Page 19 of Angel's Kiss
Christine’s glare hardened again. “Well, don’t make me ask. Go ahead and tell your tale.”
“It’s the ratcatcher that has the head of fire.” He tried not to laugh again at the way Christine went pale. “His kind is employed throughout Paris. He shines a bright lantern on himself. All the rats follow the light, and thus, him.”
“How many is...‘all?’”
“From the experience I had when I ran into him, I would guess it was hundreds, maybe over a thousand. As you can imagine, it’s terribly unpleasant to be caught in his path, all those little claws and tails.”
Christine made a noise of horrified disgust and Erik laughed, deep in his throat. “Erik, that is not funny.”
“Don’t worry, he only comes around in the evenings every few weeks, I’m sure he’s not here today. Well, I’m almost sure.”
“Are you being terrifying on purpose?” Christine demanded.
“As I said: habit. It’s hard for a ghost to change his nature,” Erik replied with a shrug.
“Or you like to scare people because it means they stay away from you and you never have to worry about them running because you’re the one to drive them away.”
Erik gaped at her, laughter evaporating.
“I’m sorry!” Christine amended at once, her face falling.
“No, don’t be,” Erik said slowly. “I am quite unaccustomed to being read so directly. But I certainly deserve it.”
“No, you don’t.” She stepped towards him in the dark and it took every ounce of his self-control not to jump away from her. “I’m sorry. Truly. I shouldn’t be so short with you because I’m furious with Carlotta.”
“And I am sorry for that. I wish I could have done more to protect you. I assure you this is temporary.”
Christine gave a brittle laugh. “Adèle invited me to supper with her, Gabriel, and Cravalho from theComique.” Seething fury flared behind Erik’s ribs at the confession before Christine raised her hands placatingly. “I’m not going. I’d rather eat one of the fish from your lake than sit through supper hearing about a role I may be suited for in half a year.”
Erik sighed in relief. “Well, I guess I shall have to make dinner worth it this evening to compensate.” At that, Christine laughed herself, a surprising, warm sound in such a dark place. “Don’t be so doubtful. What about a roast chicken and prawns with a nice tokay?”
She grinned and shook her head. “I wouldn’t put it past you to be able to make that appear.” She paused, regarding him across the pool of light cast by his lantern. “I have to ask: How do you eat?”
“I imagine the same way everyone else does. The mask is not that inconvenient.”
Christine scowled at him. “I mean – where do you get food? Or anything?”
“Aha.” Erik looked up to the stones above them, where the Opera waited above. “Some things I acquire from the kitchens or elsewhere in the Opera as needed.”
“So you steal?”
“I prefer the term ‘borrow.’”
Christine scoffed. “But how do you go shopping, as you said, with the ridiculous amounts of money youborrowfrom the management? I can hardly imagine you walking into a fine salon to buy one of your lovely silk vests.”
“You don’t think the Opera is the only place in Paris that has an underworld, do you? There’s a whole second city under the ground and beneath the streets. Tunnels and cellars and sewers. You can move from one end of Paris to the other without ever seeing the sun. I can go anywhere from here; from the sewers where Val Jean was lost, to Esmerelda’s court of miracles.” Erik paused at the look of unbridled curiosity in Christine’s eyes.
“Is it dangerous?”
“It depends. The underground is full of thieves and beggars, and many of the others Paris has abandoned and discarded. There are haunted places too; catacombs lined with bones moved from all the cemeteries that were razed in the name of progress.” He paused, waiting a reprimand for his morbid turn, but none came. “They’re beautiful, in their way. Mosaics of bone and memory.”
“Show me.”
Erik cocked his head, dubious. “Are you sure? There are things more frightening than rats in the dark.”
“Is there anything there more frightening than you?”
“I guess that depends on your perspective.”
