A/N - You can thank the lovely my-echo for this. Her foolishly quick reviews, free brownies, and Erik kisses prompted me to post this super quick.

Tell me what you all think!

Erik heard his little captive cry out for him, and for a moment a pang of alarm shot through him. What could threaten her so that she would call out for his return? He quickly pushed the feeling aside. His lair was impenetrable, as the poor fellow he now dragged through the water had found out all too quickly. A pity, really, Erik could have made such a sport out of killing him.

He rounded the corner that hid his domain from vision, and could see Elizabeth standing at the very edge of the waters - searching for him with her gaze. It was a delicious expression, really. Almost like..hope. It was shattered quickly, however, when she realized the task that had called him away so quickly. Horror crossed her pretty features, and her hand lifted to her gaping mouth.

"Oh, no!" She cried, and Erik almost felt guilty. Almost. Instead, he laughed lightly at her reaction - dropping the body near her feet. She should fear him, perhaps this would be an easy way to accomplish that. Her wide eyes scanned his face, as if looking for any remorse. When she found none, they dropped to the body, which he had carelessly nudged onto it's back.

"A gift, my love." He taunted in a frightening tone. Then an odd thing happened. The look of piteous horror that had claimed her face crumbled. It was replaced with.. What was that? Was it... recognition?

"Nicholas!" The scream that tore through her was shrill and made Erik cringe at it's discord.

Elizabeth felt the world spin about her. She dropped to her knees and touched the freezing face of her boyish love. His lips were blue, and it was obvious he wasn't breathing at all. This monster had managed to pluck him from her mind and kill him!

"You beast!" She wailed at Erik, standing from the body to charge at him. Her small fists delivered countless blows to his chest, and would have assaulted his face as well had he not captured her arms with ease.

This was not a reaction he had expected. His face was stoic, and showed little response as she attempted to injure him. When it was painfully obvious that she was failing, she turned from him and again dropped beside the young man's form.

"Please, Nicholas.." she whispered through her sobs. "Please don't leave me. You're the only one who knows me. Please, don't go. Breathe.." It would be at least sixty years before Peter Safer would invent cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but even Elizabeth realized that frigid water filled his lungs instead of precious oxygen. She began to push upon his chest, and when that failed, she turned him to his side. "Oh God, no!"

As if by some miracle, the body shook with a cough. Putrid water was forced from his lungs again and again, until he vomited. Stomach emptied as well, the eyes did not open and his flesh began to shake. Elizabeth seemed to forget the presence of the brooding man above her, and instead fled into the bedchamber. There she retrieved as many blankets as she could find. She returned to the edge of the water and gripped at Nicholas' wrists. She had to get him off of the cold stone. She attempted to drag him upwards, and managed a mere foot before she slipped herself, cracking her elbow hard against the stone. She could hardly feel her fingers. Eyes filled with tears, she glanced up - praying for some sort of pity from the man above her.

"Help me, please!"

He made no motion to move, and his face seemed expressionless. She reached for his hand, clutching it pleadingly.

"Please, Master! Help me. Help me save him," her mind searched frantically for the words that would sway him. With a numb realization, she spoke. "I will stay with you. Forever."

An unreadable expression filled those horrible eyes, and he finally moved. He scooped up the boy and carried him further into his domain. Perhaps this was a brother? He dropped the body rather unceremoniously onto the bed that Elizabeth had slept in, and left the room in that same silence.

Elizabeth did not have the time to consider his odd moods. Instead, she busied herself peeling the freezing layers from Nicholas. He finally roused a bit, squinting upwards toward her.

"Elizabeth?" His normally lyrical and lovely voice was rough and broken. She wept into his palm, as he lifted it to her cheek.

"Hush now, I am here. We must get you warm." Nicholas attempted to smile at her, and when he failed - slipped back into the world of dreams. Elizabeth had him huddled in a massive pile of blankets quickly, scarcely noticing that she herself was soaked and shivering. Nicholas' breathing was raspy and worrisome, but for the moment - the rush had passed. All she could do was wait.

"Your brother?" Erik inquired from his perch in the doorway. He had watched the entire encounter. Elizabeth merely glanced over her shoulder and glared at him. He smirked at her.

"Must be someone important, little pet, for you just sold your very soul for his."

Only then did Elizabeth remember her promise, made in haste and desperation. Her eyes went wide, and he nodded through his laugh.

"Oh yes, and I will hold you to it, little Beth. Now, come here."

Elizabeth did not move, glancing toward the face of Nicholas. Somehow in the scuffle, his dark and velvety mask had managed to retain it's place upon his face. Beside of it, his flesh was deathly pale and his lips were still tinged blue. She reached for his mask, and removed it. The familiar disfigurement greeted her gaze, and this time she was not repulsed. It was simply Nicholas, familiar and safe.

"Now."

Elizabeth scuffled off of the bed and approached Erik as if he were Satan himself. Her head was cast low, the mask still clutched protectively in her hands. He reached for her, and brought her body close to his.

"You're freezing," he murmured into her ear, as he began to unlace her clothing. She wrenched herself free of his grasp.

"I can do it," she stated haughtily - with a false courage.

"I am sure you can, but I will." Erik produced a dagger, from seemingly nowhere Elizabeth thought in the moment before a careful slash rent her clothes in two. They fell apart at their new seam in the front, and she cried out in horror. Two small arms were not enough to cover all of the delicate flesh exposed.

"You've given yourself to me, little beth. That means all of you." Erik smiled darkly, and reached for her. Just when she thought he would touch her, claim her - he grasped her shoulders roughly and turned her from him. He shoved her in the direction of a different room than Nicholas lay in.

"You'll find a gown in the armoire. Put it on," he commanded easily. "And then return. Your little patient will need a lot of care and I'm afraid I'm not so inclined to give it, little Beth."

Elizabeth scurried from him into the safety of the room he had gestured toward. Oh, what hell had she condemned herself to!