Trio in Rio

Chapter Seven

Lestat went right on. "Why do the Saints never win at home?"

"Because the Superdome was built over the Yellow Fever mound of the Girod street cemetery."

"Who was the most famous man ever to wear a Saints uniform?"

"Charlton Heston."

"What are the best odds you can get on the Saints in any game, anywhere, no matter what?"
"Fourteen to one."

"What are the odds that Ditka can pull the Saints up to the standards of his past record?"

"Forty to one."

"What are the odds that the Saints will pull Ditka's record down to their level?"

"Zero to one. Sure bet."

"How much do you have on that bet?"

"One hundred dollars a season until he has a mental breakdown or quits."

"Really?"

"Mmmm-Hmmm."

"You have a bet on whether or not a man will have a nervous breakdown? Louis!"

"But Lestat, it's perfect odds! I've got better than even money on it!"

Lestat sighed. "Louis, Louis, Louis. You live without electricity or heat. You don't change your clothes until they are worn right through. You don't know what coven you belong to. And yet you have football bets going on every game, all season long. Do you not see the incongruity of this?"

"I thought covens had to live together," Louis observed, getting back to the subject.

"This one will," Lestat said with assurance.

"Will it?" Louis asked.

"Louis, don't you want to live with me?"

"Yes, Lestat, I do very much."

"You do not want to live with David, is that it?"

"No, Lestat, not at all. I am fond of David, I told you."

"Then what?"

Louis sighed. "Lestat, have you asked David if he wants to live with me? Have you considered that either he or I might not wish to be part of your - "

"Louis shut up! Don't be ridiculous. You like David. David likes you. You both love me. I adore both of you. What IS the problem?"

"You never asked us, Lestat. You always assume that everyone will do your bidding."

"I MADE you, Louis! Both of you! You are my fledglings, you are MINE!"

"But we aren't possessions, Lestat. We have preferences, and opinions and plans as well. You act as if we are puppets, inanimate but by your will."

"I NEVER said you were puppets, Louis! My God, why is everything always a fight with you?"

The door opened and David entered. He looked from one to the other, aware of the sudden silence. "Have I interrupted something?"

"No, David," Louis said, extricating himself from Lestat and moving from his lap to sit on the couch.

"Not at all, David. Louis is just having his typical fit of obstinacy," Lestat announced.

"Ah, then that would mean you are having your typical fit of megalomania, I suppose," David said crossing the room to Louis, bending and kissing his cheek. "Good Evening, Louis."

Louis stood and returned the gesture. "Good Evening, David."

Lestat watched this with pleasure. "Do you see, Louis?" He stood and kissed them both. "See how we get along? Now stop making trouble. Go and get dressed before the entire night is lost in arguing." Lestat took Louis by the arm, and pulled him to face his bedroom. He gave him a light swat, which he knew Louis had always hated.

~~ "Don't treat me like a child, Lestat!" ~~

But years ago he had stopped his futile protests against it. "GO!" Lestat told him.

Louis walked to the bedroom. Lestat was in a mood now and would likely make a scene if Louis did not emerge dressed in a pair of those irritating short pants. He stripped off his sweat suit and pulled on the longer pair he had purchased the night before. They were nearly the length that his formal knee breeches used to be, but of course then one had stockings to cover the rest. Louis sighed. At least they were better than the indecent excuse for trousers Lestat had put him in. He pulled on the white shirt from the night before. The short sleeves didn't bother him as much, he had often rolled up his sleeves if he was out in the fields or if he went riding. But still, it was not done in public. He wore the shoes Lestat had brought for him. They were quite comfortable, actually. He rejoined Lestat and David.

"Louis! Where did you get those shorts?" Lestat exclaimed with delight.

"I bought them last night, when I returned with David," Louis answered.

"David! You are an overwhelmingly positive influence on Louis! Excellent!" Lestat complimented him.

"I had nothing to do with it, Lestat," David said.

"Well, perhaps it is subliminal." Lestat took Louis face in his hands and shook his head at him affectionately. "God knows my opinions hold no sway over him."

Louis laughed a silent laugh. Lestat released him.

"Well my darlings, we must go out. Louis needs to be fed and I need more naked dancing! Have you fed, David?"

"No, not yet," David answered.

"Wonderful! We can dine together then," Lestat smiled. "Of course Louis will require a separate table." He turned to David and said in a stage whisper, "Terrible thing but his table manners are atrocious, to the point that dining in company is out of the question."

