Check your stomach, Edward, Lestat snapped loudly, and smiled when he felt the werewolf cry out at the pain of his voice.
Lestat chuckled in Edward's mind, knowing he was making the werewolf's head rattle in pain. I told you what it is already, he spoke. Don't worry... your mindreading powers are now just ten times more painful to execute, you'll heal slower, and you'll tired easier... all thanks to the smallest nick from my special teeth...
This is going to be fun, Edward, Lestat suddenly murmured in his head, lying back on Susan's bed with a sigh, no intent of sleeping. Just a little garuntee I put on you in case you'd give up or turn on me...
Lestat laughed at John's thoughts, and then cleared his head, wondering where he would spend the night, sitting up, not sleeping, thinking to himsellf. His own home he'd bought was on the other side of the city and maybe not safe. Too many suspiscious rumors going about to trust the same place all the time... Ah, he thought. I'm sure the bed in Miss Susan's house is empty... He laughed even louder, brushing his perfect hair from his face, his eyes back to their normal, hauntingly handsome shade of bright blue.
Lestat sighed. "I lied when I said I need you as well," he began slowly. "But if you think you're better off without my knowledge, let's see how far you get by the methods you used tonight." He took a step toward John, his eyes black. "No matter how many times you try, Edward will come back beat you almost to the point of death every time you try to touch your girl. And you can't kill him; he's too strong for you. He wasn't even as angry as he could be tonight and he did enough before you could even retaliate!" Lestat laughed, remembering the images in his head, letting John know he saw everything. "You do need me, John," he hissed happily. "I'll give you your girl back just the way you've always wanted her, and you know you don't know how to do that on your own." He turned, looking down through the trees to the stables. He could see the carriages from the forest. "You know his spirit, his strength, his power," Lestat muttered. "He'll never stop. But," he announced, turning to John, his voice dangerously high, carefree, and deathly threatening at the same time. "I'll go. Maybe in the next century and a half I'll see you again." He stepped into the shadows and vanished, covering his smell from anything and everything around him. Edward's not the only one who has plenty left to learn, he reminded John mentally before he fully disappeared.
"The Edward boy," Lestat began. "I'm intrigued by him... and he's attached to your girl, so what you do to her is relevant to what happens to him. And it's working..." he added, almost to himself, his grin spreading across his sharp teeth once more.
Lestat smirked. "I heal much much faster than you, John," he replied politely. "What are you planning to do about your girl?"
"He was strong," Lestat murmured, stepping out of the shadows. "As your twisted shoulder shows," he added, pointing to John's dislocated blade.
"Stupid boy," Lestat muttered aloud now, knowing they both could just hear him. "You have much to learn."
Oh, don't do that, Edward, Lestat channeled into the werewolf's mind. Let him be for now. I still need him.
Lestat had an odd feeling to want to step in, to persuade John to let her go... but stopped himself.
What are you doing, John? Lestat thought to himself. Sometimes that man just confuses me...
Nothing half as bad as I would have done if I'd gotten to her first, Lestat laughed to himself. I don't even see what the boy likes about her...
Lestat chuckled to himself in the shadows, watching Edward with amazement. Liking him even more now, he thought. No matter how twisted I could tell his mind is...
"Do what I say," Lestat snapped, sighing as if he were bored with him now. "I will talk the details with you later." He turned again and walked off next to the nearest tree, became part of its shadow, and vanished. I won't go too far, Lestat chuckled to himself, drifting along. Let's go see what the dog does...
Lestat grinned again, and Edward shrunk back away from the man's teeth. "I'll tell you something, Edward," he began. "I've been in situations like yours, Hannah's, and John's. I did the wrong thing and had to make some... bloody changes to right them. I'll save you that trouble; I've been alive to long to watch you three ruin everything. Now, you will leave me in a minute. Just run back the way we came, but do not change. If you do, John will kill her. Go back that way, and get Hannah back from John. Without my powers restraining you, you can take him; I could feel the strength in your veins. Then go on your way wherever you two are headed. John and I will see you both again soon."
"Christ has nothing to do with it, believe me. I know more than any other living vampire, Edward," Lestat whispered. "All the old secrets... everything anyone would wish to know about... well, the rules, as it were."
"Her," Lestat said plainly, raising his eyebrows as if it were obvious. "And you can't have her while John lives... and you can't kill him because she will die with him."
"I'd like to help you," Lestat began. "I know what you want the most and I also know it's something you can't achieve without me."
"Oh, there have been times in my life when I would have welcomed it," Lestat yawned, turning his back on Edward and staring at the moon through the trees. "But John only means to separate you and Hannah so he can have her. And don't try that..." he said suddenly, turning around now. "Try to contact her with your thoughts and John will hear him... then she'll die."
