XVI

Christine lit the candle carefully, just as Antoinette had shown her. Then she kneeled and folded her small hands to pray to her father and ask once again where her angel was and why he hadn't sent him to her yet. Small pearly tears rolled down her cheeks and onto the floor.

"You promised," she sniffled, "where is my angel papa? Where is my angel of music?"

Erik wiped angrily at his eyes, after so many years he thought himself immune to hurt, but it seemed that he wasn't. He didn't even know why it hurt so much, to be called strange; he had been called far worse in his life.

Erik was about to leave when she entered, lighting the candle and kneeling to pray. She was so tiny and he immediately knew that it was the child Antoinette had spoken of. She spoke quietly but he could hear her, she was waiting for something or someone, an angel of music.

Watching her kneeling in front of the candle and praying somehow reminded Erik of himself, she was all alone in the world. With a bored sigh he turned away from the scene, that's when she began to sing. Her voice was so small and pure, just like that of a little angel. A lost little angel, such a sad thing really, one should never be alone in the world, not even the devil's child.

"You promised me papa," she sniffled, "you promised…"

It nearly caused his heart to break and before he could think he called to her, "Wandering child so lost so helpless, yearning for my guidance…"

Her little eyes widened and she let out a small squeak before dashing out of the chapel. Erik sighed and slumped against the wall, of course it would frighten her, walls did not normally sing.

"A-angel?" he small voice quavered as she peered around the corner.

Erik stared in disbelief, she had come back.

"Angel?" she asked, tiptoeing into the centre of the chapel, "a-are you there?"

"I am here child."

"Oh…" she gasped and then looked around, "are you, are you the Angel of Music?"

Erik couldn't help but let out an airy chuckle, such a kind name for a devil. He liked it though and replied, "Yes child, I am."

She began to tremble and let out a small squeak of excitement, "My papa sent you didn't he?"

Erik did not answer that, for some reason it did not seem right to tell her such a thing, "I came to you because you called me. You have a beautiful voice child."

"I do?"

"Yes…do you wish to learn how to use it?"

Her little head nodded so quickly that her curls spilled over her shoulders, "Yes!"

"Very well, then come back here tomorrow…and child?"

"Yes?"

"You are not to tell anyone, if you do I will not come anymore, do you understand?"

"Yes Angel."

Then she turned and scuttled out of the chapel. Erik let out a relieved sigh and turned to leave. That had gone surprisingly well. So, he would train her, even he thought it peculiar. A man masquerading as a ghost, masquerading as an angel to teach a little girl.