The Voice of an Angel

Everything seemed to stop. Christine's boldness left as soon as she laid eyes on Erik. Her breathing hitched and her heart began to pound with adrenaline. She wanted nothing more than to drop the knife and run, but any attempt at escape would be made futile. Instead she stared at the man before her. He looked calm, his golden eyes shining in the dim light.

Erik was anything but calm. There were several easy ways to escape the blade, but he did not know Christine. If she did retaliate, it could mean a serious injury for him. Who was this girl who dared threaten his life and why couldn't he take his eyes off her? He watched her every move, intrigued by the fearless eyes that stared back at him.

Soon Christine became uncomfortable with how intense his stare was and let her eyes wander the room. Every few seconds she looked back to see he hadn't moved and that he was indeed, still staring. She realized she would not get anywhere with the knife and her gaze flickered to the one burning candle. She did not have the heart to kill this man, and she would not inflict pain unless she had to. Darkness would help her tonight though, and hopefully she would get away without injury. She would have to be fast for this to work and was thankful that the candle was close. After looking at Erik one more time, she made her move.

The candle was out in an instant, and Christine began to creep along the floor. The plush rug hid all noise, but the creak of the bed would give him away. She couldn't breath she was so frightened. Slowly she reached out to move the curtain, hoping it was a dark night. Her hand brushed the fabric and she froze. A low chuckle broke the silence and Christine whimpered. He was standing right in front of her. "I should have mentioned I can see in the dark."Thinking quickly, she turned to run knowing this might be her last chance. Before she could get two steps though, he grabbed her wrists forcefully. Erik quickly dragged her from the room, having grown tired of their games.

Nadir watched sadly as Christine was pulled roughly down the small hallway. She saw him in his beaten state and immediately took action. Erik was unable to keep a firm hold on her as she violently freed herself. He expected her to bolt for the door, but instead she sank down next to the daroga. "Are you alright?" She whispered, as she helped him into a sitting position.

"Christine." Nadir whispered, his voice weak with pain. "I am so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"

"You broke your promise to me, but-" Erik plulled her up quickly and dragged her to the door, wanting to get this over with.

"Thank you." She said, before she was pulled outside. Erik laughed cruelly. She looked up at him, not caring that water was dripping into her eyes.

"What do you have to thank him for? Without him, we would have never thought you were here!" He quickly mounted his horse before pulling Christine up onto the front of the saddle. He took out a thin rope and bound her wrists. She glared at him with unblinking eyes.

"You are a monster." With that she turned her back on him, welcoming the chill of the rain as a prelude to her punishment. In the back of her mind she thought about Nadir, but Erik interrupted.

"Of course I'm a monster, my dear." She turned once more, not sure she was hearing this. "How kind of you to remind me." Christine honestly wasn't sure if he was being serious. Without warning he kicked his horse, Christine giving a small scream as she slipped on the saddle. She felt herself falling backwards and she struggled against her bonds to catch herself. The cold ground was unforgiving, and she felt the breath leave her lungs in a whoosh. She gasped for air as she tried to stand up. "Damn it!" Erik shouted when she fell from the wet saddle. Erik's horse bucked as Christine let out another scream, and he was thrown from it's back. He looked up from the dirt where he landed to see her mounting his black stallion, and he roared in anger.

Christine heard Erik and took off on his horse in a hurry, hoping she wouldn't fall off again. She held onto his mane for dear life, even though she had straddled the horse as a precaution. With her skirts pushed up though she was no longer protected from the rain and in a matter of minutes she was soaked. Cursing under her breath she urged the horse on, ignoring her chaffing legs.

Michael heard Erik's shouts and rants and rushed outside to see him mounting a horse. "Where is Christine monsieur?" He asked before noticing Erik's personal horse was gone. "Ah, so miss Daae has run off?" He received a glare, before something dawned in those golden eyes.

Erik stared at his servant with disbelief. "Daae? Her last name's Daae?" Michael nodded, not sure why he didn't realize that.

