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.

"How are you doing?" He asked.

I blinked away the fantasy. "I'm healing, the cut is doing alright, no infection." It'd been deep enough to need stitches but it wasn't anything too bad.

"And your eye?" He gestured.

"It's alright, don't worry about me." I gave a crooked smile. "I've had far worse."

His lips pursed, I could tell that that didn't ease his worries. I felt something inside me ache, I longed to go to him, to pull him into my arms and reassure him. My gaze shifted to his disheveled red hair, my hands belonged in that hair. Playing with his curls. I shook the fantasy away again. What was wrong with me!

His gaze shifted outside. "I'm going to get a midday meal going." He turned back to me. "You rest up."

"I can help." I offered.

"You've been plenty helpful, you still got those stitches in your side." He insisted.

My hand went to my waist, a finger tracing the bumpy line through the fabric. Truthfully they were aching. I smiled at him gratefully. "Alright…Thank you."

His gaze softened. "Of course." He stepped carefully towards the butcher block.

I watched him go, my heart thumping wildly. Never in my life had I struggled this hard against my own impulses. I'd had similar urges before but none as intense as this… This was more. A beast had been lying dormant inside of me and now that it had awoken, it was clawing its way to the surface. My fingers buzzed at the mere thought of touching him, my lips parted at the idea of a kiss. Quasi turned and gave me a puzzled look. I closed my mouth and carefully began my trek to my bedroll. How long had I just been standing there looking at him?

I closed the curtain behind me and flopped down. My body felt heavy. I rested my head against the pillow and gazed up into the tower, the bells hovering around me. I knew from the beginning that I liked him more than I liked most people. He had intrigued me from the get go, but this feeling was more. I burned for him, I ached for him.

For so long I'd been living for the boys. They'd been my only priority, what happened to me didn't matter. I'd never considered my future, assuming I didn't have one. but now, I found myself fantasizing. After everything with Ward is all said and done. When I've found peace…where do I want to go, what do I want to do? I didn't have an answer before but I did now. It didn't matter where I went, or what I did. All that mattered was who was with me.

I chewed thoughtfully and gazed up above me. Quasi was stoking the fire, we'd chatted for a bit as we ate our lunch. I did my best to act as I normally would though that was proving more and more difficult. My eyes locked onto the bell Quasi had dropped, I could see some scarring on the sound bow.

"Is there any way to fix that?" I gestured up above me.

Quasi followed where I pointed. "Fix what?"

"The scratches on the bell."

"Oh yeah I can fix that, nothing some polish won't sort out. I'll get Faline good as new."

"Faline?" I raised my eyebrow at him.

His face lit up into a bright blush. "it's uh…it's her name."

I glanced around at the other bells. "Do the others have names?"

"Y-yes they do, there's little Sophia, And the triplets…"

"Triplets?"

"Jean Marie, Anne Marie, and Louise Marie." He answered. "I could introduce you if you like?"

"I would!" I said it a bit quickly but I could tell he was pleased by my interest in his bells. All these weeks I'd been down here and I'd never thought to ask him for an official tour.

"Well when you're finished we can head up." My heart skipped a beat at his chuckle.

I shoved the last bit of bread into my mouth and stood up. "Less-go." My mouth still full.

He chuckled again and led me to the lowest beam. "It's a bit tricky to maneuver up there. If you like… I could help you climb?"

I cracked my knuckles and narrowed my gaze on the beam. "You don't know this, but I'm an excellent climber."

"Is that so?" He teased.

"As a matter of fact it is." I gave him a pointed look. I approached the beam, it may be the lowest but it was still a good 4 feet above me. I crouched and eyed my target before launching myself upwards. My hand just barely touched the bottom. "Crap." I grumbled. I jumped again only to touch the exact same spot.

"Are you sure you don't want help?" He was biting back a laugh.

"No." I shot him a look. I took a few steps back and sprinted at the beam. With a grunt I leapt up and smacked my palm square in the middle. "Dammit." I swore as my feet once more hit the ground. The floor groaned in response. I froze and glanced back at Quasi. "Y'know on second thought…I'll take some help."

Quasi was eyeing the floor warily, his lips pursed. "I'll hit this section tomorrow." He approached me and cupped his hands together. I stepped into them and with barely a heave he flung me on top of the beam.

Then with infuriating ease he pulled himself up behind me. "How are you so good at that?" I grumbled.

