A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks for being so patient :) Just a note to those who were a little thrown off by my writing - YES, Erik IS the Opera Ghost. If you recall the previous chapters, Erik and the OG never appeared at the same time, and as for the eyes (which will be mentioned), they ARE contacts. The Phantom works for Michel Monette, and that's as far as I'm going with explanations. I can't spoil the whole thing now, can I? Just a disclaimer - I don't own "On My Own" (Les Miserables) or "Think of Me" (ALW Phantom of the Opera). Please let me know what you think and I hope to have another chapter for you next weekend if all goes well. Enjoy!
Chapter Ten – Protestations
"Here, drink this," Anna said, offering a steaming teacup to Monique. "Don't worry, your brother will be fine."
"It's not Erik I'm worried about," Monique shook her head, brushing her short, spiky bangs out of her eyes. "It's Melody. She's gotten caught up in this great big mess, and who knows what Monette might try to pull next?"
Anna opened her mouth to console her daughter once more when the sound of the door slamming caught their attention. The two of them shared glances before slowly rising from their seats, each of them scanning the kitchen for a weapon to use.
"I got it," Erik's voice spoke out, making the two women sigh in relief as he entered the room and joined him, his fleshy skin mask on while his white Opera Ghost mask remained in his hands with his signature cap and fedora.
"Is that him?!"
Tom burst through the door, having run in from his room upon hearing Erik speak. "Man, this is all my fault! I should've stayed home after dinner and not gone to visit the guys-!"
"This is not your fault, Tom, don't you start," Erik scolded him, tossing the items onto the table before taking a seat and heaving an exhausted sigh. "It's all right now, the case is safe in the Opera House."
"Your place?" Tom asked, watching his guardian nod. "That's good…so, um…did Melody find out about…y'know, your family and the face thing and all that?"
"I'm not sure," Erik shook his head. "The case was open and she was putting some of the papers back inside when I got there, but who knows what she read and how far she got?"
"If that's the case, then you may as well tell her the truth," Anna suggested, patting her son's head affectionately before going to pour him a cup of tea.
"No," he shook his head stubbornly, his golden eyes glowing with determination as he reached up and touched his face. "Not when I have this face…she can't ever see me-"
"But we don't care about your face, why would she?" Tom insisted, watching as Erik silently pulled out his contact case, flicking the top open with a careless move of his thumb. "…Ohhh! I get it," Tom grinned.
"Get what?" Erik asked, raising an eyebrow at him, clearly not amused.
"You've got the hots for her," Tom chuckled, earning a laugh from Anna and a smirk from Monique.
Erik felt his skin become warm as his family chuckled in mirth at his sentiments, sending each of them a glare. "I do not-"
"Denial is useless, Erik," Monique shook her head, rising from her chair as she sipped her tea. "Didn't you say she already met the Opera Ghost anyways and seemed – what was the word you used – enchanted?"
"She won't be enchanted anymore," Erik huffed, putting in his blue contact lenses as his family watched them turn blue-green from his strong, glowing irises. "I scared her when I came through the window and told her to stay away."
"You realize that's only going to make her even more curious than she already is?" Monique pointed out, jumping back as Erik slammed his fist onto the table.
"I won't let her get wrapped up in this mess or get killed!" Erik bellowed, his head bowed in agony. "…I can't let anything happen to her…not after what happened to…Dad…"
"Darling," Anna whispered, wrapping her arms around him and kissing his temple. "Your father wouldn't want you to be lonely, either. It's obvious you care for the girl, and she likes you back…you ought to let her in eventually."
"…perhaps eventually," Erik sighed, shaking his head. "But not yet…she can't possibly know yet…"
~OG~
"I'm so nervous," Rose whispered as she and Melody walked together down the backstage halls of the Opera Garnier.
"You'll be great," Melody smiled reassuringly, her eyes falling upon the sign she had been looking for. "There it is! The costume workshop!" Motioning for her sister to follow, she felt her own stomach churning uncontrollably as she felt her nerves dance crazily within her. She had barely gotten any sleep, having stayed up for several hours reading the accounts that had been accidentally smuggled into her home, only to be taken away by the threatening Opera Ghost, who voice still rang in her ears.
"Hello, ladies," the young seamstress greeted them, a bright smile displayed on her ebony face. "Ready for auditions?"
"I hope so," Rose answered weakly.
