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THE SKY WAS still a deep lavender when I walked into the house the following night Lestat was lingering in the ce some last prayer for Merrick, or to Merrick, I wasn't sure which

Our hunting last night in Boca Raton had been ift of his all-powerful blood and I was exhilarated and confused and praying inif I could just see her and talk to her; if I went to Mayfair Medical and insisted, could I perhaps use solimpseone last talk

But suddenly Jas up to me at the foot of the stairs

"There's a crazy wo we could do to stop her, Quinn It's Mona Mayfair, you remember her? She's up there, Quinn She drove here in a li skeleton, you're gonna die when you see her Quinn, wait, we couldn't stop her Only reason we helped her with all those flowers is she was so weak "

"Jaso!" I shouted "I love her, don't you understand?"

"Quinn, she's got so with her! Be careful!"

I ran up the stairs as fast as any mortal man dared and rushed into my bedroom and slammed the door shut and locked it

She rose up to greetskeleton! Oh yes! And the bed was covered with her flowers I stood there shocked to the core of lad to rush to her and take her fragile for Mona, nificent Mona, oh, my God, don't let me hurt you

"I love you, my beloved Ophelia," I said, "my Ophelia Immortal, and mine always"

Oh, look at the roses, the uerites, the zinnias, the lilies

"Noble Abelard," she whispered "I've come to ask the ultimate sacrifice; I've come to ask, let me die here, let me die with you here, let me die here instead of there with their needles and their tubes, let me die in your bed "

I drew back I could see the entire outline of her skull beneath her skin, and the bones of her shoulders underneath the spotted hospital gown that she wore Only her full red hair had been spared Her arhastly, the sight She suffered with every breath

"Oh, , my sweetheart, thank God you came to me," I told her, "but can't you see what's happened to me? Can't your witch's eyes see? I'm not human anymore I'm not your Noble Abelard I don't sleep where the rays of the sun can reach me Look at me, Mona, look at ? I was mad I couldn't stop ain "Because you won't die if you want to be what I am! If you'll live off the blood of others forever You'll be immortal with me "

I heard the lock of ed, then silenced It was Lestat who entered

Mona stared in astonishasolier as if he was bathing in its light

"Let me work the Dark Trick, Quinn," he said "That way, you'll be much closer to your princess Letblood, and that way your minds won't be closed to each other I'm a past master at such Dark Tricks, Quinn Mona, would you know our secrets?" He cairl You can always choose the Light soht, cherie Ask Quinn if you doubt it He's seen it He's seen the Light of Heaven with his own eyes "

She clung tothe floor, back and forth, telling her so s -- hoith us, the rules, the limitations, the way he violated the rules and the li and the old survived, the way the new ones went into the fla to ile and her whole little body tre, oh, sweet Ophelia Immortal

"Yes I want it," she said