In My Darkness: La Chatte Noire

Chapter Six: Argument

Chapter Six: Argument

A month had passed since Le Chat Noir had been arrested. Camillé stayed in the underground with Erik, occasionally prodding him about his future opera star, but only getting bits and pieces at a time. He often asked her about her past; she neglected to tell him the things that were most important, infuriating him to no end, but she told him enough to learn more about her. As strange as it would have seemed to the people of le Maison d'Opera, he was actually a quite a kind fellow – to her, at least. They got in arguments, yes, almost yelling fit to bring la Populaire down upon their heads, but neither had ever physically hurt the other – whether or not they had threatened to was another story entirely. It might take a while, but one of them always approached the other with an apology, they would reach a mutual understanding and life would return to normal.

Camillé continued delivering his notes for him. Often, she knew what they said and approved of some of them, but definitely not all. When she was honest with herself, she thought that he was rather bossy. Of course, she hadn't mentioned that to him. When it came to delivering his notes, she was always silent, fast and efficient... which was not always how Erik worked. For the most part, the difference went unnoticed. However, Madame Giry had finally decided that the time for him to explain why he was not answering her when she tried to speak to him was long past due. She stormed down into his lair unannounced – though they had heard her coming and Camillé had hidden, deciding she didn't want to chance being recognized and turned into the gens d'armes.

"Monsieur, what is going on?" she demanded.

Erik cocked his head as he stopped playing his organ and turned to face her. "I am playing my organ. Surely by now this is no surprise."

"That is not why I'm here, and you know that. I have been trying to speak to you, yet you never answer me! What has come over you? Am I suddenly not in your confidence?"

"You are, Madame, I assure you. If you were not, you would not be here," he reminded her, with a look that told her she could not argue with him.

"Then why don't you answer me when you deliver your notes?"

He stayed silent for a moment. "I... have not been delivering my notes."

"Then who has, if not their writer?" she snapped, irritated that he was being so foolish.

"His cat. Camillé?" he called, and a scoff issued from somewhere in the cavern – she had picked up his ability to throw the voice – that made her jump.

"Must you?"

"Yes, ma chatte. Come out now."

Giry watched in shock as a woman of around twenty walked out of the swan bedroom and into the main cavern. She stepped slowly down the incline and back up the steps to stand beside Erik. Her long, dark down hair was pulled back in a ponytail, her dark eyes appearing black from her distance. And her clothing! Tight, black riding trousers, boots, and a loose, black pirate shirt that was laced far too little, in Giry's opinion. This woman was... sultry, at best! Why in the world was she here?

"Erik, who is this?" Madame Giry asked.

He nodded at the woman, and she took one step forward before bowing quickly. "You may address me as Camillé, since quelq'un (someone)already said it," she hissed the last part, kicking Erik's leg with her right foot.

"You never told me that you did not go by your real name," he justified, and she glared at him.

"You didn't get that impression when I let you continue to call me by my work title for a month and a half?"