Ghost of Her Past [Rewrite]

Chapter 9- Tension

     The storm outside continued to rage on. The very heavens seemed to have opened, unleashing their angered wrath upon the world. In the basement, the walls shuddered as thunder shook the ground, the pounding of the rain still audible despite being beneath the surface.

       Ivor was intently focussed on a potion, grumbling under his breath as another tremor caused his steady hand to shake. Once it went away, he very carefully poured the vile of concoction into the potion, and watched as steam rose. The potion began to boil, and the potion master sighed with relief, standing back to let the brewing stand do its work.

      While waiting anxiously, Ivor turned to the unconscious figure on the bed. Jesse still wasn't moving, her dark hair spread out underneath her, and one arm laying across her stomach. Her eyebrows twitched in her sleep, indicating that she was still under the sleeping spell that had been placed on her. Ivor approached the blue bed, sighing deeply. He dabbed Jesse's forehead with a cool damp cloth, wiping off cold sweat.

       He was gravely worried about her. As the blonde guy explained to him and Harper about what Jesse was going through, he didn't even need him to mention their new enemy or that jerk Aiden at all. Honestly, he would've come if Lukas had  just said the words 'Jesse' and 'Trouble' in the same sentence, which was quite common.

       The fact that Jesse hadn't been getting enough rest was not a huge surprise to anyone. Jesse had a bad habit of pushing herself to her limits, especially when on a mission. She always insisted that she was fine, but ended up wearing herself out until she had no energy left. Ivor kept insisting that she needed to break the habit, and all of her friends agreed, but unfortunately for them Jesse was stubborn.

       Ivor knew that she'd had nightmares long before they defeated the Admin. The poor child had a bad case of PTSD after the Witherstorm. He supposed that was his fault. He was the one who had soiled the deal with Petra. He was the one who had dragged the kids into the Order's petty little feud. He was the one who had forced her to go up into the storm alone.

      He wished that things had gone differently.

       Ivor returned his glance to the brewing stand. It was taking an annoyingly long time to boil, and they were going to need it soon in case Jesse woke up. The potion was supposed to put the consumer in a dreamless sleep, hence its name Potion of Sleeping. He just hoped that it would be enough to hold back Jesse's nightmares.

       A soft groan interrupted the silence, drawing Ivor's attention back to Jesse. After a moment, her eyes snapped open, and she burst upright with a scream. Ivor was by her side in an instant as she heaved panicked gasps. He rubbed her shoulders, attempting to calm her down.

       "Sh... it's alright," Ivor assured. "You're safe."

      "I-Ivor?" Jesse seemed to snap out of whatever daze she was in, eyes brimmed with confusion and tears. "Wh-when did you get here? What happened...?"

      "A while ago," He said, answering her. "You got attacked. Are you alright?"

      Jesse sniffed. "I- I don't know." Feeling weakened and drained, she threw herself into Ivor's arms. He held her protectively, glancing up the stairs before looking down at her. After she recollected herself, she and Ivor sat side by side on the edge of the lapis blue bed, Ivor cradling an arm over her shoulders.

       "What do you remember last?" Ivor asked.

       "Radar and I were in the treasure room, trying to figure out who this new enemy is..." Jesse trailed off, her eyes suddenly widening. "Then he appeared right in front of us. He taunted us for a bit until he snapped his fingers... that was when I blacked out."