The Demon's Child and the Phantom

Chapter 32

Erik's POV:

I stare at the exposed white skin of her back, her arms, and her legs, all illuminated by the light of the moon and the stars above us and then I find myself choking on my words. All along her back, her shoulder blades, and her arms and legs are burn scars of crosses and whip lashes. Dozens of them litter her pale soft skin, more than even the ones that cover my body, and I see why my words upset her as much as they did. I feel myself stand and walk over to her. I gently put my hand on her lower back as I trace the scars, each one the same size as if done with a branding iron.

I hear her sharp intake of breath as I trace each one before I pull her nightgown back up around her to cover her front, then I gently turn her around. I make sure the gown doesn't fall as I stare into her eyes, but something else caught my attention. I gently trace two more scars above her collarbone, watching tears build in her eyes as I do. Her eyes that were blank before are now are filled with such pain that it makes my own soul burn in agony with her. If I could find the souls that inflicted these wounds on her I would make them pay hell in return for her pain.

"Rose, I did not know. H-how?"

"The gypsies liked to show people how a cross would burn the Demon's Child. They would heat a branding iron in the fire, hot enough to burn and scar but not hot enough that the audience could see it was hot. I got at least one a week, they wanted to do it every day but Florica stopped them. The darker ones are the oldest, they were done two or three times at least. They ran out of skin and went over healed ones again."

"Mon ange, mon pauvre ange."

"Your angel?"

"Yes mon amour, you are my angel. My love and I can only dream of your forgiveness as I was wrong, you are so beautiful. You and your scars are beautiful."

I kiss her gently on the lips before turning her away as she laces her gown back up. I take her hand into mine as we walk back towards the stone bench and then I notice the scars on her upper wrists showing from the sleeves of her nightgown having risen. I now know that those scars cover her arms all the way from her wrists to her shoulders, and each one makes me think of another torturous way for her tormentors to die should any of them ever cross my path.

We again reach the stone bench and I pull her into my chest, pushing the sleeves of the gown up as I do. I kiss each scar that I see as I work my way up her arms. She starts to pull away and I stop worried that I may have hurt her in some way. I notice the tears lingering in her eyes as she looks at me, her face blank again.

"You don't have to kiss them, you weren't wrong, they are horrid and monstrous just as my soul must be, scarred in a way that would surely scare the devil. Just as Malik said they would be."

"No mon ange! I was wrong and that bastard had no right to ever comment on your beautiful body. Your scars, just like you and your soul, are beautiful."

I saw tears start to fall from her eyes as a blush rushed across her cheeks and she smiled at me. I drew her gently into my chest as her soft hand traced gentle circles on my unmasked cheek before I bent down to capture her lips with mine once more. Whatever Erik had done to deserve her may never be clear, but she was surely heaven sent for me. I felt her draw away after a moment only to open my eyes and find her staring at me once more, a hesitant question seeming to linger in her beautiful eyes.

"What is it my Rose?"

"May....may I see your scars Erik?"

"Is seeing my face not enough horror for one night Rose?"

"I see no horror in your face Erik, I see only the man I love. I....I just want you to trust me with all of you as I have trusted you with all of me."

I freeze as I look in her eyes and see how serious she is right now. I slowly nod before she puts her robe back on, glancing at me as she sits next to me now on the bench, rather than in my lap. She starts to bite her lip as she looks at me before looking down at the roof of the opera house blushing. I stand and slowly take off my shirt, exposing my hideous body for her to see.

I look down in shame with tears in my eyes as my angel walks up to me. I see her tracing the scars with her eyes and I see tears form in those perfect blue and red crystals of hers. I turn away from her and hear her gasp as she sees my back. Now she will run from me I know. I feel the feather-light touch of her hand run along a few of the more prominent scars on my back her breath hitching as mine does. It isn't until I hear her voice again that I turn back to face her.

"Who did this to you?"

I turn back to see insanity swirling in her eyes but as her body seems to shake with anger at what was done to me. I grab her gently into my arms and bring her to my chest, running my hand through her hair carefully and I attempt to whisper soothing words to her before she pulls out of my hold and looks back at me with the insanity still swirling strongly in her beautiful eyes.

"Answer me. Who did this to you?"

"Shhh love, let it trouble you no more. Many of them are dead by my own hand, others by time."

"They all deserve to rot in a pit for all eternity. How could they do such a thing to you?"

"Shhhh little flower.......I'm here now with you and no one will harm us again."

I finally felt her shaking subside as she looked up at me with a sparkle in her beautiful eyes that I had grown to know meant she was happy. I put my shirt and cloak back on before I scooped her into my arms as a light laugh seemed to leave her mouth, before she laid her head against my chest and snuggled closer to me as she breathed in a deep breath. I would never understand how she could do that as I knew all my clothes had a lingering smell of the tunnels and the damp darkness yet she acted as if she enjoyed my scent.

I carried her back to her room in silence, one that was lighter than any silence I had ever known. It wasn't until I had shut the door and looked back down at her I realized she had fallen asleep in my arms. The smile grew once again on my face as I walked as quietly as I could over to the bed and laid her down under the soft covers. I had planned to slink back to my own chambers to compose if sleep would not take me but before I could even leave her side, her hand grabbed onto mine.

"Erik.....please, don't leave me tonight. The nightmares.......they always come back when I've gone through a flashback or opened up to someone, they......please just don't leave me tonight."

"Shhh my Rose, I will not leave your side if that is what you want. You should not feel ashamed my angel, for I am usually the same. Perhaps we can keep each other's nightmares away tonight."

I watched as she looked up at me and met my eyes in the darkness of the room, squeezing my hand in agreement as she moved over on the bed. I took my cloak off and tossed it onto the side of the mirror before I took my boots off and slid into bed next to her. I felt her hands trace their way up my chest then my neck before they stopped at the mask. I felt her tense for a moment, fear seizing me at the thought of her afraid of my face even though she said she wasn't, before I saw her eyes meet mine once again with anything but fear in them.

"I would have you remove this as well Erik, but only if you're willing."

"Are you sure you want to wake to such a horrible sight as my face Rosella? It looks worse in the light of day." (E)

"I doubt that Erik, for I can imagine no better life than waking to see your face every day for the rest of my life. May I remove it for you?" (R)

I was frozen even as I felt a sense of warmth flood my body. Tears started to grow in my eyes as I nodded to her question and her soft gentle hands removed my mask. I felt her lips on mine as tears started to slowly fall from my eyes before I felt her pull away from me. In the light of the single candle that was still lit in the room I saw her staring at my face with a smile on her face. She placed my mask on the side table that was next to the bed before she turned back to me. I then felt her soft gentle hands again tracing my face in all its deformity. I closed my eyes and allowed my mind to believe that for once I was just a normal man and a smile made it's way onto my face as my mind let me imagine this just this once.

"So strange, yet beautiful. Perhaps you were wrong, perhaps scars show what a beautiful soul someone has." (E)

"I will never know what I have done to deserve such an angel as you Rosella." (E)

"Nor I you. Goodnight my love."

"Goodnight, my Rose."