Beyond the Rift ✔ (Completed)

Chapter 31: Aftermath

Alexis

"Is she okay?" I ask Nick who steps out of Halitus' room.

I get a glimpse of her sleeping form. Her eyes are shut and her head is wrapped in thick gauze, her breathing is rhythmic and unhurried.

Nick had decided to bring Halitus back to our base in Redwood. Nick being a water altruist, could heal Halitus, using his essence.

Healing is another property of the water essence, which I have yet to discover. This explains how Nick is the only one on our team, who can create the green potion; Verdant Elixir to be precise. Without him I don't know how we would help Halitus.

It was only yesterday that we had a close call. If I hadn't thrusted Ethan into the car, we would all be toast by now. Azazel is unquestionably the strongest of the three siblings. I am still figuring out how I alerted his arrival. It was like I had a grave intuition.

"She's doing good." Nick answers, while closing the wooden door to Halitus' room. "It might take her two days to heal completely, but, as of now, she is better than before." He jams his hands in his front pockets. His blue eyes reassuring.

"And the marks on her arms? She was electrocuted, wasn't she?" I search his face for an answer. Nick walks to the near dining area and settles on one of the chairs, while gesturing me to do the same.

I take a seat across him and glance at the window. The sunlight shines brightly over the trees. The weather is mildly humid. Time and again, a gentle hot breeze would nudge the bushes and leaves; producing a low ripple that spreads eventually throughout the entire forest. The rustling continues in the background as I look at Nick.

"Halitus knew the consequences, she had taken precautions. This wasn't unexpected for us, we always run into things like this. I want you to know, it wasn't your fault. You were in pain, yet you returned, you ultimately got hold of yourself. You should relax."

He looks at me with concern in his eyes, Nick understood me, but he didn't know that I actually wandered my way in. I did something I was told to avoid. It is my fault, whether he sees it or not.

His eyes suddenly peer around the cabin as if searching for something.

"What is it?" I ask him, when he doesn't speak.

"Did you see Marty?" He responds after a few seconds.

Marty.

Let's add the further thoughts to the list of things that are concerning me at this very moment. I didn't know, whether it is me, who is seeing things or the reality is starting to not make sense for a while now.

Few minutes ago, I remember getting ready to come downstairs to have a word with Nick, when I spot Marty ransacking Nick's room through the slightly ajar door. Like a burglar sneakily searching for a specific item. He seemed to be completely lost in the process, his face was covered in sweat and desperation. He recklessly dropped a few toiletries, while going through Nick's bag pack, all the while silently muttering to himself things like, 'where is it?' 'No, it wasn't here the last time.' I stayed behind the door and watched him grow impatient. I wanted to barge in and confront his actions, but, I decided against it. If he really is helping the tridents and betraying us, I needed someone else to know as well. I wouldn't be able to contain him myself.

"Nick..." I pause. Should I assume the worst? Marty's body language made it clear that he is hiding something. Even at Rowena's, he was missing from the room, when I got the trident's intuition. Maybe he was the one who called them, or was it Rowena? My bafflement made me unaware of Marty joining us.