Immortal Darkness (Phantom Diaries #3) (18 page)

“She has absolutely nothing to do with you, with Kristine or with my immortality.”

With an easy hand, Monte pushed Eric off him.  “You’ve had a hundred years to contemplate this day, Eric; a hundred years to consider whose soul I would have to take.”  He lifted his chin in an odd show of pride and dignity.  “I’m a man of my word and I never go back on a promise.  I expect the same from any mortal who dares request the impossible in exchange for his soul.  I’ve been patient, Eric, more than patient.”

“Take me,” Eric said, his tone low, resigned and brave.

“No,” I shouted out as I ran to them.  I reached deep into the open neck of my gown to find my crucifix and held it out to him.  No matter what had happened with Eric, no matter what had happened with him and Kristine, I wanted to keep him from falling into the hands of this evil man, of this devil.  “Eric, don’t let him take you.  Fight.”

Monte turned to me with a funny grin.  “What a brave little soul you are.  Kristine would have been proud.  Then again, Kristine never showed herself to be as brave as this.  Surely she had no notion of bravery.”

I held my crucifix out to him.  He cocked a brow and took a step back, but remained determined and strong.

“Eric is a good man.  He’s a loving and gentle man.  You have no use for a soul such as his.”

“How lovely.  Were I inclined to be moved by such displays of love and affection, I might succumb and allow you two to walk away and lead a life of blessed bliss.”  His eyes narrowed and he snarled.

I took a step back and almost tripped over my own two feet.

“But the love you have for one another has no bearing on me.  I want a soul!  Whether this soul be loved or not changes nothing for me.  I want a soul!”

“You can’t have his.  I won't let you.”

Monte took a step closer.  “That’s just as well, my lovely.  That’s just as well.”  He grabbed a tendril of hair that curled its way down my cheek and pulled me closer.  “His soul doesn’t quite suit my needs.  I like my souls sweet, lovely, pure… innocent.” 

I gasped as I looked into his red eyes.

“My intent has always been to find you, Annette.  It has taken a long time, but you're as close as the incarnation of Kristine as I’ll get.”

“Faust!”  Aaron shouted.

Monte… or Faust as he turned out to be, sneered and gazed sidelong toward Aaron as he bowed his head in exasperation.  “What is it now?” he growled.

My jaw tensed and my teeth ground together.  “Aaron,” I mumbled.  “What do you know about all this?”  I was stunned by his part in this and didn’t know where to turn anymore.

Above us the walls groaned, pipes squeaked and wood boards splintered.  The noise was deafening.  I saw the fear in Aaron’s eyes and glanced back to Chace.  He shouldn’t have come down.  There was no point in him getting hurt with all of this.  If the building fell we would all die.

“Your precious Opera House is calling out for your help, Aaron.  Your place is not down here, but up there.  Why should you waste your time trying to save the soul of a woman who doesn’t even love you; a woman who would ridicule you.”

“You're a shrewd player, Faust, but I’m not falling for it.  I love Annette and I’ll not let you get your filthy hands on her.  Whatever happens to the Opera House happens.  I’ll repair the damages.  I’ll rebuild if I have to, but I’m not going to walk away from this.  I’m not going to let you get away with her.”

“Really?” the devil said.  “You’ll allow the history, the unique architecture, the very soul of the city to crumble… all for the luscious hand of this innocent wench.”

“The Opera House means nothing without Annette… professionally or personally.”

I looked at him, surprised by his determination and touched by his conviction.  I knew he loved me, knew he’d do anything for me.  I wanted to will myself to love him as much as he deserved.  He was such a good person, a good man.  If my head was able to see that, why couldn’t my heart see it?

“Aaron,” Faust said.  “The great Aragon… all you have to do is say the word and the world stops shaking; your world is saved.  All you need say is a quick yes, and everything falls into place as it should.”

“Never.”

“Another chivalrous fool. I should have known,” Faust growled before turning his mocking gaze to Chace who stood frozen in place.

Once again I wanted to tell him to leave, to save himself.  He had no business here.  I knew he wouldn’t listen to me and I had to simply pray this devilish monster wouldn’t touch him.

“What about you, altar boy?  Are you going to want to jump in and save the fair maiden?”

Before Chace could utter a sound, Faust turned his attention back to me.  “My, my… we have been busy haven’t we.  You’ve outdone Kristine gallivanting.  Clearly her blood courses through your veins… and then some.”

I wanted to spit in his ugly face, scratch out his bloody eyes and whip him back to hell where he belonged.

“Chace,” I said in a strong and commanding voice.  “Go through the tunnels.  Turn right at the end and you’ll emerge on the streets.  Just get out of here before it’s too late.”

“No way.  I’m staying right here.”  Though he forced a tone of strength and determination, I heard the questions and doubts in his shaky voice.

“Aaron,” I went on.  “You should go up and save the Opera House.”

“Annette, you know I can’t do that,” Aaron argued. “Don’t you understand?  Don’t you see what’s going on here? My God, I know you're innocent. You're young and your experience in the world is limited, but, Annette, I love you.  You mean that much to me.”

I turned to him.  My heart went out to him as I saw the love in his eyes.  I wanted to weep for the unfairness of it all.  The last thing I had ever wanted to do was hurt anyone and here I was with two men willing to sacrifice their lives while I had little to offer in return.

Ashamed and guilt ridden, I turned a hesitant eye to Faust. Perhaps I didn’t deserve to keep my soul. Perhaps I did have to pay for Kristine’s sins and my own.

