I asked, my tone one of shock.
"I'm sure it looks worse than it is," he assured me, although his assurance was of little help. I shot a glance to Armand, and he rose from his seat with a sigh.
"Let me show you something."

He led me over to the room where Vittorio had been staying at, and gestured to two bodies that lay dead on the floor.
Mortals, I knew, and dressed in the same supplicant's robes I had seen on the vampires that had pursued me.
"Apparently, they had broken in," Armand began, "And tried to take him somewhere. Not very smart either, since Vittorio unconsciously strangled the first one, and the second one didn't get it. Since they thought they weren't going anywhere with that strategy, they opened the curtains and shutters and tried to kill him, and left."
I swallowed, and nodded, my throat dry. Armand cast an odd look at me as he studied my expression, and asked, "Does this seem familiar to you, 'Stat?"
I frowned at that odd tone he took with me, and then explained about the vampires who were wearing the same exact robes earlier in the evening.
Armand nodded, but made no comment. Then: "I'm sure Vittorio is going to be alright.. although now.. Well, Bianca volunteered to go find him some victims to feed. This was some hours ago, and she hasn't come back."
I bit into my lower lip. "I hope nothing's happened." And it was sincere. Enough has happened to us, and no matter how short our periods of grace were, still, didn't we deserve some sort of break? I didn't know why fate had to curse us this way, but, on the lighter side of things, at least our unlives were never uninteresting.
We both heard the door slam loudly downstairs, and we looked at each other for a brief second before we rushed downstairs.
"Bianca!" Armand shouted thankfully, and she looked at him, fatigued and tired, her blonde hair tangled and just generally, messed up.
Then Armand froze, and I saw what he was staring at. Two men were with her, one a vampire, the other, not. And I could tell that he was whatever Ramses and Julie were, by that strange color of blue that his eyes were, and that unnatural presence about him.
"Armand," she said tiredly, then she looked to me, "Lestat, everyone. May I introduce to you Elliot and Alex Savarell."

Chapter Eight

Enkil sat, hunched over in the darkness of the room, surrounded by at least a hundred bodies littered on the floor around him. No stench of blood, no. He hadn't wasted a single drop. And yet, the presence of his hunger hadn't waned at all! Was this the price he had to pay? That maddening hunger that could never be sated, and how it just grew wilder at the slightest scent of blood? Truly, he had been granted a fine boon in exchange - just the sight of the sun alone was a beautiful gift. He thought of it as a sign. Originally, when he had been ascended into godliness, he found that Ra had turned his face away from him and his lady wife, Akasha. But now, it seemed Ra had welcomed him back. Ra smiled upon him. So he thought - was this hunger merely a test? Was this Ra's test for him, to perhaps see if he was worthy of greater feats? If so, Enkil prayed, If so.. See me in your grace, my Lord. Pray that I have the strength not to fail this mighty ordeal, this crucible. Enkil thought he heard a silent answer to his prayer, and he relaxed his posture, feeling - or perhaps, imagining, although to tell him so meant sure death - a bright mantle coming over his shoulders. Cleopatra's nose wrinkled in distaste the moment she opened the door. The scent of the bodies beginning to atrophy was not something she was fond of. The bodies of the servants, she mused.. Indeed, it reminded her of when she used her own servants to test the many poisons before she had settled on the asp. She almost pitied them. It was almost entirely too easy to find those feeble-minded folk that would see a few displays of power as godliness. Well and so, weren't the pharaohs thought of as gods once upon a time? She was only accepting her due, as was Enkil, according to the ancient proscription. Let them die as sacrifices for their gods. Extraordinary deaths for ordinary men, but beyond that: They saw it as an honor. So, let them. She wasn't the one soiling her hands anyway. Thus was the nature of her thoughts as she descended the rickety wooden staircase to the bottom of the basement, and looked at Enkil. She raised a brow as she swore he was wearing the strangest of smiles, but said nothing. "Good king," she said, still humoring him (but not only that, it bore a touch of familiarity to it that she missed), "I have news." "News?" He asked, interested, as he rose from his seat. "What news is this?" "It seems as though your good friend Lestat is back in town. The servants saw him on their patrol, but he ran away from them."
"As I predicted," Enkil said, more to himself than anyone else. Cleopatra shrugged. "Whether Ramses and Julie are with him yet, I don't know. But we can still get rid of him, so we can focus all our energy on the others."
Enkil nodded in silent agreement. In all truth, he just wanted to get it over with. He wanted to focus on other things, to see the rest of the world that he had been so long deprived. He wanted to travel, and look at the wonders that the gods had lavished upon the people that had forgotten them - so many wonders that he had scarce been able to see, on aiding Cleopatra's quest for vengeance. But still, he was a man of honor, and like as not the thought of leaving her to her own devices had never crossed his mind in the slightest. There was a debt of honor at stake, and Enkil would make sure that he would repay it in full.
And then there was Lestat. He would take pleasure in getting rid of that one, just for his own sake, and Cleopatra was kind enough to help him find his way.
Enkil smiled. "Very well, my queen," he said. "Let us administer the judgment that has been so long in passing."
Cleopatra couldn't help but grin. Finally!
"Super. Then let's go."