David tried to suppress a grin, as Louis gave an outraged look to Lestat. Before he could utter a word, however, he found himself high in the sky in Lestat's arms. It happened that quickly. Louis was astonished. He had no idea of the extent of Lestat's powers, but this speed was incredible. He grabbed for Lestat and hooked his arms around his neck. Louis's hair was blown back from his face and the wind was catching his ears and burning his skin. Just as it was becoming intolerable, they landed. Louis let go of Lestat and rubbed his ears. Lestat took Louis's hands down and rubbed briskly over Louis's ears, face, arms and legs. He should have thought about what that kind of wind force would do to Louis's softer skin. David had been right beside him and had suffered no ill effects. His older stronger blood had widened the gulf between them so much that Louis now seemed a china doll in comparison; beautiful, delicate and fragile. Though Louis had been born to darkness in 1791, and David had been born to darkness just last week, the discrepancy in their powers and abilities made David seem the older of the two. Louis's nightly need to feed, his sensitivity to cold and to the light of the sun, his inability to levitate, lack of telepathy, and inferior strength, hearing, sight and speed made him appear to be the infant of the coven, though Jesse, Daniel, and now David, were far younger in years. He slept earliest and rose latest.

Lestat remembered when they were all together at the Night Island, how the old ones were immediately somewhat protective of Louis. Khayman, especially, who made a nightly ritual of asking, 'Where is Louis?' as soon the sky showed the first grayish signs of dawn. They were quite fascinated by, yet greatly disapproved of Louis's habit of waiting until his pain and hunger became unbearable, before feeding. Lestat had heard both Marius and Khayman, at different times, scold him, gently but firmly that this practice was detrimental and must be discontinued. Louis took it well, respectfully listening to their admonitions and thanking them for their concern, but never actually agreeing to change his ways. Precious Louis, ever the gentleman, would never have dreamed of telling them that they could take their advice and go straight to Hell, as Lestat would have, if anyone had taken such a tactic with him.

Even Gabrielle, whom, Lestat could attest, had never been very maternal, had taken an interest. She had stopped Louis at whatever he was doing, at least once a night, and after putting her hand to his icy cheek, would point her finger at him, and order him, in a most commanding voice, 'FEED!'. To which Louis would reply calmly, 'Oui, Madame' with a small bow, and then go directly back to his activity. This never failed to elicit a chuckle from whomever should chance to witness it, which Louis pretended not to hear. It also earned him an exasperated look and frustrated sigh from Gabrielle, which he likewise would not respond to.

Lestat had gleaned all of this information as he had skipped lightly through the minds and memories of the other vampires, as he was looking for information to write his last book, QUEEN OF THE DAMNED. He loved to find these little tidbits about Louis in the minds of the others, as much as he loved to find things about himself, which he needed for his book, of course.

Maharet was impressed with the compassion and emotion evident in Louis. Marius had been delighted by him, at first sight. Pandora took notice of his beauty, and thought he had a lovely voice, but she gave little regard to anyone at the time. Khayman had, from the first sight of him, referred to him as 'the pretty one' within his own mind, and eventually bestowed this nickname upon Louis. Khayman also had an unaccountable desire to touch Louis's soft skin. Armand, of course, was quite involved with Daniel, but felt that he should take some responsibility for Louis as Lestat had 'abandoned' him to lock himself in his room. Daniel remembered Louis, of course, and was the only one who thought of him as a man with a good sense of humor. They teased each other back and forth like old friends. Eric though him cute but too quiet; a shy child who garnered little notice. Jesse was absolutely taken with him and was infinitely patient with his repeated questions regarding her encounter at Rue Royale, because she found him so 'absolutely sweet.' Mael thought him soft, and feared he would not last long. Santino only spoke with Louis once, and even Lestat could not get past Santino's shields well enough to discover the contents of this conversation. But it had achieved its result, which was to leave Louis quite terrified of Santino. He kept the images of Louis's widening eyes, his convulsive swallow, the sounds of his breathing and heartbeat quickening beneath the calm exterior he had tried to maintain. This pleased Santino, who found Louis all the more alluring when frightened, and he had considered taking Louis as his own. Lestat, upon finding this, put all such notions out of Santino's head by sending him a very graphic depiction of just how many tiny, charred, yet still living pieces he would find himself in, should he even chance to consider speaking to Louis again.

And yet Lestat found that they all respected Louis's ability to survive and endure alone within the world, without a coven or even a companion, for so long. They were proud of him, and Lestat loved that they were. Lestat loved to see the effect that his Louis had on the others. He could see that Louis was working his unconscious magic on David as well. The two already seemed close, which pleased Lestat greatly. It would go much easier in his new coven with no friction between them.

