Descent and Ascension Part 5 Two weeks later, I am standing outside of the Night Mansion, Lestat’s arm around my waist for support. We can both see the lights shining in the windows, lighting the large house as if it were one of those small porcelain houses with a candle inside. Laughter echoes from various rooms, the sounds of mortals drunk and drugged, not suspecting they are tonight’s meal. I can also sense the vampires inside the mansion, Daniel and Armand, Marius and David, Jesse and Khayman... How will they react when they see me here? I mean, I know I’ve been invited, but still... “Ready?” Lestat asks me, giving my hand a little tug. I snuggle closer to him, burying my face in his shirt. “Do I have to go?” I hear myself ask. “I don’t like parties, and this one will be especially loud.” “Chere, Daniel will be devastated if you don’t come, and all of the coven wants to see you,” he insists. I knew he would. “Look, it’s only for one night, and if you really feel uncomfortable, we can go upstairs to a private room.” I sigh sadly, but I still nod. There’s no way I can get out of this. He tightens his hold on my waist and pulls me with him to the front door, where he rings the doorbell. Danny opens the door almost immediately, and his face brightens up instantly. “Lestat, Louis! Come in, we’ve all been waiting for you!” He steps back to let us through, bringing us into the loud music and the swarm of gyrating humans. Instantly I feel like I’m back in the Las Vegas casino. My body starts to feel weak and dizzy, and my head starts to hurt. I try to hold it together, but I can’t help grabbing onto Lestat’s arm for support. Fortunately Daniel notices and, with Lestat’s help, guides me to a spare room far enough away to dull the noise and flashing lights. “I’m sorry,” I whisper as they help me into a couch. “I didn’t expect this at all. I mean, it hasn‘t happened for awhile...” Daniel smiled understandingly and holds my hand. “It’s all right, Lou’. Don’t worry about it. I’m glad you came, I promise to keep drunk ones away from you two.” “What?” Lestat pretends to take offense. “That’s not fair!” I smile and shake my head. “Don’t stop your debauchery on my account,” I laugh, “I’ll be all right in here. Just don’t get too drunk, or else neither of us will be able to walk.” Daniel gives me a small kiss on my forehead before promising to bring me someone sweet, “someone on a wine cooler,” and then he disappears back into the throng of inebriated mortals. Lestat looks longingly after him, and I kiss him once. “Go on,” I tell him, “don’t worry about me so much. I know you want to go have some fun.” “But, Louis, I don’t want to leave you alone,” he argues faintly. "There are so many of those mortals running around, and you're not up to defending yourself..." "I don't have to," I remind him. "The rest of the coven is here, right? I'm sure one of them will come running to my rescue, if only to talk to me." He hugs me, running his fingers through his hair, and I'm glad that while I may no longer mind being seen as homosexual in public, I still feel too modest to make love in public, otherwise we might become quite a spectacle. His hands are rather warm, threatening to put me to sleep. "You sure?" he asks, seeming so worried that he is abandoning me. I nod and give him a little nudge toward the door. "Yes! Go! Enjoy!" I watch as he drifts away into the throng, but I am completely unafraid of what the humans may try. I am fairly certain I could fight them off if they do anything. I close my eyes and lean back, allowing myself to unwind for a moment. A minute later, I feel the presence of an extremely powerful vampire in front of me. I look up in surprise, then relax. "Khayman, it feels like I haven't see you in ages," I say, watching him take a seat beside me. "Strange," he grins, "time must pass faster beneath the ground. It felt like eons without your brat and your gentle banter. It's good to see you again. How are you feeling?" "Just a bit weak," I answer. "The dizzy spells come and go, but I never can seem to shake the exhaustion." "And Lestat? How is he?" "Only a little tired, before dusk and after twillight. Sometimes he doesn't wake up until I do." He puts his hand on my arm, about to say something, then looks down in surprise. "That's odd," he muses, mostly to himself, "I don't remember you being so strong." I blush and glance down. "Lestat and I...well...he wants me to recover soon, and I wanted..." Khayman laughs at my reticence. "You mean you have both been sharing blood at last. It was bound to happen, I was just wondering when. Tell me, little one, are your new abilities everything you thought they would be?" "To be honest," I whisper, "I've hardly used them. I originally wanted them so I could take a little initiative