Voice Of A Troubled Angel

Chapter Thirteen: Khan

      Erik was going to soak his telephone in acid. It had been ringing for the past two days, at all hours of the day. It woke his angel up three times, and made her look at him confusedly because he wasn't answering it. It woke Christiana up. Disturbing her was unforgivable to Erik. Yes he could just answer it, but usually he was in the middle of something. Like helping Christiana do something after she said she didn't need help. His angel had just been stabbed. She needed help.

   Erik knew he had started to have 'one of those weeks.' Every so often, his behavior would slightly change. Generally due to some major event. His angel was a major event. And he knew his judgement of normal things was slipping. It was not normal to watch her sleep. Nor to want to dip his landline in acid. Nor to contemplate burning his opera for five whole minutes every half hour.

   But he just ignored it. His nerves had taken worse before.

   However, nothing had prepared him for the rudess grand gesture at all. Christiana had just managed to walk up the stairs on her own, and he was praising her, when a very loud banging echoed through the house.

   Erik was puzzled over what was going on. Christiana merely said that someone was knocking on his front door.

  Flying into a rage at such an intrusion Erik left her side and flung open the door, livid.

     Khan was standing outside, in a pleasant mood as always.

   "Good morning Erik."

   "You damned man, get away from my damn house! Damn you!" Damn was Erik's favorite curse. He felt it suited him. His soul was probably damned after all.

   "It's nice to see you too - ah, who is this lovely young - oh my god." Khan was gaping at Christiana, whom he just caught a glimpse of as she peered over Erik's shoulder, balancing on her toes to do so. This was a bad idea as her muscles stretched a bit too far and she stumbled in pain. Erik reached out his arms to steady her. His body was no longer shielding hers from view, though he thought he had left her upstairs, and now see was in full view of Khan.

   The fact that Erik had another person in his house was shocking. The fact that the aforementioned person was female made Khan's heart skip a beat. The concerned, adoring look on Erik's face as his arm drifted behind the girl's back and his hand wrapped around her arm nearly gave Khan a heart attack. Introverted, coldhearted, uncaring, irritable, angry Erik was lovingly helping a woman.

   Khan had to be dreaming. Maybe he crashed his car and this was a messed up dream.

   Did she live with him? If she lived with him how is it posaible he had not killed her in a cold rage already? Was he on drugs?

   "Go away Khan," Erik snapped.

   "Erik," said Christiana, soothingly. Erik, needless to say, grew - begrudgingly  - calm.

   Silence followed, and Christiana decided to be amiable.

   "Hello, I'm Christiana," she said, extending her hand to thr stranger at the door.

   "Khan." Khan choked on his name.

    "Erik," Christiana looked at him with raised eyebrows. She did not want to invite Mr. Khan in since it was not her house, but the man seemed like a nice fellow, and with every second the front door stayed open, heat went out and the icy wind went in.

    Erik had to think about what she would do before stepping aside and letting Khan come in.

   "Nadir Khan, this better be important," he snapped.