Sweet Dreams

by J. Clarice

  ‘I’ll be okay.’

  She threw her head back and let out a light laugh. “How did I get here?”

  A weight settled over her chest as she closed her eyes once more. She’d make it through, they all would, one way or another. They had too.

  Her mother had forced Scarlett to take a breather and go back to Earth. She reminded Scarlett that if she stayed away for too long, her body would perish itself. An empty vessel.

  Scarlett took a deep breath as she wiped her eyes and rubbed her face. With the number of tears she’s cried, she was surprised she even had more. Scarlett's light movements turned vigorous as she tried to rid herself of the spilling tears.

  “Keep going at that rate and you’ll rub your face off.”

  Scarlett froze at the familiarity of the voice. She slowly turned her head to find Cain leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. He wore the same blacked-out business suit and fancy shoes she’d first seen him in. She met his gray eyes and knew her brown ones were red and puffy.

  “Go away, Cain.” She weakly said as she turned back around and closed her eyes.

  After finding out he was not only Raxon’s brother but Edgar’s son, her mother had a lot of persuading to do. Cher knew that if they were to ally with the Dreammares, they’d need their leader to be accepted. However, she couldn’t do so without completely confiding in the fact that she could trust Cain. Everyone was kicked out of the room, including Scarlett and she didn’t know what was said but they both came out of the room serious as ever. The Officials had been invited in while Scarlett was not, that’s when Cher insisted she go back to Earth.

  No movement was heard and Scarlett turned to find Cain still leaning against the tree. He was staring at the sunset and its colors perfectly made his pale skin glow with a tan. His eyes sparkled as they took it all in.

  “Beautiful isn’t it?” Scarlett shifted her legs and sat crisscross on the cool grass. She kept her eyes on the view but her body thrilled as she felt Cain walk closer until he sat beside her. His legs were stretched out and her gaze slowly trailed down their long length.

  Scarlett snapped her eyes back to the view and lowered her shoulders. “It’s saddening, how something so beautiful comes to an end so soon. But beauty can’t be forgotten, it must be cherished because it will soon rise again.” Her throat tightened as she paused.

  “I’m waiting for it to rise again,” Scarlett whispered into the air. She didn’t know why she was opening herself.

  ‘What’s there to lose anymore?’

  A tear escaped Scarlett’s eye and she reached up to wipe it away when a hand beat her to it. Scarlett froze as her body came to attention. She slightly turned her head to Cain and met his ignited eyes. His hand was raised and lightly grazed her cheek to wipe the tear away. Scarlett’s breath hitched and her heart skittered as sparks sprung from his touch.

  Every inch of her craved him. They’d been denying something that strongly wished to break free. Cain gazed into Scarlett’s widened brown eyes. So much hurt and pain resided within.

  “It will.” Cain murmured as he dropped his hand and returned his eyes to the view.

  Silence befell them and Scarlett closed hers to soak in the sun’s rays.

  She heard Cain’s chest rise heavily before he spoke.

  “My father was a cruel bastard.”

  Scarlett’s mouth parted as the shock heightened her hearing to make sure she heard correctly.

  He kept himself facing forward and Scarlett didn’t make any move to comment. She wanted him to continue and say as he wished.

  “He was a High Nightmare with not a single noticeable default. Unlike the lowly Nightmares whose ugliness was seen, my father’s lied within his soul; the blackness that crawled within his veins.” Cain’s eyes hardened as bitterness filled his mouth. “My mother was a Dreamer, young and naïve, who fell for my father without knowing what he truly was. She’d cut off ties with her family for him and it wasn’t until she was trapped by pregnancy, did he show his true colors.”

  Scarlett could feel the anger that began to course through Cain.

  “He killed her after she birthed him two sons,” Cain let out a pained and dry laugh. “She simply wasn’t needed anymore. He was a cold-blooded monster with no fucking feelings. Except for his sons, of course. He poisoned the thoughts of my brother and Raxon ate up every word fed to him. He relished in the torture. Father attempted to do the same to me, but I had more of my mother in me.”

  Scarlett listened as her heart tugged. She didn’t know what to do and let him be when a thought came to her mind.

  “If you were born in Ever Realm, how are you able to come here?”