in bed, and that's all I've used them for. I haven't flown or lit things on fire." "I'm glad to hear that," comes a familiar voice from the door. "Most of our fledglings would love to have your new strengths, at least I know I can trust you up to a point." I look in frightened surprise. Maharet. I knew it would happen, I just wish it hadn't been so soon. I sit up straight, wondering if I can run to find Lestat, but Khayman wraps his arms around me, holding me like a prisoner. Maharet comes closer, and I push myself back against my captor, terrified she will declare me a danger and destroy me on the spot. "No, Louis, it's not like that at all," she shakes her head with a sad smile. "I'm not here to hurt you. I want to make sure you're completely well, and that you won't go insane again." She sits down on my other side and holds my hand. "Don't struggle, then it won't hurt." I can't help it. I shut my eyes as she begins her assault. It feels like my brain is sand, and she is running her fingers through it. The sensation makes me feel nauseous. I must have whimpered or groaned, because she squeezes my hand reassuringly, and Khayman's hold turns into an embrace. "It's all right, Louis," he whispers soothingly. "It's almost over. You are doing well." "Hurry," I mumble. "Feel sick..." Finally she stops. I can feel her mind retreat out of mine, and then Khayman is only holding me to comfort me, letting me rest my head on his shoulder. I hear Maharet leave, but I don't care anymore. I feel too sick to care about very much. I just keep my eyes closed and drowse in his powerful arms. I start to feel better as I drift into sleep, nestled against his warm body. "Would you like me to find a bedroom for you?" Khayman whispers. For a moment I am tempted to escape the party and crash for the rest of the night, but Daniel would be hurt and Lestat would worry too much. "No," I sigh as I sit back up. "I think I'd like to take a walk, so I don't fall asleep." "Hey, Louis, I brought you someone!" I look up, and despite my ill feelings, I can't help my smile. Daniel is half walking, half dragging what seems to be my intended meal. This mortal is dressed up much like Poe's Fortunato, in clownish livery and happily drunk. "Is this my wine cooler?" I ask. "I did not realize this was a costume party." "Only for the guests. After all, our special little circle all came as vampires, remember?" "True," I admit, taking this veritable feast from him. Still a little self-conscious of eating in front of others, I'm glad that Khayman draws Daniel into his arms and takes several sips from him. I take advantage of the distraction and draw a substantial amount from my victim, not enough to kill him, but enough to ease my hunger. A side result is that I become a little heady. I send my accommodating guest away, fated to have a terrible headache tomorrow, which he will blame on the liquor. I look over and watch Daniel stumble deliriously away. His throat bears not just Khayman's mark, but three other bite marks as well. I think he's serving as the vampires' main snack, a yummy treat to savor between humans. He must be fairly high on the blood of junkies and drunks. What a life. "Still want to take a walk?" Khayman asks. "I will be staying at the party, but if you truly want to stretch a bit..." I nod eagerly. "Yes, I need to get away from the mortals. They're so loud, and the way they keep moving makes me feel like I'm on a ship at sea." He smiles and helps me up, showing me over to the french doors. "The new gardens are over this way. I recommend the right path, as the left one just leads around them in a big circle." With that, he returns to the party, leaving me to roam. I must have passed Maharet's test, then. They would never let an insane vampire wander about alone. I step through the door and walk forward, and in a few seconds I come upon a stone path that diverges after awhile. The right path goes straight into what looks like a large row of hedges, while the left just runs along the outside of the hedge. Taking Khayman's advice, I enter into the hedge and find myself in a maze, much like the old European ones I've read so much about. This is such a wonderful surprise that I forget about the party and start walking. I put my hand up against the greenery, but I feel a sharp sting and withdraw as quickly as I can. There is a small puncture on my palm that disappears within seconds, and a drop of blood escapes to the ground. I take another look at the hedge and notice it is made of rose bushes of different types. When I look ahead, I spot something standing in the corner, and when I get closer, I see that it is a statue of an angel, wings folded inward. She is trapped, almost covered in the flowering vines, encapsulated in those lethal thorns. She