Chapter Fourteen
A/N: Happy Easter everyone! God bless!
The light which had been burning on their entry to the cage had finally died. When it did, it plunged the small room and the cage's occupants into darkness. Silence had sprinkled the last few hours, cut now and again by Christine's voice as she sang softly, stroking Erik's hair gently. She strained hard to see her Phantom that lay motionless in her lap as her voice echoed softly off the concrete walls that were outside of the cage.
"Is he asleep?" Madeleine asked quietly.
"I think so," the diva answered.
"I wish they'd do something," Marie's small voice piped up. She had not said a word since Erik's outburst several hours before, and even now her voice was quiet and shy. "It's horrible… making us sit here like this. Hurting Erik like they did just to leave him without anything to help."
"They are horrible," Christine snapped, fresh tears coming to her unseeing eyes. "They're horrible creatures that should not even be called human!"
"Be careful what you say, my dear," Erik's weak voice sounded from her lap. "I've done worse."
Christine shook her head, though she knew he could not see. "No, Erik. You're nothing like them. No matter what you've done, you're nothing like these people."
The door to the outer room slammed open, light flooding in. Everyone in the cage ducked their heads away from the garish light. Kashim stood in the doorway, a smirk on his face. "Good evening." He moved closer to the cage, sneering at its occupants. "I honestly did not think they could make you look worse," he told Erik with a chuckle.
The Phantom shuddered, unable to respond.
"Come here, girl," Kashim instructed, reaching a hand to Christine. Her eyes grew wide and she clutched Erik to her. "Now, child! When the shah's orders come you must obey them! He will see you now." The smile turned uglier. "He will teach you many a thing, little one."
Tears spilled out of Christine's eyes and she let out a sob of horror. "Please… please let me stay with him… Please…"
The door to the cage was opened and Kashim motioned for her. "Now, girl."
"Leave her be," Erik rasped, his voice barely sounding as his own.
"Suddenly so valiant? It will do her little good." He hauled Christine up from her place, sending Erik tumbling. The injured man forced himself up, but saw Raoul's boots next to him before he could get far.
"He may be able to do her little good now, but I can," Raoul growled, grabbing their Persian captor by the wrist.
Kashim laughed. His voice echoed all around them, chilling them. "No, boy, I'm afraid you won't." He had Raoul against the bars before the aristocrat could blink. The younger man struggled, thrashing about as best as he could, but, as said, it did little good. Darkness tented his vision as the dark hand closed against his throat and finally he went limp. He fell to the floor with a thud.
"Raoul!" Christine screamed, Kashim's servants pulling her from the cage and two more holding Erik back. Injured as he was he was giving them a good fight. "Erik!"
"Oh shut up!" Kashim growled, striking her across the face. "Shut your pretty face and learn to accept it."
The two servants threw Erik back against the bars and he sank down against them with a moan. "Christine…"
She had been sobbing when they dragged her from the room. She continued to scream and cry as they threw her into a small chamber, demanding that she change into something presentable for the shah, and finally, when they returned, her tears had dried. Hatred radiated from her when Kashim offered a hand to her to escort her. She slapped it away, glaring horribly at him.
"Your wish, Mademoiselle," he said simply and showed her to the shah's chambers.
A beautiful cat was the first thing that met her at the door. It rubbed up against her and purred. She followed the red carpet under her feet to the throne. The man that had tried to abduct her twice now was sitting there, eyes trained on her. She frowned, setting her jaw and promising herself that she would not cry.
"My dear," he greeted, "welcome. What? Nothing to say?"
Christine shook her head slowly, her curls falling around her face as she did so.
The shah smiled. "You must learn to let them go. Both of them. Monsieur de Changy and your deformed friend Erik will both die here. The two women will live, of course, with us in Persia."
"I'm not going to Persia with you."
"You are mistaken if you think any other way."
"I'd rather die!" Christine announced, her voice bouncing off the walls in all its strength. "I'd rather die a hundred deaths!"
The shah's eyes flashed as he stood and covered the space between them, catching her chin in hand. "You will not, child. You will live with me and please me how I demand of you." He waved his hand in the air, signaling to someone. "For now, I've brought in a girl from Paris to be your maid. She will make sure you do not… harm… yourself."
Christine watched a girl enter and bow. A veil covered her face, only allowing the smallest bit of blond hair to peek out from under it. Blue eyes met hers.
