Sail Me Away (Open)

[Armand]

Where have all the years gone? That's what I often ask myself these days. Although it's been over five centuries, it almost feels like yesterday that I was a mortal man, living in Russia with my parents and siblings. I went by Andrei back then. Then, I was kidnapped by the Tartars and sold into slavery in Venice, Italy but rescued by, as it turned out, a vampire who was thousands of years old. Marius named me Amadeo. We had a wonderful life together...Wonderful! Out of all of the mortal boys he was taking care of, it was me he chose. It was me he took to his bedroom every night to watch him paint. It was me who he gave the blood kisses. It was me he was preparing for the Dark Gift.

I was impatient back then though...Okay. I'm still a little bit impatient today too. I wanted to be a vampire as soon as possible. But Marius refused and refused and refused. I ran off and had an affair with an English Lord (Marius taught me to appreciate both sexes). When I realized what I was doing was idiotic, I came back to Marius. But the Lord wouldn't let me go so easily. He came to Marius' house and stabbed me with a poisoned blade. Marius had no choice but to turn the seventeen-year-old me that night.

I was finally an immortal creature of the night! But Marius and I didn't have too many years together. The Children of Darkness came. They set my maker on fire and kidnapped me. They tortured me until I finally started believing that we really did serve Satan. It turns out I'm a natural born leader so I was sent to take charge of their coven in Paris. Lestat ruined all of that though. What hasn't that man ruined?

Some more unexciting things happened in my life. I tried to kill myself when Lestat brought back Veronica's veil, after supposedly traveling to Heaven and to Hell. But it turns out that Marius' blood in my veins and my age made the sun just terribly burn me. No death came to me. Two lovely mortals, Benji and Sybelle, helped me heal. Then, I decided to write my life story, leaving my mortal companions in the hands of my maker...They weren't mortal for much longer. Marius decided to give me a gift: two immortal companions. I hated him for doing that.

Has that feeling towards my maker disappeared yet? Not really. I still feel some bitterness and resentment towards Marius for doing it. I didn't even get to enjoy Benji and Sybelle's company for long before they left me. Then, I started traveling the world on my own.

Not surprisingly, I found myself back in Paris sooner rather than later. This was the city where I had gotten the name I still use today. This was the city where I was at my best leading the coven under Les Innocents...until Lestat ruined the fantasy world I was living in. I'm not anywhere near that cemetery tonight though.

I walked down the streets in the heart of the city, my footsteps taking me ever closer to the Theater of the Vampires. I used to run the theater--the theater that Lestat owns. Wouldn't it be a treat to see how they were doing today? How many faces could I recognize? It wasn't long before I stood outside the doors to the theater. But I couldn't bring myself to step inside right away. Instead, I remained outside, looking at the sign that announced I had arrived back to the only real home I ever knew.

[lestat2]

"And to think I thought this place had burned to the ground." I said wistfully, the French accent in my voice becoming broader than the American now that I was in my homeland. The French had changed some what since my time but it still put a sharp edge on my accent. I looked down to the little auburn angel by my side but I knew for a fact his looks were deceptive, he may seem like a sweet young boy becoming a man but he was truly a vengeful devil.

I had appeared from the shadows, finally making myself known. I had felt Armand leaving America and heading towards my old country and on the spur of the moment I had decided I'd follow him. Armand had always wished to experience my company and I missed Paris, so I had thought, why not? Why not give the auburn one a chance now? Vampires can change over time, for better or for worse and Armand really couldn't get any worse than he had once been. I was stronger now, there was no way that he could treat me like his obedient slave like he had offered to me in the 1920s. We were equal, I would not rule over him and he would not be the master of me.

"I'm not disturbing your personal time with this hunk of brick, am I?" I asked mockingly, even if I knew that this building would never be just a hunk of brick to the both of us. As for his personal time, I didn't give a damn if I was disturbing him. "I thought they'd at least knock the place down." I admitted, feeling a chill run down my spine.

