Erik was busy at his organ. He could still feel Christine's warm hands on his skin, and it had him unnerved. The horror on her face when she had seen him! He struck a sour chord and flinched. The sound of a door opening made him regret unlocking them. He did not want to deal with Cecily. "Go away!"

"Good morning to you too. And from what I understand you had a long night."

He whirled around to face her, his eyes doing what they could to burn into her. "You know nothing of what you speak!"

"Hmm." Cecily didn't reply, just moved toward the bedroom. The bed held only one imprint, thank God.

"You didn't believe me? How dare you!" he bellowed.

Again, she didn't answer, and her silence was beginning to push him past his limits. She was walking back over to him when she paused, eyes wide in shock. "I've never seen this one before."

Inside one of his many broken mirrors he had built a statue of Christine. It was a perfect likeness, a work of art, to be sure. It was also, regrettably, dressed in a wedding gown and veil. "You were not meant to."

She looked up at him. He had moved closer, putting the cover back over the mirror. "So I gathered. It was well done though."

She continued her silent tour of the lair, stepping up into the kitchen. Erik heard the shuffle of dishes and the sound of running water. She didn't come out for a few minutes, and finally Erik's curiosity got the better of him.

She was standing by the teapot, staring intensely at the flame beneath it. She reached out her finger and ran it through the flame. She didn't notice his presence as the water boiled, and she poured some into a cup. She paused for a moment and stared down at the tea, then seemed to shake herself out of it. Reaching up into the cupboard, she pulled down a second cup and filled it too. Grabbing both cups, she turned. "Erik, what are you doing?" she asked, startled.

"Wondering what you were doing," he stated simply.

"Making some tea for you. Here," she said, shoving it into his hands. She pushed past him and sat down on the steps. She looked as though she was trying very hard to avoid thinking of something. Erik wondered what it was. "She did very well."

"Indeed. She has the voice of an angel." Cecily realized how tightly she was clutching her teacup and loosened up a bit. He continued, not noticing, "I am glad the managers will have finally realized the proper place for her is as prima donna."

"Your constant prodding doesn't help much."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

She realized then that she had said too much. Sighing, she figured she may as well spit it out before he pried it from her. "It seems that Christine's little disappearing act was too much. They have decided to cast Carlotta as the Countess in Il Muto."

As expected, Erik raged. He flung his cup against the wall, shattering it and spreading shards across the floor. "What! How dare they! Against my express orders! And that screech owl came crawling back! I thought she had flown away for good! And I'm sure that little rat of a boy had something to do with this!" He laid his hands heavily on the organ keys, forcing Cecily to cover her ears against the volume.

"Erik!" she screamed. "Stop it this instant! I had nothing to do with this, so do not seek to punish me for it! I have taken enough of your abuses!"

He stopped suddenly, the glowing rage having dulled into a cold calculation. "So, it is to be war between us! If my demands are not met, a disaster beyond their imagination will occur!"

Cecily sprang up, ignoring a twinge of protestation from her knee. "Erik, you will listen to me now!" She spun him around bodily, forcing him to look at her. "You will not take out your disappointment on them. Or anyone else," she added pointedly. "You are an artist, and if Christine is as good as you say…"

"She is better!"

"Then the managers will have to come around soon enough!"

Erik suddenly looked down at her as if seeing her for the first time. "You are crying," he wondered.

"You were scaring me Erik. I hate to see you look like that." She wiped away the tears from her eyes and picked her teacup up from the steps. "I have to go, Erik. I will talk with you later."

She hurried out the passage, leaving Erik to his music.