Death Awakens

Chapter 14

As the days stretched on, the final touches to the opera house were complete. Lila was consumed with orders of businesses, working with Mr. Wellsley to work with the chorus girls and the new dance instructor on the latest addition to the opera that "OG" discreetly left atop of Lila's bed every morning.
He had disappeared, to Lila's knowledge. When she crept into the belly of the Opera Populaire, he was no where to be found, and yet every morning there was a new line, new choreography, new designs for the stage, new costume sketches that made there way into her hands, all signed and sealed by his hand.

His absence was perturbing to say the least, but Lila attempted to erase those worries by again throwing herself into the music that was given to her. The melodies were haunting and as before, there was a mysterious hold that would take over her body. Enraptured by the sound of her own voice, not in vanity but of the power and essence of the notes that Erik had written and the life that her talent provided was inescapable, and for someone who lived for every note and felt the passion of every chord, it was awe-inspiring and magical.
Lila loved the story that unfolded with every aria. She would play a young woman, hopelessly in love with a man that did not know it. So in order to gain his company, she would disguise herself as a man and gain employment and his confidence.

So she practiced, and sang, but now knowing the deep effect of Erik's music, she restrained her voice, magnificent even in its cautiousness, in order to stay lucid, and remain free.

Mr. Wellsley had continued to pay much attention to the "diva" as he called her. Lila would find that sometimes in their musings over the chorus line, he had edged closer to her, an absentminded hand placed on her shoulder, on her waist to guide her through the sets, a lingering kiss on her hand in greeting. Still remembering the unwanted kiss he had put upon her, she tried her best to avoid his company, but it was inevitable that they would see each other; and his company was soothing for a girl who felt completely alone now that her opera ghost had seemingly rejected her.
The other chorus girls swooned around him and his English charm, but he seemed to ignore them and focus his attentions on her.
He would slip flowers in her hair, and trinkets would be paced around the theater for her to discover. When she questioned him about his gifts, he would grin rakishly.

"I am here to spoil, my diva. Anything and everything I have, will be given to you, only that I might hear your beautiful voice, but once," and he would lift her hand to his lips, his hot breath against her hand, followed by a chaste, lingering kiss that would cause her to blush uncomfortably.

In light of his growing public affections to her, Lila found she could no longer sleep. His attentions were unwanted, and they kept her awake at night, until one night finally she removed herself from the chorus girls' room and crept down to Erik's abode.
He was missing as usual, which was a discomfort in itself, but Lila felt at home there in the darkness, and she walked around the rooms, reacquainting herself with his surroundings.
She found herself drawn to the great pipe organ that dominated the center of his rooms. There was fresh parchment on the music stand, notes that she would probably receive the next morning. In her mind, the tune was already forming and Lila found herself blushing at the sensual nature of its dischordant sound.
Much like the unnerving power of "Don Juan," this new piece described passion and sensuality in the most erotic of ways, and the unashamed power of the notes seemed to caress at her skin, and push at the budding core of heat that was forming at the pit of her belly.

Lila looked tentatively around her, as if Erik might suddenly appear from the shadows. When she was certain he wasn't there, she placed one tentative finger on the ivory keys of the organ. The air seemed thrum with anticipation, Lila could feel the power that generated from the instrument. and with an intake of breath she pressed the first note scrawled on the paper. The sound seemed deafening in the stillness of the underground, winced at the booming, pure note that clung and reverberated in the air. She waited a moment, again looking around to ensure that she was alone, and pressed the next note, and the next, losing hesitation as the tone formed around her. She was no musician, her fingers felt awkward on the keys, but the music itself was so alive, that her inexperience did not matter. She hummed, and began to sing the wordless melody, closing her eyes and feeling the notes capture her. Lila's body swayed with the power of the music.
She felt exotic and sensual and intoxicated by its strength. Tilting her head back, and running one free hand down the length of her neck and collar, resting tentatively on the edge of a shoulder and the rise of her breast as she was enraptured in the erotic embrace of Erik's new melody.

