by J. Clarice
Scarlett's cheeks flushed with her chest heaving, and she flicked Jayden a few feet back. “As much as I want to strangle Jasper, now isn’t the time.”
Jayden glared at her brother before turning her attention to Scarlett. Her eyes held unchecked anger that settled on the tip of her tongue. Scarlett recognized it as it’s hidden within herself.
“We don’t know where we are nor what the hell just happened,” Scarlett continued. “Can we focus on the real problem on hand?”
“Oh, I can help you with that.”
The sultry words fluttered through the air, causing everyone to stiffen and ready their weapons. Scarlett’s eyes shot in every direction, but no one met her sight. The floor in front of her was checkered black with white but disappeared into the darkness.
A few clicks of the tongue sounded. “No need to be so hostile, you have entered upon my home, and I even went as far as to give you guys a warm welcome.”
The woman’s voice filled Scarlett’s ears and triggered memories that widened her eyes.
“Ah, you’ve finally recognized me.” The darkness that covered the rest of the area dropped and gave way to a muck-dripping throne. Black shadows flared from behind it as fog layered the ground. Lined on the side of the throne were Nightmares Scarlett once had the pleasure of encountering up close. The High Nightmares; half-man, half-monster. Surprisingly, more grotesque than their average Nightmare. One had half the face of a man, and the other half blackened with peeling skin.
Moving down the line, Scarlett landed her eyes on the current ruler of the Dark Realm. She didn’t need a view of her face to know who it was.
“Ren.”
Narrowed green eyes pierced Scarlett’s brown ones.
Jenna’s words during her confession circulated through Scarlett, and her pulse slammed into her neck.
“It wasn’t just me … I was tricked. Please, mom, I’ll do anything.”
“It was all you, wasn’t it?” Scarlett questioned as she never broke her stare.
“Unleashing the Nightmares, eh, that was easy enough,” Ren nonchalantly said and waved the words away, not caring for the fact they carried hundreds of murdered lives. “Your sister’s betrayal… well, I’ll gladly take full responsibility for her.”
Rage roared within Scarlett’s body, and it took everything not to make a move.
“She almost didn’t go for it, you know, but with a little more persuasion, the princess cracked under pressure. Ending with the murder of her father, a hundred others, and the downfall of Ever Realm.” Ren cocked her head. “Tell me, what’s it like to be the ‘Queen’ of a dying Realm?”
Scarlett surged forward only to be grabbed by Trevor. “You have no fucking right to say anything!”
Each of Ren’s words stabbed through Scarlett’s heart like daggers. They buried themselves until they hit the part she’d been trying so hard to contain.
“I do, actually. You see, I’m now the sole ruler of the Dark Realm, seeing as you banished and possibly killed my partner. But before that unfortunate event, we were a team in which I take credit in doing most of the dirty work.” Ren rose from her seat, stepping into the full light of the Dark Realm and their powers. The roofless throne room reflected the light radiating from her.
A silky red dress dripped from her skin and hugged her small frame. The front dip of the dress reached her naval while two slits showcased her milky white legs. Her red bob had grown a few inches since the last they’d seen her. A black metal chain hung from her shoulders and dropped into a wrap-around her hips and thighs before trailing the floor.
“She knows why we’re here.” Jayden’s jaw was set as she observed the Dark Realm Queen. She clearly remembered the feeling she’d gotten when she first encountered Ren.
“Must you ruin all the fun? Of course, Jayden, you were the only one that’d come close enough to figure me out.”
“I’d recognize a backstabbing bitch anywhere.”
“It’d take one to know one wouldn’t it?” Ren winked at Jayden, who stiffened. “Anyway, nothing goes past me, Scarlett, especially when it involves my Realm. This is what you came for, is it not?”
Ren turned and pointed at one of the High Nightmares. A ghastly pale blob with skin stretched into oozing rolls held a scroll in his open palms. His hands resembled a man, but the backwardness of his elbows and jutting spikes showed otherwise.
