The Demon's Child and the Phantom

Chapter 18

Rosella's POV:

I climb out of the boat onto the stone steps with him behind me. I glance at Daroga but the furious look in his eyes makes me freeze, and look down at the floor instead. Daroga starts yelling about the man that Erik killed, before we came down here, and I find myself trapped unable to come to his defense. Once he finishes Erik's reply is calm and quiet, but Daroga's reaction is a mixture of shock and quiet anger to a sudden outburst of him yelling at Erik and then me, asking why we didn't find him and tell him.

I don't respond to the yelling other than freezing in place and staring at the cold stone steps. I hear someone else ask a question and then I feel a hand on my shoulder. I feel myself flinch underneath it before I realize who it belongs to, as I look up and see Erik's face fall. He quickly regains the masked expression of calm that he usually has around others and drops his hand into a fist by his side.

I open my mouth to apologize but I fear other words coming out of my mouth, words and confessions of my love for him, so I don't say anything at all. Daroga and Erik say their goodbyes to each other and I walk back to the surface with Daroga. Erik disappearing into the shadows his fist still clenched by his side.

"Rosella, are you sure you are alright?"

"Yes, Daroga I'll be fine."

He doesn't say anything but I know he doesn't think I am alright and honestly I'm not. We walk in silence to his office and we walk in and see Madame Giry pacing the floor. She looks at both of us before asking what happened. Daroga, much to my gratefulness tells her what happened and why Erik killed him.

I watch as Madame Giry's look of anger turns to surprise, back to anger, to concern as she looks at me. I walk across the room and stand in front of the fireplace, staring into the small flames, as they talk a bit more. As I watch the flames dance, Daroga leaves to handle the press and take care of everything concerning the body. Madame Giry nods to him as he leaves and turns to me just as I feel my knees give out, with me landing on the floor.

"Rosella dear, what's wrong?"

I try to answer her but I can't seem to form the words she needs to hear. My own body is betraying me by not allowing me to keep up the façade that I was ok. The tears that I've been holding back for years have finally broken through the blank mask of strength I created for myself and they begin to spill down my cheeks.

"Rosella?"

"I've never been pretty. Every owner I've ever had has told me so. I'm the Demon's Child."

"Rosella, you are beautiful."

"No, I'm not. If I was maybe he could love me like I love him but he doesn't."

"Daroga?"

"No! Erik!"

"You....you think you love Erik?"

"Yes, I kissed him but he didn't return it or say anything. If I was beautiful like Christine maybe I would have a chance but I don't! And it's all because of my curse!"

I feel myself start shaking as the tears turn into sobs and without realizing it Madame Giry has kneeled on the floor next to me and is cradling me in her arms. I hear her hushing me and whispering things in my ear in both English and French as I sob. I sob for the life I was given, for the torture I suffered by the Gypsies, the abuse from my owners, and from the final heartbreak I could suffer.

After what seems like hours, but was probably only a few minutes, my sobs turn into silent tears and I find Madame Giry wiping the traces of the tears away. I look away as she removes the bandage and looks at the cut before smiling a bit and placing the bandage back over the cut on my face. She takes a second handkerchief out of her pocket and places it in my hand before tilting my chin up to face her.

"Rosella, no matter what you may think you are beautiful and he would be a fool not to love you."

I attempt to smile a bit as I look back at her and see a genuine smile on her face but I can't manage a smile right now. She wraps her arm around my shoulder and we sit in silence for a few minutes, with her wiping away the silent tears that somehow continue to slip from my eyes, as we stare at the fire before someone bursts through the door.

"Maman, did you hear?!? Someone was killed, I know it was him....oh Rosella. I did not know you would be in here."

"Meg, perhaps next time you should knock, and he only killed that man in Rosella's defense. She was being attacked by him."

"What?"

I was attempting to stand and leave the room so I wouldn't have to tell the same story for the third time that day but before I could Meg was already kneeled in front of me. I looked down at the floor and found myself stiffening as I always do, but she gently raises my face up with her hand under my chin. I stare into her perfectly shaded blue eyes, hating my own again, as the tears seem to build again. She looks at the bandage on my face but then I notice her eyes travel down to the top of my dress and I see anger flash through her eyes as she sees the bruises.

"Did he do that before the Phantom stopped him?!?"

I can't answer I just nod silently as I stare back at her wondering how she can look into my eyes, my disgusting eyes, so calmly. Madame Giry looks at what Meg saw and I hear her intake of breath and what sounds like mumbled French curses under her breath. Madame Giry fills Meg in on everything that happened that she knows about and suddenly I find Meg hugging me and telling me everything will work out.

Two people have willingly hugged me today without flinching at my eyes and the thought alone makes me tear up again, but no more fall. Meg finally releases me from the hug and smiles at me. I see questions building in her eyes and I prepare myself for a long afternoon as the first one bursts from her lips.

"Rosella, will you tell us what happened to you?"