Armand leaned in closer towards Jamie. He gazed into her
eyes, and what he saw surprised him. Her eyes were wary, yet not unfriendly.
She simply returned his gaze, with an equal amount of curiosity. He was
aware
though that she was a little confused, and he sensed that there was
absolutely no fear present in her. She asked him, in her soft voice, "Armand,
what
is it you want?"
He considered this a moment, unsure of his answer. He was so used to taking
what he wanted, that this subtle acquiescence on her part was unbalancing
him a bit. What did he want?, he asked himself. Did he simply want to drive
his fangs into her throat and uncover all of her secrets, whether she was
willing or not? No, he thought to himself. Daniel would never forgive me,
and
Lestat would probably kill me. With an inward smile, he knew exactly how
much Lestat was fascinated with this mortal.
What amazed him was the way she really looked at him. She looked at him as
if what he wanted mattered very much to her. This really floored him. Even
though he could not read her thoughts, he could definitely sense that she
wanted to befriend him, and that she wanted absolutely nothing from him. Even
Daniel, during the chase and the aftermath, had always wanted something from
him. Usually, what he wanted was the immortal "gift." Armand felt that
Daniel had never understood how it nearly destroyed him to bestow this
existence
upon him, even though Armand couldn't have borne it if Daniel had died
during the Akasha fiasco or as a result of his excessive drinking.
Of all of the others in the coven, Armand knew that Lestat was the only one
who truly understood him and his feelings. Yes, they fought at times, well,
most of the time, actually. But at the same time, Lestat was the one who
never pressed in on him, demanding answers. And now, he found another one who
wouldn't demand answers that he couldn't give. This very reason was what
kept him from taking her right now.
But as soon as he realized this, he realized something else. He wanted to
know what Lestat and Daniel knew. With surprise, he wanted to know what she
was like in bed. It had been a very long time since he felt something so
elementary. He lifted his hand, and ran his finger along her jawline. He
noticed that her eyes had darkened and that her breathing had become shallow.
"Well?" she asked softly, "what is it you wanted to know about me?"
Then he dropped his hand from her face and backed away from her. She seemed
to relax some, now that he wasn't quite so close. "I can't," he said more
to himself than Jamie.
"What's the matter?" she asked him.
"I want to make love to you, cara, but I cannot do it," he said, "I cannot
do that to Daniel."
Jamie smiled at him. She closed the distance between them and rested her
palm against his cheek. She responded, "That's quite all right, Armand. That
wasn't really the reason why you came to visit me, is it?"
Surprised by her insight, he nodded. "You're quite correct," he responded,
"I really wanted to come talk to you about Daniel. I want to know why the
way he is at times."
"Do you have about 50 years?" she joked.
He grinned and said, "Well, actually, as a matter of fact, I do."
She laughed heartily, "Well, then, come into the living room, and we'll
talk. We can sit more comfortably there."
"As you wish," Armand said, and followed her out of the bedroom.
I seriously thought that Armand was going to kiss me for a second there, and
was I relieved when he backed off. Not that I would have objected to it by
any means, but we did have to consider Daniel's feelings about the matter.
If Daniel didn't object, well, then....but right now, no. It could not
happen.
Armand followed me into the living room, and we both sat down next to each
other on the sofa. "So, Armand," I said, "what exactly do you want to know?"
"Everything," he said simply.
"Well," I said, "a little shocked. That's quite a lot of territory....is
there anything specific in that 'everything'?"
He appeared a little frustrated. He muttered to himself, almost too low for
me to hear. "If I could only read you....I could get my answers that way."
I asked him, "What do you mean, read me? I thought you people were
telepathic, or empathic, or whatever the hell it's called."
He looked at me, "As a rule, we are, with a few exceptions." At my
questioning look, he continued, "Well, fledglings cannot hear the thoughts of
their
makers, and vice versa. Also, if one of us puts up a shield, he or she cannot
send or receive thoughts."
"That's pretty neat," I said, "but you muttered something about not being
able to read me? Why is that?
He leveled a look at me, and said, "That is something that I want to know
myself, but sometimes there are mortals who can naturally shield themselves
without even realizing it."
I asked him, "I am like that then?" And when he nodded, I continued, "How
would you usually go about reading someone?"
"We drink their blood, of course. The thoughts are present in the blood.
That is when we are truly connected with another creature. But,
unfortunately, the person does not survive the experience," he said bluntly.
Well, that startled me a bit. Unconsciously, I put my hand up to my throat,
and Armand noticed my gesture. He smiled his seductive little smile, but
refrained from commenting. "Well, then," I said, "aside from drinking my
blood, is there any other way you could read me? I mean I would love to
oblige
you my blood, but I'm pretty partial to it right now. You understand where
I'm coming from?"
He laughed, but then quickly sobered, as he considered my question.
"There might be a way," he mused.
"Well?" I asked, "what is it? What can you do?"
