On the Cusp (Interview With The Vampire Fanfic)

II

I didn't answer right away, but it wasn't because I was memorising his face. I didn't have to make the effort of taking in what his face looked like, it was already imprinted in my mind. I wasn't looking at him so much as I was looking inside his head.

He knew virtually nothing of Lestat, only that his father still lived and both had French accents and spoke French. Without a doubt, they were from France. But where? Surely the one who made him was French as well, and if he was, then would there be more like them in France? Was Lestat truly the only one that he could learn from?

Louis' head was swimming with questions. Would I tell him anything? Would Lestat allow me to? Why hadn't I been with Lestat? Why was I just coming to him now? How old were we? For, surely, we had to be a comprehensible age if our father was still alive, although not well. If he could, he would learn as much as possible from me.

"I come from Cádiz," I answered, tilting my head to the side. It wasn't an answer he wanted to hear because he frowned. No, he wanted to know where I'd been born, raised, and turned. "But I was born in Auvergne and then later moved to Paris when I was twenty."

"And how long ago was that?"

Lestat clicked his tongue, "Why does that matter?" His face contorted with annoyance, and he waved his hand dismissively, "That was so long ago." His tone was distasteful and he looked to me intently. "Since I went away, what have you been doing? How have you been faring? These are real questions with real substance, none of Louis' trivial blabbering."

Abhorrence stung Louis' features, his mouth twisting with the same distaste that had been in Lestat's voice. He wasn't angry, no, he was irritated with my brother. And rightfully so. Lestat was being rude.

"I stayed in Greece for a little longer after you left before moving on. I've been in Spain for the last six months. I spent the first two months in Madrid before moving on to Cádiz for the remaining four months. You stopped sending letters, that's why I came in search for you." My tone was disinterested, and I began to fiddle with the leaves of a plant on a small table beside me. "The only Blood Drinker in all of the New World. I cannot say you were hard to find, especially since your last letter came from New Orleans. Though, I did explore the other colonies before I decided to come and truly find you."

"How long have you been here?" Louis asked me. He had a curious look in his eyes.

"A month, I would say. I haven't bothered to keep track of days or weeks for a long time now." I waved my hand dismissively.

"And now you have found me," Lestat said, "so what will you do now?" He sat back in his seat and draped his arm over the back of it while crossing one leg over the other. "What plans do you have?"

I shrugged, "I have no plans. I'm afraid this choice to come here was an impulsive one. I made very few arrangements other than securing a place on a ship. The clothes you see me in are clothes I had made in some port city where the ship docked."

"You have travelled through Europe?" Louis asked with sudden interest. Lestat gave him a side glance of annoyance. These were not the questions he wanted to be asked. He didn't want to 'bombard' me with 'trivial' questions.

"Yes," I nodded with a smile. "I travelled through much of Europe and some parts of Asia. And I've been to places in northern Africa."

Louis was quiet for a couple of seconds, regressing back into simply observing me. Lestat's eyebrows were dropped in a growing anger, and his lips were set in a stern and stiff line.

"Did you ever encounter others like us in your travels?" Louis asked finally.

I found myself shrugging again, my eyes flickering to Lestat briefly before I answered, "Yes. But the creatures I mostly encountered could hardly be classified as someone 'like us'. They were disgusting, really. Maddened with bloodlust, emaciated, and perfectly horrifying in appearance. But that is not to say I didn't encounter some who were very much like us, faring well and looking well. Many flee, though. We frighten each other in the old world. We are a danger to each other, I suppose."

Louis was intrigued now, leaning towards me slightly. His green eyes brightened slightly and as Lestat was huffing with his annoyance in noticing Louis' change as I had, Louis asked almost excitedly, "How do you mean?"

"There are few older than us, and they don't like visitors within the territories they've carved out for themselves. They'll destroy any young one who invades their space. I suppose that is why many fear each other. I hardly ever saw any of us whilst travelling, but I never did encounter one who wished to kill me."

"Do you hear that, Louis?" Lestat asked with a snarl, his face contorting with anger, his lips curling back slightly, "They do not want you there. You, who is a bumbling idiot of a vampire. A coward who can't even take the life of some measly mortal!"

I scoffed, "I believe you should be judged as well, Lestat. Were you not wise enough in your choice? Were you rash in making your decision?"

"Don't you question me. You weren't here! You chose to stay in Greece. You chose to leave me!"

I laughed, looking at the anger marring my otherwise handsome brother's face. He was always quick to anger, and no one could anger him more than his family. We were both too much to love and not good enough for him. Perhaps it was what he allowed us to do to him emotionally, the power he bestowed to us over his fragile heart.

I composed myself quickly, hearing that low rumble of a growl inside my brother's chest. I had just returned to him, and I didn't wish to fight. Though I was not surprised to see some anger in him for me choosing to stay behind, I was not about to let him throw his temper tantrum he was bound to throw.

"As I recall, brother, it was you who left," I proposed softly and calmly. "I suggested we stay a little longer in Greece, to explore more of that old world you were so eager to escape. But that is behind us now, surely. And, frankly, I don't want to hear it from you tonight. We are together again now, are we not?"

Louis looked at Lestat sceptically, truly unsure of whether he was going to calm, unsure of if he really would drop it. From his experience, Lestat couldn't be controlled, and he usually had to wait until he'd tired himself out and got bored. It was easy for Louis to show disinterest, and Lestat quickly grew bored when no one was paying attention to him.

He was surprised when Lestat huffed and slumped into his chair. Louis was even more surprised when Lestat admitted, "You're right. You've just come back to me. I'm sorry."

I blinked at him with my own surprise. I looked from him and then to Louis, a smile slowly creeping up on my face.

"I am right? You... you're admitting that I'm right?" I asked, my tone amused and angering Lestat all over again. "I expected more of an argument before you'd eventually give up and give in to what we knew all along—that I was correct."

"Élodie." Lestat's jaw was clenched and his tone was a warning.

I laughed again, leaning forward and waving my hand at my brother. All surprise and playfulness vanished from my face as I turned my attention back to Louis. He was close enough for me to reach out and place a gentle touch to his knee.

Louis didn't flinch at my movements, he didn't recoil from me. He simply just looked at where I touched him and basked in the gentleness of it. Lestat was hardly ever gentle with him. Sometimes, he wasn't sure if Lestat even knew of his own strength in comparison to everyone else.

"So, Louis, why don't you tell me about yourself?" I asked lightly, an encouraging smile coming to my face.

He marvelled at how light I was—my tone, my touch, my presence. I didn't demand attention, I didn't crave it, and there was nothing harsh about me that he could see. His mind was awash with his noticing the differences between Lestat and me.

What was our age difference? What caused such differences in personalities from two who come from the same place, the same people? How could I just feel so... so... so welcoming?

"What do you mean? I'm hardly important when you've just been reunited with your family." Always so polite, so humble. I could have swooned.

I sat back and laughed just as politely as he'd spoken. I waved my hand, "Nonsense. I've lived with Lestat my whole life, and there's hardly anything for us to catch up on, anyway. What I would really like to know, and would enjoy learning about, is this new companion of his. Which is you, Louis." My fangs were visible when I smiled.

"Élodie-"

I cut Lestat off, holding up a hand to him whilst not taking my eyes off of Louis, "I would very much like to get to know the man who is stuck tethered to my brother's backside whether he'll enjoy it or not."