Louis skin felt warmer. Lestat stopped rubbing him and turned to David, "Shall we?"

David smiled, "Let's shall. Louis, would you like to meet us here in, should we say, an hour?"

"That would be fine," Louis answered.

In a flash both David and Lestat were gone and Louis was left alone on the street. He memorized the landmarks and then slipped into a back alley in search of prey. A favorite song of his, quite unlike the surrounding Samba music, floated through his head.

He sang softly to himself, "Do you know what it means, to miss New Orleans? And miss her each night and day. I know I'm not wrong, because the feeling's getting stronger, the longer I stay away . . ."

Louis saw a young man lying unconscious on the ground. His clothing had been ripped and his skin had been bruised. He had a large lump on his head, and his skin had an unhealthy pallor. Louis guessed he had been mugged, beaten, and possibly worse, then left for dead. He had no watch but there was a white band around his wrist where one had been, and the same tan lines on his fingers where rings had also been. The young man was dying. Louis dropped to his knees and drained him quickly, pulling hard to empty the body before the slowing heart stopped. He stood and leaned against a wall while the swoon lasted. The drinking had been strange and disjointed. He hadn't gotten any clear memories from the mortal. The swoon was even more dizzying and off-kilter. Probably the young man had drugged himself, or possibly been drugged by someone else. Louis wasn't sure how long he leaned there, but when he looked down the young man was dead and his body was cooling. Louis knew he had to get rid of the evidence. Louis lifted the body and tore his fangs through the tiny wounds making large gashes. Then he carried the man to a nearby parking garage.

"Miss the moss covered vines, tall sugar pines, where a mocking bird used to sing. I'd love to see that old lazy Mississippi hurrying in the spring . . ." Louis sang as he walked.

He tried to stuff the body into an air vent in garage, but it wouldn't fit. Louis couldn't understand this. He broke the arms and legs, but it still wouldn't fit.

'What the hell is wrong?' Louis thought. He turned and saw a large car. Louis pulled the trunk open and threw the body in. It fit, but then the trunk wouldn't close. Louis rubbed his head, confused. It was usually simpler than this, wasn't it? Louis went up to the roof of the garage and put the body down. He was thirsty again.

"Moonlight on the bayou, creole tunes fill the air. I dream about magnolias in June, and I'm wishing I was there. . ." Louis looked down over a crowd of people. He jumped down and grabbed the nearest mortal, running with it as fast as he could. He was going somewhere, but he didn't know where until he saw all the candles. He vaguely remembered this place from another time; Last night? Last month? Last year? He wasn't sure, but the people knew him, remembered him from the last time. An irritating noise was coming from somewhere. Louis looked around. It was the boy in his hands. It was coming out of his mouth. Louis stared at him, wondering when it would stop. An old woman took hold of the boy and gently motioned for Louis to let go. Louis did so and then immediately forgot about him.

A circle of dancers was forming around him. A young girl danced into the middle of the circle with him. She took his hands and rubbed them over her breasts. Louis smiled, he remembered something like this from long ago, forever ago. He remembered that he liked it. The girl removed her white dress, she was naked underneath. She pressed herself to Louis and they were dancing, swaying with the music. Her skin was very hot and Louis could smell the blood in her. He kissed her, she tasted sweet, her lips were soft. She lifted her breasts to him. He took one in his mouth and sucked it, biting the nipple and licking the wounds. One of the other dancers handed her a glass which she drank and then flung into the air. Louis took her other breast into his mouth, the nipple was hard and stiff. He bit down taking a long draught of her blood. She moaned and stroked his hair. When he lifted his face, she encouraged him to take her. The other dancers had gathered close around, and they wanted it too.

Louis lifted her in his arms, kissing her and biting her tongue. He lay her on the ground, looking at her body, and then put his head between her thighs. He parted her, licking her and teasing her, swelling and hardening her tender bud. Ah, yes, he remembered this very well. What had been her name, the first one? Celeste? Celine? Cecile, it was Cecile from the dancing lessons. And then who was the girl he brought to the garçonniere? Monique? Non, Dominique, Etienne's placee. Oui, it had been DuVal's garçonniere, at Bon Sejour. Was he twenty? Twenty-two? Delicious. And if Etienne had been man enough to challenge him to a duel, she could have been his own. He wouldn't have had to kill him, first blood would have served. And that would have been his without question. Etienne was the worst swordsman in Louisiana, and couldn't fire a pistol without the kickback knocking him off his feet. Had he ever made plans like that? Of course he had, before he understood the meaninglessness of it all. Before Paul . . .