Chapter Nine

Bianca, Alex, and Elliot took turns telling their tale as they regained their strength.

Bianca had been chased by those same vampires with the supplicant's robes as I had. Elliot and Alex, who had come to town looking for Ramses and Julie (and also to find their old acquaintance, Bianca, although how they knew each other I have no clue), had spotted Bianca being chased by that mob. The three of them together fought off as many as they could, but it seemed they just kept calling up reinforcements. And they decided to run, and managed to evade them, until they arrived back here.
"Did they see where you were going?" Armand asked carefully when they were through.
Alex shrugged. This was when I had a chance to take a good look at the two odd companions. This "Alex" was tall, slender, with an overall angelic disposition, although there was a shadow to his smile when he spoke that I thought shouldn't be there. And I already knew vampiric life was not suiting him, although I couldn't guess his age. Not too young into it, but not overly old, either. But however old he looked, he looked as a tortured soul.
He reminded me of Louis.
And Elliot had that same oddness to him that marked Julie and Ramses, as I mentioned before. His hair was dark, he looked young - far too young to have fathered Alex, as Bianca had said he was Alex's father in the hurried introduction they had made before the story.
I wondered what was their story. And I thought it a damn shame that this wasn't the time to ask.
"I'm not sure, Armand," Bianca was saying, her tone one of worry. "They could have. If they did.."
"Then they'll be on their way over here," Elliot said bluntly. "And we should be on our way out."
"Vittorio, are you fit for travel?" Ursula asked him, and offered him her hand. He took it, and with a wince, he stood.
"I will be," he said, then looked to me, and to Armand. "Come on."

Then I heard a female voice, one that was unfamiliar to me. I whirled.
"And where are you going? Oh look Enkil! I like that one. He looks like a little doll." If I had just overheard her, and not seen what she was doing, I would have thought she was at a candy store.
I followed her finger and saw she was pointing at Armand. He blanched. Elliot tensed.
"Cleopatra," he greeted. "Why are you doing this?"
She ignored him, although I saw her eyes stay on Alex for some moments, and turned to her consort, Enkil, who was staring at me with a malicious smile.
"This isn't the right place. But get me that one."
Soon Enkil was across the room and had Armand gripped tightly in his arms, one hand clamped to poor Amadeo's jaw. "Move, and I'll tear your head off your body," he said matter-of-factly. "Understand?" Armand's eyes widened in terror, and I can't remember the last time I had ever seen him make that face. I suppose it isn't easy being a 'cherub'.
Cleopatra grinned, and let loose a hearty laugh.
Alex looked to her remorsefully, "Your Highness. I thought I would never see you again.. but why are you doing this?"
Her smile faded, and she looked to Alex with a frown. She didn't dignify him with an answer, and instead looked to Enkil. "Bring my new toy, and let's get out of here."
Vittorio staggered forward in angry protest as the two walked out the door, with Armand, and no one tried to stop them. I was too busy gaping to do anything about it, either.
I snapped out of my stupor when Ursula made a cry of gentle protest and tried to get Vittorio to sit back on the couch. "Please," she pleaded him, "You can't."
Bianca narrowed her eyes, and I saw that now she was full in anger. She turned towards me, and her two companions. "Well!? Go after them! I'm going to find Marius. He should be nearby."
I nodded dumbly, then looked to Vittorio. "Rest. Don't get any crazy ideas."
He replied dryly, although his expression was a contorted one of concern, "I believe that's your forte. Now get out of here!"
Elliot, Alex and I followed the order without much thought. And the chase began.
Enkil and Cleopatra were fast, and the three of us darted after them, so fast that the mortals that were still out at this time of night never saw us. Although, Alex had some trouble keeping up some of the time.
I think that Enkil and Cleopatra had led us back to their little house on purpose. No, I'm certain that's what they did. Maybe it was because the flavor of the dramatic was lost on them, I don't know. But in any case, that's where the showdown began. It was the bad side of town, and the 'house' was more like a sort of warehouse, made of rusted steel and abandoned. I doubted there was any civilized beings in the vicinity, except for the crackheads and various other drug addicts, but that was a given in a place like that. I swallowed as I stared at the place, and I could smell with my preternatural senses at least a hundred rotting bodies in that building. It made the place seem all the more horrendous.
Enkil turned to me, and threw Armand across lawn of the dilapidated place into the wall. Poor Armand's eyes widened, but he slowly stood upwards, and accessed the situation. I don't think he cared for the odds.
Because those odds were stacked against us.
"Now then, Lestat," Enkil said, brushing his hands off on his pants, "Are you ready for your judgment?"
I tensed. Enkil could rip me into pieces, and we both knew it. But still I elected to remain nonchalant.
"I thought that judgment was for the Gods to hand out," I replied smoothly, "And I don't see any of those around here."
I swear I saw Enkil color. Well, if he hadn't planned on killing me before, he was sure to do it now. And then another voice threw itself into the fray.
"Armand!"

I looked up, and saw - I couldn't believe it! He was standing on the roof of a building that was diagonally across from Enkil's little piece of heaven, or hell for that matter - and I could see the moonlight reflecting off of his yellow hair. Even though he was difficult to see even for me, I would have recognized that red suit anywhere.
"Nicolas?" Armand asked, startled, and Alex and Elliot turned, uncomprehending. And Cleopatra and Enkil did not look amused. I saw him arch back on his heel and dart forward, and he landed nearby, until he rushed forward to me. Yes, it was him! That blonde hair, set in ripples like his father's, that classical beauty combined with catlike grace - the eyes of vivid green that sparkled like emeralds against his pale skin, his mouth having inherited some of the generosity that mine had, but not as much. Nicolas. "God, Louis!" I thought silently to myself, "If only you were here!"
"Hello, Grandpere," he greeted me with a smile that said a thousand words. And damn it, I was happy to see him, and too surprised for words. Then he furrowed his brow and looked to Enkil and Cleopatra, Enkil in particular. "Who the hell is this gweilo?" He asked me, and I took the word in uncomprehending.
"What?"

Chapter Ten

It didn't take Nicolas long at all to figure out that these people were not our allies. I heard his sword sing free of its sheath with surprise. I didn't know he had that, and didn't ask where it came from. I think it even gave Enkil and Cleopatra a start.
But Enkil laughed. "Look now, my queen! They've chosen a warrior to combat against me. Very well then. Let's play."
Nicolas ignored his words and looked to Armand, who was standing at this point, but looking to Nicolas in uninhibited shock. "You're..here!"
"Did he hurt you?" Nicolas demanded. "Did he?"
Armand didn't answer, too busy being frozen from the compound effect of being abducted from Enkil and to see Nicolas appear here out of nowhere, or at least that's how I interpreted it, because I was feeling the same way at this point.
"Only I'm allowed to hurt you," Nicolas said with the smirk of pure audacity that I knew was not part of Louis's lineage, and turned back to face Enkil. "Now then, I don't know your name, but let's get this party started!"

The two began to circle each other like massive cats hungry for a meal. I felt my heart leap into my chest. I didn't think the odds held him more in favor than they did me. and Louis.. Louis would be distraught if he lost his son, too. I was about to shout to Nicolas to put that damn sword away and let me take his place, but any protestations died in my throat as the battle truly began.
Nicolas wielded that blade with talent that I hadn't seen since I was the son of the marquis, and the approach he took with it reminded me of myself. The moonlight flashed off the steel as he wove a pattern of complex moves, and talented as he was, Enkil had the power of being an ancient on his side, and he evaded it all with such speed, even my own preternatural vision could not follow.
But it couldn't keep up forever. Blood splattered against the wall of the horrendous shack as Nicolas's blade found its target. He shoved the blade upward under Enkil's ribcage, as far as he could, the blade pointing outwards from between his shoulder blades. Enki's mouth widened and gaped open in surprise, and I swear I felt that time had stopped, Armand, Elliot, Alex, and even Cleopatra watching in surprise.
Then Enkil smiled, and swinging one arm, he hit Nicolas hard against the side of his head and sent him reeling against the ground, sliding into the moist dirt.
Enkil reached to the hilt of the blade, and pulled it out of him, and I could see the wounds already beginning to heal through the tears in his dress shirt. He walked over to Nicolas patiently, who was struggling to get up, and I felt my heart sink in my chest.
Nicolas looked up to him with widened eyes, and with an effortless kick, Enkil sent him sliding back into the dirt again. He gripped the handle of the sword with both hands, and with the grotesque sounds of blade sliding into flesh with resistance, he brought the sword up and down over and over again, connecting it into different spots of Nicolas's torso. I watched in horror as Nicolas cried out, sounds that sounded more appropriate for the bedchamber than the battlefield, I thought in the back of my mind, then went still as his eyes of beautiful green rolled back into his head, a bloody froth on his lips.
Enkil smiled in triumph, and began to walk back to us, leaving the sword protruding from Nicolas's chest. "Now it's your turn, Lestat."
I felt horrified. As quickly as it began - it was over? And now.. I knew I didn't stand a chance. I moistened my lips. At least I wouldn't go down without a fight. I tensed my muscles and looked to meet Enkil, and prayed that at least I would go down heroically, and that one of my companions might get away to write a final novel on my death.
I didn't even have time to think out my will, when I saw light reflect off of green, like a cat's eyes, in the shadows.
Wielding his blade as a man possessed, Nicolas's blade tore through the air and slid through Enkil's neck.
Blood splattered high into the air, as if from a fountain, as Enkil's body fell downwards, the body parts still moving. Enkil's head fell on the ground, blood leaking out from where his head should have met his neck, and still, he was blinking, his lip moving to form words that he could not speak.
Crouching, Nicolas sent his blade right in between Enkil's eyes, and pulled it out slowly with a sadistic smile.
Cleopatra screamed, and began to run. She didn't get too far, because soon Ramses's hands were gripping on her shoulders, holding her in place.
A struggle ensued, their strength a perfect match for one another. They had grip of each other's arms, pushing and pulling at each other, Cleopatra trying to get away from Ramses, and Ramses trying to hold her to him. The tide turned when Marius joined at Ramses's side, and assisted to help hold her in place, his strong arms like white marble closing around her waist and her arms, holding her in place like a statue.
She screamed, and screamed, but to no avail.

Alex and Elliot walked to the three, tears streaming down Alex's cheek as he looked at her.
"Why, Your Highness?" Why he insisted on calling her that, I have no idea, "Why?"
Cleopatra regained her composure, and her expression softened as she looked at his face. "Ramses gave me new life, and he wants to take it away! And he tried to take you away, and I was left alone while he had his Julie. but you. you're still alive after all these years?! How?"
Alex's smile became a sweet one of pure lament, the same I had seen on Louis's face time after time. "Because, Your Highness," he said, his voice painfully sweet, "Like you, I'm not human anymore."
Ramses, meantime, had gone to inspect Enkil's body. His body was still moving, and his head had already healed itself from Nicolas's sword wound, his lips still forming silent prayers.
What Ramses read from his lips, I could not say, but he shook his head in sorrow and told him, "No, my brother. You and I are far from it. Whatever gods there may be have turned their eyes away from us. We are damned."
And Enkil's expression became one of pure sorrow.

