Horse King (Phantom of the Opera)

Chapter 12 - The Reason

Alexis's POV:

I sat down on the couch and watched as Richard paced before me. It had taken quite a while to reach Grandmother's ranch. After all we had Iridescent, Ash and Jewel's horse to lead there. Erik had taken us as far as the scrub brush and then disappeared. I hadn't known when I would see him again. I even had seen a tear slip down Jewel's marred cheek. We had arrive home and Grandmother had insisted on calling Richard to tell him how I was. He had insisted on coming over when I really didn't want to talk to him ever. Forgetting he existed was part of my plans. But he had come over and had sat me down on the couch for a drilling. I was stuck and would have to lie as well as I could. I can't lie at all.

He kept pacing before me before saying,

“Alexis, I know that you were with the Horse King. Now, be a good girl and tell me everything you know.” He smiled and sat down beside me, taking my hand in his own. I yanked my hand away and said,

“What makes you think that I was with the Horse King?” He laughed and grabbed my hand back.

“Because no one can live almost one month on their own without help. The rustlers won't help you. The only one left is the Horse King. And besides, you ankle was skillfully bound and you have a pure mustang horse that is completely broken. Now, tell me what you know.” I shook my head and pulled my hand back. I didn't want to touch him. I didn't want to have any sort of contact with him. He would no doubt feel my hand shaking. He glared at me and said,

“You know what you are doing. You are withholding information about a wanted criminal.” I looked at him and said,

“What has he ever done that merited such a title?” He laughed and said,

“I will answer that later. Just tell me where he is.” I shook my head and firmly said,

“I won't tell a soul what I know. And I most certainly won't tell you.” He growled and grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him.

“Why? What did he do to you to make you want to go against the law to defend him?” I sighed slightly and said,

“He cares about Jewel. He is a man. I won't tell on him, ever.” Richard released my jaw and said,

“He isn't a man. He is a monster. And why shouldn't he care about Jewel? She is like his twin. She is as hideous as he is.” He laughed in my face and I slapped him.

“HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT MY DAUGHTER IN THOSE TERMS!?” I shouted. My daughter wasn't hideous. She was beautiful. She was mine. “And why do you hate him so much? What did he ever do wrong?”

“He was BORN! That piece of scum was born and wasn't killed before his first breath. He shouldn't have lived this long!” He stood up and was shouting by the end of his tirade. I just stared at him. He really did hate Erik. I couldn't understand why though. He couldn't help being born.

“Richard, he couldn't help being born! That wasn't his fault.” I tried to talk sense into him. He turned on me and said,

“Maybe he couldn't help being born but he could help the fact that he lived even though Mother tried to kill him.” My mind latched onto what he had just said about Erik's mother. He had referred to it as if they had the same one. I didn't get a chance to ask because he kept talking, “I told Mother I would gladly deal with that piece of deformed trash but she didn't believe in murder! So, I had to watch as she released that monster into the wild. And he lived! The d-mn creature LIVED! HE DARED TO LIVE!” He shouted in my face and I pulled back.

“Richard, are you his-” He cut me off and said,

“Yes, that beast is my blood brother.”