220       CONTINUED:

AKASHA
(puzzled)
Why not?

Lestat is furious.

LESTAT
This is the reason you have risen?

AKASHA
They believed in nothing, now they
are nothing. But you and I will
change all that. We will give the
world something to believe in.

Suddenly, Akasha is beside him pulling him tighter to her.

AKASHA
Come, my king. We have a score to
settle.

Lestat gasps as they swiftly fly up into the darkness.

221       INT. MAHARET'S MANSION - GRANDE HALL - NIGHT

The Ancient Ones sit waiting.

MARIUS
She comes...

The whole place begins to SHAKE and...

KHAYMAN
Maharet...

Khayman draws Maharet aside.

MAHARET
Yes, Khayman.

KHAYMAN
What are you planning?

Looking into each other's eyes -- a secret message passes between them. Khayman's mouth falls open as he shakes his head...

KHAYMAN
No...

Maharet touches Khayman tenderly on the cheek.

(CONTINUED)

122.

221       CONTINUED:

MAHARET
There is no other way...

A shadow passes over the Ancients' faces as...

The WINDOWS along one side of the hall EXPLODE with a startling GUST.

The Ancient Ones look up to see...

Akasha's silhouette looming, dark and foreboding.

AKASHA
My children... it warms my heart
to see you all gathered, plotting
against me.

They trade glances and begin to fan out around the room.

MAHARET
Akasha.

AKASHA
Maharet, you're looking very well.
You will address my king first...

Lestat enters, his possessed eyes showing only evil.

Unable to help herself...

JESSE
Lestat!

He turns slowly to the corner where she sits.

They lock eyes.

Lestat's face stares cold and hard.

JESSE
What has she done to you?

Taking his arm, Akasha draws Lestat to her.

The Ancient vampires subtly position themselves under the medieval weapons hanging on the walls, as Marius moves towards his son.

MARIUS
Lestat. Stand away.

Marius looks for some recognition in Lestat's eyes. There is none.

(CONTINUED)

123.

221       CONTINUED:    (2)

The Ancient One's eyes warn all to wait for the right moment.

KHAYMAN
Akasha. The world has changed
since you reigned.

AKASHA
Then we shall change it back.

MAHARET
We've found other ways to co-
exist.

AKASHA
Yes, In the shadows. In silence.
In shame. All for what? For
respect of mortals? They are
nothing to us. They are only...
food.

She casts a dangerous eye towards Jesse. Maharet instinctively moves forward to protect her.

AKASHA
Poor Maharet. Still trying to
hold onto what I took from you.

Maharet doesn't even flinch.

MARIUS
Akasha, please... There is so much
more. Let us show you the world.

AKASHA
Oh, I've been listening for a
long, long time. And all I can
hear is ignorance and stupidity.

MARIUS
There's still a long way to go,
but mortals have learned.

AKASHA
They have learned more efficient
ways to slaughter. Nothing more.
(venomous)
You think you can change my will?
I'm tired of this... discussion.
Join me, or die.

MAHARET
We will not.

(CONTINUED)

124.

221       CONTINUED:    (3)

AKASHA
I want to hear it from every one
of you. What will it be?

Akasha scans the faces of the Ancient Ones staring deep into their souls when...

Marius steps forward -- the very face of bravery.

MARIUS
We will not.

Khayman speaks up as well.

KHAYMAN
No, Mother, we will not.

ALL OLD ONES
We will not.

Akasha is beyond fury, yet she keeps her temper under control and smiles to Lestat.

AKASHA
What do you think, my king.

Stealing himself he looks back to Akasha.

LESTAT
I'm bored with these old relics.
Let's you and I leave here and
take our pleasure without all this
whining.

AKASHA
You need something to steel your
nerves?

Smiling, she bites her lip, letting a drop of blood glisten there, tempting Lestat.

AKASHA
Do you love me?

He draws closer.

Jesse stares in mortified jealousy.

LESTAT
Yes...

Akasha and Lestat's mouths almost meet when Akasha pulls away.

(CONTINUED)

125.

221       CONTINUED:    (4)

AKASHA
There is no such thing as love.
Only proofs of love.

Akasha slowly turns to Jesse.

AKASHA
Kill her.

Lestat keeps his composure, ever careful.

LESTAT
She's nothing to me...

AKASHA
Just the same, I'd like you to
kill her. For me.

Maharet steps between Lestat and Jesse.

MAHARET
You will not touch her!

Akasha flicks her wrist...

Maharet is hurled against a pillar, pinned by Akasha's hand.

AKASHA
You still think to challenge me,
Maharet?

MAHARET
I beg you, spare this child.