He raised a brow at me. "Ines..I've been doing this for 20 years.."

"I know guys that have been doing a lot of things for 20 years and they aren't nearly as strong or nimble as you are." I commented. "You're kind of incredible." The words slipped out before I could stop them. My wide eyes met his.

"W-well I…I don't know about that." His face was beet red.

There was a pause of silence and I mentally kicked myself for saying something so strange. "Which bell is little Sophia?" I changed the subject.

He let out an exhale of relief. "We gotta climb a bit higher, thankfully the rest of the beams are much closer together, you shouldn't have a problem."

"I swear I'm a good tree climber." I grumbled. "Just not so good at climbing buildings…or bell towers I guess."

He chuckled and led the way. Fortunately He was right, the rest of the catwalk was a breeze to maneuver. The beams were much wider than the branches I was used to and the Bells had platforms beneath them. I knew he could maneuver around with ease but it became even more impressive when I attempted to keep up with him. The man could swing around and hold on to the smallest of footholds with ease. To say I was impressed was an understatement. I found myself admiring him as he enthusiastically explained each bell and their tone with passionate detail. I really really enjoyed this side of him.

"Louise Marie's tone is a bit lower than the other two, I use her for formal announcements." He explained.

"Which is your favorite bell?" I asked.

He gazed at me with mock horror. "I could never have a favorite!"

"Oh c'mon, there's gotta be one you look forward to ringing the most." I pushed.

He thought for a moment, his fingers drumming the side of Louise Marie. "Follow me." He said cryptically.

I struggled to follow him as we climbed down, I was not used to being the 'slow' one.. He gestured me forward and my gaze fell onto the biggest bell we'd seen so far.

"This is Big Marie." He smiled widely.

I gazed up at her. She was huge and a bit intimidating. Her bronze was freshly polished and glinted in the setting sun. She was absolutely lovely. "Wow."

"I know." He ducked under her mouth. "c'mon!" He held his hand out to me.

I took it and ducked under the bell as well. The light dimmed into a dull glow beneath us. I glanced up and around at her. "Wow." I said again, my voice echoing throughout.

"She's incredible isn't she?" He remarked.

"She is." My voice and his bounced around the bell. "She's got good acoustics too."

"She does."

"This would be an excellent place to…I don't know..sing a song?" I gave him a pointed look.

—

~Quasi~

"Yeah it probably would be." I gazed fondly at Big Marie. I blinked and swiveled my head towards her when her words finally registered. "Oh no. no no no." I could feel my face heating up.

"Oh c'mon, I bet you'll sound wonderful in here!" She pushed eagerly.

"Ines…" I paused. "I just.. I don't think I can."

Her shoulders slumped and her gaze cast downwards in disappointment. My heart ached at her expression and my sight narrowed on her blackened eye. I chewed on my lower lip nervously, already regretting my next move.

Sucking in a breath and sending a silent prayer for courage, I began to sing.

Bonny hills they sing
My lass is waiting for me
standing by the cliffside
her hair doth shine in the moonlight
The moonlight

My voice reverberated through the bell, echoing back to me in a ghostly manner. I dared not to look at her, I'd lose any and all courage if I did so I kept my gaze downward and continued.

I'm running back home
to the glen we called our own
my heart she lays there
God may she answer my prayer
let it be
may it be
Pray for me

I was beginning to relax, the initial nerves giving way to the flow of the song.

This starlit night
I'll make this right
I've found myself, don't say it's too late
I'll keep her close
love her so
Should her heart still beat
May it find its way to me

Let it be
May it be
Pray for me

I paused for dramatic effect before the final verse.

A sweet sunrise
her grave looks fine in the white light
our glens unchanged
you still wait
I made it love
Only a few years to slow
May I sit beside you
We've got some catching up to do

I ended the song and now the nerves were back. I swallowed them and chanced a glance at Ines. Her eyes were bright and wide, her mouth agape. She blinked a few times, her expression shifting from starry eyed to joyful.

"That was lovely!" She clapped.

"Thank you." I blushed profusely.

"Did you make up that song?" She asked.

"No, no, I heard a traveling Irish Catholic sing it in the church when I was a boy and it stuck with me." I answered.

"It suits your voice perfectly. What are you, an alto?" She marveled.

"Tenor I think." I remarked. "Not quite sure though."

