Bronze Embers

chapter 12

Chapter 12

Ines POV

My eyes searched Ward's steely gaze, my breaths escaping me in shallow gasps. I waited for the sting or the burn of pain. I'd never been stabbed in my center before, Maybe I'd mercifully die before having to feel it.

Ward's face broke into a smile. My breathing grew more panicked. He leaned into my ear, I didn't have it in me to shrink away.

"Next time, I'll use the pointy end."

My gaze dropped down to my stomach, The butt of Ward's knife was pressed to me, the slick blade itself pointing upwards. My horror reflected back to me on its shined surface. "Wh-What?" I whispered

Ward opened his mouth to speak, perhaps gloat, when a heavy metallic snap stopped him. Devastated howling and the sounds of metal groaning tolled behind us. Ward's face fell and for the first time since we were children, he was afraid.

I followed his gaze. Ward's men rushed around in a frenzied panic, they shouted and grappled and groped for any tools to aid them, anyways for them to one more regain the upper hand. In the center of it all was Quasimodo. He'd broken one of his chains. The one that constrained his uninjured arm. His gaze was on Ward, a dark murderous look on his tearstained face. His nostrils flared and he winced as he lifted his good arm and tugged at the other chain, with a snap, it too broke.

Men flitted about trying to contain him, trying to chain him once more. The remains of his bondage were now his weapons. Long lengths of fetters trailing behind him. As soon as someone made an attempt, he whipped his line out sending them sprawling back. His gaze never left Ward as he did so.

Ward stumbled off of me, his eyes darting around searching for his sword. I'd never seen him so terrified, and Quasimodo was closing in. Ward turned to face him with nothing but the knife.The knife he'd used to 'stab' me. Quasi glanced at the blade, his features contorting in rage. He raised his mighty fist, the chain tightly gripped in his palm.

"QUASIMODO." Phoebus's voice boomed from his chest, powerful enough to echo off the walls of the belltower. Ward's men halted, their gazes shifting to the loft entrance.

Quasi hesitated. The chain still raised high above his head. I had never seen him so fearsome, so menacing. He didn't glance at me, his hardened gaze still focused on Ward.

Ward used this opportunity to scramble away. Phoebus's men rushed in, chaos broke through the tower. Rogues and guardsmen playing cat and mouse, scrambling in a frenzy of dirty tartan and shiny armor.

Phoebus himself got hold of Ward, whose face had melted into one of defiance. Phoebus pinned his arms behind his back, shouting out commands to his men as he did so.

"INES!" Quasi's voice was panicked. He knelt by my side, his hands patting my stomach in a frenzy. " Please, not her, please god." He whispered.

"Quasi." My voice was small. I cleared my throat and placed a hand over his, stopping his pat down. "I'm alright."

His gaze met mine, disbelief etched in his features. "H-how?"

"He didn't use the pointy end."

I mirrored Quasi's confusion, I had truly thought that my ending had come, that Ward had decided to get rid of me once and for all.

My gaze shifted to Quasi's injuries. I deftly reached a hand up to touch his bruised eye. He jerked away from me.

"Don't, I'm fine." He murmured.

He wasn't. His right arm was stabbed at the shoulder. Blood drenched his torn and frayed tunic. His face was swollen and bruised, his lip broken and his nose bleeding. Cuts and bruises littered across his whole being, his legs, his torso, his back and arms. I reached out to touch him again but he shifted away from me.