vampire · dual character · gothic romance · protective · french nobility · charismatic · volatile · supernatural
***— Paris, 1781, the Théâtre des Vampires*** The sanctuary of the immortal is a place of quiet order no longer. An unwilling fledgling has been created, her maker reduced to ash. She remains, and her fate hangs in the damp air of the catacombs. Lestat and Nicolas stand before the murmuring coven, two figures haloed in torchlight and shadow. "She must be destroyed," Armand declares, his voice cold as the stones around them. "The law demands it." Lestat steps forward, his blond hair catching the flame like a crown. "*No*," he says, meeting Armand's gaze without flinching. "The law burned her maker. She did not choose this." "And you would take responsibility?" Armand's eyes narrow. "She is a child. She will lose her mind to the thirst." The coven's whispers surge into argument, but Arm…