I made it back to my lair and went into Christine's old bedroom. I
laid the girl down on the bed and pushed her hair out of her face. I took
her pulse and found that it was normal. I put a blanket over her and walked
out into the main room. Just then, the Daroga walked in.
"Erik, what are you doing?" he asked when he saw me mixing a drink.
"I'm, uh, I'm making a drink. I thought you were smarter than that Daroga," I replied. "Now if you would excuse me I'm going to go lay down." I started back towards Christine's room.
"Erik, that's not your room," the Daroga said.
"Of course it is. Every room here is mine. This just isn't the room I normally sleep in," I stated. The Daroga glared at me suspiciously and started after me. "Daroga, really, this is not a good time for you to be here. I'm extremely tired and I-"he pushed the bedroom door open.
"Who is that Erik?!" the Daroga demanded.
I poked my head into the room. "Her? I have no idea," I told him.
"You must know who she is. She's sleeping in one of your beds."
"I honestly don't know Daroga. All I know is that I think I saved her from being raped," I said. I walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. "Help me Daroga."
He walked over and stood by the bed. "What do you need?" he asked.
"Help me sit her up and open her mouth," I instructed.
He sighed and pulled her up into a sitting position. "Erik how is it that these type of things happen to you?" he questioned.
"I don't know Daroga, now stop bothering me, I'm busy," I growled. "Open her mouth." He opened her mouth and I put the glass gently to her lips. I tipped it back and a small amount of the mixture trickled into her mouth. I didn't really know quite why I was helping this girl. She was pretty, but not quite as beautiful as Christine. She looked to be about the same age, but that she had seen much more pain in her life than My Angel. Her hair was long like Christine's, but much darker; closer to the color of my own raven hair. Her slender body and pale skin gave her the youthful, innocent look that conceivably was the cause of her problem earlier. She started to stir and her eyes fluttered open. I found myself staring into two deep blue pools that seemed to glow.
"Good evening mademoiselle," I whispered, still staring into her hypnotic eyes.
"Good evening," she replied. She still sounded somewhat dazed. Suddenly she slowly raised her hand and reached towards my mask. I grabbed her hand softly and put it back down at her side. "Are you hurt?" she asked.
"What? Oh, no, I'm fine. How are you?" I questioned.
"I'm alright I guess. You saved me," she stated.
"Yes, I suppose I did. What is your name miss?" I asked her.
"Alaina," she said. "My name is Alaina."
"Alaina," I echoed in a whisper. I didn't know what it was, but something about her drew me to her and I couldn't help it.
Behind me, I heard the Daroga clear his throat. I looked back at him, angry and glad at the same time to be distracted from Alaina. "What are you doing Erik?" he asked in Farsi. Obviously he didn't want Alaina to know what he was saying so I took the hint and responded the same way.
"I'm not doing anything Daroga," I snapped.
"Yes you are Erik. You know she cannot replace Christine. As soon as she is well, she has to leave," he stated.
"Just go away Daroga," I ordered.
"Erik........." he said disapprovingly.
"GO AWAY! You always ruin everything for me! Can't you just once stay out of my life?!?" I shouted and jumped up.
"Fine Erik; I won't bother you again. I'm leaving now. If you need me I'll be in Persia," he told me and left the room.
In my anger, I forgot to continue speaking Farsi when I yelled after the Daroga. "Good! I don't care Daroga! Leave! I've never liked you anyway!" I turned back to look at Alaina. She was looking at me somewhat nervously. I wondered why, and then I realized I hadn't spoken Farsi. "I'm sorry Alaina. I didn't mean to frighten you," I said.
"You didn't," she replied. I could tell she was lying.
I sat down next to her. "Yes I did," I took her hand, "and I'm sorry."
"It's alright," she said and smiled.
"Come," I said and stood up.
She stood up as well and followed me out into the sitting room. "I like your house," she stated.
"What?" I asked.
"I like your house," she repeated.
"Oh.........thank you," I said. "Would you like some wine?"
"Alright," she replied.
