Disclaimer: The Phantom of the Opera does not belong to me (though I think if it were up to him, he wouldn't belong to anyone), only my own characters do.
Author's Note:
To foxgodess07: How will Erik handle this? Read on and find out, you may be surprised.
To Bayley Storme: So you liked that line eh? Personally I still love "I was going to make a sandwich on that counter." Poor Raoul, he was so not prepared for that, but it was much deserved all the same.
To LittleMargarita: Yes, there is much more to Phelon than meets the eye. Read on to find out what the others know about him.
To GigiMusic: Ah, the mystery of the new owner. Read on to find out more about him and what he want's with everyone's favorite Opera Ghost.
Welcome and thanks to xBelekinax and Fineas for adding me to their story alerts. I hope you enjoy the story and keep reading.
Poll Time! Should S'ray tell Christine off once and for all? Yes or no? Let me know, the poll is on my profile!
I've got an urge to do more artwork. Let me know in a review what scene from the story you'd like to see. It can be a fight, something humorous, or something steamy. I will not do Christine kissing Erik, that won't happen in case there are any E/C shippers reading this (there are already enough pictures of that). I'll tally the list and have my guy pick (So be creative so says the guy) the winner.
Thanks to all who have read and reviewed; the more you review, the faster I write the next chapter. Now, on to the next chapter.
Phantom of the Glen
Chapter 29
An Offer You Can't Refuse
"Stop shaking the foundations of my opera house you great scaly menace," Phelon growled, gripping the bars of the portcullis.
"Come and make me," Cyd taunted.
Erik frowned as he pulled a fresh shirt on, that must be the mysterious new owner Madame Giry spoke of in her letters. He would just have to show him who was really in charge of this opera house he thought as he put his black mask back on. "What do you mean your opera house Monsieur?" he asked as he stepped out of his bedroom.
"Mine as in I hold the deed," Phelon answered. "So you're the Phantom, I wasn't expecting a half-goblin."
"Then what were you expecting fang-face?" Brandji demanded as he scampered onto Cyd's back.
"You brought Brownies with you?" Phelon asked incredulously. "Do try to keep the little pests out of my opera house."
"We will go where we please," Brandji declared from his perch of power.
"You wouldn't happen to know where my ballet mistress and Prima Ballerina are, would you?" Phelon asked ignoring the Brownies.
"Again, what do you mean your opera house?" Erik demanded as he walked through the shallow lake and up to the portcullis.
"This may be your lair Phantom, but the building above us is mine," the man hissed.
"And you've no doubt seen the results of not abiding my requests then," he replied smugly.
Phelon laughed. "And I have fought in wars that were waged over women more beautiful than Christine Daae," the Greek grinned. "Trust me, I am always on the winning side in these matters."
"Then why don't you come in here and show us, Mr. Smug," Tavlyn replied.
"You know very well I can't do that, it's against the rules for my kind," he replied looking at the Elf as if he were a tasty treat for later.
Tavlyn only glared back at the Greek.
"And what do you mean by that Monsieur Phelon?" Madame Giry asked as she now joined the others.
"Ah the missing Madame Giry," Phelon smiled. "And where is your daughter, the lovely star of the ballet?"
"She is well," she replied, not wanting to give out any more information than necessary to this man that had somehow found his way down here and managed to evade all of Erik's traps without so much as a scratch.
"I've always suspected that you knew more about the Phantom than you let on, now I have confirmation of that suspicion," Phelon continued.
"She knows nothing of me," Erik hissed, protecting the job of his old friend and her daughter. "I was in fact preparing to return both of them to the opera house when you arrived unexpectedly."
"Really?" Phelon asked skeptically. "I do so enjoy stories, tell me another one. Or you could be a gentleman and invite me in."
S'ray sighed as she rolled over in the bed. Now she could hear Erik's voice among those that were raised outside. It seemed that instead of resting like she should be doing with iron poisoning, she was going to have to be the commanding officer again and break this up before it escalated to the physical level. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Standing, she pulled Erik's shirt tighter around herself and walked out into the main part of his lair.
Gathered in front of the massive portcullis were Cyd, Tavlyn, Brandji, Erik, and Madame Giry. They appeared to be arguing with another individual on the other side. The group parted briefly and she gasped in surprise; there was a vampire on the other side and a damn powerful one at that.
"Miss, are you sure you should be up?" Meg asked coming over to her.
"I have to be, we're all in more danger than you can imagine," the Alve replied. "Help me to the water's edge please."
The ballerina held onto the Elf as they went to the water's edge. "Don't trust him or invite him in!" she called to the group at the portcullis.
"Ah, this must be the Lady Guardian that I've heard so much about at Court," Phelon said looking over at the two women. "I also see that you are well Meg Giry."
Madame Giry looked at Tavlyn and Cyd with an unspoken question in her eyes. Court? What did he mean by that?
"You shouldn't be out of bed," Erik said striding back through the lake to her.
"I couldn't sleep with this row going on," she replied.
"Do you know my name Lady Guardian?" Phelon called from the other side of the portcullis.