I had lost two children here. Nicolas and Claudia. Armand had a part to play in both of those losses but there was no point in holding grudges when we were here for eternity, we might as well make the most of any company that we can have. I had an image of Nicki and I leaving the main entrance as mortals and I closed my eyes at the ghosts. I'd had such a happy time here as a mortal and then this place had become a personal hell when I'd purchased it as a vampire.

Building up my courage, I walked to the entrance, moving to go into the building. I was eager to speak to some of the mortal actors that played here today. I looked back at Armand. "Are you coming?" I asked him genuinely and I couldn't help but notice how small he looked on the modern busy late night street. "I swear you shrink every time I see you. Come on." Hesitatingly holding out a hand for him to take.

The last performance had been half an hour ago. The audience had left but the staff still bustled around and the actors were still in their dressing rooms. It was a busy popular mortal theater and I had the biggest urge to become the owner of it once again. I wanted to be the owner of a theater which hired only the best young mortal actors who rehearsed the finest plays. No more vampire tricks and vampire casts, that had turned out badly the last time. My blond curls swished gently as I looked down at the vampire beside me. I was dressed simply in black jeans, a black shirt and a light silver, gray, crushed velvet blazer which brought out my eyes.

"Armand. I think I wish to buy this place again." I admitted to him, as the bright lights inside the theater dazzled my eyes, making me view the place in slight awe. "We should co-own it and we shall be the only two vampires allowed on the property. Apart from our visiting friends of course."

[Armand]

I had been careless. What else could I say? I hadn’t bothered covering my tracks on the way out of the country—it’s not like I was a fugitive on the run who needed to do so! I hadn’t bothered to listen for any other immortal following me. It was David Talbot who had told me (around the time he told me I should dictate my book to him) that everyone wanted me. Still, that didn’t mean I thought that a vampire would want to track me half way across the world like that, least of all Lestat to do it.

But, quicker than anyone could blink their eye, the blond-haired devil was standing right next to me. I kept my eyes fixed firmly ahead towards the building as I explained Louis’ story to him, ”Oh, Louis did burn it to the ground. The mortals in the city had found the theatre such a big hit, as they would say these days, that they just had to rebuild it, not knowing, of course, that it wouldn’t ever quite be the same with mortals filling all the roles the immortals who used to live here so cleverly played.” I left unsaid what happened afterwards…How Louis had told nothing but the truth of my rescuing him and him being my companion for awhile. Louis hadn’t had Lestat’s strong willpower to resist my offer of companionship; even though I had played a big part in his precious Claudia’s death…Maybe David was right. Everyone wanted me. I could do whatever evil deeds in the world and others would still want me.

I ignored Lestat’s sarcastic question, knowing full well what he knew already: this place was more than just bricks, even if it wasn’t the original theatre. It was the place that had offered me some kind of safe haven after the coven I had lead had been disbanded by the very vampire standing next to me right now. But, by seeking revenge on Lestat by killing Claudia, I had lost my safe haven. But here was a replica standing right before my eyes—a replica I could never call home again now that mortals controlled it all.

I simply glared at Lestat at his snide ‘I swear you shrink every time I see you’ comment. Normally, I would have had something just as scornful to say back to him but I didn’t want to fight with him…not tonight anyways. He had followed me here for a reason, and I wasn’t going to find that reason out by bickering with him. But that didn’t mean I was going to take his offered hand. Instead, I stuff my hands into my pants pocket and walked in after him.

It was like walking back into the past. The humans who had decided to recreate the theatre had to have come to the original every night of their short lives to get all the details almost exactly correct. I couldn’t suppress the small shiver that ran through my spine, not an altogether pleasant shiver. A lot of good memories happened here but so had an equal number of bad. Lucky for me, Lestat didn’t seem bent on holding a grudge on me for the rest of eternity. I had been responsible for the deaths of two of his most beloved fledglings here.

I eyed Lestat as he admitted what I thought was the reason he had followed me. ”So this is why you followed me half way across the world? To buy a piece of property that you owned centuries ago? To ask me to co-own it with you?” I let out a small chuckle at the absurdity of that thought. ”I ran this place when you owned it. I think we all know how well that turned out…I can’t imagine that things would turn out any better owning it…with you, even if we are the only immortals who can freely step foot inside here.” I hated to admit, though, that that idea was rather intriguing. That meant that Lestat and I would be companions of sorts—at least we’d always have to keep in touch with other.