The woman laughed, patting her shoulder comfortingly. "You'll be the envy of them all – I've seen you both perform. Just relax, have fun, and be yourself. Now then, where did I put…? Ah! Here!" Plucking out two hangers covered in an opaque, protective cover, she handed the girls their respective costumes and shooed them away. "Go change, and remember to do your best."
"Thank you!" Rose waved, leading the way back to the private dressing rooms.
"Thanks," Melody said uncertainly, her stomach still in a knot.
The two sisters hurried back the way they came, checking the doors of the dressing rooms for their names. Lists had been posted on each door, displaying the names of the members of each troop and which member would receive what room when it was their time to prepare for their performance.
"This one's mine," Rose said, releasing an anxious breath. "I guess I'll see you in a little bit."
Melody embraced her sister and kissed her forehead, patting her arm encouragingly. "You'll be amazing. Don't worry."
"Thanks…I know you'll do great, too," Rose smiled, hugging her sister back before knocking on the door, waiting for the coast to be clear before entering.
Turning away, Melody continued down the line, her brows furrowing as she checked each door only to find her name was not listed. "Maybe I missed it…? Oh, no…you've got to be kidding!"
There before her was the abandoned dressing room that contained the secret passage behind the mirror…and her name alone was written on the paper.
"Hmm, I wonder," she mused, raising an eyebrow at the door before testing the handle. Shocked to see it give way under her hand, she dared to enter, her eyes drinking in the sight of the now exposed furniture. The room was lit by a weak lamp plugged into the wall, and there was still much dust and needed repair to the room, but the mirror and antique furniture were now free from the protective sheets. "Looks like they'll be repairing it soon…" Casting a doubtful glance at the mirror, she decided it would be best if she remained to one side of the room, just in case there was a 'specter' behind the glass. Pulling her costume gingerly out of the bag, she stared at the beautiful leotard dress she was to wear. The long-sleeved sparkling top stopped at the waist with a short mermaid skirt that swayed around the back. This portion was cut right down the middle to show one side black, the other white. The legs and matching boots displayed the same colors, only these were on the opposite sides. For her hair, she was to pull it into a bun and wear the single, large red rose that came with the outfit.
"…here goes nothing," she whispered, laying the costume down before stripping her clothes from her frame. All the while, her thoughts strayed to the man who owned the Garnier…the very same man who ran through the catacombs and wore a mask.
"Erik as the Opera Ghost…somehow I knew, and still…it shocked me." Slipping into her sleek costume, she wondered if he knew that she now knew the truth…and how he felt about it.
Heaving a tired sigh, her shoulders sagged as she walked to the mirror and frowned at her reflection. "I look stupid."
"You always look stupid."
Melody spun around, her hair whipping against her cheek as she saw Dolores opening the door and stepping inside, her own skin-tight, fiery red leotard in place. Placing her hand on her hips, she sneered at the brunette. "Honestly, I can't believe you had the nerve to join the troop. The only reason you made it this far is because your big brother is helping out with the event-"
"At least I didn't buy my way in," Melody smirked, turning back to glared at her reflection in the mirror. "You shouldn't be here."
"Neither should you," Dolores hissed, making a face of disgust as Melody decided to simply clip the large flower to her loose hair. "You really think you'll make a difference out there? You'll just fail, like last time-"
"Not this time," Melody stated firmly, holding her head high. "Not ever again. Now get out."
"Make me," Dolores answered, a wicked smile gracing her lips when the lights died suddenly. "What-?!"
"Beware…beware…"
"Real funny, Melody," Dolores rolled her eyes, taking a step towards the girl when the floor beneath her screamed as she stepped on the ground. Releasing her own scream, she hopped back, only to have the door cackle, the lights flickering precariously in the room. "What the he-?! AHHH!" Upon seeing the narrowed yellow eyes blazing through the mirror, Dolores ran screaming from the room, slamming the door after her. The moment she was gone, the lights came back on, and all was silent.
Melody had remained stock still throughout the entire spectacle, not sure whether to scream or laugh until she, too, saw the eyes in the mirror. The set of unusual orbs continued to stare at her, though their malicious nature was now replaced with one of knowing and amusement as she stared back.
"Opera Ghost?" she whispered, shivering as she heard him hum the affirmative.
"Best of luck, mademoiselle," the haunting voice answered, the eyes vanishing from sight.
"Erik!" she wanted to cry out, though she bit it back. Who knew how he would react if she called his name while he was acting like his alter ego? What if someone was listening in? She stretched herself, standing on her tiptoes to reach the hidden button by the mirror when a knock at the door made her squeak in surprise.
