Erik ran his fingers through his hair. "You need to not stress yourself, Alanna."
"I wasn't doing anything. I was just talking to Christine." I said defensively. "Look I made a mistake at the beginning of the pregnancy and I'm paying for it now."
Erik furrowed his brows. "Alanna it was an accident. You didn't know your horse would throw you off. You didn't know the ice would crack."
"But I did go out in less than ideal weather in my condition."
I bit my lip. "If... If you say so."
I looked up as someone knocked on my door.
"Hey, you." Raoul said, pushing the door open. Erik stood, standing between me and him, almost instinctively.
"Erik for gods sake," I said, pushing aside the bed cover.
"Don't move!"
"Please, stay in bed,"
The two men spoke at the same time, both looking at me, worried looks on their faces.
"Stop babying me." I muttered, but I sat back down anyway. Moving quickly had sent a dizzying rush of blood to my head.
"I worry about you," Erik said. He glanced sideways at Raoul.
"Erik, could you give us a moment. And no listening under the trapdoor either."
He complied begrudgingly, leaving Raoul and I alone.
"I just wanted to check on you, I heard you collapsed again."
"I'm fine."
"And the baby?"
"Fine."
Raoul's worry was cut off by the sound of a gunshot below us.
"What the hell?" Raoul muttered.
"Erik!" I cried, throwing off the blanket off me.
"Alanna," Raoul said, but I wasn't having any of his bullshit.
"Fuck you, Raoul, I'm going to see what's wrong." I dropped down through the trap door, and Raoul cursed as he followed me. My heart jumped as I heard another gunshot, spurring my legs into a run.
"Alanna!"
I didn't listen. I skidded to a halt in front of the opening to the cave.
"Stop! Just stop," Erik's voice. He sounded out of breath and in pain.
"You're the one that needs to be stopped! For years I took care of you, and for what? I should have let the police deal with you, you goddamn murderer!"
I recognized the voice, I just couldn't place it.
"Madam Giry," Roaul muttered, coming up behind me.
"If you kill me, you'll be just like-"
"I'll never be like you! I'm doing the world, and your unborn child, a favor."
I tried to step forward, but Raoul grabbed my arm.
"You'll get hurt!"
"I'm not going to let him die!" I pulled away, rushing out into the cave.
"Alanna!"
Erik was on the ground, one arm holding him up, the other bleeding. Giry stood over him, a pistol in her hand. I dropped to the ground, sheltering Erik with my body.
"You foolish child!" Giry snapped. "I warned you what would happen if you got involved with him!"
"Madam Giry, please just stop." I begged.
"Alanna, just-"
Erik wasn't able to finish as the gun fired again. He wrapped his arms around me and turned my body away, pressing me against the ground painfully. We waited for a few seconds but nothing happened. Erik let me go and clambered to his feet. I rolled over and my heart dropped out of the sky. Raoul had stepped in to stop the bullet.
()
Erik had Madam Giry's arms behind her back, tying them with a length of rope. It didn't make him sad to see the vicomte dead, but what killed him was the heartbroken expression on his fiancé's face. She was still sitting on the ground, staring at his body.
"Alanna?" Erik asked once he had finished with Giry. Her bloodlust seemed to be lost with the death of the vicomte. He grabbed the gun and emptied the remaining bullets into his hand. He threw the gun down and threw the bullets into the lake.
"Alanna," he repeated. "I'm sorry I squished you liked that. I-is the baby okay?"
She pressed her hands to her stomach and nodded somberly. She stood slowly, and Erik rushed to help her, but she waved him away.
"Your arm," she murmured. Erik glanced down at the wound and dismissed it.
"She only grazed me. It's okay."
"Someone... Someone should tell Christine." She said, and her body because shaking violently. Erik recognized the first signs of her having a panic attack as her breathing quickened. He wrapped her arms around her quickly, even though she tried to push him away. She had told him that pressure helped, even if she tried resisting him. She shakes subsided to sobs and he held her as she cried.
"Come on." He murmured. He glanced back at Giry. "I'll be back for you."
She nodded.