[lestat2]

I laughed heartily, making some of the mortals around me swoon. I often did that, forget that I was in the company of mortals and that I had to tone it down a little. "I would have just phoned you if I wanted to do that, Armand." I said with a devilish grin. "No, actually I had no idea the place still existed, I only decided this very moment that I wanted to own it again." I picked up one of the French theater booklets from the ticket desk and flicked through it, it was nice to see my language on paper every now and then. Ballet, Ballet, Ballet, Opera, Shakespeare. "Oh... Shakespeare. I love Shakespeare." I muttered to myself in approval.

I looked up to see Armand still standing near by. "Oh. Where was I?" I said, dropping the booklet back down. "I came half way across the world, partly because I love Paris and I've wanted to see how my favourite city has changed over the last century. I also came because getting you alone in a foreign country is the perfect situation for us to spend some time together. We have eternity, so why not?"

"I have nothing much else going on right now, my fledglings are all off having fun and no doubt yours are doing the same. I found myself sitting at home, doing absolutely nothing. When I felt yourself heading towards Paris, I thought, hell, why not go spend some time with Armand?" I said with a charming smile.

"I've turned your company down enough times, don't you think? Unless... you've changed your mind, decided that you absolutely despise me and want me dead and don't want to be my companion after all. In which say so, so that I can leave and save myself further injury from your anger," ' Like throwing me off towers' I thought, which Armand no doubt read from my mind. "because your rejection will be enough to break my heart anyway."

Okay, slightly melodramatic. I'd probably be a little hurt that Armand had rejected me but it wouldn't break my heart exactly. However, I stopped talking, allowing the auburn one to process the information I'd given him, while walking off further into the theater. Now that I thought of it, I was rather nervous to hear what he would say to my rather elaborate version of asking him whether he would like to be my companion. If he rejected me, I'd look like a complete and utter fool, in which I doubt I'd be able to live down within the next millenium and mon dieu, if this was published into a book it would be even more embarrassing.

I looked back at Armand nervously but of course I'd never let him know that I was nervous to his answer. I looked up to the ceiling and my breath was taken away by the mural that was there. In the blink of an eye, I was standing upon the stage, looking out to the hundreds of velvet seats. The last time I'd stood here I'd been a mortal. My stomach clenched at the thought of how happy I'd been up upon this stage, my whole life had been ahead of me. It felt nostalgic being up here, the stage lights which had been left on was making me glow heavenly.

I heard a gasp from the side of the stage and looked to the mortal. He was a ballet dancer, still completely dressed in his costume of tights and feathers. "Swan Lake?" I asked him in French softly, not wanting to scare him away with the projection of my voice. "Will you show me how you can dance, mon cher?" The man nodded eagerly, he wanted to please me, I guess I looked quite beautiful to him, I had taken no precautions to hide my nature tonight. No sunglasses, no hat, no make up foundation, no gloves. I was completely exposed.

I dropped down from the stage to sit in one of the red velvet chairs and watched with a smile as he danced one of his ballet routines without the aid of music.

[Armand]

Leave it to Lestat to be so…random then. How many people—mortal or immortal—do you know that would out of the blue be interested in owning a large piece of property that they haven’t visited in a countless number of years? But, nonetheless, I was grateful that he had decided not to telephone me for any reason. You see, I’m not the most technologically competent vampire out there. I had first wanted Lestat to be my companion so I had a link to the world…Someone who could help me understand it. And then I stalked Daniel Malloy all over the place so he could be that all important link for me. He had taught me, to the best of his abilities how to use some of these machines, like the telephone.

I waited as patiently as I could as Lestat picked up one of the programs to look at. Whatever the reason he had followed me had to have been hard for him to admit if he was stalling like this. Then again, maybe it was just Lestat being his usual arrogant self…not that I should judge him on that, seeing as I can be just as arrogant, if not more so.