I turned, to finally speak to Nicolas after all this time, but to my utter disdain I found him in no condition to speak - his tongue already down Armand's throat.
I cleared my throat, hoping to gain his attention, and he finally pulled away from he and Armand's. kiss.
"Oh, Grandpere," he said happily, his arms winding around Armand's waist, which Armand accepted with little dissent, "I'm glad I found you. I caught sight of you running in the streets with those two.." He glanced towards Elliot and Alex, who were speaking with Marius and an upset Cleopatra, "And followed."
"And where have you been all this time?" I shouted at him, more out of exuberance than anger, although with my tone it would have been difficult to tell the difference, "Louis has been looking for you, we've all been concerned, and then.."
"I have it all wrote out," Nicolas said amusedly, "Met someone who forced me to, anyway. Well, I'm glad to see you're in good health."

And so went our reunion. Ramses, Elliot, and Julie, when she arrived, decided it would be best for Cleopatra to be 'put to rest' for awhile. They decided that the basement of the abandoned building would have to work, and since there was no time to do it, the three sealed her there with all the rotting bodies. Cleopatra's screams were muffled outside the thick door, and I couldn't help but pity her. The three vowed to keep watch on the place so she wouldn't escape, until her body became the withered mummy it had been before.
And as for Enkil, Nicolas went through the trouble of chopping off his limbs and sticking them in burlap sacks, and at Ramses's suggestion, (Nicolas wanted to throw them into the sea), they were tossed in that basement room along with Cleopatra.
As to be expected, Cleopatra and Enkil's 'servants', the vampires in the supplicant's robes, returned to the site, and were none too happy with us.
There was a skirmish, and these vampires were far too young to deal with the whole of us, and unfortunately, they all went down fighting, refusing to hear reason.
And that was that.

So we all returned to Armand's home, excluding our three 'mummy' companions, and Bianca was busy consoling and comforting Alex until the others returned to be of much use to anybody else.
Nicolas was so ecstatic to be near Armand, that I think Armand was feeling a bit smothered from all the attention, but bore it well since he had missed Nicolas too.
And I had, as well, although I still had conflicting emotions towards him.

I was thinking on all that had happened, lying on the rooftop - what this one show had called the final frontier- and staring into the stars, when Azza, in his angelic state, flew down and sat next to me.
"Thinking on the meaning of life, again?" Azza asked me good naturedly, as he condensed into his human state, and lay his head on my chest.
"How could you tell?" I asked, jokingly.
"You look like Plato when you start thinking too much," Azza smirked, and I retorted in reply, "How would you know? Weren't you trapped to a rock in Plato's day?"
Azza did his best to shrug in his position, and cooed, "I've seen statues." We were silent for awhile, until he said, "So things are finally returning back to normal. I suspect your Louis should be on his way back soon."
"How would you know? You looked into it?" I asked him, a sense of anticipation filling me.
"No. Things have a certain pattern, when they play out, fate winding you in the same circle, no matter how different the situations seem, the flavor in the end.. is the same. I'm afraid of it, what will happen to make me chained down again. Dead afraid. It also makes me afraid for your precious grandson."
"What are you talking about now?" I said, getting annoyed, but also afraid. A cold wind rushed by, and I knew if I were a mortal, I would have shivered. And even though I am impervious to the cold, I shuddered nonetheless. "What do you see?"
"I never said I was psychic," Azza said, "But I just know. Appreciate your peace while you can, Lestat de Lioncourt, because it will be short- lived. The circle is turning."
I moistened my lips, and pulled Azza's body, that had an alien sort of warmth, and sighed. I didn't want to ask him anymore on this 'fate' and 'patterns' and 'circles'. I didn't believe that, and I didn't want to hear it. I had enough people interfering in my life, and I can control my own fate, can't I? Then I thought that was a lie. Things always tried to control or did control me. My father, Magnus, Akasha, Raglan James, Memnoch. it never ended. But then I had wound other's fates to myself, Nicki, Louis.. all my children, and others, too, like Dora, and all my victims. I felt blood tears run down my cheek, unbidden, as I wept for the past, meditated on the present, and looked with a curious fear towards the future.
And I wondered, and waited, for what fate would throw at me next.

THE TRIBUTE TO THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES WILL CONTINUE.