"Yes. You remember Gustave Daae? Christine is his only child, pity really for her to be left in the hands of of that wretch Isabel. No wonder she ran away, am I right?" Michael laughed, glad that Erik had not scolded him for being loose with his tongue. He made the unfortunate mistake of continuing to talk though. "She's very pretty, that's for sure. Her looks put Isabel to shame, don't they-"

"That will be enough Michael. Wait for me here." Erik growled. "Insolent boy." He muttered as he rode away. This was going to be a long night.

"Maman, what are you doing?" Meg asked as she walked in on her mother packing a bag. Madame Giry whirled around in surprise before sighing in relief at the sight of her daughter. She sat down on the cot, trying to regain her breath. She took Meg's hand and patted it softly

"Shh my dear one. I am going to help Christine. Isabel sent someone very powerful after her, and I am very afraid for her." Meg's blue eyes widened at this news. Christine was in danger?

"Can I help?" She asked, hoping there was some way to save Christine from returning to this life. It was simply not fair for someone as kind as Christine to have to endure such cruelties. The woman smiled at her daughter, noting her bravery.

"Yes Meg, you can help me. I need you to keep an eye on things here while I'm away. If anything severe happens that is vital for me to know or your in danger, come to Paris. Go to the opera house and ask for me, alright?" Meg nodded with excitement. She had one more question however.

"Maman, why Paris?" She patted the young girls blonde head and whispered.

"That is where Christine is headed my darling. To sing in Paris, doesn't that sound wonderful?" Meg nodded, safely stowing away this little secret so as not to accidentally share it. "Now my dear, I'll be back as soon as I can. Watch out for yourself around Isabel, and give nothing away." With that she kissed the top of her daughter's head and slipped out the door. Meg sighed and sat down on her cot, basking in her loneliness.

Christine stopped at a little brook, thankful that she had at last reached water. Slowly and ungracefully she slid from the horse's back and placed the reins over a nearby branch. Her hands were still bound, and there wasn't much else she could do. She sank to her knees on the still damp soil, never wanting to get up again. She cupped her hands together, but it still took several tries to get water from the stream to her cracked lips. As soon as the cold liquid reached her mouth, she realized just how thirsty she was. She soon gave up on scooping water with her hands and bent over the stream for easier access. "I will never take you for granted again." Christine said with a sigh as she fell back. "Great, I'm talking to myself now. Nothing like a little insanity to help clear my life up." She groaned, wishing Meg or Madame Giry were here. She had no idea what to do, and she desperately wanted their advice. On the bright side, the rain had stopped finally and she could see there were a few stars left as morning began to light the sky. Exhaustion was making her eyes droop, and slowly she gave into the relief sleep would bring. She wound untie her wrists when she woke up.

Erik pushed on through the night, easily seeing the muddy fresh tracks in the dark. He was furious with the girl for running, but this had made things a little more interesting. So Christine was heir to her father's fortune, and that was why Isabel wanted her back. What little morale he had left was screaming at him to not send her back, but as usual he would not listen. The girl was of no use to him, and she really must learn to solve her own problems. Erik had thought about what Nadir had said about her voice. Though he feigned ignorance, he was now very curious to what kind of voice she had. No doubt her beauty was clouding Nadir's judgment, but there could be some truth to it. "Erik, stop this madness. You are acting on her beauty, nothing more. What interest could you have in a girls voice anyways. It won't change anything, nothing will." Erik's heart ached a little at the truth of this, but he quickly pushed it aside. This was no time to be sentimental and he focused on catching up to the girl.

