Love Never Dies


Act IV: Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh

Christabelle

I wrested my arm from Giles's grip as he towed me away from Aro, Carlo and the rest. We rounded a corner of the terrace, and I swept down the steps into a loggia, secluded and dark.

In that second I realised my mistake.

I gasped and turned around, only to find Giles blocking me, with a distinctly unsavoury leer on his handsome features.

Regardless, I collected my thoughts and my will, and glared at him with everything in me to give.

"How dare you think you can just waltz in here and tell me what to do!?" I started irately. Giles waved me away with an arrogant gesture of his hand. "I will decide what I do and where I go and what duties I perform!"

"You know full well what duties you are to perform. I haven't given up, Christabelle," he informed me pompously, with a smile that told me all I needed to know.

"I don't have the slightest idea what you are talking about!" I snarled angrily, clenching my fists as I felt fury erupt.

"I told you months ago, Christie," he purred, stepping closer, his hands rising to cup my face. I stepped back. I hated being called 'Christie'. "I want you in my bed, and I will have you!"

"I will only say this for the last time, Giles! I do not, will not, and shall not ever grace your bed! That is the end of it!" I crossed my arms, defensively. His face darkened with anger.

"So you go to Volterra? What was the deal, hm? Put yourself in Volturi's bed and he'll take you away from this stinkhole? What's being one man's whore, but not mine?" he scoffed, and I felt that fury take control.

"How dare-!" I was cut off as Giles took advantage of my shocked anger to grab me by the arms and drag me against him. He forced his mouth down on mine, and it was both unpleasant and insulting, that he would try to force himself on me.

With all my strength, I pushed him away. I fisted my hand and with expert aim, I drew it back and let it fly at his nose.

It connected with an almighty crack, and Giles reared back.

It all happened very fast.

Giles was suddenly thrown against the wall, and I felt hard arms twine around my waist, pulling me away. Out of breath, I shuddered as I recognised the touch sending my spine into ripples of desire.

Aro.

"You stupid whore! You silly bitch, you've broken my nose!" Giles was yelling, and I just glared at him.

Then I felt Aro tense, and I looked up and over my shoulder into his red eyes.

They were flickering with an intense wrath, frightening and devouring.

"You, Signore, are not worthy of the title gentleman. Nor do you have any right to defile the clean air you breathe with such disgusting words. They do you no credit," Aro snarled, and I sensed him fighting to hold back his savage urges. It seemed I was looking at something more animal than human.

"Aro…" I breathed, looking up at him tremblingly. His red eyes flickered to mine, and I thought I glimpsed something softening there. Empowered, I put my hand on his sleeve, covering his cold hand. "Leave him. He isn't worth the attention, or your effort. Just leave him like the pathetic creature he is," I whispered urgently, truly frightened now by the sheer bestiality I glimpsed in his eyes.

"For you, il mio piccolo cigno, I will," he replied softly, as I felt my heart flutter.

As I turned to look down on Giles' bloodied face, I felt only relief I had managed to stop Aro from tearing him limb from limb, and for a moment hysterical laughter bubbled up in my throat.

The sight of the poor fool only made me laugh.

"Come, Christabelle," Aro murmured in my ear, leading me away, even as Giles levered himself up, blinking stars from his eyes.

"You won't get away with this, Christabelle! You haven't seen the last of me!" he shouted, and I shuddered in Aro's arms.

"Melodramatic," Aro snorted, and I had to agree.

"What can you expect? This is an opera house…melodrama is what we do best," I replied laughingly, as Aro led me back towards the light and the warmth of the ballroom.


More soon!