Chapter 12: My Dear Old Friend

*The Next Day*

Evangeline's POV

"Good. Remember to breathe and don't drag the note. Now, we will start the third scale and continue on from there."

My voice lessons resumed as usual and were in full swing as he critiqued me on stuff I needed to work on, gave me pointers on where I was struggling, and praised me for what I did right. After I had sung the third scale from front to back twice, he decided to continue with my training.

"Alright. Now that you have warmed up your vocal cords, we can really get started. Since I've determined that you can switch between mezzo-soprano and soprano, I have found some music that fits within both ranges for you to try. " With that, he picked up three songbooks from the top of the organ and handed them to me. I began to read one of the titles.

"Carmen?"

"You have heard of it, yes?"

"Yeah, it's a French opera written by Georges Bizet."

"Carmen, the main female character of this opera, is a mezzo-soprano, which is in your vocal range."

I then took a look at the other two.

"La Traviata and Lucia di Lammermoor? Aren't they Italian operas?" I asked as I began to flip the pages.

"Yes, they are," He confirmed, "The female leads in both operas are sung by sopranos. Why do you ask?"

"I can't do that!"

"Why not?" Erik asked, confused.

"I'm still struggling with French! How am I going to sing two entire operas in a language that I have no understanding of?"

"I will teach you. It only takes practice. In fact, we will start La Traviata so that you can get used to singing in Italian."

I said nothing. Instead, I nervously tugged the golden-colored cuff on my sky-blue dress (A/N: The dress is on top) as he turned the songbook to the song that he was going to play.

" 'E strano!...Ah, fors'è lui che l'anima...Follie! Follie!...Sempre libera'. Wow. That's a long name for one song." I replied as I finished my cringe-worthy attempt to read the title.

Erik just chuckled at me as he began to play the first few chords. But as I was about to attempt to sing the song, a blaring alarm echoed throughout the entire lair.

Erik's POV

The alarm resonated throughout my abode and was followed by a man's cry for help, which meant one thing.

Someone was in my home.

I abruptly left Evangeline in the music room and headed towards my labyrinth, grabbing my trusty noose on my way out.

I made my way through my dark catacombs, avoiding the traps that I had established in this place oh-so-long ago. I needed no lamp to see where I was going, for I could see as clearly in the dark as an ordinary man could see on a cloudless day, not adding to the fact that I have lived here for years and know every nook and cranny in this place.

As the screams of my unlucky guest grew louder and louder, I could clearly see the form of a man hanging upside down, his leg caught in a trap as it hovered above some spikes.

The man had dark tan skin and his brown beard had streaks of gray coming in. His grayish-brown eyes were surrounded by wrinkles and were wide with fear and then recognition as I came closer to him. His black karakul hat was on the ground next to my foot which matched with his black suit and red shirt that was wrinkled, no doubt from him struggling.

"Erik? Is that you?" He asked, shocked.

"Hello, Daroga."

Evangeline's POV

I was sitting on the bench near Erik's organ as I waited for him to come back. Just then, I heard the sloshing sound of something on the water.

I rushed out the door and saw Erik guiding the gondola back to the house. But then I noticed that he wasn't alone.

Sitting behind him was a Middle-Eastern man that looked as if he was in his late forties or early fifties, staring at me in shock.

Just then, Erik spoke up,

"Daroga, this is Mme. Evangeline McKenna. Evangeline, this is Nadir Khan, an old... 'friend' of mine."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." I said, giving him my hand to shake. It took him a minute before he snapped out of it and gave my outstretched hand a shake.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance." He politely replied, his accent thick. Then, giving Erik a stressed out look, he said,

"Erik, a word in your music room, if you would. Unless, mademoiselle objects.."

"Oh no, go ahead." I replied, "I might as well go to the kitchen since it's my turn to make lunch."

With that, Mr. Khan practically dragged Erik to the room that we were practicing in.

Erik's POV

"How could you stoop so low as to abduct a young girl against her will, and a child at that?!" He hissed at me with misconceived rage.

How typical.

Even when I don't do anything wrong, I am yelled at as if I did.

"First and foremost, I haven't forced her to stay with me. In fact, she has stayed here on her own accord, has full access to the world above, and has been a kind friend to me even when I was not. Second, why should this concern you? You swore to me that you would stay out of my way as soon as we were out of Mazenderan."

"Yes, if you promised to not cause people anymore harm. And by what I have been hearing, you didn't keep your end of the bargain."

"Why should this concern you?"

"Erik," Daroga sighed, "I am concerned because you are my friend and I care about your safety. I do not want you to end up being executed."

"Care?" I gave a sarcastic laugh, "You don't care about me. You only care about yourself!"

"I saved you from an assassination attempt that I had to carry out which was ordered by the Shah himself!"

"Yeah? And if he or any one of his nobles knew that you went against his orders as well as aided me in my escape, you would've been killed on sight if you were even five feet away from the gates of Mazenderan."

Daroga was silent. Then, he asked, "Where is her family? Do they know where she is?"

"I don't know. She just showed up in my lair and has been staying here for two months now. " I said honestly, "And as for them knowing where she is, I don't think that they do. In fact, she hasn't really talked about her family. I'm starting to think that Evangeline doesn't have any. "

He gave a groan of annoyance.

"However, since you are so frightened by the fact that she is living here with me, I swear to you that if she decides to leave me for anything that I might have done, I will not force her to stay."

Daroga gave me a skeptical look.

"You have already broke your oath about not causing anymore harm. Why should I think that you will keep this one?"

I rolled my eyes at him.

"Because, she is my friend and I am in her debt."

Before I gave him a turn to speak, I turned to my organ, my back facing him.

"Good day, Daroga."

With that, I heard him walk away and I was in the music room alone.

Evangeline's POV

I was making chicken alfredo as I heard footsteps heading in my direction.

I turned my head around to find Mr.Khan looking at me with concern.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Oh, forgive me, mademoiselle. I didn't mean to stare."

"It's okay."

There was an awkward pause between us as he stood near the doorway while I was boiling the pasta and sauteing the alfreado sauce and chicken at the same time.

"So, have you and Erik been friends long?" I asked him, wanting to break the silence.

"Well, yes,we have. Erik doesn't really consider our friendship as such, though. Instead, he considers me as an acquaintance." He then paused for a moment or so, then continued,

"Erik has told me that you have been living down here with him for two months now. Has he hurt you in anyway? Are you being held against your will?"

"Okay, whoa. What's with the interrogation? I just met you."

"Forgive me, mademoiselle, but I just want to make sure that you are safe."

I gave him a annoyed look, but said,

"Well, we did have a bit of a falling out the first few days I was here, which did involve him strangling me twice and me punching him in the jaw, knocking him unconscious. But after that, we have formed a friendship. And as for him holding me against my will, I actually have nowhere else to go. My family live in America and that's pretty far away. Plus, Erik was sick and I offered to nurse him back to health."

Mr.Khan stared at me with wide eyes, his mouth slightly open in shock.

"Hey mister, close your mouth before flies get in." I snickered.

He shut it closed, and turned to leave. But before he left, he spoke one last time.

"Please be careful around him, mademoiselle. He can be a bit of a brute, but he means well. Most of the time."

He then left for one of the exits, leaving me to finish the food.

A/N: Well, well, well. Ain't Nadir nosy! How did y'all like the chapter? Speaking of which:

OH MY GOSH!!!!!! 2.49K READERS?! THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!!!

Please comment, vote, and share and I'll see you next time.

M'kay, bye!😁😁😁😁😁