Then, he spoke words I hadn’t been expecting to hear. He wanted to spend time with me? Who wanted to spend time with me? True, everyone wanted me but that didn’t mean they wanted to spend time with me. This was all rather flabbergasting. Lestat wanted to spend time with me. What had I done to deserve this? This was more out of the blue than Lestat wanting to own the theatre again.

I would have been more than happy to stop him right there and give him an answer but, before I could even open my mouth, he was going on and on and on about him turning down my company before and silently reminding me of when I threw him off of a tower. You had that one coming, I silently shot back at him, not bothering to hide the small grin that formed on my face at just the thought of that night. It was wonderful being evil.

And then Lestat was on the move again. I could have easily given him his answer then and eased his fears but why spoil a good time? Let him explore old familiar places and wonder what my response was going to be for a little while longer. I followed silently behind him, keeping up the invisible wall that kept my thoughts hidden from him. I didn’t want Lestat to have even the slightest hint of what my answer was going to be. It’s not like I had any reason to greet his offer with open arms after the way he had treated me in the past.

Before I knew it, we were on the main stage…Of course that was where Lestat’s feet would lead him, whether it was conscious or unconscious of him. I, though, wasn’t as big of a fan of being in the spotlight as he was. It didn’t help any when the mortal appeared, obviously smitten with Lestat’s charmingly devilish vampiric looks. And, of course, Lestat seemed to be quite all right with all of it, as he asked the human to perform his dance and then jumped down to sit in one of the theatre’s many seats. I jumped off the stage too, easily clearing the orchestra pit and took the seat next to Lestat.

I watched the mortal’s performance, not at all impressed with what I saw. He had done nothing that a vampire couldn’t do ten times better. But it would be foolish to bring immortal actors back here. It was too risky this day and age to be so publicly exposed, not that my possible future business partner would give a damn about something like that. Let that mortal stand there on the stage, waiting for some kind of praise to come from Lestat’s mouth. But first I had my answer all ready for him now. I turned my gaze on Lestat. ”After all this time, you finally want to be my companion…You’ve waited until you’re my equal, so I no doubt can’t have any sort of real control over you…not that anyone could ever really control you. Nonetheless, I think it’s time we find out what life could have been like for us centuries ago if you had taken my offer.” That was my way of saying, ‘Yes, I want you to be my companion,’ without coming right out and saying it.

[lestat2]

I had in fact treated Armand very generously in the past, despite disbanding his coven and turning his company down a number of times, I had given him my makers castle, all the money and a theater full of vampires and if that wasn't enough to show that I had cared then I wasn't sure what was. In return for my generosity, Armand had thrown me off my own god damn tower, a tower that I had given to him. I could have left him on the street with no clothes and no home and no companions.

I felt my heart flutter a little as Armand pretty much told me he'd like to spend some time with me. What was wrong with my heart! It never flutters, it's not meant to flutter. I didn't let it show on my face and gave Armand a charming smile. "I'm glad." I said in response and lent over to kiss the older vampire on the cheek. I turned back to the performance as though I'd only shaken Armand's hand and I continued to watch the mortal finish his routine. I clapped heartily, so the mortal wasn't up to vampire standards but for a mortal he was absolutely amazing.

"Wonderful. Thank you for dancing for us." I said to him as the dancer got down from the stage and approached us.

"It was my honour, monsieur." The boy said, bowing lowly. He took my cold hand and pressed his warm lips to it. Ah romantic Parisians, how I missed them so in America. "Please come back again."

"I will." I assured him with a wink and the mortal ran off backstage.

"I can pretend that you're controlling me, if that is what you want, mon cher?" I said with a wink, Armand sure did have a strange dominance issue but it might be fun letting Armand control me for at least one day. I never really had a maker or a master, I think that is why I found it so hard to let anyone take control over my undead life. Sometimes I wondered what it would be like to have someone care enough to control you in such a way and then I would convince myself that it would be hellish. Especially if it was Marius doing the controlling, what a complete bore.

