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Phantom
of the Night
by Michelle
M Pillow
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Paranormal
Romance
Orphaned
at a
young
age,
Lily
Graye is
taken in
by her
aunt and
raised
in the
theatrical
world of
the
Pavilion,
a place
where
every
strange
whim is
normal
and
every
odd
behavior
encouraged.
No one
questions
that
fact
that she
has a
secret
admirer
who
hides in
the
shadows
never to
be seen.
Then,
the
unbelievable
happens.
A rich
patron
makes
himself
known,
wanting
to take
over not
only her
fledgling
career,
but her
womanly
body.
Patrons
are
every
theater
girl's
dream,
only
this one
reminders
her of a
nightmare,
as he
looks
like her
girlhood
crush
come
back to
life.
When
these
two men
capture
not only
her
notice
but her
desires,
even
she, a
born
eccentric
has to
wonder
if life
within
the
Pavilion
has
become a
little
too
strange.
Rating:
Contains
graphic
sexual
content,
adult
language,
and
violence.
EXCERPT
Must
be 18
years
and
older to
read. If
not,
please
leave
the
site.
Theater
de
Passion
PHANTOM
OF THE
NIGHT
By
Michelle
M Pillow
Note
from
Author
Having
grown up
fascinated
with
tortured
lovers
and dark
characters,
I can’t
help but
draw
upon
those
wonderful
tales
when
writing
my own.
Christine
and the
two men
in her
life are
a
favorite.
Which
brings
me to
Phantom
of the
Night….
In a
reality
much
like our
own, the
theaters
and
opera
houses
of old
have
evolved
into a
community
of
actors,
actresses,
singers
and
dancers.
In this
secretive,
private
world of
the
Pavilion,
the
members
of the
International
Acting
Troop
live and
work.
The
theater
is their
life and
the
stage is
their
children’s
playground.
This is
a
magical
place,
where
fantasy
is
everyday
and
today’s
fashions
have no
meaning.
It’s not
uncommon
to see a
man in a
toga
next to
a
Victorian
lady.
Much
like the
turn of
the
century
operas
and
theaters,
this
world is
revered
and
wondered
at by
those
living
outside
its
gilded
doors.
It is
into
this
world I
take
you.
Enjoy,
Michelle
Prologue
The
Graye
Family’s
Home
“M’lady
Sparrow,”
Jude
said,
hands
boldly
on hips.
His dark
eyes
sparkled
with
mischief
as they
always
did,
contradicting
his
arrogant
pose.
Lily
Graye
covered
her
mouth
with her
hand,
giggling
at the
nickname
he’d
given
her when
she was
a baby.
He said
it was
because
she
cheeped
like a
hungry
baby
sparrow.
Smiling,
she
nodded
enthusiastically.
She’d
known
Jude the
whole
eleven
years of
her
life.
When he
returned
the look
with a
grin of
his own,
dimples
appeared
on the
sides of
his
cheeks.
Jude was
much
older
than
her, but
that
didn’t
seem to
matter
in their
friendship.
A
college
student
by
trade,
he had
the life
and
vitality
that
came
from
such an
occupation.
Her
brother,
Jude’s
best
friend,
went to
the same
school.
“This
performance
is for
you,”
Jude
said.
“Are you
paying
attention?”
“Yes,
Lord
Livingston,”
Lily
answered.
How she
wished
they did
live in
a time
of lords
and
ladies!
Everyday
life was
just so
boring
compared
to the
things
she read
of in
her
father’s
books.
“Please
continue.”
Jude
nodded.
“Very
well.”
Lily
listened
to
Jude’s
performance
with
awe, as
he paced
back and
forth in
her
living
room.
His dark
hair
whipped
about
his head
as he
recited
words
memorized
from her
favorite
Shakespeare
play,
The
Taming
of the
Shrew.
He had
an
attentive
audience
in the
Graye
family.
There
were
only
three of
them--Lily,
her
older
brother
Sethan
who was
currently
lying on
the
floor
with his
head
propped
up on a
pillow,
and her
father
Professor
Gregory
Graye
who sat
in his
favorite
blue
chair
with a
doily on
the back
that her
late
mother
had
made.
Lily
didn’t
remember
her
mother,
but
loved
hearing
stories
of her.
The
Grayes
were
close
and Jude
was
around
so much
over the
years
that he
felt
like a
member
of their
family.
Only to
the
eleven
year old
Lily, he
wasn’t
exactly
a
brother.
Jude was
the
whole
reason
she woke
up in
the
morning.
Sethan
teased
her that
it was
just a
girlhood
crush,
but Lily
knew it
was
more.
