This is it! Thanks to everyone for beta reading, following the story making suggestions and leaving reviews.

Gabrina (Everspring Native)

Noir58

On the morning following their wedding, Corinna awoke in the predawn light and savored the feeling of the man asleep beside her. She replayed his whispers in her mind as she watched him sleep. Every action had been tender yet firm, caressing and claiming her with each passionate kiss and gentle touch.

"No other man," he had said, more to himself than to her, "will ever touch you."

It had excited her to hear his words and feel his hands run down her back. He felt stronger on their wedding night, more confident than he had ever felt before—even before the Sultana scarred him.

From the moment they had reached his bedroom he had taken command. There was no trace of the man who had first come to her in the slums, begging and pleading for some of her time. Now it was her turn to surrender to him, and there was no other man in the world she wanted to be with for the rest of her life.

While he slept, Corinna ran her fingers through his hair and studied his face. He looked more at peace than she remembered. She wasn't sure if she had grown used to him or if the scars didn't look as bad as when he had kept his face constantly masked. She traced along his jaw line with her index finger until she touched his bottom lip.

He murmured in his sleep, waking briefly to find her beside him.

"Stop," he grunted. "It tickles."

She kissed his neck. "I apologize, my dear."

"Why are you awake?" he groaned.

She kissed his forehead. "I'm thirsty. I'm going to get a drink of water. Would you like something?"

With a smile he said he was tired and closed his eyes again. Once he was asleep she rose from bed, tied her robe in place, and padded into the hall with a candle in hand.

Rather than walk to the kitchen she entered her own bedroom, set the candle on her desk, and opened the bottom drawer.

It had been weeks since she had opened the drawer and taken her carved wooden jewelry box from its place. She hesitated, unsure of whether or not she wanted to touch the small statue.

The last thing she wanted to do was upset the true Goddess, so with a smile she lifted the carving of Kali and brought it to the candlelight.

Caressing the small black statue, she whispered, "Thank you, Kali," before replacing it and entering Erik's bedchamber again.

He was awake when she returned, which startled her.

"Did you say you were getting something?" he asked as he ran his hand through his hair.

She crawled into bed again and kissed his lips. "Water." She paused, searching his eyes. "You look worried."

Erik shook his head and lay down again, bringing Corinna with him. He held her tightly for a while and stroked her hair, unwilling to release her. The look in his eyes worried her.

"Tell me what's wrong," she said softly.

"I couldn't remember if you had said something or if it was a dream."

Corinna wondered if he feared that their wedding was also a dream. Perhaps he had awakened alone and thought he was in the opera house—or tied to a tree like the day her father had found him, the wounds to his face fresh. Looking at him now reminded her of that day, of how frightened she had been when her father told her to stay put as he and the daroga cut him down and dragged his beaten body into the carriage.

Corinna had seen more terror in his left eye than she had ever seen in her life. That terror resonated now as he nervously raked his fingers through her hair.

"Now you look worried," Erik said as he ran his fingers along her cheek.

Corinna smiled and took his hand in hers, feeling him tremble. "Worried? We're on our honeymoon," she said as she kissed him again. "Why would I be worried?"

He held her close but said nothing, and after a while Corinna thought he had fallen asleep again. Just when she was ready to close her eyes he spoke suddenly.

"I promised you an opera."

Corinna propped herself up on her elbow. "You did?"

He nodded. "Verdi," he answered. "When we were in Chandernagore. We never went to the opera."

She ran her hand over his chest and stomach, feeling him twitch when her fingers skimmed over his bellybutton. "I remember when a flower sang to me," she smiled. "I think that was the moment I fell in love with you."

"I had nothing to do with that," he said, attempting to hold back a grin. "The flowers in India are evidently very talented."

"Evidently," Corinna replied. "Why do you mention the opera?"

"Have you ever been to Italy?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever seen an opera there?"

