Page 76 of Angel's Fall

“At least they’re together now. Grandmama will be so happy to know.” The venom returned to Antoine’s face as he placed both rings in his pocket, causing Erik a fresh surge of rage at all this man and his kind had stolen from him. “Is this what you were stealing that night?”

“It was. You were there?”

“Yes. I was the one who encouraged Father to hire you for the party when we heard your name. I wanted to see the monstrous bastard I’d heard of for so much of my life.”

“You knew about me?” Now this was one thing Erik had not expected. Antoine nodded. “Interesting. I had no idea you existed until three days ago. Maybe it’s four. You must forgive me for losing track of time.”

“You never wondered if he had an heir, or other bastards?” Antoine asked with something that passed for genuine curiosity.

“I tried to not think about what other ill-begotten offspring my father could have foisted on the world,” Erik answered honestly.

“Well, he thought of you often. So did I.” Antoine looked over Erik discerningly.

“I hope I don’t fall short of your expectations,” he intoned as his brother’s eyes grew soft and thoughtful.

“Father loved to compare us when I disappointed him – which was often.” Erik noted the way Antoine tensed, like he was bracing himself for a blow that would never come. “He’d be drunk or angry – or both – and say something about how his monstrous bastard was less of a useless failure than me. Between the lashes from his belt, of course.”

“Am I supposed to pity you?” Erik sneered. “Because your father struck you before throwing you back into your gilded cage? You poor thing. It must have been wretched.”

“Nothing compared to what you suffered, I’m sure,” Antoine replied with a lack of malice that left Erik temporarily speechless. “Still. I had my trials. He drove my mother into an early grave too.”

“Sounds like him,” Erik intoned carefully.

“One night, I finally got him drunk enough to reveal what he did to your poor mother.” Antoine shook his head with a sigh. “Grandmama told me more, years later. Oddly enough, it was after she had agreed with Father about cutting me off. From the money, that is. She said I was too much like my father and if I wasn’t careful, I’d damn myself too. That’s why you’re in the goddamn will. Did you know that? The estate goes to the first born.”

“As if that matters to anyone,” Erik scoffed.

“It matters to her. Still does. She’s still alive – Grandmama.” Erik blinked in surprise. In his mind the one relation who had shown some hope for him had passed away years ago. “She thinks you’ll come back someday. So she can apologize. Can you imagine? Meanwhile, my efforts to bankrupt my share of the estate are going swimmingly.”

“Again, do you expect my pity?” Erik had to admit, despite his venom, that he was fascinated by the man in front of him, now that they were speaking. This new brother was a monster, just like their father, but so... familiar.

“Do you know what’s worse than wanting a thing?” Antoine asked back wistfully. “When you want a thing, it’s just this distant dream. But when youhavethe thing – like you having your way with that Daaé girl – and then lose it? That’s worse.”

“I will see Christine again,” Erik seethed, hate surging again that this lout dared to compare the two of them.

“Only through prison bars or smiling up at you while you walk to the guillotine. Though now that I consider it, I don’t know if I want such a fate for you.”

Erik blinked, thrown back into reality. “What?”

“It’s different now, after really seeing you. I feel this pull in my blood. Don’t you feel it too?”

“I feel a lump on my head, a gash on my arm, and the serious need to piss, but no pull,” Erik jeered back.

“What if I told you I was grateful to you – for ridding the world of our monstrous father?”

“Honestly? I wouldn’t be surprised,” Erik said, for the briefest moment seeing himself and not his father in the man across from him.

“You did the world a favor when you knocked that lamp into those rags and kindling.” Antoine smiled, oblivious to how Erik froze at the words. How did he know... “I imagine it felt wonderful to leave him yelling your name.”

“Not the word I would use.”

“I’m going to bandage that now.” Antoine nodded towards Erik’s arm. “I’ll need to undo one shackle. I trust you aren’t interested in killing your own flesh and blood again. Or running off into broad daylight.”

“You’re placing a terrible amount of trust in me.” Erik watched as Antoine took out the key to the chains and did what he promised. Erik’s right arm fell from the chains and his brother did not take his eyes off of him.

“If you kill me, you prove you’re a monster.”

Erik smirked back. “No one needs proof of that.” He whipped around the chain that held his other wrist as he kicked Antoine’s legs out from under him. In a heartbeat, he had the cold links of iron around his brother’s throat.

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