I arose from the bed where I was placed by Lestat and I looked at him, wanting more."Not me, ever again. Do you understand? But I'll show you what to do!" he said to me. He smiled and suddenly there was a knock at the door. I turned to look at the door in which Lestat was now opening. "Yes, come in, please, there's been an accident" he exclaimed. He closed the door behind the slave boy that had entered and grabbed the him and bit down on his neck. He lowered the salve to the floor and beckoned me to come. I did. After all, I wanted more blood. I took the boy's wrist and pulled back the sleeve and bit down, as Lestat did to get blood. I couldn't get any at first and this thirst burned inside me that I had never had before. Lestat told me what to do and the blood came then. Blood. Sweet blood. And how I loved it then. I drank and drank that sweet salty blood. "No more, he's dying," Lestat said," You must never drink after the heart stops or you'll be sick again, sick to death. Do you understand?" I nodded and sat back. The thirst was satisfied ... for now. I drew near Lestat and he slipped his arms around me.
" Where's Mamma?" I asked. I was wondering where she was. I did not know these strange people. Lestat stood up and took me in his arms. I rather enjoyed this. I was up so high and I was close to him. He walked toward Louis now and said, " She's our daughter. You're going to live with us, Claudia" I was confused. I was mamma daughter. Not theirs. He put me in Louis's lap now and Louis put his arms around me. Beautiful Louis. Just the sight of him made me want to love him. " This is Louis, and I am Lestat." Lestat said to me bending down beside me. I was still wondering where mother was. We had to go to the ship. I couldn't live with them. Lestat took out a comb was combing out my hair. It was in tangles. Louis picked up a handkerchief from the floor and touched it to my neck. I was bleeding. " Your mamma's left you with us," Lestat said as he combed my hair," She wants you to be happy. She knows we can make you very happy." He smiled.
Left me? Why would she leave me? Didn't she want me anymore? All these questions passed through my mind then.
I said softly "I want some more." I turned my head to the dead corpse that lay on the floor. He stopped combing my hair.
"No, not tonight; tomorrow night," he said as he went over to a box where a woman slept. He picked her up along with the salve boy and another woman. He put them all in the bed and pulled the covers up to theirs chins." Are they sick?" I asked Lestat.
"Yes, Claudia. They're sick and they're dead," he said, " you see, they die when we drink from them." He came toward me and scooped me into his arms once more. I loved him so. To be near him. The mere sight of him. And there we were... Louis, Lestat, and I. Together. A family. " Now, Louis was going to leave us," Lestat said,
" he was going to go away. But now he's not. Because he wants to stay and take care of you and make you happy." He looked at Louis and asked, " You're not going, are you, Louis?"
" You bastard," Louis whispered, " you fiend." Louis said that as if he did not like Lestat. I couldn't understand why.
" Such language in front of your daughter," Lestat said. Surprised that Louis had said what he did. But I was confused now. He said I was their daughter. I was not!
" I'm not your daughter," I told him, " I'm mamma's daughter,
" No, dear, not anymore. You are mine and Louis's daughter now? Now, whom would you care to sleep with?" He asked smiling down at me. He was so radiant." Perhaps you should sleep with Louis. After all, when I am tired, I am not so kind."
I nodded and he handed me to Louis. Louis took me to a box like the one the dead woman had rested in. "This is where we sleep, Claudia, right here in this coffin. We sleep in it during the day," he said. I looked down in it, puzzled. He placed me in it and he got in it himself. And we drifted off to sleep.
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