Bronze Embers

Chapter 9

"Hammer." Quasi held his hand out, his gaze fixed above us.

"Hammer." I handed him the tool and tried not to look down. This time Quasi had come through the trap door with me. The past couple days we'd been down here repairing the floor to the best of our abilities. Well his abilities, my skill set did not include carpentry. I gave a small glance at his face. His brow was furrowed in concentration, a few nails poking out of his mouth, ready to be used. Sweat was beading on his forehead. I bit my lower lip and resisted the urge to wipe it away. It'd been like this since that first impulse. My body felt magnetized to him, the attraction barely controllable.

After our ride on the statue it'd been a few hectic hours. First we had to fully secure the bell, our body weights combined with the stone woman had been just barely enough to keep the bell from sinking through the floor, the guards had to carefully pick their way across the loft to us, and then help us get the bell back into her yoke. Then came the arrests and statements. The 4 men were hauled out of the belltower, and Phoebus assured us he'd be back in a few days' time. Despite it all, he looked thrilled.

"Hey, why do you think Phoebus looked so strange when he left the other day?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"hmm?" Quasi still had a nail in his mouth but he tossed me a puzzled expression.

"Y'know, he looked...happy?"

Quasi pulled the nail from his mouth. "He'd just made 4 arrests, maybe he was happy to have those guys off the street?"

I pursed my lips. I didn't think so.

Quasi put the nail back between his lips and went back to work. I glanced around us, despite his best effort this floor was still a mess. Beams buckled and splintered, floorboards busted in and missing in some cases. Walking on it wasn't so good either, we had to be very mindful of our feet. My eyes caught a particularly weak spot not far from us.

"I bet I could bust through that section using only my knife." The thought entered and left my mind.

"Well.. I think that's enough for today." Quasi gave the floor a knock.

"Think it's safe to walk on?" I asked.

He didn't answer right away. "I think so?"

I laughed. "I'll go around."

He chuckled and we both stood up. I led the way as we carefully maneuvered the support beam. The trap door was only a few feet away, still... hovered hundreds of feet above the main church, we took our time.

I glanced up through the door into the tower.

"You ready?" He asked.

I nodded and raised my arms. A moment later his hands were gripping my waist and lifting me up above his head. I grabbed onto the floor and pulled my body into the belltower. I grabbed a chain and tossed it down to him.

"One of these times, I'll remember to throw the chain before jumping down." He joked as he climbed up.

I laughed. "One of these times I'll remember to remind you."

With a grunt Quasi pulled himself into the tower, his chest scraped against the floor as he dragged himself inside. He winced, his chest still recovering from the mallet's blow.

I held out my hand to him and he took it gratefully. I don't know how much help I was getting him up, but I suppose it's the thought that counts.

"How's that feeling?" I glanced at his chest.

He rubbed it absentmindedly. "Just sore, it's getting a little better every day though."

My gaze lingered on his hand, my fingertips tingle at the idea of being the ones rubbing him.