A dozen candlelabras lined the walls of the bookstore, gold and silver, with yellow flames casting shadows all over the room. Mr. Cathy hooked up a smoke machine which sent fog drifting across the floor in thick, haunting clouds. None of the guests could see their feet. An old wooden boat stood in a corner, and the piano from the back room had been wheeled to the "stage," which really was just a cleared out bit of space in near the shelves. It was a nod towards the scene where the Phantom takes Christine down to his lair.

   "It's so romantic," Christiana said, when she and Erik walked inside.

    Personally, Erik knew he could do better. Yes, this was nice, but it was just nice. The boat could be made of wood, not plastic, and the chandelier could have crystals, not glass.

    His eyes stopped on the large mirror on the south wall. He hated mirrors. But Christiana was having fun, and he would never dare to dampen her mood.

   Erik looked at their reflections as she gazed around the shop, taking in the details. She stood with her hand in the crook of his arm, as if they were a nineteenth century couple out for a stroll. Her white gown pooled at her feet, the train running behind her. Her hair was up and curled, and her smile sparkled brighter than any of the little gemstones on her bodice. She was the picture of beauty, standing next to him. In the mirror, he looked as he felt - like a normal man. Wearing a mask, his black suit, made complete with the cravat he found in his trunk of costumes, and the loose poet's shirt under his coat. If only she knew of the monster hiding under the surface, hiding in the shadows of his temporary sanity and happiness. It occurred to him he was very much like the Phantom. Deformed but intelligent. And Christiana... she was as beautiful as Christine, surely, but he wondered if she could sing.

   "Ah, here are my stars, monsieur Erik Destler et mademoiselle Christiana Daaé."

   Christiana and Erik turned to see Mr. Cathy dressed as M. Firmin.

   Christiana immediately laughed. "I haven't sung yet, and we don't know if any other Destler's will show."

   Mr. Cathy waved her off. "Phooey. You two are the only ones who put in effort to their costumes. Speaking of costumes, you are to sing one song in about fifteen minutes, Christiana. And Mr. Stanton, you will then go up to the stage with the three other contestants and we'll all take the vote. Now as for the prize -" Mr. Cathy suddenly stopped and seemed to be staring at something behind them.
 
   "What is it?" Christiana started to turn around and look but Mr. Cathy suddenly grabbed her shoulders and pushed her in opposite direction.

   "Anywho, you two should go try the Punjab Punch. Quickly now before somebody spikes it."

   They began walking towards the banquet table and Mr. Cathy took his leave from them.

    "Well I wonder what has him so frazzled," Christiana said.

   "Can't imagine," was Erik's reply. He was too busy staring at her with his unnerving gold eyes.  She was beautiful. You have to form other thoughts than that, that's all you've thought since you met her. He scolded himself.

   Christiana laughed as she watched his internal battle. Then she decided to comment and ask a question. Something about him, something about tonight, the atmosphere and whatnot was making her brave and carefree.

   "Erik, you have very unusual eyes. Do they run in your family? I've never seen gold eyes before."

   Erik was staggered. How could he reply without scaring her? His family....

   "I don't know," he said, thinking quickly. "They aren't always good though. Sometimes they are hazel or green. Kind of freaky."

   "No, kind of beautiful." Christiana knew she said something wrong when his head snapped up. His countenance held shock. She thought his eyes were beautiful? "I- I'm sorry if I overstepped -"

    "No. No one has ever complemented me before. Thank you."

   "Of course," she said, entranced by the intensity with which he was staring.

    But he broke the enchantment as soon as he noticed that Ray fellow across the room, glaring at  them. Unsurprisingly, he was dressed as Raoul de Changy.

   Well this was one time the bad guy would not get the girl.

                            🌹

    Mr. Cathy pranced up to the stage around the time Christiana and Erik were starting a deep conversation regarding gothic European literature. Erik did not like having Christiana taken so soon, and Christiana did not like having to sing. She didn't know any warm ups or exercises, or anything that might help her, and Mr. Cathy was already calling her name.

   She stared mortified at him. Erik, realizing the issue took her hand and squeezed it. "Your singing will be angelic."

   "I wasn't taught by an Angel of Music, Erik. I haven't sung in years," she was shaking and incredibly pale as he started pulling her through the crowd.

