A/N: So the best thing to ever happen to me happened while I was in New York. I bought a backstage pass thing for Broadway Cares and I got to go backstage at the Majestic Theater after I saw Phantom of the Opera. First of all, the show was INCREDIBLE! Second of all, I GOT TO MEET FREAKING JOHN CUDIA! It was amazing. My life is officially complete and he is such a doll! He's really funny too. I got to meet Jennifer Hope Wills and Ryan Silverman. I had the time of my life. (: I cried I was so happy and John was like: AHH! DON'T CRY! Haha. He made me laugh so much. But I'll tell ya. That backstage pass thing was NOT the cheapest thing ever.(I went 3 days without money. It cost me my whole paycheck!) I love being a Journalist. (:

Chapter 20: Deceit

Christine returned from her rehearsal the next day. I sat with my head in my hands, my elbows on the keys of my organ. She sat next to me in silence.

"I thought I told you not to be singing." I said, my voice muffled against my hands.

She remained silent. She was beginning to anger me once again.

"Christine." I said, lifting my head up. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. When I opened my eyes again I turned to see a look of pure horror on her face. "Christine!"

I held her face between my palms, terrified at her lack of reaction. I turned to straddle the bench and pulled her closer to me. "What happened?" Her eyes bore into mine, seeing and yet not seeing.

"I-I don't . . . know." she said quietly.

"Christine, please tell me what happened." I begged. Terror was slowly rising in me. As well as anger. I had a strong feeling that whatever happened involved one of my two active enemies. "Was it the Viscount?" I asked. She slowly shook her head. "Nadir?" She shook her head again.

"Well, then what the in the hell happened? Who did this to you?"

She stared off at the wall over my shoulder, her eyes unfocused. "Both."

Anger swelled up inside me, every feeling I had succumbing to it. I slammed my fist down on the keys of my organ, an ear splitting screech coming from the keys. Christine jumped, her eyes refocusing. "I'm fine! I promise you I am!" she said frantically, holding onto my forearms.

"DON'T . . . lie to me." I growled through my teeth, struggling to stay calm.

"At least listen to what happened before you go off and do something you might regret." she said, tugging on my arms now as I tried to stand up.

"NOW you want to talk!" I said, sitting back down. She held on tightly to my arms.

"They both stopped me as I walked back to the room. First it was Nadir. . . . he told me– warned me about you. He told me to run as far as I can and that I wasn't safe with you. He told me if I stayed with you I would meet an awful end."

My fists clenched on the fabric of my pants but I kept my facial expressions calm, not wanting to frighten Christine out of telling me the rest.

"And I told him he was a fool and hadn't the slightest idea of how you've changed. He called me naive and took my hand and started muttering something in some foreign language. I didn't understand. But I took my hand from his and ran."

My chest started to heave. What a deceitful old man! I took a deep shaky breath. "Go on."

"And right when I got to the door of the room, Raoul grabbed my arm and pulled me away from it. 'Don't go back down there.' he told me. He begged me to stay with him. He kept trying to force himself on me saying he could change my—"

I jerked my arms out of her grasp and stormed over to my armoire, knocking over any piece of furniture in my way. I reached for my pistol and sword, tying them to my waist. I felt Christine wrap her arms around me from behind. I threw my arm back, throwing her off of me. I heard her hit the ground, bile rising in my throat. Before I knew it I had the sword drawn and pointed at her.

"Stay away from me, Christine. Do not try and stop me." I hardly recognized my voice as my own. The last time I recalled being this angry was when Christine had deceived me in front of the whole Opera Populaire. "I have tolerated them long enough! And I'm FINISHED!" I shouted. I felt ashamed. I was threatening Christine! I tried regaining control of myself but the animal inside me raged on.

"Don't follow me. I will not have you getting in my way again." I heard her pleas bouncing off my back as my rage fueled me towards the house of the Opera Populaire. Stop it! Control yourself! My mind shouted. It was as if I had lost control of my actions. For the first time in years, I prayed. I desperately hoped that I hadn't lost it for the last time. That I could somehow find myself again and stop the madness before it began.