I poured two glasses of wine and handed hers to her. As she sipped her wine, I looked over the rim of my glass at her then lowered it and sat it on the table. I watched her for a moment longer before asking, "Do you sing?"
"Erik, what are you doing?" he asked when he saw me mixing a drink.
"I'm, uh, I'm making a drink. I thought you were smarter than that Daroga," I replied. "Now if you would excuse me I'm going to go lay down." I started back towards Christine's room.
"Erik, that's not your room," the Daroga said.
"Of course it is. Every room here is mine. This just isn't the room I normally sleep in," I stated. The Daroga glared at me suspiciously and started after me. "Daroga, really, this is not a good time for you to be here. I'm extremely tired and I-"he pushed the bedroom door open.
"Who is that Erik?!" the Daroga demanded.
I poked my head into the room. "Her? I have no idea," I told him.
"You must know who she is. She's sleeping in one of your beds."
"I honestly don't know Daroga. All I know is that I think I saved her from being raped," I said. I walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. "Help me Daroga."
He walked over and stood by the bed. "What do you need?" he asked.
"Help me sit her up and open her mouth," I instructed.
He sighed and pulled her up into a sitting position. "Erik how is it that these type of things happen to you?" he questioned.
"I don't know Daroga, now stop bothering me, I'm busy," I growled. "Open her mouth." He opened her mouth and I put the glass gently to her lips. I tipped it back and a small amount of the mixture trickled into her mouth. I didn't really know quite why I was helping this girl. She was pretty, but not quite as beautiful as Christine. She looked to be about the same age, but that she had seen much more pain in her life than My Angel. Her hair was long like Christine's, but much darker; closer to the color of my own raven hair. Her slender body and pale skin gave her the youthful, innocent look that conceivably was the cause of her problem earlier. She started to stir and her eyes fluttered open. I found myself staring into two deep blue pools that seemed to glow.
"Good evening mademoiselle," I whispered, still staring into her hypnotic eyes.
"Good evening," she replied. She still sounded somewhat dazed. Suddenly she slowly raised her hand and reached towards my mask. I grabbed her hand softly and put it back down at her side. "Are you hurt?" she asked.
"What? Oh, no, I'm fine. How are you?" I questioned.
"I'm alright I guess. You saved me," she stated.
"Yes, I suppose I did. What is your name miss?" I asked her.
"Alaina," she said. "My name is Alaina."
"Alaina," I echoed in a whisper. I didn't know what it was, but something about her drew me to her and I couldn't help it.
Behind me, I heard the Daroga clear his throat. I looked back at him, angry and glad at the same time to be distracted from Alaina. "What are you doing Erik?" he asked in Farsi. Obviously he didn't want Alaina to know what he was saying so I took the hint and responded the same way.
"I'm not doing anything Daroga," I snapped.
"Yes you are Erik. You know she cannot replace Christine. As soon as she is well, she has to leave," he stated.
"Just go away Daroga," I ordered.
"Erik........." he said disapprovingly.
"GO AWAY! You always ruin everything for me! Can't you just once stay out of my life?!?" I shouted and jumped up.
"Fine Erik; I won't bother you again. I'm leaving now. If you need me I'll be in Persia," he told me and left the room.
In my anger, I forgot to continue speaking Farsi when I yelled after the Daroga. "Good! I don't care Daroga! Leave! I've never liked you anyway!" I turned back to look at Alaina. She was looking at me somewhat nervously. I wondered why, and then I realized I hadn't spoken Farsi. "I'm sorry Alaina. I didn't mean to frighten you," I said.
"You didn't," she replied. I could tell she was lying.
I sat down next to her. "Yes I did," I took her hand, "and I'm sorry."
"It's alright," she said and smiled.
"Come," I said and stood up.
She stood up as well and followed me out into the sitting room. "I like your house," she stated.
"What?" I asked.
"I like your house," she repeated.
"Oh.........thank you," I said. "Would you like some wine?"
"Alright," she replied.
I poured two glasses of wine and handed hers to her. As she sipped her wine, I looked over the rim of my glass at her then lowered it and sat it on the table. I watched her for a moment longer before asking, "Do you sing?"