   "Well, I guess I shall be your Angel of Music tonight. I am positive you will sing perfectly. Remember if you become afrad that I will be right here. Look for me in the crowd. Now take deep breaths and walk up those steps, preferably without my hand, which you are crushing. Twenty seven bones at least."

   Christiana cracked a smile. "Okay. Thanks Monsieur le Fantôme."

   "Certainement, mon ange de la musique."

   Erik was pleased with himself for rereading the book and watching the movie twice earlier this week. She seemed to like quotes and facts from the  correct sources.

  "Here is our Christine!"
   Christiana walked on stage to a couple hoots and hollers, and a soft applause. She couldn't blame the audience. Some of them probably recognized her and the rest probably didn't think a powerful, angelic voice could come from the tiny girl quaking in her chemise in the stage.

   "What song, Mr. Cathy?" She asked.

   "How about... Think of Me or Wishig You WereSonehow Here Again." He paused. "Unless you want to do the title song from Love Never Dies."

   Even she could not sing that. "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again."

   "Elle chanter !  She sings!"

   Christiana stared at Erik in the crowd, and nearly choked on a laugh as he gave her a thumbs up. She began to sing.

   "You were once, my one companion,

You were all that mattered..."

The entire book store fell quiet. Her voice floated over the guests delicately, silkier than the fog hiding their ankles. Her voice quivered in some areas, but overall, for a girl who never had lessons, she was doing extremely well.

   "Help me say goodbye!"

      Erik's jaw dropped. The sound issuing from her throat to his trained ear was ungodly. It was not of this earth. Or at least, he knew with training it would be ethereal. Her voice was sweet and as lovely as her. Intoxicating, innocent, and divine. The things he could do with her voice... yes, now it was untrained and if he ever sounded like that he'd never sing again, such was the quality of the imperfection. But from the first strains of the song he could tell there was something haunting in the emotion, in the psychological and physical aspects as the chiming noise fluttered through his mind. Eternally, would her voice haunt him.

   When the song was finished, Christiana curtseyed and moved to the side of the stage as Mr. Cathy called up the "Phantoms."

   One of the men was in jeans, so he had no hopes of winning, and the other two had matching Red Death costumes - except both of their masks kept slipping off center and they were wearing sneakers. There were better Christine's, Raoul's, Meg's, and Madame Giry's than there were authentic Phantoms. There was even a Daroga. Erik won and no one expected otherwise.

   "Now you two," said Mr. Cathy, "Since Erik finally has his Christine, what song would you like to sing?"

   "The theme song." Erik and Christiana spoke at once.

   "Okay then," Mr. Cathy turned to the audience as if they weren't just a few feet away and yelled, "Voilà !  Le Fantôme et la belle chanteuse..." he realized his French wasn't a good as he thought. "They'll sing." The crowd laughed.

   "Shall we? Rush back and forth across the stage, me partially dragging you? I should have brought a horse," Erik lamented.

   "I don't know how to ride," Christiana laughed.

    "In sleep he sang to me,

    In dreams he came..." she sang her first part perfectly.

  Erik had a surprise for her, and was really looking forward to entrnacing her with his voice. He didn't care how creepy that sounded, as he would never see her again after tonight.

    "Sing once again with me,

   Our strange duet, my power over you grows stronger yet..."

    Christiana gasped as he sang, shocked by his incredible voice. He could be a singer! What was he doing, doing whatever work it was he did when he could sing like that? She didn't have to try very hard to pretend to be enchanted by him.

   However, the stage was small and both quickly grew tired of him leading her back and forth, so Erik improvised and they began a fast waltz.

   "Sing, for me!"

    "He's there, the Phantom of the Opera! Beware, the Phantom of the Opera!"

  Christiana began her cadenza with every intent to stop at the high C. She purposely started off lower to trick the audience into thinking she was singing the E7. Erik, unfortunately had other plans and kept whispering for her to sing.

   To her shock and slight horror she found her voice rising, she hit an E6, about to rise higher when she saw someone she never expected to see and had to prolong the note as an end because she would break otherwise.

   Her mother was staring at them. Specifically at her daughter dancing in the arms of a man.