The girl pulled his hair in ecstasy. She was writhing and panting under his attentions. He opened his mouth wider and sank his fangs into her flesh. He drank deeply from her, she arched her back, offering him more. Louis ran his tongue over the wounds and then down the curve of her thigh. He bit her legs and then turned her over. He ran his fangs over her buttocks. He laid atop her, pressing himself against her warm cleft and biting her shoulder. He drained her then, almost to the death, but he felt many pairs of mortal hands pulling him back.

He allowed them to lift him up and carry him to a platform. Here they brought him a young man, struggling with his bonds and screaming behind a gag. Louis bit into an artery and drained him fast. Dropping the body, he lay back on the platform swooning. The young man's life ran like a film in his mind, a succession of firsts; first word, first step, first day of school, first bicycle, first communion, first drink, first car, first date, first girl, first year of college, first boy, first vacation to Rio and then it was over.

Louis sat up. He felt good. His skin was tingling all over, all the pain was gone. He suddenly remembered Lestat and David. Had it been an hour? Louis thought he had better get back, just in case. He left at top speed, so that he seemed to vanish. He stopped when he got to the garage, it was familiar.

"Do you know what it means, to miss New Orleans, when that's where you left your heart?" Louis began walking back toward the street they had agreed to meet on. He saw Lestat and David. He didn't know how long he'd been gone, but they were waiting for him. He was glad to see them.

"But there's one thing more, I miss the one I care for, more than I miss New Orleans." Louis finished the song as he walked toward them.

"Louis, where have you been?" Lestat demanded.

"We were just going to try and find you," David added in a worried voice.

Louis smiled and kissed Lestat. "I'm sorry mes chers, I ran as fast as I could."

Lestat blinked in surprise and then smiled back at him. "Louis, you're in quite a mood."

"Are you alright, my boy?" David asked, the anxiety in his voice was growing.

Louis turned and kissed him as well.

"I'm full," Louis informed him.

"I see," David answered, smiling back at Lestat. No need to worry, Louis had sustained no damage, just a bit drunk it seemed.

"Come with me!" Louis said excitedly, taking their hands. "I'll show you where they are!"

Louis turned and ran. Lestat ran after him and David followed Lestat. They arrived at the Candomble celebration within three minutes. The group was even larger tonight, David noticed, as they made their way to the center of the crowd. The people were even more forward as well, pressing against them, kissing them, touching them. A young man slid seductively up to Lestat and bared his neck. Lestat bit him and drank his sweet hot blood. The boy was pleasantly buzzed and Lestat felt it immediately. He pushed himself away from the boy before he did him any permanent harm. He looked to see David drinking from another youth, who by the size of his pupils, was under the influence as well. A girl came and kissed him. Lestat bit her tongue and tasted her before twirling her over to David, who did the same. Louis appeared behind him.

"Dance with me, Lestat?" Louis asked. His low sweet voice had a seductive purr to it that Lestat wasn't sure he'd ever heard before.

"I would love to, Beautiful One, " Lestat answered, taking Louis in his arms. They pressed their hips together, moving with the beat, kissing each other often. Louis took the lead and twirled Lestat out on his arm, then gathered him back. Lestat was laughing. Louis danced them through the crowd to David.

"David, join us!" Louis called to him.

David dropped the girl he was holding and reached for Lestat's outstretched hand. Two older men came through the crowd and carried the girl away.

The three vampires danced together, teasing and flirting and enticing each other. Each one focused solely on the other two. Unbeknownst to David, Louis and Lestat, a group of elders were organizing a group of white clad mortals to form a circle around them. These youngsters closed in on the vampires, kissing them and offering their blood. The young mortals stripped off their clothing. The vampires drank and drank.

