Day 14: Iron (Lockwood&Co)

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I jumped, tripped, and landed flat on my face.
Not my most graceful moment, I have to admit, but at least this time my rapier was still in my hand. And I'd landed safely inside my iron circle; bonus points.
"Luce, you alright?" Lockwood called, holding his position at the far end of the attic.
I rolled to my feet and brushed a thick layer of dust off my skirt. Honestly, someone ought to vaccuum up here once in a while.
"A little dusty, but alright," I replied, checking my circle of chains. I'd knocked it askew a bit, so it was more like an iron oval than an iron circle, but it'd still do it's job. I nudged them back into position with the toe of my boot.
"That was close, he almost got you that time," Lockwood observed. Like I needed telling; the wraith had been this close to strangling me with it's dead, broken fingers when I'd leapt across the trap-door to the safety of my chain circle. The hideous apparition had since vanished, probably staying close to its Source. Speaking of which...
"I don't suppose you found the Source while you were over there?" Lockwood asked.
"Uh, well, kind of..."
Lockwood fixed me with his classic 'what did you do?' look. I was far too familiar with that look. Even in the darkness of the attic, I could see the way his brows crinkled and his eyes narrowed.
"Don't give me that!" I snapped. "It's not my fault the Source was a golf ball!"
"A golf ball?"
"Yes, a golf ball, and in my haste not to get Ghost Touched I may have accidentally kicked it through the trap door and down the stairs..."
"Oh my god Lucy."
"Shut up, I could've died."
Lockwood rolled his eyes.
"Alright, I guess we're taking this back downstairs then."
He gathered up his chains, keeping his rapier at the ready in his right hand. I did the same, doubling up the length of iron links and looping them over my shoulder.
"Ready?" I asked, Lockwood joining me beside the square hole of the open trap-door.
Lockwood grinned, teeth flashing in the scant moonlight that shone through the windows.
"Ready."
He jumped into the hole, descending to the shadows of the level below. When his billowing greatcoat had vanished from view, I followed him willingly into the darkness.

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