"I guess now that we are equal, I could just be submissive. I am more at ease with the situation now than ever before because before you would have been able to control me and I never would have never been able to break away from you, but now that we're equal, you can still control me but I'll feel reassured that I'm not trapped under your rule for the rest of eternity." I tried to explain my feelings with a frown, I had no idea if any of that made sense to him but I hope he understood what I was trying to say some what.

"Have you made arrangements for the day?" I asked Armand, one of my legs lounging over the arm rests. To be honest, I'd completely forgotten to book a hotel and now they were probably all full. I would have to find a place to stay before the night was up unless I could stay where ever Armand had planned.

[Armand]

Lestat was glad. I was glad…or as glad as I could be. It’s not like the two of us had the best history together. I think we would have been the last two vampires in the world other immortals would have thought would come together and be each other’s companions for awhile. But it was happening, and Lestat kissing me on the cheek just sealed the deal. And then Lestat had gone right back to watching the performance, like it was no big deal that we had just decided to become companions. It almost made me want to change my answer to him but I couldn’t take it back, even if I wanted to.

Was that a pang of jealousy I felt as the man kissed Lestat’s hand and, with a wink, Lestat assured him that he would come back here? No. It simply couldn’t have been jealousy. Okay…Maybe it was a little bit of jealousy. When something was mine, I wanted it to be all mine. I didn’t want to have to watch Lestat charm mortals. The two of us were together now. Lestat was all mine…and I was all his.

We were finally—and blessedly—alone again. And it was me receiving the wink this time, as Lestat offered up something I didn’t think I’d be hearing from his lips tonight. “Now, Lestat, I can believe that you want to be my companion but you being willing to submit to my every whim and desire? That’s either some sick joke or you’re desperate to do anything to keep me by your side, in which case you must not be feeling well right now.” I wasn’t downright turning down his offer. I was just making sure that his offer was real—that he really meant it. God, I hoped he did!

His further explanation on the matter almost did make sense. From what I understood, it was simply to keep me happy. Because he was my equal and could leave me whenever he wanted to, he didn’t see any harm in pretending that I was control. I didn’t know if I should be flattered or offended that Lestat was willing to let me pretend to be in control. I decided to go with the former emotion because no other immortal had ever been able to have any control over Lestat (even if this was going to be fake). I’d be an idiot to pass up this opportunity.

I let a small grin spread across my face. ”So be it then. I will be your master for as long as you’re willing.” With those simple words, I was the boss around here now. I certainly didn’t feel any different though. Still, I could plume up my feathers now and order around Lestat whenever I wanted to. I honestly hope that Lestat knew what he was getting himself into. And it was a good thing I was the one in charge. It seemed Lestat had forgotten to make arrangements for the daylight hours. Although the sun couldn’t kill either of us, staying indoors protected was a lot more preferable to getting burnt to a crisp and going through agony for days as the body started to heal. ”Lucky for us both, I happened to get one of the last rooms at the Hotel Apollon Montparnasse over on the Rue de l'Ouest.”

[lestat2]

I shifted in my seat slightly. What had I let myself in for? Armand is my master. The words instantly made me want to rebel against him and it had only been half a minute. I could do this, I could be the fledgling, I could be the submissive one right? I was going to try, I was going to try my best to be the greatest obedient companion Armand has ever had. I chuckled a little nervously. "This should be interesting." I said to Armand, my new 'master'. Calling anyone master just felt insane. I could do this. Right? I could do this.

"Ah not far from here then, that is good." I said to him, deciding not to stand up until he did. I would let him take the lead. "What would you like to do for the rest of the night then, Armand? We still have many hours to spare until sunrise. We can always come back here tomorrow evening, do you wish to go back to the hotel or would you like to do somewhere else?" I was trying my best not to make the decision for him. It was so hard not taking the lead, I was very good at it, I was a born leader.

I laced my fingers with Armand's slightly smaller ones, it felt right to do so and my mind drifted off to the nice mortal dancer from earlier. If I didn't have enough fledgling's already I might have considered eventually making him one, he was just my type. Dark haired, passionate and talented. Perfect combination. "That mortal was rather nice, don't you think, Armand?" I said merely conversationally. Not entirely sure what else to do with myself, I might as well learn the art of small talk.