And yet, I longed for the bloodshed. I hadn't killed for the sake of Christine. But, God, how I missed it! I could vaguely hear Christine's hurried footsteps behind me. It only fueled my need even more. I started to sprint up the long corridor that led to my personal box. I knew that Christine had no knowledge of this entrance.

I stepped quietly into the box and looked down below me. I saw Nadir, my target. My heart pounded in my ears. I hid in the shadows, watching and following him on the balcony above. I waited patiently like a stalking predator until the Daroga stepped outside into the darkness. I stepped quietly behind him and smiled as he stepped in the archway of an side street. I swiftly grabbed the man by his throat and threw him against the wall, reaching for my sword.

I let go of his throat, replacing my hand with the blade of my rapier.

"I had a strong feeling you would be coming after me." he said calmly. "Now you stand here to deceive the man who set you free? Saved your life?"

"Do not attempt to make me feel guilty, Nadir." I hissed. "The easiest way to be cheated, my dear Daroga, is to believe yourself to be more cunning than others. Did you think that I wouldn't find out what you did to Christine? I find that you have become quite foolish with age."

"I only helped the poor girl from what I knew was inevitable. I know your temper, Erik, and I know that girl has no chance against you should she anger you."

I pressed the tip of my sword against his neck. "It is a shame you don't truly remember the power of love, Nadir. Perhaps all these years and all of the women you have slept with has erased your memory of your deceased wife." I knew insulting his religion and speaking ill of his wife would provoke him. But what's a kill without a fight? "My love for her will prevent me from ever harming her the way you believe I will." The thought of the numerous accounts of me injuring Christine came to mind and my guilt almost overpowered my anger.

"You have no right to bring my religion and wife into this affair." he spat.

"Oh, but my dear friend, I believe I do. Seeing as you've not only involved my love but also tried to protect her against me. You claimed you were a friend to me. Yet after departing, I feel you have deeply changed your mind, correct?" I said, my voice devilishly calm. "Hateful to me as are the gates of hell, is he who, hiding one thing in his heart, utters another. I must say it seems more truthful that you were the one who deceived me."

A small look of fear glistened in Nadir's eyes.

"You're going to kill me, here and now, even though I saved your life?"

"You also ruined it, Daroga. Those years of my life were hell! I plan to get revenge for it." My bandaged hand tightened on the sword.

"You were a genius. Now, you're just plain insane, Erik." Nadir said, his body starting to shake.

I laughed. "There's a fine line between genius and insanity, Nadir. I have long since erased this line."

As I swiftly pulled my sword back, the liquid pounding of my heart in my ears seemed to slow and increase in volume. I could almost see his heart under his skin. Yes, I so dearly wanted the man who tried blessing Christine dead.

I brought the sword forward, into his shoulder, missing his heart. Yes, I wanted him dead. Yet why did I intentionally miss?

"Consider yourself lucky, Nadir. Next time, I won't miss." I hissed quietly before pulling the sword out and wiping it on his clothes.

Raoul was next.

I silently and quickly made my way back to the Opera House. Surely Christine had found the man and warned him.

I stalked past the actors and managers. Not caring who saw me. The death of the Viscount would be put on my shoulders whether I had done it or not. As I approached Christine's dressing room, I heard the two conversing inside. My insides boiled.

"He's going to come for you Raoul." I heard Christine say. "I don't want to see you dead."

"Christine, if he's insane enough to kill someone over something so childish, can't you see how much of a danger he is? Please, come with me?" I wrinkled my nose in disgust at the Viscount's plea. I replaced my sword and took the pistol from my belt. I was not going to miss this time. I cocked it quietly. I noticed the room behind the door had become too quiet. I threw open the door and aimed my pistol where Raoul's voice had been coming from.

Instead of finding an armed man, I found the Viscount and the love of my life, locking lips. . . .