Corinna shook her head. She kissed him again and studied his eyes, seeing the glint of excitement in his gaze. "Are you asking me if I would like to attend the opera in Italy?"

He hesitated. "I want to do something for you," he whispered as he turned to his side and placed his hand over her stomach. "Before you give me this child."

"You would be comfortable?" she asked, attempting to hold back her surprise.

"No," he chuckled. "I would most likely drink an entire bottle of wine before we arrived."

Corinna shook her head. "I don't want you to torment yourself."

"I miss the stage," he replied. "But here…I don't want anything to happen, and not only to me. I fear what would happen to you if someone recognized me. Or to our child. I worry about you."

"There is no need to worry."

"While we're in France I will always worry," he mumbled before drawing the blankets up and snuggling Corinna in close to him. She felt him reach beneath the covers and tug at the robe on her belt.

"Then let's leave France," she suggested. "Before the baby comes."

"This is your house."

"This is our house, but I don't care. As long as we're together we could live…at the bottom of the sea, on the moon, wherever. All that matters is being near you. We can have another house commissioned. Italy, Germany, anywhere you want."

"No, it would cause too much stress."

"I'm not fragile, Erik. Besides, it would be far worse if I worried about you."

"You should not worry about me," he murmured.

"Why?"

He went quiet again and shook his head, but Corinna nudged him in the arm.

"When you first came to me, on the night I took you home, you had a bruise on the side of your neck."

Erik exhaled hard, unwilling to speak. He turned his face away, but Corinna placed her hand on his cheek and forced him to look at her.

"I worry about you. I worry that someone will come for you, that one day I will lose you."

Erik drew her closer and kissed her on the lips to prevent her from speaking. "Italy," he said. "When I finish my next opera we'll travel to Italy. I've been considering hiring someone to write the libretto."

She settled in beside him and sighed. "Someday, I would like to see New York," she murmured before they both fell silent and drifted off to sleep again.

-o-

When Erik woke late in the morning the first thought on his mind was travel. He had been stagnant for far too long, and the years spent in the opera house left him longing to stretch his legs and see the world.

Things would be much different. There would always be a chance that someone would recognize him, but still he would feel safer abroad. Their lives would be better outside of France. Their days would be more peaceful the farther they were from Persia.

With the full light of day pouring in through the window he smiled as he watched Corinna. His hand rested against his neck where the bruise had healed months ago and he decided what he had to do for her.

When she had asked him about the injury he had shuddered, knowing it would upset her. After Ari Nadir had helped him Erik assumed the daroga had no idea he was being followed. The man who had punched Erik in the neck had thought he had found an advantage, but when he reached back to withdraw his saber, he didn't see the lasso whip from the shadows. With blood seeping from the wounds to his neck and his windpipe crushed, the man would be strangled within minutes.

His concern at the time had been escape and that's what he had done.

In the months he had found Corinna there had been immense tranquility. Erik's only true solace was knowing that if these men still wanted him they would have found him by now.

Erik ran the back of his hand along Corinna's cheek. "Are you hungry?" he whispered when she stirred.

Her eyes slit open as she rolled to her side and placed her hand on the small of his back, drawing herself closer to him.

"I'm too warm and comfortable to move."

"Then stay here. I'll bring you something."

Corinna squeezed his hand and shut her eyes again. "Stay with me a little longer."

"You need to eat something," he replied, running his hand over her abdomen.

Corinna made no protest, and once he donned his shirt and ventured into the kitchen he found breakfast already made. Their servant, Pamela, said "Good morning, new husband," when she saw him.

"Thank you," he replied in Tamal as he took the tray from the kitchen table.

"No, no, I take," Pamela said as she shook her hand at him.

With a nod Erik left the kitchen, but Pamela called after him. He turned and found her standing behind him with two packages.

"One from us," she said, referring to herself and her husband. "Other outside."

"From Ursula," he said as he took the gifts from her. "She didn't knock?"

"No one there. I see it when I come in."

