Wishing That You Would Be Here

Chapter 26- Intruder

(Christine's POV)

I gave my angel an another kiss, diving deeper and deeper into the sensation. He held me as close as he could and protected me in every possible way. I never wanted to let go of him and forever hear those three beautiful words said in a mere whisper by his unearthly voice. 

This sensation was cut short by a scream, coming from the catacombs and echoing from every wall. It was somebody who got caught in one of Erik's traps all over the deep tunnels. Erik's eyes looked towards the scream and he took his cloak and put it on me. 

"We're going to see who got caught there. Put on the hood and do as I say. I don't want you to get hurt, so when something bad happens, I want you to run away." Erik said while tying the coat around my shoulders. 

"But I can't leave you there..." I whispered. 

"My ultimate mission is to protect you, even if it will cost me my life." He said taking my hand and giving me a quick kiss. Erik took his mask and led me in to the darkness. 

We arrived at the spot, from which the scream came. There, we saw a man hanging by one of his ankles upside down and he had a surprised look on his face when he saw us. Erik gestured for me to stay behind and he came closer to the hanging fellow. He pulled our his sword all of a sudden. 

"Please don't!" I screamed. I immediately then wanted to facepalm myself. Why are you thinking of him killing someone straight away, Christine? 

Erik looked at me, his honey eyes slightly glowing in the dark. "Don't worry. I'm not going to harm him." Erik said with a reassuring tone in his voice. He then cut the rope in half, making the man fall straight on his face. He poked into him with the tip of his sword, finding out the man was passed out. 

"What are we doing to do?" I asked, carefully coming closer. 

"We can carry him to the lair and have him there until he wakes up." Erik stated, taking the man onto his back like a sack and going back home. 

"I have to ask him a few questions and find out what he wanted here." Erik said when he laid the Persian man on the sofa as soon as we got to the lair. I threw myself down onto the sofa opposite them, putting my legs up. "Keep an eye on him and shout at me when he wakes up." He said while searching the unknown man's jacket for any potential weapons. He then pulled out a coil of something strangely colored, which looked like a rope.

The Persian suddenly woke up to Erik standing in front of him with the strange coil of rope and me sitting on in the armchair with my legs on the armrest. He looked at us and our surroundings with numerous questions in his eyes. After a minute of silence he finally babbled out: "Where am I?" 

"Under the opera house." answered Erik matter-of-factly. "You got caught in one of my traps and you were passed out after you have fallen straight onto your face when I cut you down." The man looked at me. 

"You're Christine Daaé, aren't you?" He asked me. 

"Yes, that's me." I answered politely. 

"You are an amazing singer, miss Daaé! I am a big fan of yours!" 

"Woah, woah!" Erik got in between me and the Persian. "That seems like too much affection from the side of yours, emh...monsieur..." 

"It's Nadir." The Persian introduced himself, throwing at us a small grin. 

"Okay monsieur Nadir, could you leave this place as soon as possible?" Erik asked already annoyed. 

"I think that won't be as soon as you think." Said Nadir and Erik gave him a glare that could kill. "That trap of yours kind of hurt my ankle." He said pulling up one of his trousers, revealing a wound. 

"Erik, you can't just send him up there if he can't walk." I whispered to him. He gave me a surprised and an annoyed look. I gave him the 'what can I do about it' look and he responded with the 'okay fine' look.
Aeisha came into the room and surprised, looked at our guest. She meowed and immediately started rubbing her head against Nadir's other leg. Erik gave me the ' no comment' look and went to the room with all of the music instruments to ease his mind from the unwanted company.