"What do you know of this man?" Erik asked as he reached her.
"In private, take me where he won't be able to hear us," she said softly.
Erik nodded and picked her up in his arms. He walked to a velvet drape and they went behind it and out of sight of the rest of the group.
"I'll be here waiting," Phelon called after them. "I have all the time in the world."
After walking down a passage way for a while, Erik pulled on a secret lever and opened a door. They stepped through and he closed it again. "This should be quiet enough," he said and set her down on a chair. "You really shouldn't be up yet love."
"I know, but you don't know what you're dealing with at the portcullis," she said as he lit several candles.
"So tell me," he said sitting opposite her.
"That man isn't really a man, well not a human man anyway," she sighed, wrapping her arms around herself from the chill air.
"Go on," Erik said rising to fetch a blanket and then drape it around her.
"He's a vampire," she replied.
He didn't answer her; he just stared for several moments.
"I'm not joking Erik, this is serious," she said with a frown.
"But its daytime, the sun is out now," he reasoned. "Shouldn't he be in his coffin."
"Not this one; he's old, ancient in fact," she replied.
"But he's just one, surely . . ." he started.
"No Erik, there is never just one of them. They always have their offspring around them and usually several humans that do their bidding without question," she interrupted. "You told me you have all the passages down here booby trapped and yet here he is, unscathed. What does that tell you?"
"That I need to set better traps," he frowned at that realization.
"Love, it doesn't matter how many traps you set, that vampire will always get through them. Your only defense is to not invite him in, if you don't invite him in, he can't enter," she explained.
"But he said he owned the opera, wouldn't that mean he owns what is down here as well?" Erik asked.
"No love," S'ray replied. "This cave is a natural formation from what I can tell; it's not a part of the opera house above us. Also this is your home; a vampire can't cross your threshold without an invitation from you. You, as master of the house, have to invite him in otherwise he has to stand outside the portcullis in the water."
"I see," he said leaning an arm on the table in the room. "What about his offspring and human helpers?"
"The other vampires have to follow the same rules, they have to be invited in," she replied. "Humans, on the other hand, need no such invitation. Can you see how dangerous this has just become?"
Erik nodded, thinking over the situation and what the vampire had said. "He asked if you knew his name and he knew you were the Lady Guardian. How would he know?" he asked.
"He would know from Court," she replied.
"Not the Seelie Court."
"No, the Unseelie Court. This one ranks very high at that court."
"And do you know his name?"
"Yes, he's called Phelon and as I said before he's ancient."
"How ancient?"
"He's seen civilizations rise and fall."
"Atlantis?"
"Among many others, we don't know his exact age."
"So he's powerful?"
"Very and as you can see, he no longer fears the sun. I would wager that he can walk in the light and not even smolder," she said with a shiver.
"And he owns the deed to my opera house," he sighed sitting back in the chair and crossing his arms.
"And vampires are just as possessive as goblins," she smiled.
"Naturally," he smiled back at her.
"So what are you going to do?" she asked.
"What can I do?" he shrugged. "I'll see what he wants first."
"Be careful Erik," she said and yawned.
"But first I am putting you back in bed," he frowned. "You're exhausted and you need to rest for that medicine to work."
"Alright," S'ray sighed, her eyelids barely open.
Erik stood and keeping the blanket around her, picked her up again. He took a different path through the tunnels and came out in his bedroom. Gently, he laid her on the bed again. "I'll be back soon love," he whispered as he pulled the warm velvet bedclothes around her again.
"Be careful," she whispered, opening her eyes a bit.
"I will be, now rest," he smiled and softly kissed her cheek.
"Ah, you're back," Phelon said from where he leaned on the portcullis. "Did you get everything worked out between the two of you?"
"What do you want?" Erik demanded as he strode through the water to the gate again.
"The question should be; what do you want?" Phelon countered.
"I asked you first," the Phantom replied.
"I want a return on my investment," he replied. "And that means quieting this scaly blowhard before he brings this building down around my ears."
Cyd narrowed his steel eyes and puffed smoke from his nostrils in annoyance. "Do not presume to order me around vampire," the towering creature hissed indignantly.
Erik gave the dragon a hard look and turned back to the vampire in front of him. "I believe we can both agree on that," he said. "What else?"
"I want a profit from this venture, unlike the two idiots I bought this place from," Phelon explained. "I've put quite a bit of money into fixing and re-staffing this opera house and I would like to get that back."
"Understandable," the Phantom nodded.
"Now I can go about that one of two ways," Phelon continued. "You can co-operate and benefit as well or I can make sure the lot of you never leave this place alive."
"Threats of that nature are not helping your case," the Phantom replied. "After all, if you're going to kill us, we may as well bring down the house. So it seems I hold all the cards at this time."
The vampire frowned, he knew the Phantom truly did have the upper hand and he didn't like it. "So it seems," he conceded, "for the moment anyway."
"Now the question is; what are you willing to offer the Opera Ghost?" Erik smirked crossing his arms over his chest.