Lestat doesn't make a move one way or another.

AKASHA
Now.

Maharet struggles but Akasha is too strong.

Stepping forward.

JESSE
It's all right, Maharet.

Maharet stops, standing fixed with the sound of Jesse's newly strong and calm voice.

Jesse looks to Lestat and sees his face secretly searching for some way out, some way to save her. She looks straight into his dark irises, her gaze absolutely unwavering.

(CONTINUED)

126.

221       CONTINUED:    (5)

JESSE
I'm not afraid. It's what I want.

Lestat now makes the connection. He begins to advance, seemingly with a killer gait, but we know better as...

Jesse keeps her gaze steady into Lestat's.

AKASHA
(smirking)
How sweet...

Lestat moves closer and closer to her as...

Jesse watches him with absolute trust, absolute love, and it seems to us that...

Lestat returns the love and trust, and though his face wears a dangerous mask, his look lets her know he understands. He reaches her.

Maharet flies across the room, but Akasha meets her halfway. Grabs her by the hair. Maharet struggles but Akasha is much more powerful.

Jesse offers up her neck to his bite. Maharet looks away and Akasha looks pleased as...

Lestat sinks his teeth into Jesse's neck.

Jesse gasps with the bite, but then relaxes and even puts her arm around Lestat as he draws her into him, draining her of her very life-force as she holds him.

With that Maharet's great family mural begins to weep blood from every name.

It's a murder to everyone's eyes, especially...

Maharet, who for the first time in centuries, looks like she just might shed a tear, then she sees...

Akasha staring straight at her, waiting for her to break.

Maharet steels herself and refuses to look away from Akasha's cruel gaze as...

Lestat brings Jesse down to the hearth rug in front of the fire and lays her onto what is surely her death-bed.

To our eyes, it's a lover's embrace.

Lestat drinks and drinks and...

(CONTINUED)

127.

221       CONTINUED:    (6)

Jesse sighs with intimacy, clutching his neck and back, and drawing his bite deeper into her flesh. She slowly crumples to the floor, being drawn down until finally...

Jesse lies on the floor, eyes closed and pale...

To all appearances, dead.

222       BACK TO SCENE

Maharet offers Lestat a killing look, as Akasha offers him the kindest of smiles.

AKASHA
You've just earned your crown.

Lestat smiles with a blood-stained mouth. Walking back to Akasha.

LESTAT
And now for my reward.

Akasha approaches Lestat and offers him her vein. She looks scornfully at the others as he cradles her wrist and...

Sinks his teeth into its original font. He drinks as Akasha gasps with pleasure at giving so much pleasure to him. She keeps smiling to the others.

Lestat doesn't stop drinking. Akasha looks back to him, her face changing.

AKASHA
That's enough, Lestat.

Still Lestat doesn't stop.

AKASHA
Lestat. Enough. Stop!

Lestat grabs onto Akasha and clamps her down even harder...

Locking eyes with her in a death challenge.

Akasha fights like hell, thrashing this way and that to release herself from Lestat and to throw him off, and would but...

MAHARET
Now!

Akasha looks up gasping in time to see...

(CONTINUED)

128.

222       CONTINUED:

Mael flying towards her...

Akasha lets out a hiss...

Which causes Mael to ignite in mid-air. He CRASHES through the GLASS.

Mael's skin bubbles...

Mael screams, the veins in his face rise up and explode as if his blood were burning acid...

Pandora flies towards Akasha, but not quick enough. She is also burned horribly from the inside. She falls to the ground and crawls along as she is eaten by fire from the inside out.

Akasha smiles but turns to see...

Khayman... Armand... Marius... flying at her.

They swarm over Akasha. She rises into the air, but they hang on, forming a flying mass of flailing limbs.

The THUMP of Akasha's HEART accelerates as they drain her dry...

Her golden skin turns deathly blue white...

Maharet watches as they are flung around by Akasha's great strength, but they all hold on, until the thrashing begins to subside. They finally pull back to reveal...

223       AKASHA

frozen in horror as her face transforms back to its frozen statue state. there's no blood left to flow from gaping holes in her flesh... she is both pathetic and horrifying.

AKASHA
You kill me, you kill yourselves.

The Ancient Ones wipe their mouths, intoxicated with the blood, swooning even as Akasha swoons.

AKASHA
Lestat, my king...

Lestat stares at Akasha -- he's no longer under her power, and yet feels remorseful at his betrayal. He moves towards her as she struggles to rise...

(CONTINUED)

129.

223       CONTINUED:

MARIUS
Lestat, no!

Suddenly, Akasha rises, her eyes flare green...