"I will tell Corinna," he replied before returning upstairs.

When he returned to his bedchamber Corinna was asleep again. He debated on whether or not to wake her. As quietly as he could he left the gifts on the dresser and sat on the bed. He lay beside her and rubbed her back, which woke her almost immediately.

"I'm starving," she murmured before she sat up. "The moment you left I was ravenous."

"Pamela said she would bring food up to us," he told her. "But they gave us something for our wedding. And Pamela found Ursula's gift outside the front door."

Corinna rubbed her eyes and sat upright. "Outside the door?"

Erik nodded. "They must have returned late last night and left it."

He watched her as she rose from bed and walked lightly across the floor. She grinned as she grabbed both packages and brought them to the bed.

"Here," she said, handing him the larger of the two.

"Am I opening or holding?" he asked.

Corinna giggled to herself. "They're my presents. I only want you to hold them," she said as she leaned over and kissed him.

"Ah, Madame, you did not hear when the priest said honor and obey."

"I heard," she said. "But I crossed my fingers during that part."

Erik sighed and shook his head. "I should have assumed as much."

Corinna opened her gift and found a carved wooden box. "A wish box," she said, showing the box to Erik. "In India you give these as gifts and place money or tokens inside. Isn't it beautiful?"

Erik nodded and wrapped his arm around her. "It was nice of them."

"Open yours," Corinna told him.

He glanced at her to be certain she was serious before he tugged the bow off and removed the paper. Beneath was a plain wooden box, which was sealed.

"There's a knife in my desk drawer," Erik said as he climbed to his feet and took the box with him.

The box rattled as he set it on the desk and found the knife. While Corinna remained in bed he pried the nails out. "It must be important to be nailed shut," he commented over his shoulder as he lifted the lid.

"What is it?" Corinna asked.

Erik lifted a velvet bag from the box, hearing glass rattle inside.

"A vase, I think," he said as he tugged the drawstring open. Digging inside, he produced a sealed carafe and showed it to her before reaching into the bag again.

"Is it filled?"

The carafe slipped from his grasp and shattered on the ground the moment he felt the slender piece of wood in his hand. Erik stared at the broken glass a moment before releasing the velvet bag and the paintbrush it contained.

"Erik?" Corinna questioned as she rose from the bed. "Are you alright?"

"She knows," he whispered blankly as the smell of kerosene filled the room.

"Who?"

"The Sultana." He inhaled sharply and grabbed Corinna by the arms. "Dress immediately. Take what little you need and meet me downstairs."

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Corinna, we must leave now. Please, you must make haste."

"What happened?" she asked as she sniffed the air. "Is that…? It's kerosene."

He nodded and led her toward her wardrobe, his skin prickling with the memory of torture.

"She's coming for me. Take what you must and meet me downstairs. I'll not have her find you."

Before she agreed Erik tore down the stairs and entered the courtyard, the knife still in hand. He looked at the blue sky, which he hadn't seen in years, and at the trees beginning to bloom.

This was the last time he would see France, he thought as he stalked toward the stable.

He had no remorse in leaving.

-o-

Corinna gathered her clothes as well as Erik's and tossed them into a cloth sack. With tears in her eyes and her hands trembling, she glared at the two items she left unpacked.

"Corinna!" Erik yelled.

His voice startled her, but she forced herself to answer. "One moment."

Turning back to the bed, she grabbed his mask in one hand and took her statue of Kali in the other.

"I hate you," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I hate both of you for what you steal from me."

And with her words she tossed them both into the sack and met Erik at the bottom of the stairs.

"Where will we go?" she asked as he hurried her out the door.

"I'm not certain."

"Are you certain she knows?"

Erik made no reply. He stared straight ahead, his gaze filled with worry.

"Perhaps…perhaps it's a mistake."

He turned to her quickly, his lips parted, his expression apologetic. "New York," he said simply.

Taking his hand in hers, they abandoned their home.

Together.

The End.