Lay Me To Sleep

Chapter Thirteen - Goodnight My Dear

There were nights when I couldn't sleep-days really. Nina had been staying with myself and Louis for over a month now. She had nowhere else to go, the apartment that she had been so eager to make her new home had perished, a large fire had destroyed everything. The entire complex had been set to ash. Twelve people or rather the remains of twelve people, were found among the ash and debris. A pity really.

I smirked inwardly. I didn't necessarily feel bad about what happened to her little apartment. Nina had nowhere else to go, and from what Louis had told me, Nina had no remaining family or close relationships with people,  or really anywhere she could go.

Per his nature- Louis was the first one to invite Nina to live here for the time being. And oh how she cried, it was truly the most beautiful I had ever seen her, Nina was most beautiful when she cried. I was the one who had given her the news of the tragedy. I sat her down next to me in the parlor as I took her hands in my own.

"Nina. Nina I'm truly sorry to have to inform you of this but, you need to hear it from one of us, your apartment caught fire. The entire complex actually- it's gone. I'm sorry but-" Louis stepped into the room. He had just walked in from a hunt, I knew his usual routine, Nina's apartment would've been something he couldn't have missed. He must've already seen the wreckage, for not a second later he was at her side.

"Nina, I'm so sorry, you shall stay here, with us for as long as you should need. Myself and Lestat would be honored."

Nina sobbed into my chest, pulling me closer to her. It was.. Comfortable. Her warm skin felt nice upon my body, this felt right.

I honestly felt bad for her, but at the same time nothing made me happier than the thought of her living with myself and Louis for any length of time. Hopefully a very long time, though that thought was kept between only myself and it was safe to assume- Louis. He knew of my feelings towards the girl, lets just say he wasn't pleased. He had this "lingering respect for life" idea, I had my own ideas. That didn't mean that I wanted to cause harm to Nina, though Louis didn't trust me around any human, let alone a pretty girl. Nina wasn't just some pretty little doll or something to play with or amuse myself with, she was mine. And I hers. Of course she wouldn't know that for a long while.

"I can't... I can't believe this, I've sailed around the... " She continued to sob " world...only to have my home burned to ashes.. This type of horror is just what I wanted to outrun..." She could barely get the words out.

It was a pity really- all those humans, gone to waste. They could've been of some other use, they didn't need to die needlessly.

That's one thing that I've just never understood. Why does Louis paint me a monster?

I never kill unless it is called for, I don't ever go around killing humans just because I can. When I feed- I kill. That's just survival. It's nothing personal it's just the way things are. He thinks himself so high and mighty but really he's just the same amount of monster that I am. While I have my fill of the humans, Louis devours animals, the occasional person to cross his path. What's the difference between the two?

Nina was done sobbing but she still stifled little cries here and there, all the while she remained within my arms. I tried my best to comfort her , but I admit I was kind of clueless as to what to do. I had never had to comfort anyone but Louis that I can remember. The only thing that comforted Louis was when we fed, or I played piano for him. With Nina it was completely different. Nina craved physical affection when she was upset.

I am over four hundred and five years old, and in all my years upon this earth, I have never had to comfort someone like Nina- someone that I genuinely cared about, or was beginning to. Part of me wondered if I was doing any of this right? I looked to Louis for confirmation. He smiled down at me from his standing position to mine on the floor with Nina. She had wrapped herself in my arms and laid herself in my lap. Her sobbing had stopped completely and she had calmed her breathing- it became even. Her eyes shut, she was asleep.

"Louis, what should I do?" He paused, looked at me and said "Put her to bed, and come meet me in the parlor, I wish  to speak to you." I nodded and carefully picked myself and Nina up off the ground. She was out cold. She had fell asleep with a slight smile on her face.

I came to Nina's room and unlocked the door with my master key. The lock clicked and I opened the door. Across the room was her bed for the time being. I quietly walked over to it and pulled back the covers, gently laying her underneath them. She was still in her change of clothes that I had given her- black slacks and a white shirt.

She must've thought my clothes more comfortable than her dresses and such, because even after we had rescued some of her items of clothing, she still preferred to wear mine any chance she had. She often made the excuse that she had no other night clothes that she had brought with her, I knew this to be false because I helped her pack most of her clothes. I had to carry her clothes and therefore knew that she did have night clothes to wear. Though I took it as a compliment that she enjoyed wearing my things.

I wanted her to be comfortable while she slept but I also knew that I shouldn't take her out of her clothes now and put her into night clothes- she'd most likely attempt to kill me. And that's not exactly gentleman-like material, definitely not the way to a woman's heart. More like prison or a restraining order.

I tucked her in and left her in the clothes that she had on previous, hopefully she would sleep well and be better in the morning-or rather night. She was in our sleep schedule now. I kissed her on the forehead and bid her goodnight then made my way to Louis.

As soon as I stepped foot into the parlor Louis was on me. " You have feelings for Nina don't you Lestat?"

"Of course I feel something for her. You think me ill? Why would I try so hard to save a human that meant nothing to me?" I said, referring to the night that Louis brought Nina home to me, hoping that I could save her mortal life without making her go through the change.

"I see. Well I must tell you then, you see, I too, have some feelings towards Nina. I'm not sure what they are yet, or if they'll even become something else but I do-" I cut him off right there.

Nina was mine. She belonged to no one but myself.

I lunged at Louis and pinned him against the wall.

"You will not have her! She is mine. I have placed my claim on her!" Louis looked at me, shocked that I would have reacted so quickly and in such anger towards him.

"You cannot simply claim a human being. She is intelligent and can decide for herself. Nina is not an object for you to simply play-" I squeezed harder on his throat. My rage was apparent as I could sense my eyes change color- becoming dark blue, glowing orbs. And my fangs extended outward. Louis was silent for a few moments as I held him.

"Nina is not a toy. I believe her to be my mate. You will not come between that." I said as I dropped him to the ground. He landed on his ass. He made no move to stop me as I walked away from him and into our private chambers, ready to lay myself to rest. But as I walked away I could hear Louis speak to me in my mind.

"We shall see brother, Nina will choose in the end."

With that those words hanging in the dark space of my mind, I fell asleep.

"We shall see indeed my Louis."