“What my dear council member, Lu, holds is from the Dark Realm’s archives, our seer map.” Ren returned her posture to the outsiders. “I know Edgar is alive, and I know you need this to find your way to him. That, however, won’t do. I need Edgar alive and to arrive on his terms.”
“How do you know Edgar won’t kill you when he gets out?” Scarlett questioned as she glanced at Trevor and the twins. They met her stare for a quick second, and each knew what they’d need to do. Scarlett pulled on the strings of her power, keeping it within quick reach.
They weren’t leaving without that scroll.
“Please,” Ren scoffed. “I’m his son’s partner, and he treated me as his own before your parents put him away. A damn shame if you ask me, but I know it’ll all fall together sooner or later.”
“You talk an awful lot; you know that?” Jayden rose a brow, having composed herself. Ren was taking up too much of their time. Jayden’s words hit their mark and rustled the Queen of the Dark Realm. The edge of her brow twitched, giving way to the annoyance that flared within.
“I thought I was the chatty one, but you got me beat there,” Jasper jutted while glancing sideways to his sister. Scarlett got the gist and quirked her lips.
Ren narrowed her eyes. “You won’t be leaving this place alive, no matter what you do.”
“You’ll talk us to death before we’re even able to try anything,” Scarlett threw with a laugh and shook her head. Trevor bit his lip containing his smile while Jayden and Jasper let theirs shine.
“I really hoped you weren’t as stupid as you looked.” Ren undid the chains from her shoulders while letting out a mocking laugh. “That’s a lie. I did.”
Ren lifted her foot, and Scarlett knew the moment her foot hit the ground, they’d be in deep shit. The tendrils that shot from her palm didn’t reach in time to stop Ren’s stomp. Silence ensued before a rumble shook the columns.
Ren undid her chain and spun it around before flinging it toward Scarlett. Scarlett leaned back to see the dart decorating the end fly past her face before retreating to its owner.
“Jayden! The scroll!” Scarlett shouted as she shared whips with Ren. Trevor and Jasper occupied the council while Jayden flew towards Lu. Ren threw her chain as fluidly as a Dreammare did with their power. Random spurts of white traveled the metal, and one caught Scarlett across the edge of her cheek. She backed until she caught sight of the horde clambering halfway up the stairs. They only had a few seconds before they’d be overtaken on both sides.
Scarlett turned towards Jayden, who shot arrows into Lu’s pudgy body. He tried to hold his ground but sagged to the floor with the scroll gripped in his sausage fingers. Trevor and Jasper flanked Jayden, having her back. Focused on them securing the scroll, Scarlett didn’t catch Ren’s loaded whip to her back.
Shocks charged through Scarlett’s armor and singed her skin underneath. She dropped to her knees with her muscles locked. Footsteps approached from behind, and Ren yanked her short curls back.
“As much as I’d like to kill you, I can’t. You’re too precious for what’s to come, and I’d like to leave that honor for Edgar himself.”
Scarlett clenched her jaw and spat out with narrowed eyes. “You should’ve just let us take the scroll.”
Puzzled, Ren didn’t catch sight of Jayden approaching from behind and shooting the arrow into her bareback. Ren shook forward and timbered to the ground. Her body locked and seized as she caught sight of a smug Jayden.
“Enjoy the feeling of being stabbed in the back, bitch.”
Trevor and Jasper lifted Scarlett by her shoulders
and wrapped their arms around her. The wave of Nightmares reached the top of the stairs and spilled into the throne room.
“Grab onto me,” Scarlett wheezed as she shut her eyes. She yanked on the strings of her power with a forceful grip and let it fill her veins as she pictured a familiar place.
Trevor recognized the hole that ripped open in front of them and shoved everyone through as the circle of Nightmares came within inches.
They tumbled to the ground and quickly rose to their feet as the hole stayed open. Scarlett laid on the floor, having not come too.
“Why isn’t it closing?” Jayden asked as Nightmares cluttered the hole, trying to force their way through.
“I don’t know; it closed almost immediately last time,” Trevor rushed out as he kneeled beside Scarlett. Jayden stood in front of the doorway and used her power to block the hole.
“Wake her up, Trevor!”
