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Theyd managed to go more than three months without hearing from Lestat. His presence, which would hang over the townhouse like a dark cloud whenever he came near, had been absent long enough to lull Louis and Claudia into a sense of security. Like he’d finally taken the hint to leave them the fuck alone.
Claudia didnt understand why Louis couldnt just say the words and make Lestat leave them alone forever. Well, she knew it just didnt make any sense. Never had. If he came around, no amount of gifts and flowers and apologies could keep Claudia from telling him to fuck off and die. But then, there were no ‘good times’ with him to miss. Claudia guessed that was the difference. At one point, Louis and Lestat had been happy. She just didn't understand how Louis couldn’t see that they could never be again.
Of course it was when she least expected it that Mr De Lioncort found her. Usually he showed up when she and Louis were together, but this time he caught her alone. Claudia had just finished off a lady with a fancy pearl necklace and white lacy gloves.
“I’m impressed,” came that all-too-familiar lilting accent. “You managed to drain her without spilling a drop on the gloves. You always were a messy eater.”
Claudia shot a glare his way. He must have approached while she was distracted, which meant he’d been following her.
She ignored him.
“It occurred to me I have not made efforts to make it up to you, specifically.”
He sauntered vaguely toward her. Claudia pulled the gloves on. They were slightly too big for her hands. The fingertips hung limp and empty.
“I hurt you too, that night.” His voice was soft with a note of what Louis would think was sincerity.
Claudia heard its manipulative thread. “What you did to me, thats nothing,” she said to the open night air. Her voice filled with acid and her words came out in a snarl. “I will never forgive you for what you did to Louis. Ever.”
Lestat’s lips pursed into a flat line and he averted his eyes. Good. Claudia turned and kept walking.
His footsteps kept pace with hers. “I brought something for you—“
“I don’t want anything you have—“
Lestat sped in front of her and held out a brown paper bag. “Take one look before you toss it in the bushes.”
He held it so the bag was open. The bottom was dark, wet. Claudia sniffed. Blood. Despite draining a whole woman, her fangs poked against her bottom lip at the metallic smell. She could feel his blue eyes intent on her. She hated him. With one gloved finger, she drew the bag open by a corner. Inside was… she furrowed her brows. An ear? “Okay,” she said.
Lestat took her neutral response as an invitation to explain. “I thought to myself, in your position, what would I want?”
“For you to leave us alone,” said Claudia.
Lestat steamrolled on as if she hadn’t said anything. “Because I also was kept for a wicked man’s pleasure, and if it were possible, I would seek vengeance against the one who hurt me. So, I spent three weeks following that greasy mongrel, and now I offer to you, an olive branch.”
Claudia blinked. Looked down at the ear. Looked up at Lestat. Pursed her lips. God. Damn. It. “Where’s the rest of him?” She pushed the words out between gritted teeth.
Lestat’s grin was sickening. “Drugged and bound in an abandoned shack outside of town. I can take you.”
“No,” said Claudia. “Just give me an address. I’ll find it.”
“Of course.” He tipped his head with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. They rarely did.
After giving her the location, Lestat let Claudia walk on. Before turning a corner, she said, “You know this changes nothing.”
Lestat breathed an inaudible “of course.”
In the end, after biting off the other ear (Claudia), ripping out his tongue (Louis), breaking both of his legs (Claudia), clawing out his eyes (also Claudia), and cutting off his hands (Louis), they watched the ramshackle building burn down around what used to be Bruce the vampire. With the sun coming up, Louis and Claudia tucked into a crypt, and he held her like when she was a newborn vampire. She cried angry, vindicated tears as he rubbed her back and murmured words of comfort. It felt right, restorative, for Louis to be back in his role, taking care of Claudia again, instead of the other way around.
And as Lestat watched on from inside his new automobile, he thought, if it truly changes nothing, if Louis never takes him back, at least Lestat gave them closure for this fucked-up chapter in their immortal lives.
But Lestat wasn’t ready to turn the page quite yet.