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Chapters (48)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY ANNE RICE
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. A Brief History of the Vampires
  8. Blood Argot
  9. Proem
  10. Part I
  11. 1
  12. 2
  13. 3
  14. 4
  15. 5
  16. 6
  17. 7
  18. 8
  19. 9
  20. 10
  21. 11
  22. 12
  23. 13
  24. 14
  25. 15
  26. 16
  27. 17
  28. 18
  29. Part II
  30. 19
  31. 20
  32. 21
  33. 22
  34. 23
  35. 24
  36. Part III
  37. 25
  38. 26
  39. 27
  40. 28
  41. 29
  42. 30
  43. 31
  44. 32
  45. 33
  46. Appendix 1
  47. Appendix 2
  48. What’s next onyour reading list?

I picked her up and carried her upwards again and back over the city, and as I approached the cathedral I slowed and took her down the last few hundred yards and deposited her standing, as she had been before, before the central door of the church.

No sign of her legions. They must have retreated when they saw it was no use looking for her.

She buttoned up her coat to her neck, and shoved her naked hands into her pockets, and looked at me, defeated and discouraged.

“The fact is I am ready to do it now! And only a half mile from here. Everything’s ready!”

“I’m not ready,” I said. “I could die. He could die!”

I had a lot more to say to her but I didn’t know what it was. I wanted to say that Amel was silent, Amel wasn’t urging me to come with her, and that alone was reason for me to delay. Then for the first time it occurred to me: what would I do when Amel did say go to her? Maybe I was waiting for that and that alone.

I couldn’t refuse Amel, not loving him and understanding him as I did. And if he was willing, if he was ready, who was I to stand in his way?

So why are you silent, goddamn it! Why don’t you settle this! Speak up now and I’ll go with her!

Weeping. He was weeping—so soft, so far away, and yet so near.

Something shook me. Sound of a powerful ancient preternatural heart. Gregory, most likely, or Seth. But it was the wrong signature. All hearts do have a signature, I had only just come to realizing that in these last few months. Amel had taught me that.

I started to turn around—to confront the intruder—but it was too late.

The being had me, had his arms around me as he stood firm against my back. It was strength so far beyond my own I was trapped. I couldn’t send the Fire Gift at him because I wasn’t facing him. I seemed unable to muster any telekinetic resistance. Yet I tried with all my might to get free. I could have broken the grip of a gargoyle sooner than this grip.

Kapetria stood staring at the pair of us. Her black eyes were wide with amazement. The square was deserted. Paris was asleep. But the sky was filling with light.

“Let’s call it reparation,” said the voice against my ear. But he was talking to Kapetria. “I take him to your chopping block, and then we’re even for what I did to your beloved Derek. And you, Lestat—we’re even for what you did to me.”

31

Lestat