It was then the theater lights were switched off and we were left in the dark. I laughed in the darkness. My vampire vision still showed to me Armand's face quite clearly in the dark but it wasn't quite as clear as if the lights were on. "I wonder if they locked us in." I said with a laugh. Even if they had it didn't really matter, we could use our minds to undo the locks. It was then I felt a shiver come over me and I edged a little closer to Armand. I wasn't afraid or anything, honestly, I just... Ever since Memnoch I'd been a little on edge. That was natural after being stalked by a devil and then kidnapped.

Okay, so I was slightly fearful of what dark spirits this place had and whether they had it in for me or Armand. "Time to go?" I hinted with a small nervous smile.

[Armand]

I let out a small chuckle, holding none of the nervousness of my new ‘fledgling’s’ chuckle, at Lestat’s comment. ”Very interesting,” I mused. Having only one fledgling to my credit, Daniel Malloy, I was just as curious as how things were going to turn out. I mean, Daniel was living with my maker right now, Marius de Romanus, out in San Francisco. The two of us had certainly had our figurative moment in the sun together but that was that. And then Marius had turned two of my mortal companions, Benji and Sybelle, into vampires as a gift that I didn’t want. The three of us…Well, let’s just say we didn’t even last a week together.

I shook my head in amusement as Lestat began stringing his questions together. What should we do? Where should we go? He was going to be an eager, inquisitive fledgling it seemed. ”We have as much of eternity together as we want, my friend. Take a deep breath and calm down.” That wasn’t an answer to any of his questions but I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do…Just enjoy the peace and quiet (that is, if you blocked out all of the mortal chatter of the humans walking by outside) of the theatre for a little while longer. It was the simple things in life, even for the undead, that made it wonderful.

I looked down at our entwined hands—both marble white and perfectly smooth. We truly were equals. What had taken me over five centuries to reach had taken Lestat three hundred years less. That’s what you got for drinking the blood of Akasha, the former Mother of us all. I gave Lestat’s hand a slight squeeze, only looking up at him again as he spoke. What was so special about that dancer that he had to bring him up again? My brows slightly furrowed in a sign of distaste at having to talk about this man again. ”Oh, I don’t know. He looked rather delicious to me.”

And then the lights were shut off on us, not that it mattered to a vampire. It took only tenths of a second for my eyes to adjust. And, surprise, surprise, Lestat moved even closer to me. ”What’s the matter?” I inquired. ”Is Lestat afraid of the dark?” Granted, I was used to this complete and utter darkness, leaving underneath the tombs at Les Innocents. But Lestat had always moved among mortals and was no doubt used to well-lit streets.

I could have tortured him and had us remain in the theatre for hours longer but we couldn’t start our companionship off on the wrong foot, now could we? ”Time to go,” I agreed. I stood up and, holding onto Lestat’s hand the whole time, easily and swiftly navigated us out of the theatre and into the fresh Parisian night air.

[lestat2]

I refrained from hitting Armand on the chest as he threatened my ballet boy. I smiled slightly at him. "You're not jealous, are you, Armand? That my attentions aren't fully focused on you and that I might be attracted to the dancer? Well there's no need to worry, although I might be interested in the boy, my loyalties lie directly with you." I said nuzzling his neck mischievously and resting my blond curls on his shoulder. I must admit, Armand smelt delicious and when I truly looked at Armand, the mortal could never compete. "Promise me you won't eat him though."

Lestat shook his head. "When you have devils and ghosts out for your blood, you'll realise that you have reason to fear the dark, especially in this place of all places. Who knows what wants us dead in here." I said peering around the place sheepishly. Nicolas could be hiding in the shadows read to attack Armand and Claudia could be waiting just around the corner to attack me. "Maybe I'm just getting a little paranoid in my old age, hmm?" I suggested, feeling alot safer once we were outside, under the street light.

There was something about being with Armand that made my dead blood pump a little faster around my body. I loved Louis unconditionally and I loved being with him and his eternal beauty but there was something about being with him which could be a total bore at times but Armand could make my undead heart race. I squeezed his hand back as we walked through the streets of Paris in silence, an angelic picture of death we were. We reached the river in which the murky depths of it never changed in two hundred years.