Lestat grabbed a young man and pulled him in. Louis kissed this naked dancer and David slid his hands between the boy's legs, while Lestat impaled the mortal on one finger, almost lifting his feet from the ground. The young man moaned into Louis's kiss. Louis took his shoulders and held him while Lestat inserted another finger to his explorations. David rubbed the boy's hardened organ between his hands, tracing circles over it's already wet tip. Lestat pushed deeper and did lift him up. Louis put his arm under the mortal's shoulders pushing his tongue deep, almost to the throat. Lestat put his free arm under the boy's back and David moved to his hip, not breaking contact. They supported the squirming groaning mortal. The boy's entire body was trembling with ecstasy. David thumbed his opening to keep him from climaxing as long as possible. The boy was sweating. He kicked his legs and flailed his arms. He arched his back, pumping up into David's hands, then pushing himself down onto Lestat's fingers, wanting both. Louis reached for the boy's chest, twisting his nipples. The boy pounded at them with his fists, screaming into Louis's kiss, begging for release. He began gyrating his hips wildly and a deep shudder went through him. David aimed his open legs away from them, towards the crowd, and removed his thumb, still holding the shaft tightly. The boy convulsed in their arms as he ejaculated in strong gushes which fell on the dancers who rushed in at him. The mortal gave one final cry and passed out. Lestat removed his fingers as the boy went limp. The three of them lowered him to the ground, stepping over him to move toward another knot of naked dancers. They walked with their arms around each other, away from the elders who moved in to retrieve the boy.

Reaching the dancers, who moved to let them in, they took more drinks. The mortals were pulled from Louis by the other dancers, before he could drain them. The music got louder. It pounded down on them. Colors blurred and the smell of blood was everywhere.

David took Louis in his arms and kissed him. Louis ran his fingers through David's short sun bleached hair. Lestat leered at David and licked his throat. David slid a hand down Lestat's shorts. Louis pulled Lestat's shirt off and ran his fangs across his chest. Lestat groaned and grabbed Louis's hair. David felt a hand pulling at his shorts, he couldn't tell if it was Lestat or Louis. Lestat kissed Louis's fingers and then his lips. David pulled up on Louis's shirt. Lestat pulled Louis's shorts off, then he took Louis's nipples in his fingers and pinched them hard. Louis laughed and stumbled backwards. Lestat grabbed his knees and he fell into David's arms. They laid him on his back. Lestat spread Louis's legs and pushed David head down between his thighs. David moaned and began working his tongue over Louis's soft organ. Louis closed his eyes and whispered, "Oui."

Lestat pulled David free of his shorts and divested himself of his own. Lestat grabbed David's hips and pulled his lower body up, bending David's knees. David arched his back, pushing himself as far out and open as he could. Lestat guided himself into David and then rammed into him repeatedly, making David give muffled cries at every thrust. Lestat threw his head back and screamed in pleasure. Louis bucked beneath David. Currents of electric rapture flowed up and down this three linked chain.

Some kind of chant had been taken up by the crowd, but Louis, Lestat and David were only dimly aware of it. They continued to ravish each other tirelessly as the intensity of the feeling mounted and then crested. They felt it simultaneously, and together they cried out and lost consciousness.

David awoke in total darkness. He could feel himself squashed against a body, which turned out to be Louis. His back was against a hard wall. He was lying on top of an arm which belonged to Lestat. David raised his head to see Lestat lying on the other side of Louis, in basically the same predicament.

"Where are we?" David asked.

"I don't know," Lestat answered. "But there are mortals near."

"Can we get out of here?" David asked.

"Yes, I think so. But I want to wait until Louis wakes. We may be outside, I can't tell. It won't do to face whatever this is with him unconscious. I can't read these mortals, but I can smell them. I can hear their breathing and their heartbeats. Can you read them?" Lestat asked.

"No. They are too well shielded," David sighed. "Do you know how we got here?"

"I have no idea, I have been trying to figure that one myself. I cannot remember any of last night, David. What happened?"

David was silent for a few moments. "Nothing specific, but that we spent it together the three of us."

"Yes, and that it was quite enjoyable, whatever we did," Lestat agreed.

"I get that too, as a general feeling. I do remember going out alone and coming back to the hotel."

"Oui, I remember that, and flying with Louis. We landed in a street. You and I hunted."

"Yes, and then we returned and waited for Louis," David said.

"And I remember him and then just confusion," Lestat said.

"Yes, it is cloudy. All I get are images," David said.

"What do you see?" Lestat asked.

"Your smile, Louis's laugh, singing, the three of us joined somehow," David mused.

"Yes, tied together or . . ."

"No, not tied, I don't think, but . . ."

"Not tied exactly . . .more like . . .like . . .I've lost it," Lestat sighed.

"I can't get it clear either," David told him.

"Are you hurt?" Lestat asked.

"I don't seem to be," David answered.

"Neither am I, as far as I can tell. Nor is Louis," Lestat said.

"Well that is something to be thankful for at least," David said.

Trio in Rio - Chapter Eight

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