  “My father was the highest level of Nightmare, able to pass between both Realms unlike any other. Mixed with the fact that my mother was a Dreamer, it allowed me to be able to come and go as I please.” Cain paused and glanced at Scarlett out of the corner of his eye.

  “My brother despised me because I wouldn’t join him by his side. When I left, he resided to hunting down every Dreammare and trying to get his hands on me. That’s when the Refuge came to be. I haven’t seen him since and wouldn’t want to either.”

  Scarlett stayed silent and looked towards the rising sun. It was barely reaching the edge of the sky and illuminated everything it touched. The heat warmed her skin even though their topic chilled her blood.

  “When I was little, I’d get my sister in trouble for things I did.” Cain slowly turned his head to Scarlett. She simply stared and bit her lip wishing she’d kept her mouth shut.

  The corner of Cain’s lips twitched before a smile broke out across his face. His laugh filled the air and Scarlett’s eyes widened. A warm, fuzzy feeling fell upon her body as she stared at Cain. A small smile of her own showed through before she joined in the laughter. His smile was as beautiful as she’d imagined it. Since knowing him, he hadn’t once smiled.

  “What was that for?” Scarlett laughed as she slowly calmed.

  “After what I just told you, that was the most random thing you could’ve possibly said.” He leaned back on his arms as he threw his head back. The sight did something to Scarlett. His neck was exposed and his jaw pronounced as ever. His muscles flexed beneath his shirt and heat curled down Scarlett’s spine.

  Cain’s laughter slowly ceased and moved his gaze towards Scarlett. The grin stayed on his lips as he took in her lit up eyes and parted lips. Scarlett’s breath caught at the intensity rising between them.

  “Shut up, I didn’t know what else to say.” A warmth filled her cheeks as she dropped her gaze to the ground. Fingers grazed the bottom of Scarlett’s chin and she fluttered her eyes to Cain. He lifted her chin as he moved closer. A million reasons crossed Scarlett’s mind as to why she shouldn’t get closer, but one, just one dimmed all the others.

  She let it shine bright as she lowered her gaze.

  Their lips met with the slightest of touches. As if hesitant to take the next step.

  But their desire for each other could no longer be buried.

  Cain lowered his lips onto Scarlett’s and they perfectly molded as one.

  Something released from the inside and ignited every feeling they’d ever felt. Their longing, frustration, grief, and pain mended together as their lips moved in sync. Scarlett moved her hands to Cain’s chest and lightly trailed them up to his neck to the side of his face. Each touch brought them pain and pleasure, fanning the flames that built in the pit of their stomachs.

  Scarlett was becoming unhinged as Cain wrapped his arms around her waist and moved her onto his lap.

  She let go.

  Lightness filled every pore and only brought her bliss.

  Cain crossed every boundary he had set in his mind and opened himself to Scarlett.

  Every piece of them clicked into one.

  ‘Partners.’

  Deep, deep down, Scarlett knew exactly what was becoming of them, but the overwhelming emotions drowned her thoughts. Tears came to her eyes as sh
e moved back and pressed her forehead against Cain’s.

  The kiss was so much more.

  He felt it. Everything she’d been holding onto; her pain, her cries, and her anger. All the while, she felt his.

  “Let go, Scarlett.” His deep voice pulled Scarlett from her thoughts.

  Her blurry eyes opened to Cain’s which shown with the most she’s ever seen from him.

  Everything she’d kept pent up, came crashing down as she sagged in Cain’s arms. Her heart cracked as waves of emotions swallowed her whole. She was trust falling with the blackness tearing at her from the inside out.

  They were terrified of what was to come even if they didn’t say it outright.

  Thirty

  Each hour passed as the anticipation for Raxon’s next move rose. Everyone knew he wasn’t done, he couldn’t possibly be. He wished to rid Ever Realm of all Dreamers and let the Dark Realm rule. If that happened, everything would ensue into chaos and the balance of the Realms would be thrown off.

  Scarlett returned to Ever Realm and Cain departed as there was business to take care of.

  Upon entering the Center, Jayden pounced on Scarlett. She’d opened her mouth but quickly shut it as she observed Scarlett closely before widening her eyes.

  “Scarlett, did you guys do the nasty?” She asked with all seriousness.

  Scarlett's cheeks heated. “Shut up, Jayden!”

