Chapter Sixteen

Helpless Hostage

Christine finished packing her things at the inn and after saying goodbye to the innkeeper she went out to the carriage she was paying to take her out of Boscherville. But when she stepped in she saw that a man was sitting in the shadows. She frowned. Had she gotten the wrong carriage.

"Oh, sorry, monsieur, I did not know anyone was in here," she said, turning to leave the carriage.

"Please, mademoiselle, you are more then welcome to share the carriage with me," the man replied, halting her. Christine hesitated, something about the man makin her wary.

"I thank you," she murmured finally, climbing into the carriage.

"Which way are you going?" he asked curiously.

"Paris," she said. He simply nodded. Silence filled the small compartment and Christine looked out of the carriage absently, her mind wandering to Erik. She missed him...

"Does he fill your thoughts so easily?" the man asked suddenly. Christine turned to look at him, a frown creasing her brow.

"Pardon?"

"Does that masked devil fill your thoughts so easily?" he asked. She froze and the man smirked. Who was he that he knew of Erik?

"I do not know what you are talking about," she said hesitantly. He smiled.

"We both know what a bad liar you are, Christine," he murmured. Christine could feel her heart beginning to beat frantically in her chest.

"Have we met before?" she wondered.

"No, but you know me," he said. She swallowed nervously.

"I do not believe so..."

"Philippe Francois," he interrupted. Christine's breath caught in her throat. Oh God, what had she gotten herself into this time?

"How...how did you know I was leaving the city?" she whispered.

"You are human, Christine, I knew it would not be long before you fled that monster. Everyone does," he said. Christine felt her heart constrict.

"No, he let me go," she insisted.

"Perhaps, but you did not even give a thought to staying with him, did you?" he wondered. Guilt washed over Christine unlike anything she had ever felt in her life. It was true, she had not even thought about staying. A vision of Erik, alone and abandon in his home made bile rise in her throat. What had she done?

"Your childish actions prove to be most valuable to me," he said.

"W-what?"

"You are the one thing I need to get to Erik," he said.

"No!" Christine said, shaking her head, tears welling in her eyes.

"Yes, and if you live it will always be your guilt to know that you were the cause of his death," he hissed, anger suddenly twisting his handsome features.

"W-why are you doing this?" she whispered.

"He took everything away from me," he growled.

"And you returned the favor!" she shot back.

"Do not pretend to care for him, we both know what lies beneath the mask," he growled, "He is a monster."

Christine could not contain her outrage. Her hand raised and hit him squarely on the jaw. The carriage was suddenly filled with an ominous silence. Before she had time to draw her next breath Philippe had both of his hands wrapped around her throat, squeezing the life from her. When he saw her begin to pale he let go.

"You will soon realize why I am doing this, even though you know nothing of loss," he hissed. Christine's face flushed with color.

"Nothing of loss? How dare you! I watched as a disease overcame my father's body, slowing killing him with each passing day. I had to sit by and watch and there was nothing I could do to stop it, if I would have done something than my father would still be here and I would not be sitting in this carriage with you!" she screamed. How dare he accuse her of not know loss.

"True, but you would not have met Erik either," he murmured. Christine froze, realizing he had caught her at a disadvantage. He claimed that she cared notohing for the masked man but something in his words suggested otherwise.

"Where are you taking me?" she whispered, needing to change the subject. Thoughts of Erik were to painful for her.

"My home in Paris."

Philippe studied the woman sitting across from him with hooded eyes. Christine Daae was unlike anything he had expected. Beautiful and fiery she had a spirit about her that he could not help but admire. She had been unafraid to stand up to him and he knew without a doubt that Erik had to have fallen for this girl.

She would do for what he had planned for Erik. Always the couragous type Erik would do no other that come to Christine's aid in her time of need. He was going to be sure, however, that Christine never forgot the horrors he had waiting for her at his home.