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Standing in the cool air atop the Opera House, Erik gazed with steely eyes at the twinkling land scape of Paris. He had been standing there for hours, feet firmly planted on the edge of the magnificent building looking out at the night sky, staying there till the sun had risen, only returning to his home to write the next part of the opera. He left out one page, unsure of where to place it, as its inspiration was from that night when he had witnessed her, in unabashed self-pleasure.
After making his delivery, he would return to the rooftop, watching the city as it went along its daily activities, and then the sun would fall again, and Erik's eyes would take in the lights that would appear one by one in the windows that stretched into the horizon, and he would stand there again until the sun rose once more.

This night, he felt as if his eyes could see into forever. The cool air licked at the skin beneath his cloaked figure, even beneath the black mask that rested upon his face. There was laughter coming from below; Erik's sharp eyes looked down and spotted a drunkard, hobbling around the street, loud in his intoxication. He was probably reeking of liquor and vomit and piss. Erik felt his lip curl at the thought, but still his eyes followed the man that had disrupted the peace of the night. There was another voice that joined him, a woman disheveled and equally incapacitated. Her dress was obviously torn, her hair in wild fire around her head but she seemed not to notice draping her limp figure across the man who had stopped under a lamppost, taking a swig from a bottle he held in his hand.
The woman whispered something in his ear and began to cackle uncontrollably. The man grunted and placed one hand against her breast, pulling the bodice down to free it. Pushing her against the nearest wall, he lifted her skirts and dropped his pants, grabbing two dirty-stockinged legs around him and began to thrust into this woman, to her obvious delight.

Their drunken moans filled the street corner, Erik snarled in disgust at their filthy rutting. Done with this nightly observation, he swiftly turned and re-entered the opera house. At the entrance to his rooms, he heard the deep sounds of his organ and paused. Anger at this obvious trespass washed over him and he prepared himself to murder the damned intruder that would dare intrude on his home, but then he heard the voice and paused, fists loosening as his anger was forgotten.
She was there.

He moved like liquid into the room, and waited in the shadows as he watched Lila seated in front of his organ. Her head was thrown back, eyes clenched shut in ecstacy. One hand playing t he notes of his inspired melody, the other tracing the curves of her body, from neck to breast, to the impasse between her opened legs. Her voice was crooning, purring with the notes, and Erik felt the heat rising from her, his muscles tensing to watch her display of pleasure again.
He took quick strides and covered the distance between them instantly, placing his hands on the keys opposite to her, he began to play the harmony.
Lila was shocked out of her reverie and trembled when she realized his presence, but as the notes continued to surround her once more, she steadied herself, matching the notes of the keys with her voice.

Turning slowly on the seat, she faced him. The mask met her eyes first, and she leaned backwards at the shock of seeing it so closely. Erik's arms trapped her against the organ as he continued to play, but his eyes were boring into her. She felt the heat within her growing and she quivered at the restraint of its power.
She placed one tentative hand against his shoulder, and almost stopped at the ferocity in his gaze at her touch, but he continued to play and she stayed her hand against his body. She moved from shoulder to shoulder, feeling the wide expanse of his chest, focusing her eyes upon her hand rather than look into the steely green fire of his eyes, afraid to lose her nerve.
She traced the hard line of his chin, the muscles that were flexing in his neck as his eyes continued to bore into her.
Another hand, more sure placed itself at the center of his chest, feeling the thundering of his heartbeat and then slid slowly down the muscled ridges of his stomach to the tops of his pants, returning again to his chest.
Her fingers unbuttoned his shirt, running against the smooth skin, tracing the peak hardened nipples and the solid flesh of his muscles, trailing aimlessly against the hard lines of his chest, and then up again to his face.

She was entranced by him, and yet still Erik continued to play, his eyes forcing their way into her soul. She placed both her hands against the side of his head, licking her lips in her eagerness, and she took off the mask.