“Don’t even think it, Annette,” Eric ordered.  “Kristine is the one who made this deal with him.  She’s the one who offered her soul.  You have no business getting involved in this.”

I looked at him.  I loved him so much.  In that moment I knew I’d do anything for him. “I have every business in this, Eric.  I appreciate your concern, but I’m Kristine’s family.  She did this to you and I want to make things right.”

“No, you can’t.”  The voice wasn’t loud, but it was determined.  Chace stepped up beside us.  “You have to listen to them Annette.  Eric and Aaron are right.”

He stood, tall and strong, but so innocent.  I knew he wanted to do the right thing, to help, but this was so much bigger than he was.  In his hand he held the crucifix I’d given him.  It had been intended to help him should he get into trouble, not get him into trouble as he tried to save me.

“Chace, I beg you, leave, please.  If anything happens to you, I’ll…”

“And how do you think I’ll feel if something should happen to you?  Do you really think I can just stroll out of here and let you… what?  Get possessed by some devil?  Let you give up your soul because of a stupid bargain an ancestor made?”  His eyes became glazed with tears and his grip on the crucifix tighter and tighter.  “Am I really supposed to let you give up your soul so you can save him?”  He shot a glance at Eric.

I could see the pain and hatred in his eyes.

“So, the prodigy has balls after all,” Monte said with a sneer.  “I knew there was a reason I’d enjoyed working with you.  Of course there is the question of your talent… for one so young, you do bring something special to the violin.  But it’s good to see there’s more to you than just that, at least in theory.”  He let out a derisive snort. “Yet, here you stand, so fair haired… so angelic… so inoffensive.  What, really, could you do to help?  Hold up that little crucifix of yours?”  In mock fear, he backed away and held up his hands.

“I mean it, Monte or Faust… or whatever you are.”  Chace held up his crucifix, but his nerves and fear were getting the better of him.

Faust chuckled as one would when a child puts on a brave face.  “You really are a darling boy, Chace, but truly, you're out of your league here.  In fact, I find your situation so dismally discouraging, I think I’m going to enlighten you a bit.” He took a step toward Chace and set a clammy claw on his shoulder.  “I can see that you and Annette are close.  You like each other, right?”

Chace nodded, though clearly he had no idea what Faust was getting at. 

“But while you’re bleeding your heart out for the love of this young woman, she in turn is…”

“What are you doing?” I shouted, suddenly panicked by the thought this devil could so coldly break Chace’s heart.

“Exposition is not always a pretty thing, my dear,” Faust said.  He turned his gaze back to Chace.  “She in turn has spent considerable time close and cozy to Aaron.”

“She was having troubles and Aaron offered to help,” Chace argued, his chin up and his eyes direct as they gazed at Faust.  “It’s the human thing to do, something you’d not be very familiar with.”

“Really?  And what troubles landed her on the kitchen counter poking her tongue into Aaron’s mouth?”

The heat rushed to my face so fast, I thought I’d faint from the sudden fever.  All eyes were on me. Aaron managed to remain calm, but his gaze held the question as to how Faust found out. Chace blanched and his eyes filled with pain and heartache; and Eric… Faust may as well have landed him a firm fist in the gut.  His face was frozen, except for the clenching of his jaw that I could see even in the dim light of the tunnel.

“Having ‘heating problems’ has its conveniences, doesn’t it? How quaint and cozy… having to live under one roof. How easy. How… tempting.”

“Eric, it’s not…” I started, but knew there were no words that could explain.

“Admit it, Aaron,” Faust continued.  “You were more than thrilled when she tore your clothes off and ran her hands over your chest.”

I noted a glint of pride in Aaron’s eyes, but he remained otherwise unmoved.  However, Eric seemed to be losing his cool with every word out of Faust’s mouth.  Not only did his jaw continue to clench, but his fists were now tight and ready to pound something… or someone.

“He’s trying to mess with our heads.  He’s just trying to confuse us all and…”

“Am I really?” Faust said. “Am I the one playing with their heads or are you? You waltzed your tongue around his.”  He pointed to Aaron with a funny grimace on his face.  “Then you turned around, rather quickly I might add, and went out with that fair boy for… what was it?  A pretzel?  A coffee?  An ice cream?  You get around so much, I’ve forgotten some of the details.”

My breath caught in my throat, choking me.  I’d already struggled with my mixed emotions and confusion, but to hear it aloud… play by play.

“And, to round things up, you keep Eric panting for a chance to get closer to you.  And closer he did get.”

“Stop it!” Eric cried out. 

“Hard to hear, isn’t it?  But there’s no stopping me, Eric.  I’m only speaking the truth.  I’m only speaking of what I see in her heart.  Do you see it, Annette?”  He turned to me, his eyes scrutinizing and piercing.  “Do you know what’s in your heart?  Do you know why you run from one to the other, to the other and back again?  Somehow I doubt it.”

“I love them all, quite simply, quite sincerely.  They are all fine men, good and strong, with kind hearts.  Each of them touches a part of me, connects with me.  Together, all three of them, make me feel whole. You have no reason to make me feel ashamed for not knowing what I want.  I haven’t made any promises to anyone.  I’ve never told any of them that I was ready to commit.  The opposite; I made it clear, on more than one occasion that I was not… not ready.  So you can try to weave as much trouble as you like, but the truth is… I was honest… with all of them.”