would be dead if she were not already stone. "Heaven is dead and beautiful," I whisper to myself. I shake my head, disturbed at my thoughts. I can remember snippets of when I was insane. Not pleasant. I leave her behind and keep going. Every few feet I see other statues that Daniel has selected, mostly beautiful angels and faeries. There are one or two fountains with mermaid sculptures pouring water into still pools and lights inside the water, making it sparkle in the dark. I can tell the sculptures that Marius must have put in, well-crafted pieces of boys in contrapasto, athletically turning and twisting out of the shadows, into the light, and back in again. For a moment I think I see an authentic Benini, but I am mistaken. It is only a well crafted replica of his David. The most disturbing ones are obviously Armand's choices, mostly draped in shadow and thorns. They are gargoyles and dragons, glaring down at any passerby from the tops of the hedges, threatening to leap down and devour me. In a corner I spot a vampire gargoyle, its wings spread out like a cloak and one clawed hand reaching out, Armand's version of Daniel's angel. In the dead ends, where no one will step, goblins jump up halfway through the ground, and dragon heads jut out from the sides. There are small breaks in the hedges, like windows, and through them I spot other corridors with other menacing stone guardians. The wind blows eerily through the leaves. I can hear the party behind me, but the laughter is faint. I feel all alone here, but not alone at the same time, as if these statues were about to start walking. It is a maze one could go mad in. I sigh and close my eyes. No, that won't happen again. I like this place. I'll tell Lestat we need to put one in when we have a new house. I keep walking, delighting in each new sight. I can hear the soft trickle of running water cascading over rocks, but I don't see it. Then I turn another corner and stumble into the center of the maze. All three of them must have worked on this. The center takes the form of a square courtyard, with a stone mosaic at the center with twisting vines of roses pictured. Four stone benches surround it, and a large fountain shaped like a geyser pouring down slowly over large stones is at the exact middle of it all. In the corners are similiar fountains, only a bit smaller, and soft grass everywhere else. Two trees stand on either side of this place, against the hedges, but they are not real trees. Their trunks are made of silver and their leaves are jade, and amber fruit hangs from their branches. I walk in and sit down to rest, and I notice smaller additions, like the bronze ducks "walking" from one fountain to another and little colorful crystals lining the fountain rocks. There is a tiny fawn hiding in the corner, birds "hopping" all over one another on the trees. It is simply beautiful. All of a sudden, a light mist of smoke begins to pour out of the tops of the fountains, dripping down to the ground and flooding over the grass, obscuring it. I must have triggered something to make it start. As soon as the smoke is thick enough to form an ocean around me, I see a flicker of movement to my left, and when I turn aside, to my surprise I see faeries flying through the air. They drift around me like butterflies before darting off again. It takes a moment for me to realize that these are special effects created by projectors hidden inside the fountain crystals, but it is no less wondrous. I hear the sounds of Vangelis music entering the courtyard, and butterflies dance through the smoke in swirling patterns, accompanied by twirling stars. Life-size creatures follow soon after, gorgeous unicorns and dragons that look so real I almost believe they are actually here. Once they are gone, a single large dragon, red and gold with claws as large as my head, drifts lazily around me in a circle, disappearing back into the ground. The lights in the fountain brighten as they spout gigantic sprays of water into the courtyard, and it feels like I'm standing in a rainbow of rain. I'm getting soaked, but I don't care. Hands, real hands and arms, hug me close, not attempting to pull me away from the water. I recognize Lestat's gentle touch and laugh, turning to face him. "I love you," he whispers, his face just as wet as mine. "I love seeing you happy." "Lestat, this was beautiful," I say, my grin matching his. I want to tell him about everything I've seen, but I don't have to. He puts his fingers over my lips and kisses my forehead. "I know, chere. I followed you in here, I saw the entire spectacle." He brings my hand up to his lips and places a kiss in my palm. "I watched you dance with the butterflies, I saw you touching the unicorns...I was with you when the dragon appeared." "And