Beyond the Rift ✔ (Completed)

Chapter 40: Dire Deal

"What?" My speech is unclear; however, Nick hears me and holds the stone in front of my face, which is glowing red.

"There was never a spell to open the cage, Alexis. The only way our master can be freed is when a Sephilim uses this crystal to open the gates of his cage."

My brain freezes and my body goes numb. I feel like I missed a step while walking down a flight of stairs; ultimately tripping down a black hole. The forest gets silent. Where are we anyway?

"Now, be a good girl and use the stone to open the cage or else I'll break all your bones. That way you will still be able to open the cage only you will be way more pathetic than you are now." Practically, after he delivered those words, the metal cuffs that are holding me hostage, disappear from around my wrists. 

Nick takes my limp hands and places the warm stone between my palms. He clasps it exactly the way Asmodeus had done in my dreams. 

"No!" My voice is low, regardless my tone stays rigid.

"What did you just say?" Nick dares me to repeat myself.

"I said No!"  

"I meant what I said earlier, I will..."

"I heard you the first time." I cut him off. "Still, my answer is no. Do whatever you must to release your Spineless Master!" I bark into Nick's face, who doesn't flinch. 

But, Azazel stomps at me. He is on the verge of slicing me in half when Nick puts his hand out, commanding him to stop. 

My heart leaps to my throat at the sight of his sharp glinting sword. 

"Duma." He calls Ramiel's twin, "Get him here."  

At first, I couldn't comprehend his words. Regardless, Duma wrenches out a lifeless body from behind a huge tree trunk and heaves it to the forest floor before me.

The boy's body collapses like a puppet suddenly released of their strings. His clothes battered and torn. Bruises and cuts covered his visible skin.

He is facing away from me; however, his hair twists my guts. The platinum blonde hair is ruffled with dirt and blood. My breathing turns shallow as thoughts rush to my empty mind. 

Azazel kicks his face and the boy rolls over his back. 

Marty!

"No!" I feel the pain even before I saw him. Trembling, I hastily crawl towards Marty's motionless body. 

"Marty!"I burst out in tears as I take his bashed face in my lap.

There are 3 deepgashes across his face. One of them slicing his lower lip. The others acrosshis nose and right cheek. He is bathed in blood. The wound on his face isgrave, but nothing compared to the one ripping his abdomen.

At this point, theshirt only functions as a blotching rag. My hand quivers as I drift them overthe body. My wails are getting louder, but I didn't care. Marty's blood is allover my white top, but it didn't matter.

How could I eventhink of him betraying us?

He always cared for others. He saved Ethan and me from the leviathan. He fought endlessly to protect everyone. He forgave his dying father and agreed to save him too.

Why should such a noble person meet such an end?

My lips quiver as I hold his head against my chest. The tears roll down my face like a stream of hot spring.

"Peaches?" I feel my chest vibrate with the word. The meek husky voice is like music to my ears. My heart swells as I look down at Marty's smiling face. It hurts to see his tongue soaked in blood. The gashes begin to bleed again.

"Yes!" I run my fingers through his silky hair as my tears dribble down my chin and on his blood soddened shirt. "Hey, you'll be fine alright. We are going to get you better. you'll be fine. Just hold on." 

"Hey. You have the most alluring pair of brown eyes I've ever seen." He slowly lifts his injured arm and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. His words make me chuckle while I sob. Why would you say that Marty?

"You are bleeding." He attempts to sit upright but I hold him back. "Who... who did that?" He winces in agony while holding my arm.

"We are all going to be okay..." In an instance, a powerful grip on my arm yanks my body away from Marty, making him tumble to the ground.

"No!" I yell on top of my lungs as I struggle from Ramiel's grip. "Get off me!"

"Enough!" Nick silences me and approaches towards Marty. He signals Duma to get Marty back on his feet.

She brutally clutches the back of his collar and forces him to stand upright. Marty's legs are wobbly; however, he looks like a jacket thrown on the clothes rack; boneless and formless. 

"To be straight, Marty here admires you like a Labrador admires his master. I'm getting, you already knew that." He walks up to me. "He fought against us for you. The result is before your very eyes. If you don't do as we say or try to trick us, Duma will spare no time in ripping his head off! This, I won't repeat again." He scowls at me. 

What am I supposed to do?

I swore to keep Asmodeus locked up in his cage. If he is freed, all of mankind will suffer. He won't spare a single soul. There will be no difference between hell and earth. He will bring despair and destruction. And, the world will eventually end.

But, on the other hand, Marty is my friend.

I have watched him grow in these past few months. He would lighten up our troubled day. Keep everyone cheerful and happy. He fought for us, tried to keep us safe, got injured several times in doing so.

He wanted to prove his loyalty to the altruist. He wanted to make his family proud; erase the blemish on the Aldersky family put there by his greedy father. This was like choosing between the brain and the heart; one you can't work without and the other you can't live without. 

I gulp as I see Marty on the verge of fatality.

"Don't! Don't do it Peaches! He is lying! He is a liar! Don't open the cage!" Nick throws his fist right into Marty's face to shut him up. Anger quickens my blood at the sight.

"No! Stop! I said Stop it!" But, my words fall on deaf-ears.

Nick whacks him like a punching bag. Up down, right left. He keeps going until Marty sags off like a bag of onions. My eyes widen when Nick pulls out the knife.

"Stop! I'll do it!" The air around me freezes, all noises around us mute. The day comes to a standstill. The blood drips to the brown mud. Marty's face is covered in dirt and sweat and fresh blood. His blue eye opens sluggishly, the other shut tightly and has grown a deep shade of puce.

"I'll open the cage." I state. Ramiel shoves me ahead. I quietly take the stone from Nick's hand and stand facing an open area. I don't know what to do, so I go with my gut.