Daklu looked up from his book when he heard the soft thump on the table. "Luniana?" he asked as he looked at the rumpled and heaving Pixie.
The Pixie nodded, still breathing heavily. "Little wings," she panted, "takes longer."
"Let me see if I can help you out," he smiled down at her.
She nodded in assent.
The Elf picked up his glass of water and unceremoniously dumped it on Luniana. She sputtered in outrage and glared at him as she wiped the water from her face. "Now I'm wet too," she scolded.
"But you're awake," he grinned handing her a hand towel so she could dry off. "By the by, what are you doing back alone? What happened to the others?"
"Iron poisoning, S'ray bound with iron by bad man," she answered as she peeled off her wet dress.
"What's going on?" Christine asked as she entered the kitchen, having just risen from her bed.
Daklu held up his finger to quiet her so as to not distract the Pixie. "Does she need the medicine right away?" he asked.
"No, Tavlyn has enough till they get back," she answered throwing the wet dress at the Elf.
Christine blushed at the sight of a naked Pixie talking to the Elf, both acting as if the nudity of the tiny woman was nothing out of the ordinary.
"How bad is it?" he asked.
"Don't know," she said drying herself off. "Tavlyn said she was going to be OK though."
"Good, now what about the others?" he continued going to the pantry.
"Tavlyn and Cyd are fine, don't know about Erik though, haven't seen him since S'ray was brought out to Tavlyn," she explained, wringing out her wet dress.
"I imagine you're quite hungry," he said coming out with a jar of strawberry jam.
"Ooo strawberry!" she squealed in delight. "I love you Dak!"
"When you're done, fly back and let them know everything will be ready when they get back," he said opening the jar for her.
The Pixie ran up to the open jar and stuck her arm into the jam before pulling out a handful and stuffing it her mouth. "I love jam," she chirped happily as she dug into the jam.
"Now how about you? What would you like for breakfast miss?" Daklu asked Christine who still stood in the kitchen, quietly watching the Pixie.
"First I would need a few things from you," Phelon answered.
"Such as?" Erik asked, his face unreadable behind the black mask.
"First I need someone to plan out the opera season for the theatre, Andre and Firmin have no idea what they're doing and my experience is limited to Greek tragedies," the vampire explained.
"You kept those two idiots on after you bought the Populaire?" he asked surprised.
"Yes, they are good businessmen as far as keeping books and such. I've poured over all the ledgers and they're spot on. However, they know absolutely nothing about the artistic side of an opera house," the Greek replied. "And I don't care to mingle with high society and they seem to live for it."
"And what of yourself? I would think that you have a great appreciation for the arts since you bought yourself an opera house?" Erik replied.
"Oh I do appreciate the arts, all of them," he said. "However, my associates and I only know what we like, not how to organize an entire season."
"Very well, what else?" the Phantom nodded.
"Well, to be quite plain about it, rumors of a haunting fill seats. You cannot image how many people will buy tickets just to try and get a glimpse of the feared Opera Ghost," Phelon smiled.
"You are greatly mistaken if you think I will put myself on display for all of Paris," he growled.
"Not what I meant at all," the vampire said holding up his hands. "Just make sure the cast and crew and of course the managers know that there is still a ghost here. Drop a piece of scenery, a glimpse of your cloak disappearing into the shadows, a shadow in box five; you know the sort of thing."
"You said associates," Erik said. "Just how many are there of your kind in my opera?"
"Currently there are four, including myself. My coven consists of seven other vampires total," he explained. "My consort will be arriving from Athens shortly so there will be five of us in Paris. Any other questions?"
"What of Andre and Firmin?" Erik asked.
"Terrorize them as you see fit, but I do need to keep them around to run the place when we're gone," Phelon replied. "As compensation for these modest requests, I will double your salary to 40,000 francs a months."
The Phantom didn't reply, he just narrowed his eyes and contemplated the offer.
"As well as the back pay that Andre and Firmin owe you, with interest of course," the vampire added.
"Go on," Erik nodded.
"You will also have Box 5 reserved for your personal use," he replied.
"And if the patron protests?" Erik asked.
"There is no patron, I own and fund the opera out of my own pocket," Phelon replied.
"How did you find your way down here?" he asked.
"Through the mirror in the diva's dressing room," the vampire replied. "Very ingenious of you to conceal a door in that mirror."
"And how many others of your coven know the way down here?" Erik asked.
"Only myself," he relied. "So what do you say Monsieur Opera Ghost?"
Author's End Note: Don't forget to let me know in a review what scene from the story you'd like to see. It can be a fight, something humorous, or something steamy. I will not do Christine kissing Erik, that won't happen in case there are any E/C shippers reading this (there are already enough pictures of that). I'll tally the list and have my guy pick (So be creative so says the guy) the winner.
And don't forget to vote in my new poll as well!
Coming up in Chapter 30 – An Accord
Will Erik agree to Phelon's bargain? Or will the Opera Ghost have a few demands of his own for the vampire? Will they be partners or enemies? Watch for chapter 30 and find out.