Jesse

Maharet's mortal descendant, who plays a significant part in QD.

With long, curly red hair and green eyes, Jesse is only one in a long line of women in her family who possess these features and who inherit the ability to contact the supernatural. She was born prematurely when her teenage mother was killed in a car accident and as the only surviving member of her family, Jesse was placed by Maharet with relatives, the Godwins. As she grows, she is tutored and supported through letters from her "Aunt Maharet," who also arranges visits for her with other members of her family throughout the world.

Jesse is psychic and sees phantom buildings and ghosts. It disturbs her that the ghosts seem aware of her, too, but Maharet reassures her that the ghosts cannot hurt her. However, one spirit apears that Jesse cannot forget: the ghost of Miriam, her deceased mother. Miriam appears when Jesse seems to be in danger, as if striving to protect her.

When Jesse is studying archaeology in college, she finally meets Maharet in person, who eventually invites her to visit the Sonoma compound where Maharet lives. Jesse goes for two weeks and meets Mael. She also learns about the records that Maharet has kept that trace their family lineage back thousands of years, and Jesse wants to become, along with Maharet, a caretaker of these records. She notices that Maharet and Mael keep strange hours, have peculiar habits and seem almost nonhuman at times. Mael feels protective of Jesse and attempts to make her a vampire so that she can escape her mortal vulnerability, but Maharet intervenes and sends Jesse away.

Aaron Lightner of the Talamasca soon contacts Jesse to work for them exploring paranormal activity, and she accepts, hoping to lose her own personal mystery, associated with Maharet, in a "wilderness" of mysteries. With the Talamasca, Jesse finds a new family until the day they ask her to investigate a house in New Orleans formerly inhabited by vampires. It is the beginning of the end of her relationship with the organisation.

Initially, Jesse is sceptical about the existence of vampires. She had been shown vampire artifacts in the Talamasca's underground vaults, but she goes to New Orleans still sceptical. In the town house that Louis and Lestat once owned, however, Jesse discovers proof of a fire and sees the mural commissioned by Lestat and described by Louis in IV. In a secret compartment she finds a doll and Claudia's diary. The more she discovers, the more she suspects that her aunt Maharet is a vampire. However, the more work she does, the more disorientated she gets, to the point of endangering herself and the Talamasca pull her off the assignment.

When VL is published, Jesse reads it and is convinced that Lestat is her link to enlightenment about Maharet. If he is truly the vampire he says he is in his lyrics and if he looks and feels like Maharet, then Maharet must be a vampire. She quits the Talamasca to attend Lestat's rock concert.

At the concert, Jesse reaches the stage and is embraced by Lestat, who mysteriously seems to know her; she tastes his blood-sweat and feels how hard his body is, but she is then grabbed away from him and thrown across the room by another vampire. Her back broken, she lies there dying. However, she knows now what Maharet is, for Maharet's skin was like Lestat's.

When Maharet arrives to offer the Dark Gift to save her life, Jesse recalls the serenity she had experienced tasting Lestat's blood and she readily receives Maharet's Gift. Although Miriam beckons to her, Jesse ignores her and Miriam disappears. Jesse feels anchored to substance in a way she has never before experienced, understanding that truth lies in the flesh.

Jesse becomes one of the thirteen vampires who stand with Maharet against Akasha and once the conflict is resolved, she goes off with Maharet.


	"Yes, you! You!" she cried out. In the corner of her eye was the approaching guard. She threw her full weight at the Vampire Lestat. Shutting her eyes, she locked her arms around his waist. She felt the cold shock of his silky chest against her face, she tasted the blood suddenly on her lip! "Oh, God, real!" she whispered. Her heart was going to burst, but she hung on. Yes, Mael's skin, like this, and Maharet's skin, like this, and all of them. Yes, this! Real, not human. Always. And it was all here in her arms and she knew and it was too late for them to stop her now! The Queen of the Damned ~ Anne Rice	Jesse ~ Dany & Dany ©2000



















	Maharet's mortal descendant, who plays a significant part in QD. With long, curly red hair and green eyes, Jesse is only one in a long line of women in her family who possess these features and who inherit the ability to contact the supernatural. She was born prematurely when her teenage mother was killed in a car accident and as the only surviving member of her family, Jesse was placed by Maharet with relatives, the Godwins. As she grows, she is tutored and supported through letters from her "Aunt Maharet," who also arranges visits for her with other members of her family throughout the world. Jesse is psychic and sees phantom buildings and ghosts. It disturbs her that the ghosts seem aware of her, too, but Maharet reassures her that the ghosts cannot hurt her. However, one spirit apears that Jesse cannot forget: the ghost of Miriam, her deceased mother. Miriam appears when Jesse seems to be in danger, as if striving to protect her. When Jesse is studying archaeology in college, she finally meets Maharet in person, who eventually invites her to visit the Sonoma compound where Maharet lives. Jesse goes for two weeks and meets Mael. She also learns about the records that Maharet has kept that trace their family lineage back thousands of years, and Jesse wants to become, along with Maharet, a caretaker of these records. She notices that Maharet and Mael keep strange hours, have peculiar habits and seem almost nonhuman at times. Mael feels protective of Jesse and attempts to make her a vampire so that she can escape her mortal vulnerability, but Maharet intervenes and sends Jesse away. Aaron Lightner of the Talamasca soon contacts Jesse to work for them exploring paranormal activity, and she accepts, hoping to lose her own personal mystery, associated with Maharet, in a "wilderness" of mysteries. With the Talamasca, Jesse finds a new family until the day they ask her to investigate a house in New Orleans formerly inhabited by vampires. It is the beginning of the end of her relationship with the organisation. Initially, Jesse is sceptical about the existence of vampires. She had been shown vampire artifacts in the Talamasca's underground vaults, but she goes to New Orleans still sceptical. In the town house that Louis and Lestat once owned, however, Jesse discovers proof of a fire and sees the mural commissioned by Lestat and described by Louis in IV. In a secret compartment she finds a doll and Claudia's diary. The more she discovers, the more she suspects that her aunt Maharet is a vampire. However, the more work she does, the more disorientated she gets, to the point of endangering herself and the Talamasca pull her off the assignment. When VL is published, Jesse reads it and is convinced that Lestat is her link to enlightenment about Maharet. If he is truly the vampire he says he is in his lyrics and if he looks and feels like Maharet, then Maharet must be a vampire. She quits the Talamasca to attend Lestat's rock concert. At the concert, Jesse reaches the stage and is embraced by Lestat, who mysteriously seems to know her; she tastes his blood-sweat and feels how hard his body is, but she is then grabbed away from him and thrown across the room by another vampire. Her back broken, she lies there dying. However, she knows now what Maharet is, for Maharet's skin was like Lestat's. When Maharet arrives to offer the Dark Gift to save her life, Jesse recalls the serenity she had experienced tasting Lestat's blood and she readily receives Maharet's Gift. Although Miriam beckons to her, Jesse ignores her and Miriam disappears. Jesse feels anchored to substance in a way she has never before experienced, understanding that truth lies in the flesh. Jesse becomes one of the thirteen vampires who stand with Maharet against Akasha and once the conflict is resolved, she goes off with Maharet. After David becomes a vampire, he joins Jesse on occasion. The Vampire Companion ~ Katherine Ramsland
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