"Two minutes, Melody! It's almost time," Monique's muffled voice informed her before her fading footsteps filled the air.
Her stomach flopped in anticipation, her heart torn as she wished she could chase after the 'Opera Ghost' while she knew she had to take her place. Casting a reluctant glance towards the mirror, she walked out of the room, her mind frozen with fear.
"There you are!" Rose whispered, motioning for her to join the others behind the curtain as they got into position. "Are you ok?"
"Fine," she whispered back, quickly peeking over to see Dolores ignoring her as she stretched before getting into position.
"No worries, girls," Tom reassured them before taking his place beside Rose. "We've got this."
Inhaling deeply, Melody closed her eyes and waited until they were announced, her heart pumping wildly as the curtain parted before them. "Here goes nothing…"
Immediately, trumpets blared as the orchestra in the pit played their piece, all seven American contestants leaping into action, their voices rising and blending harmoniously… with the exception of one.
"What's wrong with her?" Melody wondered as Dolores forcefully made her voice rise above the rest, almost sounding strained at times. "It's almost like she's trying to…oh, no." Melody blanched at the thought that flickered through her mind. "She's competing with me…just like back in college! She'll ruin all our chances!"
Tom and the others caught on quickly, casting Dolores disapproving frowns as she continued to cut into their songs and sang much too loud at times. Tom had thought of the brilliant idea that they present a Broadway medley, with choral songs that changed into solos that would transform into duets, and so forth, but with Dolores overacting and raising her voice drastically, it made things sound like a cacophony of sound. Melody took a deep breath, fighting her nerves and worry before she opened her mouth.
"On my own-"
"Pretending he's beside me!" Dolores's powerful mezzo-soprano voice took over.
Her brows furrowing, Melody tried once more to jump on, only to have Dolores interject constantly, casting her wicked, secret looks.
"The world is full of happiness that I have never knoooooown!"
It was the final straw – Dolores had stolen her solo, just as she had many years before, ruining her chances, and possibly the others. The judges watched on, their faces twisted with mixed emotions as they listened to the narcissistic Broadway performer. Melody stood still for a moment, her shame and frustration washing over her, wishing that the dreadful woman would just croak-!
"I fee without alarm- co-ACK!"
Melody gasped as she gaped at the Spanish woman on stage before her, croaking as though she had a toad stuck in her throat. "La Carlotta?" Melody whispered, awestruck as she gazed at the befuddled woman before a haunting, mesmerizing voice weaved its way to her ears.
"Sing for me…astonish Paris!"
"It's not fair," Rose whispered, her hands gripping into fists tightly as she remained close to Tom. "We at least managed to get our parts out, but Melody's solo-!"
"Think of me, think of me fondly when we've said goodbye…"
Rose's eyes widened at the sound of Melody's voice, the entire troop turning to see the private, silent girl suddenly close her eyes and open her mouth, as though she were possessed to sing. "Mel…?"
The dark-haired woman had dissolved quickly, the image now changed into a beautiful young blonde girl who sang timidly before letting her voice resound to the audience.
"Christine?" Melody spoke softly, unable to believe how beautiful the performer sounded. She closed her eyes, enjoying the notes that poured out of singer's mouth. This girl…this soft-spoken opera singer was her ancestor…how she wished she could sing like her…
"There will never be a day when I won't think of you!"
Tom watched in awe as Melody waltzed and twirled on stage, her eyes glazed over as she performed, as if she were imagining that she was someone else. Her voice rang out and bounced back beautifully on the walls of the Garnier, making the judges gape in awe as she suddenly dared to continue the audition, making the others in the troop follow along and echo softly behind her when appropriate. Dolores tried to take over as she had before, but there was something different now…Melody seemed determined to let her voice break free as though she were commanded by some powerful force from within. Raising his eyes to the elusive Box Five, he grinned at the sight of Ben Bolton watching on in shock as Riley beamed in approval. Beside them stood Monique, her hand placed over her heart as she listened, her eyes large in amazement before glancing at her brother.
"Oh yeah, you're totally in love with her," Tom thought, seeing Erik watch on with eyes full of bliss and pleading.
"Angelique?"
Melody was stunned when she opened her eyes, seeing the beautiful red-headed seamstress singing on center stage, her eyes glistening in wonder.
