Page 11 of Angel's Fall

“Raoul met with the whore,” Philippe answered.

Raoul bristled. “She’s not! There is no way under heaven she has allowed herself to be touched by thatthing! And I didn’t mean to. She was with Adèle.”

Antoine stood (remarkably composed for a man who had just been unconscious) and glared at Raoul. “And what exactly did you discuss with your sweet Christine?”

Raoul gulped. It had seemed so righteous and correct to confront her. She had been wearing a ring from another man! A man who had murdered and destroyed so many lives! “I—”

“What did you do?” Philippe demanded.

“I told her I knew who her angel was. That I knew his name was Erik and that I’d been listening when he took her,” Raoul sputtered, hoping the words would sound less foolish if they got out faster.

“You absolute fucking moron,” Antoine growled, advancing on Raoul like a hungry wolf. “You idiot child!”

Antoine’s hand flew back, and Raoul shut his eyes, bracing for the blow. Instead, he heard a muffled struggle. When he looked, Philippe was holding back his best friend from striking his brother.

“Control yourself!” Philippe bellowed, pushing Antoine back.

“We had one advantage against the monster!” Antoine cried, though he didn’t struggle. “He didn’t know that he’d revealed himself! Now he will!”

“She might not tell him!” Raoul protested. “Christine says knowing his name puts me in danger! She won’t tell him if it means I’ll be hurt.”

“How do you know that?” Antoine sneered.

“He does have a point,” Philippe said. “There’s nothing in how your little bohemian has behaved to indicate she won’t run right to her master and confess all.”

“She promised she’d meet me tomorrow and explain!” Raoul whined.

Philippe looked ill. “And you believed her?”

“You’ve doomed this enterprise before it’s even begun, you ass.” Antoine began to move towards the door. “I see I’ll have to take this into my own hands.”

“If you go near Christine, it will be the last thing you do,” Raoul snarled.

Antoine scoffed. “Rest assured, my besotted little friend, I have no intention of harming her.”

“What are you going to do? Nothing rash, I hope,” Philippe asked. “Unless it’s going to the police like I’ve been saying all along we should do.”

“The police are more useless than this idiot,” Antoine replied. “I have other ideas.” Without another word, Antoine threw open the parlor door to reveal Sabine waiting outside. The blond man’s whole aura changed when he saw her, going from cold fury to oily obeisance as he bowed low. He took Sabine’s hand and kissed it. “My dear lady, I will see you soon.” Then was gone, leaving the whole family gaping after him.

“What on earth is going on? What are you all up to?” Sabine asked. Raoul glanced to Philippe for guidance.

“You needn’t concern yourself,” Philippe reassured her.

“I hope they were berating you about your ridiculous plan to go to the North Pole,” Sabine asked.

Raoul had to think for a few beats as to what she meant. He’d almost forgotten that he had committed himself to the dangerous arctic voyage that left in two weeks, all because Christine had spurned him.

“I’m reconsidering, yes,” Raoul replied, and the way Sabine smiled at the reassurance made his heart ache. “I’ll know more tomorrow. Right now, I just need to rest.”

“That does sound nice,” Philippe agreed. “We will see you at dinner, dear sister.”

Raoul’s head was swimming by the time he was in his room, barely aware how he’d made it there. It was all too much. Too overwhelming. His world kept turning itself upside down and inside out.

Yet he was so sure of what needed to be done. Erik had stolen his father from him. That was a fact. Erik thought he could take Christine from Raoul. That was a fact too. The monster thought he could trap her with the promise of glory and golden rings, once again snatching from Raoul what he cared for most in the world.

Raoul would not let him. He would die before he let that creature have her. That was the thought he kept returning to as he slipped into the oblivion of sleep.

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