you're with me in the rain," I whisper back. I put my arms around him and rest my head on his shoulder, comfortable in his hold as his arms wrap around me. I watch silently as the fountains quiet down to their soft waterfalls, as the lights dim away to gray again...the music fades, but I still feel at ease. Maybe it's because I can hear my love's heartbeat, feel it next to mine. "The party is almost over," he murmurs in my ear. "The humans are all gone, and the sun will rise soon." "I wish I could see this place during the day, in the light," I sigh sadly. "Believe me, chere, it is more beautiful now. The light causes the colors to fade." "Really?" I ask. It has been so long since I've seen it, I can barely remember it. "Yes. Colors seen in light are faded and washed out, but colors on a dark background...you cannot see the stars at noon, chere." I open my mouth to respond, and instead I yawn. "I want to go to bed, Lestat." "Your wish is my command," he says softly, scooping me up. "Shall we walk back through the maze, or shall I just fly us out?" "Just fly," I tell him, "but slowly, not too high up." "Very well, my love," he answers, and we slowly ascend into the air. I watch the maze spread out beneath us, complex and dark. Did I really make it to center? His boots brush the tops of the hedges, and we fly no higher than thirty feet up, where we near the mansion and drift right into the open window of our guest room. "Are you all right?" he whispers as he helps me undress. The air conditioner is on, chilling the air. "Yes, why? It wasn't so cold out there." "I meant about what Maharet did to you." "You know about that?" I mumble, undoing the buttons of his shirt and pants. "Mm-hmm. I don't like that she didn't warn you..." I can hear his voice growing angry, and I pause in my work, holding his face in my hands. "Don't bother about it. She did what she thought was necessary, and that maybe I might try to run. And Khayman was very kind, neither of them were cruel." "I know, he told me," Lestat nods, finally nude. He takes my hand and brings me to the shower, which he starts up, waiting for the water to reach the right temperature. He steps in, then helps me follow him. The water is deliciously hot, pouring down our bodies in voluminous streams, running through my hair like thousands of fingers. There is a fresh scent filling the steam rising around us, I love the soap Armand uses in all of these bathrooms. The lather coats both of us so that it's hard to keep a grip on my lover, and the water gently strips it all away, warming both of us up after that cold spray. I look up at him and smile. "What is it?" he asks, smiling back in confusion. "Your hair looks strange when it's wet," I laugh. "I so rarely see it sopping wet and pushed back, you look..." I stumble, at a loss for words. "Stunning? Radiant? Splendiforously attractive and gorgeously sexy?" he suggests. "I was going to say modern." Lestat laughs and holds me close, his hands firm on my bare shoulders...both hot and wet...he runs one hand back over my hair. "And you, my fledgling, look like a beautiful spirit beneath a waterfall, tempting his poor lover to the watery depths." "Actors must certainly have vivid imaginations," I protest mildly. "You mean I am a Lorelei, a siren?" "Well, it's the truth. Or would you rather I lie and say you look like a drowned rat?" "You are impossible," I smile lazily, turning the shower off. He retrieves the towels and dries me off first, then himself. Once we have both wrung most of the excess moisture from our hair, he puts the wet rags back on the sink and guides me to the bed. My eyes are half shut and I am only partially alert. "So what are we doing tomorrow?" "I thought we might go to the Books-A-Million in the center of the island," Lestat smiles at me. "David and Marius are going, and it would be nice to talk with them again." He helps me pull the blankets back and slip between the cool sheets, then bring the heavy covers back up. My mind isn't as settled as my body, though. We'll be seeing David again. Every time I think of the Talamascan, I become extremely jealous of my maker, I don't care if he's seeing Marius now. I cuddle up against Lestat, our faces are only inches apart. "Lestat...?" "Yes, love?" "What do you think of David?" "What do I think of him? I think he's very stuffy and rarely lets himself have any fun. He spends too much time with books, and would probably catalogue the speed different paints take to dry, if given the chance." "You could say the same about me," I whisper. "Never! You would never stare at paint. Some independent foreign film, perhaps, but never paint. Besides, while he is one of my fledglings, he'll always be second best." "I love you, Lestat." "Love you, Louis. Sweet dreams."
Part 6