Lestat cries out as smoke rises from his limbs... In agony, he stares at his own hands...

224       LESTAT'S POV - HIS HANDS

The veins become transparent under his skin as the blue blood turns into a seething black mess...

He screams, staggers towards Akasha, as the skin on his face bubbles and burns.

Even as he burns, Lestat bites into Akasha's throat, this time for the kill.

Akasha slowly sinks to the ground, real fear in her eyes as her strength vanishes.

MAHARET
Wait! You must stop!

Lestat pulls away, leaving Akasha hanging in a twisted, unnatural angle. Akasha lets out a frightening hiss and rises up towards Lestat for one last desperate attack.

Maharet is suddenly in her way. Her fangs bared...

Maharet sinks her fangs into Akasha's neck. Akasha struggles but this time she cannot even rise up...

Akasha's skin begins to harden back to stone. A HOWLING sound as if from hell itself fills the room.

The Ancient Ones step back in awe...

Lestat sits up, burned but still alive to see...

Akasha, as her skin returns to marble.

CRACKS multiply, becoming fissures.

Finally, AKASHA literally falls to pieces, SMASHING on the stone floor like porcelain.

The Ancient Ones look at each other then stop in shock as they see...

130.

225       MAHARET

as a whiteness spreads across her face and skin like a fast-creeping disease...

Khayman is staring, mouth open, moving towards Maharet.

KHAYMAN
Maharet...

Marius is struck dumb with wonder...

226       ARMAND

also stares...

227       MAHARET

has now become a statue, as Akasha was...

Khayman kneels, touches Maharet's face but there is no response, no movement.

KHAYMAN
She... gave herself for us.

PANDORA
Is she... dead?

KHAYMAN
No, she sleeps. She sleeps, and
dreams of us.

Khayman stoops to Maharet and whispers in her ear.

KHAYMAN
I will care for you always.

ARMAND
Behold, our queen...

But Lestat is only concerned about Jesse as he's instantly to her and picks up her lifeless head.

Lestat takes a dagger from the floor and slices his wrist.

He brings the open vein to Jesse's mouth, but she's not moving. Lestat bends down to her ear and whispers.

LESTAT
Drink deep and live.

(CONTINUED)

CONCLUSION:

Jesse's lips move at the taste of Lestat's blood and she begins to drink. Lestat cradles her as she is revived. He looks into her eyes, 'Drink, my love'...

Suddenly, Jesse screams and convulses as her body begins to die. Lestat conforts her as the others look on impassively.

Jesse asks if her body is dying, Lestat nods. She gasps again as pain courses through her body. Their eyes are locked together.

Lestat - 'I will never leave you again'

INT. TALBOT'S OFFICE. CONTINOUS ACTION

David sits at his desk covered with news clippings. There are images from the concert, and headlines such as 'Mass Hysteria' and 'Rock'n' Roll nightmare. There are images of Maudy, Louisa, James and Alex with the headline 'Band starts World Tour... but where is Lestat?'

Another headline - 'Lestat's Mystery Woman' - a shot of Jesse onstage with Lestat.

Jesse - "You're not going to start collecting paintings of me now, are you?"

Talbot looks up to see Jesse and Lestat, says her name, sees the change in her instantly...

Shocked, Talbot says Jesse's name again, but she only smiles.

Jesse introduces Lestat. Talbot looks at him, fear in his eyes.

Talbot - "How do you do?"
Lestat - "Charmed, I'm sure."

Jesse explains that they've come to say goodbye.

Talbot stands, shaking, trying to comprehend the situation.

Talbot - "I failed you, didn't I?"
Jesse - "David, please don't be sad. I'm where I belong."

Lestat looks lovingly to Jesse. A flicker of curiousity crosses Talbot's face.

Talbot - "Excuse me for asking but..."
Jesse - "What's it like?"
Talbot - "Yes."
Jesse - "Do you want to find out?"

Talbot considers the offer, the possibilities, but declines concluding he's 'too old to live forever'.

Lestat turns to Jesse - "Shall we?"
Talbot - "Take care of her, Lestat"
Lestat - "As you would"

Talbot looks to Jesse, his once spiritual daughter, "Goodbye Jesse".

Talbot closes his eyes to shut out a tear. Jesse is at his side and leans down to whisper in his ear - "Goodbye, dear friend."

Talbot opens his eyes, goes to say something, but they're gone.

EXT. LONDON SKYLINE - NIGHT

We fly across the sky, dip down to the city below. Amongst the crowd, two figures zipping through the streets at that strange preternatural speed. Zooming down on the two we see that they are Lestat and Jesse. Stopping on a corner street, they hold hands and... vanish into the night.

THE END