The blinding sunlight reached Christine's face, and she awoke with a groan after only a few hours of sleep. Her body threatened to succumb to sleep if she stayed still any longer, and she regretfully stood up with difficulty. Slowly she began to untie the rope around her wrists with her teeth, relieved when she was free of it. She felt horrible and sleep deprived, but she could continue traveling if she was careful. The first steps she took made her cringe. She had not ridden in a very long time, and her legs were no doubt bruised. The thought of mounting the black steed again was not a good one, but she was used to pain. She soon found a much bigger problem though. The horse was gone. Her pathetic attempt to tie him up had failed, and she was now without transportation. Christine leaned her head against the trunk in defeat, feeling the world closing in around her. The sound of a bird tweeting grabbed her attention.

A little blue jay sat high in the pine, singing a beautiful little tune. Christine closed her eyes and relished the moment. How long had she waited to hear wild birds sing? It had been years since she had been in the forest, and the music was breathtaking. She saw it's little nest, and her stomach growled in hunger. It had been a long time since her last meal, and the thought of eggs made her dizzy. "No." She said. The climb to the nest was great, and she would not steal eggs for a meal. Instead she longed for the saddlebag on Erik's horse. She filled her stomach with more water before following the faint hoofprints in the dirt.

Christine stumbled through the brush, hot and tired from looking for the horse. It had been a few hours since she had left the stream, and she wasn't sure if she would ever find him. There had been several berry bushes, but they were not ones she knew about, and she feared they were poisonous. A sigh escaped her lips at the sight of a horse chewing on a small plant. "I thought I would never find you." She slowly approached the horse, but he whinnied loudy and pawed the ground. Christine was immediately wary that she was putting herself in danger. This horse looked tired and hot as well, and it was obvious she wasn't going to catch him easily. "Shhh. It's alright, I won't hurt you." Slowly she reached out and grabbed the reins. Immediately he began to pull and snort, and she feared she would lose her hold on him if he kept this up. Christine hummed and patted his shoulder, hoping she could calm him. He grew slightly less frenzied, and she began to sing softly. Even after he stopped fighting her, she dared not stop the song. She sang slightly louder as she reached into the saddlebag with one hand, anxious for any kind of nourishment.

Erik had found her rope at the brook, and noticed footprints. "If she lost my horse..." He growled as he continued to track her. It was already hot, and his black clothes did not help in the morning heat. He pushed through the brush, where he was greeted with the strangest sight he had ever seen. Christine stood next to his horse, one hand on his reins, the other searching through the saddlebag. She was coated in dirt from head to toe, and she was singing. The laughter died in Erik's throat. The sound coming from her mouth was that of an angel. A feeling of bliss pervaded the air with ever note she sang and there was a clarity to her tone that he closed his eyes to relish. His heart began to pound as she began a small cresendo and a feeling of jealousy took over as he realized she was singing to his horse. He wanted her to sing for him, and only him. Never had he heard such beauty, and he longed to possess the instrument which created it. His eyes opened and immediately found Christine. He silently dismounted and began to walk towards her.

Christine nearly screamed as she felt a pair of gloved hands on her shoulders. She tried to flee their grasp, but was held tightly. "Christine." She recognized the voice and cursed her foolishness. Erik could feel her heartbeat through the thin fabric, and unconsiously his grip tightened. He scolded himself for ending her song, but remembered that her voice would soon be his alone to hear.

"Let me go." Christine was growing uncomfortable with how close Erik was standing. He had not made any move for the past five minutes, and she was very confused.

"Never." He whispered, sending shivers up her spine. Something about his voice was enchanting, but even that could not distract her from how disturbed she was. Erik sighed and leaned his head on her hair. Chrstine's breathing hitched, and slowly she lifted her hands to pry his off her shoulder. He quickly spun her around and held her wrists. "How long I have waited for you, Christine." He looked down at the frightened Christine, who struggled against him violently. "Hmmm, this won't do." He held her arms in one hand and pressed on her shoulder with the other. He caught her unconcious form and mounted his stallion. Holding her tightly he called to his horse. "Ride gently Lucifer, we have precious cargo."

I'm really sorry about how long it took me to update. I'm not a huge fan of this chapter and I would appreciate comments and suggestions. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and it really means a lot. :)