At Jayden’s shout, Trevor grimaced as he looked down at Scarlett’s bloodied face. “Forgive me.”
Placing his palm on her chest, he sent a shock of his power through her armor. Scarlett’s body arched for a second before flopping to the ground. She groaned and fluttered her eyes.
“Scarlett, close the gate,” Trevor’s words fell on deaf ears. “You need to close the door.”
“The… The door?” Scarlett winced and brought her hand up to her face before widening her eyes. She took in the scene of Jayden and Jasper holding back the Nightmares.
“Scarlett, close the fucking hole!” Jayden’s yell processed through Scarlett, and she closed her eyes, releasing the strings of power she grasped.
The rip of space disappeared, cutting off the limbs of those that stretched out. Heaves of relief left the twins as they stepped back—Jasper sunk to the floor while Jayden sagged forward.
“Thank you,” Jasper gasped out. “Next time, can you pass out after you’ve closed that damn window?”
A hollow laugh left Scarlett as she glanced at her team. “Did you get it?”
Jayden pulled a grey scroll from the back of her armor. “Package is secured.”
She tossed it to Scarlett, who managed to catch it with one hand. As she was about to open it, Jayden observed the area. “Where’d you send us to anyway?”
Her words trailed off as she stilled and closed her eyes. Jayden sent out a burst of purple. It brightened the area and showcased small buildings surrounding the tallest.
Jayden sucked on the inside of her cheek. “The Refuge.”
Staring at the place that housed plenty of memories was something Scarlett hadn’t been delighted to do. Yet, they needed a spot away from the Dark Realm’s Quarters to recoup, and this deserted town entered her mind. A certain someone tried to force their way in, but she had other problems on hand to worry about.
“We needed an empty place, and this was the only one I could think of.”
No one said anything and instead started their trek to their former home. Well, Jayden and Trevor’s former home. Jasper hadn’t been to the Refuge in person but heard enough about it from the other Dreammares to know what it was.
Walking through the buildings brought back things neither of them wished to reminisce. The refuge had been Trevor’s first real home. If it hadn’t been for Cain, he would’ve been dead long ago. Jayden owed Cain her own share. He gave her a home where she was free to be herself. Not have to hide the fact that she was a Dreammare – she’d been accepted.
They reached the main building of the refuge, Cain’s tower. Trevor opened the door to find everything as they’d left it. Untouched and alone.
The lounge remained the same with its grey and brown couches but lacked the brightness it once had. The black walls that once gave the tone of sophistication and elegance dulled to a grey, depressing all that laid their sight on it. The glass tables positioned in front of the couches remained empty. No dust settled on anything as it wouldn’t have been possible for it in the Realms.
Scarlett eased herself from Trevor’s shoulder, and his hands lingered on her waist as she stood. His eyes locked with Scarlett’s; what reflected in his left her with unease.
She cleared her throat as she moved forward, forcing Trevor to remove his hands. “We’ll sit here for a few. Scour anything you can find that we may need.”
The three watched Scarlett head for the elevator shaft. Jayden and Trevor knew where she was going with heavy hearts.
Landing on the top floor, Scarlett froze with heavy limbs as her eyes burned a hole at the black door.
The last time she’d come here hadn’t been a pleasant visit, but it led to things that made it worth all the pain – only to end tragically. She remembered the first time she’d laid eyes on him when she was with Jayden. The fury that roared through his steel eyes transformed to a softness she never knew he’d been capable of.
Scarlett moved toward the door and put her hand on the doorknob, letting a tear drop free. With a deep breath, she twisted and pushed it open.
Cain’s apartment had not gone untouched. The black couches in his living room were upturned and torn. To the left, a hole decorated the wall, and a table frame lay bent underneath. As she stepped over the table and left the hall, the bar and kitchen came into view. Bottles lined the bar counter, some spilled over and others half empty. The kitchen stayed intact with its white cabinets closed and the counter kept. Scarlett went deeper into the living room, and crunches of glass sounded from each step.
