“I climbed to my feet and slowly made my way towards her. I felt that tingling in all my limbs that meant the bruises she’d inflicted were healing. I saw bits and pieces of the diamond chains from her hair on the floor, and I gathered them all up, and I came to the desk where she cried and I laid them down where she might see them.

“She had her face buried in her hands, and her hands were stained with blood.

“ ‘I’m sorry,’ I said.

“She took her handkerchief out and wiped her face and her hands. Then she looked up at me, prettily.

“ ‘Why should you be sorry?’ she asked. ‘It’s only natural for you to hate a creature like me. Why shouldn’t you?’

“ ‘How so?’ I asked. I expected her at any moment to fly at me again.

“ ‘Who should be made into creatures like us?’ she asked. ‘The wounded, the slave, the destitute, the dying. But you were a prince, a mortal prince. And I didn’t think twice about it.’

“ ‘That’s true,’ I said.

“ ‘And so you . . . you fool the fools?’ she asked gesturing with her right hand in a roving motion. ‘You live with your mortals lovingly around you?’

“ ‘Yes, for now,’ I said.

“ ‘Don’t be tempted to bring them over,’ she said.

“ ‘I’m not tempted,’ I said. ‘I’d rather go straight to Hell than do it that way.’

“She looked at the diamonds. I didn’t know what to do about them. I looked around. I had gotten them all. She picked up the strands and put them in one of her pockets. Her hair was mussed. I took out my comb. I gestured, Would she let me comb it? She said Yes, and so I did it. Her hair was thick and silky.

“Finally she stood up to go. She took me in her arms and she kissed me.

“ ‘Don’t run afoul of the Vampire Lestat,’ she said. ‘He won’t think twice about burning you to a cinder. And then I’d have to fight him and I’m not strong enough.’

“ ‘That’s really true?’

“ ‘I told you in Napoli to read the books,’ she said. ‘He’s drunk the blood of the Mother. He lay in the sands of the Gobi Desert for three days. Nothing can kill him. It wouldn’t even be fun to fight him. But just stay out of New Orleans and you don’t need to worry about him. There’s something ignoble about one as powerful as Lestat picking on one as young as you. He won’t come here to do it.’

“ ‘Thank you,’ I said.

“She walked towards the door as though she was making a graceful exit. I didn’t know whether or not she knew there was blood on her clothing. I didn’t know whether or not to tell her. Finally I did.