She was
in love
with
Jude and
someday
she
would
marry
him.
Then he
would
really
be a
member
of her
family.
That day
would be
the
happiest
day in
her
life.
Her
family
would be
complete--for
real.
Mrs.
Lily
Livingston.
Mr. and
Mrs.
Jude
Livingston,
she
thought,
hiding a
smile.
Lady
Lily
Livingston.
Lord and
Lady
Livingston.
Jude
understood
her. His
head was
always
off in
the
clouds,
just
like
hers. He
felt
things--passionately,
deeply--and
he saw
life
through
the eyes
of one
who
understood
the
meaning
of it.
It’s why
he was
such a
great
actor.
He
actually
felt the
character’s
emotions
as if
they
were his
own.
Though,
with
Jude
there
was a
lot of
stiff
competition
when it
came to
females
in his
life. He
was one
of the
most
popular
guys at
the
local
college
and was
never
without
a date.
Lily
didn’t
care.
She knew
in her
heart
that
he’d
someday
be hers.
The
television
was
turned
off,
which
wasn’t
unusual
for the
Graye
household.
Her
father
watched
the news
and
Sethan
watched
sports.
That was
about
it. Who
needed
television
when
they had
books
and
plays?
Her
father
was a
writer,
preferring
the
written
word to
movies
and her
mother
had been
a
ballerina,
a
wonderful
dancer
who gave
up her
career
at the
Pavilion
to marry
her
father.
It was
terribly
romantic
and Lily
knew
that
someday
she’d
have a
romantic
story of
her own
to tell
her
children.
Her
mother’s
sister,
Lily’s
only
relative
outside
her
immediate
family
circle,
belonged
to the
International
Acting
Troop--a
group of
actors,
dancers
and
singers
who
performed
in the
largest
acting
complex
in the
world.
The
Pavilion
was
where
her
mother
had
grown up
and was
a
magical
place
where
everyone
wore
costumes
and
lived
for the
theater.
Aunt
Isabelle
visited
twice a
year and
the
stories
she told
stirred
Lily’s
blood--almost
as much
as Jude
did.
Unfortunately,
her
father’s
job
didn’t
allow
for them
to live
at the
Pavilion
and she
was left
to dream
of
someday
running
away and
joining
the
troop.
Though,
she had
a
feeling
it would
always
be a
dream.
She
loved
her
family
and
would
never
run out
on them.
“You
forgot
two
words!”
Lily
said,
laughing
as Jude
arched a
brow at
her
interruption.
He
stopped,
frowned
and then
nodded.
“You’re
right,
M’lady
Sparrow.
I did.”
“Jude,
we have
to get
going,”
Sethan
said,
rolling
up from
the
floor.
“Oh?
Where
you
going?”
Gregory
asked
his son.
“College
party,”
Sethan
said.
Lily
smiled
at his
honesty.
There
was
never a
reason
to lie
in her
household.
Her
father
was a
good man
who
didn’t
judge
his
children,
only
tried to
guide
them the
best he
could.
“Oh, you
don’t
really
have to
go, do
you?”
Lily
asked,
pouting
her
lower
lip. She
smoothed
down her
knit
dress as
she
stood up
from the
couch,
getting
a little
sick to
her
stomach
at the
thought
of them
leaving.
“Please
don’t go
tonight.
Won’t
you stay
home?”
“Why?”
Sethan
asked.
He
wiggled
his
brows so
Jude
couldn’t
see.
“You
going to
miss
us?”
Lily
wrinkled
her
nose.
She
might be
in love
with
Jude,
but she
wasn’t
ready
for him
to find
out
about
it. The
only
reason
Sethan
knew was
because
he’d
walked
in on
her when
she was
writing
in her
diary
about
it. “I’m
worried
something
might
happen
tonight.
I’ve got
a
strange
feeling.
I don’t
think
you
should
go out.
Please,
stay in
and
let’s
watch a
movie.”
“A
movie?
Are you
sure
you’re
feeling
well,
Lily?”
her
father
asked.
“You
never
want to
watch
movies.”
Lily
ignored
him.
“Please,
Seth.”
“Don’t
worry,
Miss
Lily,”
Sethan
continued
with a
wickedly
mischievous
grin. It
was the
kind of
grin
only a
brother
about to
torment
his
little
sister
could
give.
Lily
tensed.
“If
anything
happens
to me
tonight,
Jude
here
will
promise
to
always
look
after
you.
Won’t
you,
Jude?”
Lily
felt her
cheeks
heat in
embarrassment.
Oh, how
she
wanted
to
strangle
her
brother!
“Huh?”
Jude
asked,
pulling
on his
jacket.
“Oh
yeah,
sure
kid.