"I don't understand…I get that I have flashbacks from Raoul and Christine, they're my ancestors…but what about you? We're not related in any way…"
As Melody mused this, Angelique turned and faced her, mimicking her confused face and posture. Melody took a step closer to the young woman, and Angelique did the same. As they came closer and closer, Melody reached out her hand to touch Angelique's own outstretched arm, frozen in shock as she realized that she was staring a reflection…a reflection that should have been her own.
"But what does this mean?!" she begged to know, gasping as a tall, caped figure appeared from behind, curling his fingers at her as he beckoned her to come to him.
"Come to me, my angel…"
"-Of meeeeeeeeee!"
Melody nearly toppled over as the final note chimed beautifully out of her mouth, her hands going to her throat at once as she snapped out of her trance, hearing the enthused clapping of the judges, as well as most of her troop members. Her stomach instantly became a rock and sunk, weighing her down as she realized she had done something terribly brash.
"Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen," the head judge thanked them, nodding his approval. "We shall give our reviews to the Chevaliers as soon as possible. Good day."
The members all bowed, thanking them politely for their time before walking off the stage as the curtain closed for the next group to come by.
Melody felt her blood racing, feeling more alive than ever, and yet she could scarcely believe she had been able to perform before the judges. She avoided such a thing for a long time, and for her to suddenly have been possessed by her inner whelms while distracted by a perplexing vision…it was unbelievable.
"Mel, I'm so proud!" Rose giggled, embracing her dumbstruck sister heartily.
"That was awesome, Mel! I had no idea-!" Tom began.
"You ruined everything!"
Melody felt her blood boil, spinning around to jab an accusing finger at Dolores. "How dare you say that to me?! After what you just did, after everything you've done to me!"
"Shut up! You're the one who just humiliated the whole troop by straying and doing something we didn't plan on-!" Dolores fought back, only to receive a strained scream from Rose.
"Look at who's talking!" Rose fumed, shocking everyone as she took a menacing step towards Dolores. "You talk about people who ruined the show, well take a look in the mirror! You were stealing all Melody's parts and even cutting in and joining others during their own solos and duets!"
"What would you know?" Dolores huffed, sneering at the group. "I'm the one who's an official actress, a woman who's wanted in several Broadway productions-!"
"For all the wrong reasons!" Tom butted in, scowling at her. "You're nothing but a conceited, spoiled brat!"
Dolores gaped at Tom, placing her hand over her breasts, offended at his comment, Melody felt her worries return in a flood, her body shaking as her high from performing and anger wore off. What if she had gone too far? What if after all that trouble, she didn't make it? What if she disappointed her family, or Erik…?
"Melody!" Rose shouted, catching sight of her sister running away from them, tears streaming down her face. "Mel, come back!"
She refused to listen, biting her bottom lip as she hurried back down the halls, her goal being to return to the dressing room and hide in the darkness as her shame and resentment washed over her. Dodging the beams and props, she was grateful that the next troop had yet to emerge from their fitting rooms. She had dealt with enough embarrassment for one day and did not plan on dealing with curious strangers. Raising her teary eyes, she saw the door just a few paces away, her arm stretching to grasp the knob…
"Melody, wait!"
A frightened gasp flew past her lips as she felt Erik Chevalier's hand grab onto her wrist, his appearance only making her current condition worse. "Let go of me, please-!" she begged, fighting to tug her arm away.
"Wait just a moment!" he demanded, wrapping his free arm around her and drawing her close to his chest. "Melody, just listen to me-!"
"Let me go!" she wept, her knees buckling as she began to give up. "Don't look at me…!" Fighting to hold back her sobs, she felt Erik half-guide, half- carry her into the dressing room, shutting the door quietly before sinking to his knees to join her, holding her close. She buried her face into his chest, her tears staining his pristine shirt, her fingers grasping the lapels of his jacket tightly as her body shook with sobs. "I…I…"
"Shh," he whispered, his hand landing hesitantly on her back and head before he finally adjusted and began to softly caress her. He stiffened as she shivered against him, holding onto him as though he was the only person left in this world for her. "You don't have to speak-"
"I…I can't believe I…I did that," she choked, her tears hot and never-ending. "I was…was-!"
"Perfect," he murmured, chuckling as he heard her gasp at his answer. His arms tightened slightly around her, his cheek resting atop her head. "How is it that you're so confident when it comes to investigating mysteries, and yet you're extremely self-conscious? Can't you see that you're absolutely incredible?"
