I know that it was absolutely terrible of me to leave you all hanging like that on the last chapter.
But it was wonderful to see all of your reactions. :) AnimeFreak2306, yours in particular made me laugh. I was having a really crappy day the other day and then that showed up in my email, and it put a big grin on my face. So I figured that I should probably post and pull you all out of that terrible suspense.
Cheers!
Edit: Why does this keep centering my text? Whenever I save it I have it on the option so that it should put it to the left...oh well. I suppose it's a mystery.
Chapter Eleven
She woke slowly to the feeling of cold water on her lips. She started and immediately recoiled from the dark figure above her, thinking that she was back in the Palace of Justice.
"No," said a hoarse voice, gently taking her shoulders. "Trinity, it's me. You're safe."
She blinked to clear her vision and saw Clopin leaning over her, his dark eyes full of relief, his face slightly blackened with soot. She threw her arms around him with a soft cry, her eyes filling with tears. "Oh, God, Clopin," she sobbed. "I was so frightened, I didn't think that you would get out of there!" She could feel his hands winding into her hair, holding her tightly.
"We almost didn't save you," he said, his voice hoarse, she realized now, from the smoke. "One moment more and you would be back with Frollo."
At his name her arms tightened. She drew back finally, wiping her face on her sleeve. "Is Esmeralda alright?" she asked. "She looked like she was about to go under—"
"She's just waking," he said. "She'll be fine, don't worry." And he pulled her into a bone crushing hug, his lips searching for and meeting hers in a hungry kiss. She never wanted to let go of him, but eventually she did to look at her surroundings. They were in a large round room. The walls were stone and there were makeshift beds of pillows, as well as what looked like stores of food. He saw her looking and said grimly, "The backup Court, just in case something happened." She nodded. She could see Esmeralda on one of the beds, coughing weakly as someone tried to help her drink some water.
"Did everyone else get out fine?" she asked softly. He nodded.
Suddenly a thought entered her head that made her heart hard with dread. "What about Quasimodo?" she said softly.
"Still in the bell tower," he answered quietly. She stared at him for a moment, and then said, "You left him there?"
"We had no choice," he said. "Frollo went immediately there after we took you."
She got to her feet, swaying for a moment. Clopin reached out to steady her but she pushed him away, gritting her teeth. "Show me the way out," she said.
"You're not leaving."
"Yes I am!" She stared at him, her blue eyes dark with fury. "You just – you just left him there, when you knew that Frollo was going there! Who knows what he's done to him! We have to save him!" She looked around desperately for the way out, but Clopin took hold of her arm.
"Stay," he pleaded softly. "Please. I promise you, we'll bring him to safety. But it's too dangerous for us to be on the streets right now. There are guards everywhere looking for us."
"Clopin's right," said a hoarse female voice. For a moment Trinity didn't recognize it and then she realized it was Esmeralda. "If I could, Trinity, I would be with you to get him right now." The gypsy's black hair tumbled over her shoulders as she leaned forward slightly to cough. "But Frollo will have his men looking all over the streets, especially for you."
Trinity felt deflated. "But—but he's my brother," she whispered. "I can't just leave him. He's the last of my family." Nothing registered in Esmeralda's eyes at this, and Trinity knew that Clopin had told her. She was glad of this; she didn't feel like explaining it all to her right now.
"We'll save him," Clopin said determinedly. "But first we all have to rest. We're waiting for Phoebus to come and tell us what happened after we left. Perhaps then we can try."
She nodded wearily and sat down again on the pillows, drawing her knees up to her chest. Clopin kissed the top of her head and walked away, towards a group that was speaking in low tones, and her eyes followed him and then trailed past, catching sight of the young girl who had escaped first and presumably set the rest of them free. She smiled faintly, seeing the man who must be her father put his arm around her shoulders. Then, feeling exhausted, she curled up once again on the pillows and fell into a deep sleep.
When she woke Phoebus was standing against the wall, talking to Clopin, his once merry face deathly serious. His blue eyes locked on to hers for a moment, his golden brows pulling together in a frown, and he excused himself from Clopin and headed her way. The joker turned to watch for a moment, gave Trinity a tight smile, and then disappeared into the crowd.
"I'm glad to see they got you free," Phoebus said as he came closer, his voice grave. "I was worried they might miss you."
"Quasimodo?" she whispered.
His face darkened, and he crouched beside her. She pulled her knees up to her chest to rest her chin on them, her eyes fixed on his face as she waited for his response. For a moment he studied her, his usually sparkling eyes cloudy. Finally he answered, and when he does Trinity felt no hope, as she had wished she would. "He's alive." His face plainly said that he would not expand, and Trinity's heart sank. "But hurt," she whispered, her voice hoarse with worry. "How hurt?"
Looking uncomfortable, he cast his glance across the room.
"How hurt?" she insisted, reaching out to grab hold of his arm. His gaze returned to her face and he said hesitantly, "He's been flogged, Trinity."
It was like the blood in her veins froze as she stared at him. Anger sent the blood coursing through her body again, thawing the cold and instead filling her with a pulsing heat. "He flogged him?" she said, her voice low and deadly. She got to her feet and lifted her cloak from the pillows. Phoebus jumped to his feet and put his hands on her shoulders. "What are you doing?" he demanded.
"I'm going," she said. His fingers tightened but she ducked out from under them, clasping her cloak closed at her throat. Eyes followed her towards the door, but only a few stepped forward to stop her.
"Trinity, stop this madness," Clopin said, his voice sharp but worried as he grabbed her wrist. She spun, her eyes narrowed, to glare at him; surprised at the dead fury in her eyes, he dropped her wrist.
"I can't let him continue with this," she said. "He's tortured my brother for twenty-four years, Clopin, and I'm sick of it! He should not have been allowed to hold the city in fear for all these years. Everyone is always looking over their shoulders, afraid that he'll condemn them! He's the condemned one! I need to save Quasimodo, and I will not let anyone stop me!"
Her voice had risen to a shout and she glared around at all the staring eyes. Without another word she spun on her heel and marched out the door.