I sighed a little. "Nicki and I would take that same walk after a performance as mortals. We'd come down by the river side to cool off under the river air after having lime light glared down on us all evening." I looked down into the river, the past following me around like a bad tune. "The river and the river walls are the same but my reflection had changed ever so slightly, and the reflection of my companion had too." I said looking to him with a smile. "It's so very strange how things change over time."

"Sometimes I wish I could spend one last day with Nicki as a mortal and show him how much he did mean to me. I never got to really show him and I left him hating me." I said looking up at the stars, the same stars that had barely changed in two hundred years also except the glare of the city light cancelled a lot of them out. "I'm glad that I'm with you tonight, Armand." I said, leaning close to him. "Perhaps this will be the start of a one hundred year companionship or more."

[Armand]

”Me? Jealous?” I scoffed, trying to sound as offended as I could at that thought. But I was jealous…Just a tiny bit, although I knew I had no reason to be so. After all, I could have turned that mortal into a meal in a matter of seconds. How could you be jealous of someone who was that easily at your mercy? And then Lestat wanted me to promise that I wouldn’t eat him. ”I promise that I won’t eat him,” I said with all of the honesty I could muster up. I added in that boyish smile that I would never lose for good measure. I had only promised not to make a meal of the man. That didn’t mean I couldn’t lay hands on him in some other way…if I so chose to ever do so.

I had my fair share of devils and ghosts too—devils and ghosts that I wish could have been exorcised when I dictated my life story to David Talbot. One of my biggest ghosts, I believe, will always be Lord Harlech. He was the reason Marius had to give me the Dark Gift before he thought I was ready for it. I had foolishly believed I was more than ready for it but I’ve since realized my maker had been right. Thankfully, though, Marius’ palazzo had been destroyed in the fire the Children of Darkness set it on, so I had no actual place to go to be haunted by his ghost.

Lestat was leading me through the city. It seemed he had some specific destination in mind, so, although I was supposed to be the master right now, I willingly let him take the lead. How many times had I walked around Venice and Florence hand in hand with Marius when I was first made? And now here I was walking hand in hand around Paris with Lestat…Who would have thought it? Certainly not I.

It wasn’t long before we were at the destination Lestat had been walking towards the whole time. I listened as patiently as I could as he explained the significance of the place. I looked down at the ground as he talked about his former lover. How could I look Lestat in the eyes after I had been the one responsible for sending Nicolas over the proverbial cliff? Sure, he would have gone into the fire eventually but I helped speed up the process by cutting off his hands and locking him in a cage and starving him for five days. Hey, it wasn’t my fault that he was…How do they say it? Off his rocker? Yes, that’s right. Nicolas was off his rocker. It’s hard enough dealing with a crazy mortal. Imagine the impossibility of trying to take care of a crazy vampire.

I chose to ignore the subject of Nicolas altogether because I was afraid that my temper might get the best of me and make this the shortest companionship I’d ever had. Once the discussion got back to the two of us, I looked up at Lestat, letting go of his hand and wrapping an arm around his waist. ”You really are glad to be with me, aren’t you?” I asked, not sure why that was so hard for me to wrap my brain around. ”Imagine all of the wonderful things Marius would say about this…About what a huge mistake you’re making in hanging around the likes of me.”

[lestat2]

[Armand needs to take the lead because I'm running out of things to post about as a submissive with out taking the lead. ]

"Please. Don't make me think of Marius." I said rolling my eyes, enjoying the feel of Armand's arm around me. "The man is such a bore and a nag. I would ignore every word that came out of his mouth about us because none of it would be true." I said wrapping my arms around Armand, resting my cheek against his soft red hair. "We are a perfect match, the two of us, we have both been looking for companionship for years and I was foolish enough to deny it to us. I have no mistake in coming to Paris tonight to see you, in fact I think I made a perfect choice, mon cher."