"Be gone from here!" the shah roared. A sadistic smile crossed his face and he turned to the girl who had just entered. "You will bring her in here in two hours. She will witness the death of her beloved Erik."
"No!" Christine screamed, feeling the guards' hands clasp around her as she struggled towards the man who only laughed. "No! Leave him! Please!"
"Stop your crying, my dear! It'll be slow and painful, I can assure you. Two hours."
"Erik?" Madeleine's voice was the first thing to enter the Phantom's ears and he forced himself to look up. She was kneeling next to where he had collapsed, her hand stretched out carefully. He shifted his eyes to where she was dabbing blood away from his head. He pulled from her touch, growling something she could not grasp. "Stay still," she ordered sternly. "Always so…" She took in a deep breath. "Goodness, Erik, just hold still a moment."
"They took her," he whispered, voice sounding dejected.
"Yes."
A sob welled up within him, causing his entire frame to shudder. He brushed her hand away, noting very briefly that she had not shied away from touching the right side of his face, which had been bloodied by his fall against the bars, and buried his face in his hands. She touched his shoulder gently. "Erik…?"
"After everything!" he sobbed.
"After everything you haven't lost her yet," a voice said from the door. "That girl who loves you for your own sake."
Erik looked up, startled by the familiar words andregretting the quick action. "Nadir!"
The Persian man smiled and held up a set of keys. "Those young fools don't recognize me. They had no idea I was stealing the keys from under their noses." He opened the door to the cage and took in the sight. Marie was slowly standing, a traumatized look washed over every bit of her. Raoul was finally coming to, his hand at his throat where bruises were beginning to form. Nadir's jade eyes turned back to his friend. "You look terrible."
"Thanks," Erik answered sarcastically. He forced himself up, using the bars to steady his shaking legs. "We have no time to waste. The shah-"
"It's been taken care of for a bit," Nadir responded with a shrug. Erik watched him, as if expecting a further explanation. "Meg Giry has shown herself to be quite a talented actress."
Christine spun on her new "maid" as they entered the room. "Leave!"
"You really want that?" Meg Giry laughed as she pulled the veil down.
The diva's eyes widened in shock and she flung her arms around her friend's neck. "Oh Meg! I knew there was something familiar about you! How could I not see? Are you here with your mother and Nadir? The police?"
"Monsieur Nadir Khan, yes."
"So we're saved?"
Meg nodded with great delight. "Is everyone safe?"
Christine's eyes began to tear up again. "Erik's… Oh Meg! I thought he was dead when the dragged him into the room! They'd beaten him so badly. How are we going to get him out? He's hurt so badly… He'll never be able to stand."
The petite blond gave her best friend a strained smile. "He's the Phantom of the Opera, Christine. You can't kill a ghost. Come, we should not keep them waiting."
"Surely they will have guards at the door!"
"Do you not think we've taken care of that? Come."
LostSchizophrenic:I came close to crying too. I was in the car with my mom and she was asking what on earth was the matter with me and I said "He died! But she married him before he died!" and that made me happy. Obviously I've twisted the book and the play and the movie all together in one big knot. Erik's not dead nor dying of a morphine addiction. That would rather put a damper on my story, ne? I may try to add that idea about the girl into the story somehow. That's a very good idea. :wanders off to ponder how she might put it it:
Golden Lyre:Yes, Erik is very frightening when ticked. You should read Kay's "The Phantom"! He's overly frightening! But ah… good 'ol Erik! We love him still. :dies laughing and rolls around a bit until she gathers breath back: Le fop! That's lovely! I adore that! Le Fop! Haha! It suits.
Lynx Ryder:Haha! Erik's fortune changing with me writing? It always gets worse before it gets better. Of course my favorite characters always live… well… that's not true. I lied. I've killed faves off before.. :looks ashamed: Isn't the song pretty? Michael Crawford sang it, well at least the version I heard! It was so pretty and reminded me so much of Christine and Erik that it just had to be written down
Lil Shady:Haha! Bonus points for you! (not that it does anything…) My family and I have had that CD for ages and it was the first time I was introduced to PotO and Michael Crawford. (well, I might have been introduced to Michael Crawford through Hello Dolly) So when I went to see the movie, never seeing the play, I was shocked to find out that the Phantom wasn't the one who ended up with Christine and by goodness! Wasn't he supposed to sing that lovely song with Christine! Haha… too bad, but oh well. He sort of does at the end. I'm glad you like the story! Please feel free to review again if you'd like :hint hint:
