The Dark Gift:
But all this was destroyed when the vampire Magnus first saw Lestat and decided
to make him his heir. After a few strange apparitions and episodes, Magnus
kidnapped Lestat and forced him to drink his blood, thus becoming a vampire.
Confused and overwhelmed by his new senses and life, Lestat would soon be
alone. For Magnus created him out of spite for the Parisian vampire coven's
rules and intended to kill himself. He did so by jumping in a fire, after
instructing Lestat on the most basic rules of vampire survival.
Lestat kept himself hidden from Nicolas' or anybody else's view. He wrote
letters to his family and his beloved friend, but they were alarmed and
intrigued by his disappearance. Nicolas would never forgive Lestat for this and
his sad story is worth a node of his own.
Lestat's mother, Gabrielle, rushed to Paris after the strange news of his
disappearance. She was fatally ill and, when Lestat finally agreed to see her,
he could see her disease. He then made her his first fledgling (vampire child).
They roamed Paris in delight and lived together in harmony for a while.
Then, as life was sweetest, the Parisian vampire coven found them. Mother and
son found refuge on the churches and the other vampires seemed to fear them for
being able to "enter the house of god." They meet the lovely and dangerous
Armand, leader of the ignorant vampires and narrowly escape many times.
At the same time, wealth and immortal life was not enough for Lestat. He needed
love and recognition; he needed the stage lights and Nicolas. He decides to buy
the theatre and make a comeback, but Nicolas is even more disappointed, seeing
that Lestat hides something. After discovering the secret, Nicolas begged for
his vampire blood. And Lestat gave in, bringing about the first of many
tragedies. Nicolas becomes mad and gets captured by Armand. Lestat and
Gabrielle are also captured and, after a night of infinite philosophical
discussions, they are responsible for a revolution inside the coven, ultimately
destroying it.
Armand would never forget that Lestat caused this downfall and then refused to
live with him and teach him the ways of the new century. After all this, life
in Paris was unbearable and Lestat travels around the world, leaving the
theatre to Nicolas and searching for the vampire Marius, Armand's father, who
is believed dead. But Gabrielle soon tired of this life and luxury and left to
live in the jungles, leaving her son and vampire father in deep pain.
Lestat finds Marius and discovers the vampires' ancient history in the stone
bodies of Enkil and Akasha, the first vampire couple. He drinks from the
powerful blood of Akasha, which would come in handy when he gets attacked by
his north American fledglings Louis de Pointe du Lac and Claudia.
