Lestat frowned, anger flaring in him. He snatched the front of John's shirt quickly, dragging him over to and pinning him against the nearest tree. "Do not mock me," he hissed, his eyes black coal now. "You've no idea what you speak about. I suggest you watch your tone, monsieur."
"My mother and I traveled, meeting old vampire and hearing their stories. I wanted to die as well as soon as Niki rid himself of this world... and then the worse happened: my mother began to grow distant. I was losing her: she wanted to roam and be free like an animal, do anything she wished all over the world. I needed answers. She left me when we were in Egypt. That was the worst day of my life. "I buried myself many feet under the ground, wanting to die of starvation and lack of blood because there was nothing left for me in this world. I stayed there, rotting away under the Egyptian sand into a skeleton of a being. That was when he came. "The creator of the lord of the vampires in Paris: Marius. He told me his tale. He saved me from the awful fate I had chosen for myself. He gave me life again from his own veins despite how much I wanted to just go... fade away. He was born in the time of Augustus Caesar! Imagine that, an original, Roman man! He told me of the lord he met when he was young, someone four thousand years more than him! And the Mother and Father of all vampires... it is so much to tell, but I cannot say it all. "There is also the tale of Louis de Pointe du Lac and his beloved Claudia. That is something I have never explained or told to another person. It is very painful for me."
"Thank you," Lestat said, without any emotion. "Well, Niki and I were asleep after a long day's worth of performences. Magnus came out of nowhere, breaking into our house, stealing me from my bed and dragging me out over the battlements and rooftops of Paris. I barely remember anything... he fed on me and took me back to his tower in the city. I awoke and was so hungry... he fed me and then asked me if I wanted to die or I wanted to become like him. I said I would rather die... he changed me anyway." Lestat paused, running a hand through his hair. "I... well, at least he kept himself around long enough to show me where he slept and where he kept all his fortune: in a crypt under the stairs beneath his tower. Then he threw himself into a huge fire, telling me to scatter his ashes. He was too old to live any longer. He taught me nothing. "Then I learned my mother was sick. She came to Paris to see me before she was going to die... I loved her more than any other woman in my life... I turned her because she asked me. I bought the theatre Niki and I had preformed in... I could not see him anymore because I knew that I loved him so much I would try to feed on him the moment I saw him. I gave him money, an island to live on off the coast of Italy... anything and everythind he would ever want. But he hated me for leaving him so with no explanation. "Then Gabrielle... well, my mother and I, found the ancient vampires of Europe. I cannot say much about them aloud, but the short of it was they wanted to kill my mother and I for living among mortals as normal people and not as monsters like them. They took Niki... they bit him and drained him almost to the point of death... and put him in a cage, ready to set him on fire. "I rescued him. But he was going to die from the loss of blood. I... I couldn't help but... I signed his death warrant by feeding on him that night. Despite saving him and giving him immortal life, he still loathed me. I gave him the threatre. I gave him new violins, everything! He would not see me. The change drove him mad... he was going to reveal to all of Paris what he and the other ancient ones that preformed in the theatre that were good what we really were. He lept into the fire... just as Magnus had done, killing himself."
Lestat sighed. "I was turned in France in the last decades before the French Revolution. My family and I had a wonderful piece of land outside of Paris, and it was lovely. My father and brothers did not speak with my much. My father was going blind, and my mother was often the only one I ever spoke to. I became well known in my little town because of a pack of wolves I killed... they had been terrorizing the land and killing people and crops. I went out on my mare one day to finish them all. All the people loved me afterwards. I had no fear and I wanted no thanks. "That was before Nicolas de Lenfent came into town. I could tell by his dress that he was from Paris, and he had family in the town I lived in. He thanked me by giving me a cloak and boots lined with the fur of the wolves I had killed. I fell in love with Niki since the moment I saw him: I was entranced by his voice, his experience, his way we could just talk... we called it the conversation.' We would stay up late at night and get drunk and talk. He was a student of Mozart in Paris on the violin! He would play for me all the time... and then we made the decision to leave my drab little town and go to Paris... to be actors. We went even though my mother was very sick, and I had my accountant look after her. "We were amazing in Paris.We had the greatest time performing together... but that was before Magnus ruined everything for me... and for Niki."
"You'll have to be more specific, sir," Lestat repeated. "I've got quite a lot in my very long past."
"Why?" Lestat laughed. "Because I enjoy it. I enjoy seducing, luring, even befriending and playing with my victims... it makes me happy."
"Two, maybe three people a night," Lestat responded proudly, grinning. "A young, sweet girl... a strong, beautiful youth around Edward's age... and those of high society often attract me more than others."
"There are way too many things to just start as far as I am concerned," Lestat responded, ignoring John's attitude. "You'll have to ask a more specific question."
"Ask away, good sir," Lestat smiled. "I'm sure John always loves these kinds of conversations."
You're correct about that, Lestat snapped at Edward. There's only so much I can do. "And what brings you over here now, Will?" he asked the other man aloud, knowing talking to John would be useless at this point.
"And what would that be?" Lestat asked, giving Will a small nod of aknowledgement.
Lestat smirked, both at Edward and John. "True," he repsonded. "You know, he's not liking what you're up to."
Lestat sighed. "Each generation is different over the decades, aren't they?" he thought aloud. "Luckily I'm good enough to not need such powers."
Lestat tried not to let his jaw drop. "Sorry," he began coolly, surprised. "But you can... gliding is possible, yes, and running quicker than anything... jumping higher than four story buildings, but... flying? That's ridiculous."
"Oh, good," Lestat sighed dramatically. "Because I'm not in the mood to give you a lesson on shadow-blending."
"They're going to the town close by," Lestat muttered to John now. "I assume you know how to get around unnoticed by mortals, yes?"
Lestat chuckled. "Maybe," he said. "We shall see."
Lestat couldn't help but laugh. "Now I'm starting to see you as an older condemned soul," he smiled to himself.
"Oh, any time," Lestat cried with a dramatic bow. "But right now your group seems to be getting back together."
"Oh, Edward and I have plenty of things to talk about," Lestat explained briefly. "Whenever you need your girl, he and I will be occupied."