I’ll
take
care of
you.
Promise.”
“Swear
it on
your
life!”
Sethan
demanded
with
flair,
pointing
his arm
out as
if he
carried
a sword.
Jude
dutifully
swept
down on
one knee
and put
his fist
to his
heart.
“I swear
to
forever
protect
Lily
with my
life’s
blood.”
“Then I
shall
dub
you,”
Sethan
said,
moving
his
pretend
sword to
each of
Jude’s
shoulders,
“Sir
Jude,
Protector
of Lily
Graye.”
Lily
wrinkled
her
nose.
“You’re
such a
dork,
Seth!”
“So are
you,” he
quipped.
Lily
laughed.
Yeah, it
was
true.
They
were all
dorks
when it
came to
their
imaginary
worlds.
Luckily,
none of
them
cared.
“But,
what if
something
happens
to you,
as
well?”
Lily
persisted,
raising
a brow
to mimic
a look
she’d
seen
Jude do
often.
“What am
I?
Chopped
liver?”
her
father
asked.
Jude
laughed.
“Sorry,
sir, but
it would
appear
so.”
“Oh, all
right
then,”
Gregory
stood,
pulling
a
notepad
full of
writing
notes
off the
end
table.
He
winked
at his
daughter.
“I’ll
just go
to
work.”
“If
anything
happens
to me,
M’lady
Sparrow,”
Jude
said,
coming
up to
her. He
looked
down
from his
impressive
height
and
tapped
her on
the end
of her
nose. “I
promise
to come
down
from
heaven
as a
spirit.
You’ll
never be
rid of
me,
though
you may
beg and
plead
with me
to leave
you
alone--especially
when
you’re
out on
dates
and I
keep
slapping
their
hands
away.”
“Heaven,
eh?”
Sethan
teased.
He, too,
had his
jacket
on and
was
heading
for the
door.
“I’m not
sure
you’re
qualified.”
Jude
laughed.
He
pushed
past her
to
tackle
her
brother.
The two
men play
fought
their
way out
the
door,
not
giving
her a
backwards
glance.
Lily
sighed
and went
to watch
them as
they got
into
Sethan’s
old,
beat-up
car.
“Someday,”
she
whispered,
touching
the cool
pane of
glass
leading
out into
the fall
night.
“Someday
I’ll be
Lady
Lily
Livingston.
And it
will be
the most
perfect
of
days.”
©
copyright
October
2005,
Michelle
M.
Pillow
This is
a work
of
fiction.
All
characters,
events,
and
places
are of
the
author’s
imagination
and not
to be
confused
with
fact.
Any
resemblance
to
living
persons
or
events
is
merely
coincidence.
REVIEWS
"4
HEARTS!
This
reviewer
was in
awe of
Ms.
Pillow’s
passionate
writing
and
prose.
She
literally
takes
you to
the edge
of your
imagination
and then
over it,
to find
a new
place to
explore
and lose
yourself
in.
Theater
de
Passion
1:
Phantom
of the
Night is
one of
her best
works to
date and
this
reviewer
is
highly
recommending
it to
those
who
enjoy a
darker
romantica
and
multidimensional
characters
that
will
make the
reader
sit up
and
notice
them!!!"
"4
ANGELS!
Michelle
M.
Pillow
crafts
another
spectacular
and
moving
love
story.
...I
really
enjoyed
the way
Ms.
Pillow
added
her own
special
touch to
what is
a very
well
known
story....
Ms.
Pillow
excels
yet
again at
what is
the
first in
the
Theatre
de
Passion
series.
This
paranormal
story
has
something
in it
for
everyone:
love,
villains,
a
masculine
and
loving
hero,
and an
intriguing
ambiguity
to keep
you
spellbound
to the
pages."
Reviewed
by:
Sarah W,
Fallen
Angel
Reviews
"A dark
tale of
murder,
innocence,
love,
and
redemption...
you
should
definitely
read
Theatre
de
Passion:
Phantom
of the
Night."
Lee,
Joyfully
Reviewed,
December
2005
"4 1/2
Hearts!
The
author
has
invented
very
vivid
characters
in a
surreal
setting.
The love
story is
gripping
and
there
are many
twists
and
turns in
the
plot."
Maura
Frankman.,
TRS
October
28, 2005
Additional
Book
Information
Amazon
ASIN:B004WDYZZM
Electronic
ISBN:978-1-4524-6484-8
PRINT
ISBN-13:
PRINT
ISBN-10:
Release
Date: April
2011
Available at the following vendors
Eros Ebooks, Smashwords
Print Version
(if applicable)
phantom,
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steamy,
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pillow,
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