Kathryn had restlessly paced Lestat's office before finally sinking into his chair behind the desk. His manuscript had drawn her eye, and she picked it up. With a frown pinching her dark brows, she started to read.

Later...

When Lestat entered his study, Kathryn was sitting behind his desk with her feet, crossed at the ankles, propped on his desk. In her hands was his manuscript. One blond brow rose. "Comfortable?" he asked at his most sarcastic.

She slowly closed the manuscript, her thoughts still lingering on the dark memories Lestat's words had awakened. Adrian. His name whispered through her mind, and she could see him again. He had been the epitome of the Hollywood vampire...dark clothes, white skin, long nails painted blood red. He'd killed his victims with ruthless precision.

But...there had been other moments.

Like wandering together through the long, dark night, sometimes doing nothing more than enjoying the moonlight together.

Like hunting together. He'd taught her how to hunt her prey, capture them, then dispose of them so they simply disappeared, thereby protecting each other's safety.

Like losing herself in the dark magic of his arms; his mouth hot on hers, biting her lips gently as he pumped his hips, his manhood throbbing inside her, driving her to ecstasy.

Oh, yes...so much to remember.

Now Lestat stood in front of her, after having resurrected all the memories she'd buried since Adrian had died at his hands. Adrian had been the only other being who had understood her...until...

She gave herself a mental shake before flashing Lestat a saccharine smile. "Yes, very comfortable." She dropped her feet to the floor and set the manuscript on the desk. "Not bad," she said, skimming her nails lightly over the manuscript, then met his blue eyes, "as long as you keep me out of it."

He sighed, sitting down in the chair facing the desk and feeling oddly like a supplicant in his own sanctuary. "Kathryn, I didn't ask you here to discuss my manuscript."

Her dark eyes turned hard. "We have nothing else to discuss."

He slowly shook his head. "About Adrian..."

She shot to her feet, fighting the memories that threatened to overwhelm her. "No!"

He caught her as she skirted the desk. No matter how fast her vampire powers made her, he was still faster. His blue eyes were chips of ice boring into hers. "Yes, Kathryn."

She struggled a moment to tear her arm free, failed, then glared up into his face. "There's nothiing you could say to ever make me forgive you for destroying Adrian."

"Not even if I tell you it was to save your life?"

The way her shoulders sagged slightly told him that some of the fight had gone out of her, but the eyes staring into his own were still defiant. "Why on earth would he want to see me destroyed? He made me what I am; he taught me almost all I know!"

How to explain to her the madness that had gripped so many vampires when Akasha had awakened, Lestat wondered. Adrian had one by one destroyed all the vampires he had made through the years. Only Kathryn and a few others had escaped. Even still, one or two others weren't completely unscathed. Lestat surpressed a shudder, remembering the disfigured monsters Adrian had left in his wake. "You remember when Akasha awakened?" he carefully began.

"You mean do I remember when you woke the Queen of the Damned with your blasted rock music?" she asked snidely, feeling small victory at his wince. "Then, yes, I do remember."

He struggled to hold on to his quick temper and pressed on, "Akasha...changed...many of us, Kathryn. Adrian, no, let me finish," he said, pressing a finger to her lips when she made to interrupt. She bit his finger, then pulled back, glaring up at him but remaining silent. He continued softly, "He turned evil, Kathryn...killing indescriminately, killing others of our own kind..."

"Not a big loss in some cases," she bit out, her anger flaring white hot and giving her enough strength to pull free of his grip. "What do you want me to say, Lestat? Am I supposed to thank you, Lestat?" She gripped his shirtfront, pulling him down so they were face to face. "I felt him die, you bastard. I felt it when you two fought. I felt it when you slashed his throat." Her hands tightened painfully, snagging skin. "I felt it when you drained the blood from him before setting him on fire." She shoved him away, appalled at the thought of even touching him. "I felt it all, Lestat." Her voice dropped to just above a whisper, and she stepped back. "I felt it all."

"He would have killed you, too, Kathryn," he said, thinking her own sense of self preservation would make her understand. She had been next.

Her laugh was low and bitter. "Don't expect me to thank you, Lestat." Her dark eyes were bleak as she added softly, "it would have been better if you had let him kill me." She turned away, walking slowly out of the room, but not before Lestat had seen the tears forming in her eyes.

End Part 5