Her skin became warm as she listened to him, only prompting more tears to break free as she hid her face closer into his chest. "Y-You're j-j-just say-ing th-things-…"
"Hmph…I never lie about music, mon Ange," he whispered, making her heart skip a beat. "Your voice made me feel so…alive. You are breathtaking."
"What's…wrong with me? What's wrong with him?!" Melody found it extremely difficult to fight back the feelings she felt for this enigmatic man as she raised her head slowly, her eyes timidly moving up to see his face. She couldn't imagine how his face truly looked beneath his fleshy mask, but she didn't care – his soothing voice and tender words made her soul ache to be close to him, to care about him despite anything that may come their way. "E-…Erik-"
"'The lady doth protest too much, methinks'," he murmured, dipping his head down towards hers. Her eyelids fluttered close, her head inclined just so as he came close, a breath away from her…
"Mel-!" Rose cried, bursting into the room without a warning. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of her sister and the Opera owner, their lips just about to meet. The two of them had jumped back as she had slammed the door open, both of them looking as though they had been caught in an illegal act. "Uh…oh, sorry. I just-"
"Rose, I…it's just-" Melody stammered, her face red as she hastily stood up, Erik's arms falling limp at his side before he followed her lead. "I didn't mean to-!"
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to barge in," Rose apologized, biting her lip in embarrassment, though the corner of her mouth started to turn up. "…I was wondering how long it would take for you two to get together."
"W-What?!" Melody blushed. "Erik doesn't…I'm not-"
"Not what?" he asked, daring to wipe away her remaining tears gently with his knuckles, a small smile growing as she stared at him in disbelief. "You give yourself too little credit, Melody."
Feeling as though she might faint, she took a step back, stammering at the two of them to excuse her before running away once more, feeling Erik's eyes on her.
He watched her, knowing that she needed the time and space, though every fiber of his being wished to be close to her. He felt incomplete as she left, her voice still echoing in the back of his mind.
"You really care about her, don't you?"
Erik turned his head to see out of the corner of his eye that Rose was tilting her head, casting him a curious smile as she raised her eyebrow at him. Clearing his throat, he straightened his jacket and fixed his tie. "Mademoiselle, I trust you won't tell anyone about this?"
"Oh, you won't hear a peep out of me," she winked, walking away as though nothing had happened.
Heaving a sigh, he ran his fingers through his midnight hair before glancing around the room one last time. "I'm in deep trouble," he muttered, shaking his head as he left the room, shutting the door after him.
~OG~
"Oh my gosh…dear God, I can't believe it," she whispered to herself, coming to a pause at the lush hallway that led to the manager's office. "I can't believe it…I almost…kissed him…" Melody was still struggling to calm herself, gasping for air as she replayed the recent events in her mind. Part of her wanted to vanish and never be seen again by Erik or her sister…the other part of her wanted to squeal uncontrollably like a schoolgirl who received her first love confession.
"What is wrong with me?!" she gasped, leaning against the door. Her pulse was still pounding through her veins, her face flushed at the memory of him murmuring to her, calling her his angel…
The door swung open careless, sending her falling over her own two feet as a smaller body hopped out of the way, a yelp coming out of his mouth as she cried out in surprise.
"Oof!" she grunted, wincing as she forced herself to sit up, her side sore. "Geez…"
"Aunt Mel!"
Raising her eyes, she found herself staring at Riley's wide-eyed face. The boy was constantly looking over his shoulder back towards the desk, as though wary of something ominous. "Riles?" she asked, accepting his hand as he helped her up. "What are you-?"
"Not here," he insisted in a whisper, tugging her away before shutting the office door and dragging her over to Box Five. "C'mon!"
"Riley-!" she protested, nearly toppling over as she was yanked violently into the elusive Box Five by her skittish nephew. "What on earth is going-?!"
"Shhh!" he shushed her, his brows furrowed in concern. "I saw him, Aunt Mel."
Her own brows began to furrow as she heard his response, one eyebrow raising in uncertainty as she asked, "Who?"
"The Phantom," Riley whispered in exasperation. "Who else?!"
"The Phantom?" Melody blinked, staring at the boy in disbelief before wiping her face clean of her dried, sticky tears. "But how-?"
"I know it was him, it had to b-…have you been crying?" he asked, his attention suddenly snapping to the condition of her face and eyes. "Was it that awful woman again-?"
"No, no, of course not," she shook her head vehemently, sniffling before returning her attention to him. "What happened? How did you see him?"
