Page 90 of Angel's Fall

“We have to move. They’re coming.” Erik grabbed her wrist once again as they continued down.

“Who is coming?” Christine asked breathlessly.

“The police – they’re all over.”

They made a sharp turn that took them into a room that he was sure Christine had never seen before, given that so few people in the Opera knew it existed. The central controls for all the gas lights in the Opera gave the impression of something like an organ, which was why it was called that. And like the other organ far below them across the lake, this one had a ghost to tend it. The figure wearing the black coat and hat along with a white mask turned to them as they entered and sighed in relief.

“What on earth—” Christine gasped as the other Phantom stepped away from the gas organ and removed her mask. “Julianne?”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to dress you. I was needed elsewhere,” Julianne muttered before Christine flew to embrace Erik’s grudging accomplice.

“You helped?” Christine asked, her face falling as she saw the unconscious gasman in a pile on the floor.

“Someone needed to turn off the lights so he could get you away,” Julianne explained. “It had to be the ghost. We’ll be compensated for our work, he promised.”

“You had other help?” Christine asked.

“And now the ghost has to run,” Erik interjected. “Both versions. You remember your task now?”

“Wait until they come in and see the Phantom, then run like hell,” Julianne replied with a determined nod. “Then cast off the costume before walking out with everyone else.”

“Wait, what?” Christine protested as she looked worriedly between the two of them. “You could be killed!”

Julianne squeezed her hand and smiled. “I made my choices. I’ll explain it all one day soon, I hope.”

“Thank you, Mademoiselle Bonet.” Erik pulled Christine away as she gaped at her friend. “And tell her—”

“I will. Don’t make me regret this,” Julianne admonished in return.

“Wait! Who else is involved?” Christine demanded as Erik pulled her out the door opposite the one they had entered. They slipped into a hidden passage, then down. There was no time to talk or explain, only to run, the lantern providing only the most meager of light as they descended and finally slipped into a dark passage. “What is happening?”

“What’s better than one distraction? Two!” Erik laughed. “They’ve been all over all day, so many gendarmes infesting my opera like rats. But I learned from the rat catcher, they can’t resist a bright blazing light! So I gave them one, and some darkness too. Quite poetic, I thought.”

“Erik, how did you bring down the chandelier?” Christine asked breathlessly, and Erik looked over his shoulder and grinned. “Who helped you?”

“I set the charges, according to plan. I just needed someone in the dome to flip the switch. She was happy to help, just like Julianne was. The gendarmes and the firemen will look up in the dome and down at the gas organ for the terrible Phantom and they’ll chase a shadow. Then he’ll disappear, and two women will walk out of the Opera together.”

“Adèle. You gotAdèleinvolved in this too?” Christine gasped.

“She was deeply interested in what I would do to my brother,” Erik assured her, turning back to their dark path. “I don’t know if it was a lie, promising to kill my dear brother. I hurt him already. Not as much as he deserves, but there’s time. Or I hope there will be. They asked me to hurt the Daroga and your new fiancé too, for standing by and making it happen, playing with that monster like he was a loaded gun and then acting so shocked when it went off and hurt someone. I’ll certainly keep that promise.”

Finally they came to a stair, narrow and close, and Erik pulled her down after him once more. Christine cried out as she tripped and faltered at the final step, stumbling into Erik’s embrace again. She was so alive and real in his arms, and the weight of her when he lifted her up was so solid. He didn’t care that the effort made his wounded arm scream or his lungs tight. It was faster this way. He could not have her hurting herself and he could not let them be caught. He would never be caught again.

“Just a little bit further, and we’ll be home.” Erik smiled at the thought of home, even if it was not safe anymore, with detectives and little noble brats on their way down to invade it. They would be so surprised when they arrived. “I know it’s dark. Don’t be afraid.”

Christine made a sound and tightened her grip around his neck. Was it a sob? Was she scared? She had not been scared the first time he brought her below. She had been in this same white shift then, when he had sung to her all of their journey. When he had been an angel leading her to bliss, not the unholy thing carrying her now.

“Siúil, siúil, siúil a ruin. Siúil go socar agus siúil go ciúin,” Erik sang to her softly, feeling her relax even as she heaved another weeping breath.

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It was chaos like Shayahad never seen. The audience streamed from the auditorium in a mad, screaming rush, the only light coming from firemen with their emergency lanterns trying to get in. The police shouted, the crowd pushed, and all the while, the wreckage of the great chandelier smoldered. Shaya could see it all from center stage where he stood. No one had stopped him when he rushed there, they were all too busy with Erik’s perfect disaster of distraction.

Shaya had watched from the stalls as Erik had, somehow, brought down the chandelier, turned off all the lights, and kidnapped Christine right off the stage. Erik the Magician at his most deadly. Shaya had run backstage. He had to find Raoul before the boy went after Erik alone and got himself killed.

“The lights! Bring back the lights!” Shaya heard someone yell and turned to see Firmin Richard rushing through the crowd of dancers and chorus. Philippe de Chagny was beside him.

“Monsieur!” Shaya cried, rushing towards Philippe as the Comte abandoned the manager. “Where is your brother?”

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