Lestat and Louis were sitting quietly in the parlor of their flat. Louis was sitting on the loveseat reading his newest book, while Lestat was sitting in his favorite chair listening to some music. He was wearing his headphones so he wouldn't disturb Louis' reading. Louis was grateful for that, but Lestat's toe tapping was driving him half-mad. Finally, he could stand it no longer. “Do you mind?” he burst out. Lestat, perplexed, took off his headphones and looked at him. “What?” he asked. “Will you stop that infernal tapping?” Louis asked him. “What tapping?” Lestat asked. He honestly looked confused, and then he looked down at his foot. It was tapping merrily in perfect rhythm with the music on the stereo. He stopped the tapping, and sheepishly looked up at Louis. “Sorry about that, my love. I didn't even realize I was doing that. “ Forgive me?” he asked. Louis crossed his arms over his chest and pondered the question. “Well, I suppose so. Just don't let it happen again,” he said. He then noticed that Lestat was no longer paying attention to him. He had that faraway look he sometimes got when he was telepathically communicating with one of the others. Louis dropped to his knees and looked up at Lestat. “Who is it?” he asked. Lestat seemed to come to himself, and he looked down at Louis. He said, “ It's Armand, and he seems to be very distracted tonight.” Louis asked, “How is that?” Lestat responded, “I was able to breach his thoughts quite easily. His defenses aren't at full strength.” He broke off, as his eyes got that look again. Louis shook him out of it. “What is it?” he asked. “Armand is very upset about something. But he's completely closed his mind now. I cannot get as much as a peep out of his mind now,” Lestat said, “ but he said he would tell me soon.” No sooner than the words were out of his mouth, than the doorbell rang. Lestat rose from the chair, and pulled Louis up to his feet. Louis brushed off the back of his slacks, while Lestat answered the door. “Hello Armand,” he heard Lestat say. He then spotted the angelic-looking creature. “Armand,” he said. Lestat looked at Armand. He seemed smaller and withdrawn into himself tonight. He knew that Armand wouldn't welcome concern on his part, so he put on a gruff act. “What brings you here without your usual announcements and warnings?” he asked harshly. Lestat heard Armand mutter something, but he couldn't believe what he heard. He leaned in closer towards Armand “How's that? What did you say” he repeated. Armand looked at Lestat squarely in the eye, “I said, I need your help.” Lestat looked thunderstruck at Armand's words. Armand had never before needed his help, although he had needed Armand's help several times over the centuries. “What's so wrong that you actually need my help with?” Lestat asked him. Armand looked uncomfortable, looking from Lestat, to Louis, and then back to Lestat. “I saw someone tonight who could be a potential threat to us.” Lestat and Louis both straightened at Armand's words. “A threat?” Louis asked. “And you didn't destroy this person?” Armand looked very uncomfortable. “I could not do that. If I would have done that, someone I love dearly would hate me forever. I will not allow that to happen,” he said. But then he got a mischievous look in his eye, “I did try to scare her though.” “How?” Lestat asked. “I sent an old man to her to tell her that there were vampires in New Orleans,” he said, with a slight smile. “What?” Lestat and Louis chimed, simultaneously. “Yes, I did. But she just merely brushed him off,” Armand said. Lestat asked abruptly, “Why didn't you just go inside her thoughts to determine her intentions?” Armand fidgeted, “I tried, Lestat. Her mind is very strong, stronger than any vampire or mortal I've ever come into contact with. This is the area where I need your help.” “Really?” asked Lestat. “How?” “I need your help to pierce her thoughts,” Armand said. “Why my help?” Lestat asked. “I'm not saying no, in fact, I'm rather curious. But why not Daniel or Marius?” Armand answered, “Because if they divine her intentions, I could not read them. If you did, I could see what you see, because we will be linked as you do this. Besides Daniel is not to know about any of this yet” Lestat and Louis looked at each other, and then at Armand. Lestat said, “ Now listen, Armand, I can understand why you can't use Marius and Daniel with this. But why isn't Daniel to know about any of this?” Now Armand looked really uncomfortable. “It's that...” he broke off. “Yes?” Lestat prodded. Armand straightened his shoulders and just let it out. “A long time ago, she used to be Daniel's wife.”
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