She entered the small hall behind the living room that led to the staircase. Scarlett never got this far into Cain’s home. She took the steps one by one before they gave way to a loft-style bedroom. With black coating the walls and no light bulbs on the ceiling, the light came from a wholly removed wall that gave the same view as the balcony below. Without the glow of the grey barrier that once stood tall, the room was outcast and dark. Scarlett walked to the edge of the wall’s opening and glanced down to find Trevor leaning over the balcony. He didn’t need to look up to know she was watching. Her heavy steps told him so.
“I bet he came back here after everyone left,” Trevor started as he glanced over his shoulder to peek up at Scarlett. Her short curls shot in every direction, and blood dried on her skin. “It’s sporadic for him to become destructive like that.”
Scarlett stepped out and lowered herself until she was beside Trevor. “He hadn’t been happy with what I proposed but ended up coming around.”
She leaned herself on the rail and took in the stone buildings. It was amazing how different a place seemed with people present versus when they aren’t.
“Cain was and still is, a brother to me. But I find myself needing to make something known.”
Scarlett tensed at Trevor’s words while her curiosity shot through the roof. “Trevor,” his name trailed from her lips, but he only shook his head.
“I am merely saying this, so you know where I stand,” Trevor confessed. “Ever since our training sessions, I’d found myself growing fonder of you by the day.”
His words shocked her, but somehow, she’d seen them coming.
She squeezed her eyes shut and inwardly groaned. “Trevor, I can’t do this. Of all times to do this, why now?”
Trevor expected her response, but the stab in his chest didn’t hurt any less. “Seeing as how we’re basically on a suicide mission, it seemed like now or never would be the time.”
Scarlett wheezed a laugh. “You – this, it’s all ridiculous, you know that?” She quirked an eye at Trevor, who only stared back with a hint of a smile on his lips.
“Maybe so.”
“Nothing’s going to come of this to clarify, but you must know. Even though I banished Cain to the Nether Realm, it doesn’t mean the feelings had gone along with it. Apparently, partner ties don’t break so easily.”
Scarlett sighed and returned her eyes to the darkness beyond the buildings.
“Partners, how could one forget?”
The tautness of his voice didn’t go unnoticed.
“
Trevor, have you partnered?”
“I have. She died before we even had a chance.”
Scarlett lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry to hear.”
“A new Dreammare who hadn’t come into her full powers yet. The Nightmares got to her before I could.” Trevor’s gaze was far away, remembering the brown eyes of his lost love. “Alicia – you remind me a lot of her.”
“I’m sure she was a wonderful person,” Scarlett hesitated to finish but couldn’t back out now. “But I’m not your Alicia. You’ll find her out there somewhere, just not with me.”
Silence ensued before Trevor shook his head and furrowed his brows in thought. “You’re right. Alicia wasn’t four feet tall. I guess the search continues for me.”
Scarlett scoffed and shoved Trevor with her shoulder. She was grateful for the easy switch he gave. A small smile broke through. “Very funny, now come on. We’ve got a scroll to open and then the devil to kill.”
They pushed off the rail, and Trevor wrapped his arm around Scarlett’s shoulders. She rested against his giant body as they made their way out of Cain’s floor and back down with the others. Jayden and Jasper were lying on the couches, eager for a little bit of rest.
They were far from being done, but they were a little closer than before with the scroll in hand. Trevor’s confession and Cain took over Scarlett’s mine. To have lost a partner as Trevor had, was something she couldn’t fully feel. She banished Cain by her own choice… Trevor didn’t even have a chance to fully get to know his. Even though a part of her wanted to comfort him, she knew she wouldn’t be able to push anything. It’d only result in a mess she didn’t want to clean up. She’d stick with what she knew and distance herself. Their mission wasn’t yet done and they needed to keep going.
“What the fuck do you mean it won’t open?”
“Oh, I don’t know! Maybe that it doesn’t fucking open!” Jasper’s frustrated yell boiled Jayden as she shot him daggers.
“Guys!” Scarlett called as she gestured for them to separate. “Arguing isn’t going to help anybody or anything, so cut it out. As for the scroll, we must’ve missed something or – to make the situation worse – we didn’t get the actual scroll.”