Glancing over his shoulder at the door, he motioned for her to scoot closer to him, their backs against the wall as they sat on the floor. "Dad and Monique were talking about making sure they got refreshments for the judges – I guess they have a lunch or something for them, so they asked if I wanted to come, but I said I'd stay. I was watching Spider-Man videos on my phone when I heard a weird noise, like metal getting scraped. I jumped out of the chair and started looking around for the noise. When I pressed my hand against one of the bumps on one of the pillars in the room – you know, the one by the big bookshelf that's for decoration – it opened up! It was an empty space and there was a slot with some sort of soft mesh for spying from the inside. It was really cool-!"
"The Phantom?" she reminded him.
"Oh, yeah. So anyway, I got inside the hiding place-"
"You got in without checking for a way to get out?" she asked, her lips pursed in disapproval.
"There's a rope inside," he waved her off. "You just tug it to open it up again. The spot looks like it hasn't been used for ages. But anyways, I was inside and that's when I saw the grate by the back wall, where the desk is. The grate's made of iron, so that's why it made noise when it moved, like it hadn't been greased in a while. And then, this dark, hooded head came out, and a man wearing a white half mask came out and checked the room to make sure it was empty before poking around the desk."
Melody felt her heart stop at the news of the hooded man, his face flashing though her mind as she remembered her encounter in Erik's home study. "What…what else did he do?"
"He seemed really mad, kept muttering about some 'damn case'."
"Riley!" she hissed, scolding him quietly as she continued to check that they weren't being watched.
"Sorry, but that's what I heard," he shrugged. "Anyways, after a while, he got up and started touching the walls. He was getting close to my hiding place when there were footprints. He panicked and hurried back the way he came, shut the grate and vanished. I waited to see if he'd come back but it was quiet, and I heard someone whispering and crying outside. I got out and found you and now here we are."
Clasping her hands together, Melody rested her chin atop of them and pondered a moment. "The Phantom is looking for the case I had in my room last night…looks like Eri-…um, the Opera Ghost hid it somewhere here. The Phantom wants to get the files for that snake, Monette…the question is, why does he work for Monette?"
"That is none of your concern."
Both Melody and Riley cried out in surprise as they finally acknowledged the presence of the mysterious Indian, standing close by in watchful silence. "You!" Melody gasped, pointing accusingly at him. "How did you come in here?!"
"Through the door, clearly," he answered curtly, returning Melody's angry glare. "You should not be in Box Five-"
"Neither should you!" she snapped, rising to her feet at once, jabbing finger at his chest as he gave her a bored look. "You know things about the two ghosts, and things about the Chevalier family, too! Why add more mystery if you're not going to help solve questions?"
"I am not here to answer your questions, mademoiselle. I am here to protect the Chevalier family, and keep you away from danger," he informed her coolly.
"Too late," Riley muttered, picking himself up and joining his aunt.
"What do you mean, 'too late'?" the Indian asked, his brows furrowing in suspicion.
Melody bit her tongue, not wanting to reveal that she knew the Opera Ghost and Erik Chevalier were one in the same. "Nothing – just that we've already seen him creeping around here and at the Chevalier house. Look, like I said before, if you're not going to help me then-"
From out of the ceiling, without a warning, a lasso dropped before their faces, swaying violently before them. The trio jumped back in alarm, each of them crying out as the item dangled precariously before them. A menacing cackle filled the air, bouncing off the walls around them.
"Aunt Mel!" Riley exclaimed, grabbing onto her in fright.
"Beware the Phantom – BEWARE!" his voice boomed throughout the empty auditorium, the lights flickering for a moment before returning to normal, the only thing out of place being the noose that swayed lazily before them.
"Merde," the Indian cursed, grabbing a hold of the rope and yanking it violently from its hold. "You see, Miss Bolton? This is why I say you should stay out of their affairs," he said hotly, shaking the item before them. "Come too close and this madman might string you up before you know it."
"Then let him!" Melody shouted, snatching the item out of his hands before he could react, storming out with one arm around the boy.
"Wait! Where are you going?" the Indian called after them.
"You warn me of staying out of your affairs and the Chevaliers' – follow your own advice!" she snapped, her fingers curling tightly around the rope before stomping back down the hall towards the dressing rooms once more to find her belongings which she abandoned in the old dressing room.
"Aunt Melody, what're you gonna do?" Riley asked, cautiously looking up at her, admiring her face of stubborn determination.
"What I've been doing since I got here, Riles – bide my time and find out on my own."