Chapter 38: In Music to my Haunted Heart

Sorely our souls to each are ever near,
Twain harps that mix one music; for today,
As far in love's high reverie I lay,
One memory of thee, I seemed to hear
Thy voice within my breast — a chord so clear
That as advancing seas the moon obey
So the soul's waters trembled to thy sway,
Thy presence, Sweet, attested by a tear.

O great companionship! Seraphic grief!
O consecration and undying flame!
Shall Sorrow breathe what mystery thou art?
Shall Love find here thy kiss, forlornly brief,
Or speak the sense of worship in thy name
Told now in music to my haunted heart.

"The Abiding Presence" By George Sterling (1869-1926)

Erik's eyes followed the line of Madame Giry's finger that pointed upwards and gasped. A young man seemed to be peering through the room's ceiling, looking down upon the still form of Christine. The man's familiar chocolate brown curls and earthen-hued eyes proved to Erik that this was, indeed, Christine's beloved Papa; the man who had become her Angel of Music. He licked his bottom lip and found his entire mouth had gone dry as dust.

"Are you the angel of which Christine spoke?" He rasped. "Are you Christine's Angel of Music?"

With a reluctance made apparent by his long exhalation of breath, the young man looked away from the still form that rested on the bed and brought his gaze up to meet Erik. Erik found himself looking into eyes that held a well of kindness and sympathy. The young man smiled sadly and nodded.

"Yes, I am. And I am here in order that I might counsel your actions. Christine rejected the evil that lays claim to her soul, but she still needs you to help her. Her trial has only just begun. The child must face the dark deeds performed through her and supposedly on her behalf. Remembering these acts will be painful, but she must face them. She asked for forgiveness, but she knows not what things she has done that require absolution. Your gentle guidance is of the utmost importance. She needs your love and understanding. Do not desert her or she shall be forever lost to the darkness."

Erik blinked and his brow furrowed with annoyance.

"I would never do such a thing. I love her!"

"That is well for she needs all of your love, devotion and understanding. She is well worth it, Monsieur. Never fail to remember this. She is a treasure worth saving."

Erik smiled grimly.

"That, Monsieur le Ange, is a truth that I know only too well, and, it is a truth I shall not ever forget. But, how can I help her? I know not what she has done..."

Madame Giry interrupted Erik's words and spoke in a serious voice.

"I know what the Opera Ghost has done. I will help her to remember. I owe it to her and to you, Gustave. I am so sorry I did not keep my promise and watch over her better."

The young man's smile this time reached his eyes.

"Antoinette, you should not take yourself to task. You had no way of knowing that Christine had taken refuge under the wing of a fallen angel. Lilith can be so charming when she wishes and she wanted Christine. I was but the simple spirit of a man at the time and could do naught, but watch and bide my time. Now, however, I can be of some help. Now, I have some power to control Lilith."

"But, Gustave ... who is this Lilith," whispered Madame Giry.

"You know not the name of Lilith? Come! Come! Some say she is the true first wife of Adam, some say she is the consort of Lucifer. One story tells of how Lilith, while looking through one of her mirrors into our world, came to possess a foolish and narcissistic young girl. The girl's mother bought a mirror as a present for her daughter and hung it in her bedroom. The mother did not know it, but the mirror had a curse set upon it. The mirror once graced the walls of a den of Lilith's demon children. Lilith often looked through the mirror to observe her children in the world of mortals. Wherever the mirror went, the demoness within went with it. Lilith loved to sing and used her voice to help ensnare the girl. The girl spent more and more time gazing at herself in the mirror and listening to Lilith's sublime song, each time drawing further and further into Lilith's web of deceit. Lilith watched every move the girl made. Biding her time, one day Lilith slipped out and possessed the girl through her eyes. Seizing control of the vain girl, Lilith was able to dominate the girl's every move. Driven by the evil of Lilith's wishes, the girl allowed her own baser desires to control her. Driven by Lilith's overwhelming lust, the girl became promiscuous and in the end a murdered whore who broke her parent's hearts. Or, so the story goes.

I, however, believe this poem describes Lilith best."

"Dark is she, but brilliant!
Black are her wings, black on black!
Her lips are red as rose, kissing all of the Universe!
She is Lilith, who leadeth forth the hordes of the Abyss,
and leadeth man to liberation!

She is the irresistible fulfiller of all lust, seer of desire.
First of all women was she — Lilith, not Eve was the first!
Her hand brings forth the revolution of the Will
and true freedom of the mind!

She is KI-SI-KIL-LIL-LA-KE,
Queen of the Magic!
Look on her in lust and despair! ¹"

"Lilith is the Queen of Magic and lives trapped in the Otherworld. The doorway to the Otherworld lies within every mirror. They say that every mirror is a passage into the Otherworld and leads to the cave where Lilith went after she abandoned for all time, Adam and the bliss of Eden. In this cave, Lilith takes demon lovers, who father upon her multitudes of demons. Her demonic children flock from the cave and infest the mortal world. When these demons wish to move back and forth between the Otherworld and the mortal world, they simply find the nearest mirror and travel through it. However, until Lilith can completely possess a human body, one with a pure soul, she cannot traverse between worlds. She remains only a shadow and a voice in our world. She wished to use Christine for that purpose and she would have succeeded, but for ... Erik!"