"You should be in the choir downstairs! You'd be the best vocalist." She remarked.

I shook my head at that. "No no, I'm glad to just sing for the bells every so often." My stomach tightened at the thought of singing in front of the churchgoers.

"Well, if you ever decide to join up, I think you'd be great." She appeared a bit bashful at this and my thoughts turned to her comment earlier. When she'd called me incredible. My heart thumped wildly. "Thank you for the song, you've no idea what that means to me." She continued on.

I glanced at her and met her gaze. Her eyes held such warmth, I'd never had anyone look at me that way before. "You're welcome."

There was silence for a moment. My mind drifted once more to her blackened eye. My jaw tightened as the memory of his fist meeting her cheek burst into my mind's eye. He'd called her something, the others had as well…what was it again? Oh yes…

"Why did they call you winky?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes at the mention of the nickname. "I try to hide it with my hair but…" her hands brushed the hair back from her face and held it back behind her head revealing her whole scar. Her marked eyelid was drooped down slightly giving her eye a half closed look.

"It started out as a harmless nickname." She dropped her hair and it fell back into place, forming a curtain over her scarring. "I was so happy when they first started calling me Winky. I thought that meant I was one of them. Ward's crew was small back then, it was just me, Ward, and 3 other guys." She inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. "As time went on though, and the crew grew larger…the nickname became less endearing and more cruel."

My heart ached for her once more. "I understand. I'm sorry for it."

She glanced at me appreciatively. "Thanks." Our eyes held for a while longer, not once did the urge to divert my gaze hit me. In fact, I could stare into her eyes all day if given the opportunity.

She broke eye contact first and gave a dry chuckle. "Honestly it was a bit of a blessing anyways. Being ugly means less attention, makes me a bit less of a target. I mean, not by much, but still."

"You're not ugly." The words slipped out. I couldn't bring myself to regret them though.

Her face reddened. "W-well-"

"You're beautiful Ines."

~Ines~

My heart was beating erratically, and loudly. Surely he could hear it, especially in this echoing bell. I couldn't speak, I could only gaze at him. His expression was at ease, confident even. Like what he had just said was a fact. The sky was blue, Water was wet, and I was beautiful.

His eyes left me and he bent to peek beneath the bell. He sucked in a breath and stood back up. "We should get you down, It's nearly time to ring for afternoon mass."

I nodded deftly, still unable to speak. He helped me to my feet and we ducked under the bell and back onto the catwalk.

"Are you still doing ok on beeswax?" Quasi asked.

My brain struggled to process his question but it got there eventually. "Oh yeah, I'm still good." I patted my pocket where the box sat.

"Good, I just wanted to make sure." He continued on.

Climbing down was easy, Quasi was there to help me when we needed to jump down more than a few feet but I didn't have much trouble. Before long our feet were once more on semi-solid ground. As soon as my feet were planted, he jumped back onto the beam to climb up once again, this time to do his job.

"Wait!" I called out. He stopped, crouched on the beam. His hand raised to grab the next one.

"Thank you…for what you said." I blushed. "No one has said anything like that to me since…" I couldn't bring myself to mention my mom. "I just…thanks."

His gaze softened and he smiled his endearing crooked smile at me. "Of course." He responded before climbing back up into the tower.

I watched him go, my heart beating wildly. I'd been trying to deny these feelings for days but they only grew stronger. Even though every part of me knew it was selfish and dangerous for me to feel this way, it didn't matter. I loved him. With all I had I loved him. I loved his hair, his eyes, his nose, his smile, his laugh, his voice…I loved all of him.

"An eye for an eye."

The sentiment pushed its way into my thoughts. I winced and dropped my gaze to the ground. 4 of his men I've killed. In turn he will kill 4 of the people I hold dearest in this world. Ion and Gordon are already on his radar…I couldn't let him know I loved Quasimodo. I couldn't drag him further into this than he already was.

*BING*
*BONG*

The bells rang above me and I lifted my gaze to the bellringer. His hair whipped around him wildly as he heaved the bell down and rode the rope back up. His face was bright and housed a wide smile.

"He cannot know either."

The thought broke my heart, yet I knew it was the best way. I bowed my head and retreated to my bedroll. I would find a way to get out of this. To free myself and my boys of this situation. Then and only then, would I confess. Until that day though, I will have to love him from afar.