"If Marius did say anything, he is only jealous that we have managed to find peace in each other for once. I'm pretty sure the immortal wants us both as his little slaves." I said bitterly, my lips brushing his neck as I spoke but my fangs went no where near the little auburn devils skin, we were too out in the public for such intimacy. I realised that Armand was a little too short to reach my neck, he would have to stand on a step to reach, though I wasn't sure if I was quite ready to share my sacred blood with him.

I asked him bluntly of my fears. "My blood... it didn't play a part in you choosing me as a companion, did it?" I wasn't being arrogant, it was a perfectly valid question, my blood was quite potent these days with the blood I'd drank in the past few decades. It would be just like Armand to use me for my blood and not my company. Armand would become immensely strong if he fed from me every night, did I want to give him such power? Perhaps more so than even I had. I tried not to let the doubt show within my eyes.

"You know, if you ever wish to drink from me, I won't protest." I told him, well he was my 'master' now. I was wholly his in flesh and blood, he almost owned me, he had every right to drink me dry every night if he so wished. I had never thought of such complications before and now I was beginning to ponder on what I'd let myself in for. Maybe Marius would call me a fool after all, maybe it was a mistake to hang around the power hungry demon but I found that even though I knew I was putting myself at risk with being with Armand, I didn't care. I just wanted to spend time with him.

[Armand]

[Hope what I decided to do was okay!]

Oh, Marius, does anyone like you? Not even the love of his life, Pandora, could stick around him for too long. But he was still my master. He had taught me everything he could before being burnt nearly to death by the very vampires who tortured me into believing we served Satan. And I supposed I would always have a soft spot for Marius de Romanus, as much as I didn’t want to, which is why I left out a soft sigh and shook my head after Lestat was done raving about how wrong my maker would be. ”We’re almost too perfect of a match, Lestat, and that’s the problem. We’re both too bossy for our own good. How long will it be before we drive each other apart?”

Way to put a damper on what should be a cheerful occasion, Armand. But it was the truth as I saw it. Yes, Marius would be jealous but that wouldn’t make him any less correct. But how could we know what was going to happen if we didn’t give it a shot? How boring would it be living for eternity if you carefully weighed all of your decisions? Wasn’t it better to live a life of impulse? So Lestat and I may drive each other apart for a few centuries…What was the big deal?

Soon Lestat’s cold lips were on my even colder neck. My heart longed for his fangs to pierce my flesh, to take that blood he had wanted after his darlings Claudia and Louis had tried to kill him. But Lestat was actually prudent and wise for once in his life and didn’t want any of the passersby to see how two vampires expressed their form of love to each other. That was a pity because I would have oh so enjoyed it. Maybe later, after I allayed my newfound companion’s fears. ”I’d be lying if I said it didn’t,” I answered, not bothering to try and beat around the bush. ”A small infusion of your blood would make me just as powerful as Marius. He could never have any kind of control over me ever again.” That was a marvelous thought!

I eyed Lestat suspiciously as he offered himself up so freely. He was willing to give me—and my dangerous and evil proclivities—one of the most powerful founts that existed among us immortals? Lestat knew me better than anyone else. Why was he willing to do that? A better question: Should I even be questioning his motives? Did they even matter? I reached up, placing a hand on Lestat’s neck. ”When the time is right…” I said, not sure if the time would ever be right. I stood up on my tiptoes to plant a gentle kiss on Lestat’s lips.

Then, I took a step back from him, saying, ”All this talk of blood has made me quite hungry. It’s time to hunt.” Just like Lestat, I didn’t need to feed all that often but that didn’t mean the thirst never called to me. I began retracing our steps, knowing full well that my obedient ‘fledgling’ had to follow. It wasn’t long before a transaction going on in one of the alleyways caught my attention. It looked like Lestat’s innocent dancer wasn’t so innocent after all.

He was being handed a pack filled with white powder…Cocaine? Some other drug? It didn’t matter. It looked like I may have to break the first promise I made to Lestat. ”We can’t have drug dealers or drug addicts running around the streets of Paris, can we now?” I asked Lestat. ”I know how fond you are of him. He’s all yours if you prefer to have him.”