Captivity Defined

Chapter Seventeen

Christine glared defiantly at Erik, her emerald gaze flashing in anger, but in all reality that was the only way in which she could actually defy Erik's... command. She didn't have the choice to ignore his words, nor was she in a position to run away from the situation at hand.

But the last thing that Christine wanted to do was allow him to have this kind of control over her; even though she was definitely in no position to deny him...

"Maybe I should amuse myself whilst you consider your answer?" Erik hissed quietly, his flickering, golden eyes glittering in annoyance as he slowly trailed his finger down her side.

Christine immediately jerked here body away from his touch, causing Erik to shake his head and immediately pull her back to him, his face mere centimeters from hers.

He was so close... She could literally feel his breath on her lips, and an involuntary shudder ran throughout her body, her movements causing Erik to smirk as his golden eyes darkened and let his gaze travel down to her bound feet.

"Oh, my dearest Christine..." he purred, gazing at her through half-lidded eyes as he spoke the words. "Do you crave me like I do you, my beautiful song bird? Do you feel those sparks that ignite between us when I am as close to you as I am now? Does it cause your body to feel hot, as if suddenly you were being scorched by an unseen, yet uncontrollable fire?"

Christine felt her body responding to his words, exhibiting the exact symptoms he had just mentioned. She tried to suppress them, but as Erik's long, skeletal, and yet elegant finger trailed lazily down her jawline and under her jaw, she let out a barely muffled moan; hating herself for how her body was betraying her.

A dark countenance took control of Erik as his golden eyes darkened to a shade of dark amber mixed with flecks of gold. "So you do.... shall I... teach you how to control such feelings, or shall I simply teach you how to embrace them...."

Erik paused, his gaze boring into her emerald eyes, causing her heart to start beating so fast she was sure that it would beat itself right out of her chest.

"You're actions betray you, my dearest, sweet, innocent little Angel..." he purred, his voice dropping in its tone, so that it was simply a mere whisper against her ivory skin.

Christine breathed in a shaky breath, fighting to get control of her body, but it escaped from her fingertips as if it were simply an invisible shadow.

Erik moved his head to the side slightly, his gaze locked onto Christine's as he did so. Staring unblinkingly into her eyes, his lips claimed hers in a slow, controlled fury of passion.

. . . . . . . . . .

Victorina pulled the veil down over her face even more, gazing out the window of the carriage as it passed a newspaper stand. As they flashed by, she caught a glimpse of something on the newspaper that was being advertised that caught her attention. Narrowing her eyes, she instructed the driver to turn around and go back to the stand. Once he had done so, she deftly got out of the carriage, accepting the help of the driver graciously, ignoring his admiring gaze as she walked over to the newspaper stand.

Snatching up one of the newspapers, she eyed the front page headline.

YOUNG SOPRANO DISAPPEARANCE AFTER DEBUT

She quickly read throughout the article, a smirk growing on her face with each sentence that she read.

YOUNG SOPRANO CHRISTINE DAAE HAS BEEN REPORTED AS MISSING SINCE THE NIGHT OF HER DEBUT. THE TALENTED SOPRANO PERFORMED, RECEIVED FLOWERS FROM HER GUESTS AND THEN RETIRED TO HER DRESSING ROOM, BUT IT WAS REPORTED THAT SHE NEVER CAME BACK OUT.