He looked at me, and said, "Jamie, cara, look directly into my eyes, and let
yourself completely relax."
"Is it sort of like hypnotism, because if it is, I've never been able to be
hypnotized," I said.
"Just do it," he urged, calmly, "just look into my eyes."
I did as he instructed. I gazed into those beautiful smoky-brown eyes of
his and I felt myself go completely liquid. Distantly, I was amazed that this
had actually worked, but then I sensed something pressing in on my mind.
That I could actually sense the intrusion astonished me, but then I heard
Armand's distant voice, "Relax, cara.... Let me in."
His voice was so alluring that I had no choice but to acquiesce to his
desire to enter my mind. And then suddenly, he was there.
{{{Can you hear me?}}} Armand thought at me.
{{{Yes, I can, Armand}}}, I thought back at him.
{{{Good, good. Now just relax and let me do the work.}}}
Armand found himself linked to this creature that had so fascinated him
since that first night in New Orleans. Deep inside his own thoughts, he was
laughing with a delighted humor. Lestat would probably kill to be in his
position. But he had other things to discover first. He then directed both
his
and her thoughts towards Daniel.
Daniel--the one who connected them both. He gasped as he felt the full
force of her feelings for his own beloved. He followed as her memory flashed
back to the night that she was told that he had died. (Jamie's memory)
Approximately twenty years earlier...
I looked at the clock, and I was becoming more and more concerned. Daniel
had said that he would be home by 10pm, and now it was after 2am. Where was
he? I had so much to tell him. I smiled as I recalled what the doctor had
told me today. Now if he would just get himself home, I thought.
I heard a knock on the front door, and my blood ran cold. Nothing ever good
came out of late-night visits. I walked to the door and opened it. I
almost burst into tears when I saw the police officer standing on the other
side.
He didn't have to say a word. I knew that Daniel was either hurt or dead,
and I couldn't bear either option.
"Is the Molloy residence?" the police officer asked.
"Yes, it is. I'm Mrs. Molloy," I responded.
"Ma'am, I hate to be the one to have to say this, but I'm afraid your
husband has been killed tonight. He was in an automobile accident," he said,
sorrowfully.
I was too devastated to even cry. I said, numbly, "I want to see the body."
He looked uncertain. "Uh, ma'am, you don't want to do that. He was pretty
messed up."
"I HAVE to see him," I insisted.
"Well, ma'am, I can't let you see the body, but I am allowed to let you view
the pictures the coroner took," he said.
"Fine, then," I said, "Let's go." The Present...
Armand watched as Jamie suffered through Daniel's funeral, and the
consequent rebuilding of her life. Then he watched as nine months later, she
give
birth to Daniel's children. He saw how she first gave birth to a daughter,
Michelle Jamie Molloy Stephens, and then a son, Michael Daniel Molloy
Stephens.
Armand then watched as Jamie remembered how they became a team against the
outside world, with only a few outsiders being allowed into their realm. He
watched as Michelle grew up in the image of her mother. But his heart twisted
as he saw that Michael was the mirror image of his father.
Through the link, I showed Armand all that happened in my and my children's
lives after Daniel's "death." I allowed him to experience the agony and
loneliness that I had felt every day that Daniel was gone.
{{{But I'm not angry, Armand. Believe me when I say this.}}}
{{{How can that be? I took him away from you and your children.}}}
{{{I know that Armand, but he's been so happy with you. I cannot grudge you
that.}}}
{{{But it hasn't always been good Cara...}}}
And then the link turned two-way. He showed me all that had happened to he
and Daniel over the years. He showed me their initial meeting in Lestat's
old house in New Orleans. He showed me how he had imprisoned Daniel for three
days with no food, drink, or anything. He showed me the chase, the
seduction, and Daniel's ultimate conversion to the Dark way. {{{See how evil
I
am?}}}
{{{Armand, if you were truly as evil as you think you are, you would not be
experiencing this agony.}}}
He practically shouted in my mind, {{{BUT THAT'S NOT ALL OF IT! That's what
I'm trying to show you.}}} He then poured everything into me—from his
childhood in Russia, his experiences in the whorehouse, his love affair with
Marius and his conversion to vampirism, his kidnapping by the Children of
Darkness and the dark years in between; his re-emergence to the world via his
interaction with Lestat; and his time with Louis.
I wept as these images flowed into my mind. {{{You may think you're evil
after all of this, but you're not. You're 500 years old, yes, but in your
heart, you're still a young boy. You're very much human, but you just don't
let
anyone know that you still have a human heart.}}}
He was astonished and amused at my words and feelings, and I felt it
through the link. {{{You still think I'm human? No one thinks I'm human and
Lestat would have one of his god-forsaken laughing fits at that.}}}
Just then another presence broke into the link. {{{I wouldn't be too sure
of that, Armand, my friend.}}}
.............Lestat.
**************It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel
deal here.
(http://information.travel.aol.com/deals?ncid=aoltrv00050000000047)