  She pulled Jayden close and they walked deeper into the Center. “We just kissed. That’s all.”

  Jayden raised a brow and let out a low whistle. “That must’ve been one hot ass kiss.” She fanned herself. “Even got me all jealous.”

  Scarlett rolled her eyes before laughing at Jayden’s dramatics. “You’re ridiculous.”

  “Anyway, I wanted to ask you if you’ve seen Liam.” Jayden nonchalantly asked but Scarlett saw right through it.

  “Looks like someone else is trying to get themselves a kiss?” Scarlett teased a scoffing Jayden. “I haven’t seen him, maybe check your quarters or the training rooms?”

  “Yeah, yeah, thanks.”

  Jayden strode away in search of Liam while Scarlett asked around for her mother. She was in one of the meeting rooms and Scarlett knocked on the door to catch her attention.

  Cher glanced up from the files on her desk. “There you are, how’d it go?”

  Scarlett bit her lip to hide the smile that wanted to spread itself across her face. However, nothing went past her mother.

  “What happened?”

  Scarlett moved and sat beside her as she folded her hands on her lap. “I may or not have found my partner…”

  That immediately got Cher’s attention; she dropped her files and observed Scarlett. “Who?”

  She decided to rip the bandage off. “Cain.”

  Scarlett watched her mother’s expression stay the same before she blinked a few times and looked in the distance.

  “Well, my Realms. I had a feeling this one was coming.”

  Scarlett’s eyes widened. “You did?”

  Cher shook her head as if to shake thoughts away and graced a sad smile. “You're my daughter, of course, I did. You’ve found your other half.”

  Scarlett knew the reason for the change of mood. She got up from her seat and embraced her mother. She knew of the pain and grief that tightly gripped over her mother’s heart. She’d lost her partner. Her other half.

  “Cherish it, Scar.”

  Cher whispered the words and planted a kiss on Scarlett’s head before rising and excusing herself from the room. Her whispered words stayed in Scarlett’s ears as she watched her exit the room.

  The weight over Scarlett’s heart got heavier as her spirits fell. It brought her back down to the harsh reality.

  ∞

  Another day, another sunset.

  Scarlett hugged her knees as she sat on the ground and watched the sun make its descent. The autumn breeze brought forth the goosebumps on her arms. Winter was around the corner and Scarlett dreaded it. Christmas and Thanksgiving no longer sparked the joy it used to. She’d be lucky enough to even be alive by the time they came around.

  Her black strands were let loose and she wore an oversized hoodie to help shelter her from the cold. The once green trees surrounding her were now an auburn shade. Heaps of their leaves lined the floor as they readied themselves for the oncoming season.

  Scarlett touched her lips and smiled. Yesterday was the first time she’d felt content in a while. Cain’s expression stayed the same around others, but his eyes had shone with something else and it made butterflies flutter in her stomach. They couldn’t dwell on their kiss for too long as the tension at Ever Realm was at an all-time high.

  A rustling sound from behind Scarlett broke her from her thoughts. She quickly stood and turned around.

  Someone stood in the shadows of the trees. Only their legs were visible while the rest remained hidden by sunset’s shadow.

  “Who are–?” Scarlett trailed off her words as she squinted her eyes at the black pants. “Cain?”

  She furrowed her eyebrows as the figure stepped forward into the rays of the setting sun. The sight of Cain greeted her and his face was steeled from any expression. He wore another black suit and his hair was slicked back instead of its normal ruffled state.

  His darkened grey eyes shot at her. They moved up and down Scarlett’s figure as the edge of his lips twitched.

  “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in the Dark Realm?”

  Cain moved his jaw and let out a small laugh. “I did go. I wanted to see you.”

  A chill moved down Scarlett’s spine as she narrowed her eyes at Cain. “Well, you’ve seen me. What more did you find out?”

  Something was wrong. Cain was supposed to have gone to the Dark Realm and see if he could gauge any new movements. He’d only left before Scarlett decided to go back to Earth.

  Scarlett warily stared at Cain while he remained stoic.

  A smirk curved up the side of his face. “The sun, when it sets, always gives way to the night.”

  Lifting his head, Cain paused as Scarlett’s heart pounded in her chest. He took a step forward and something made Scarlett take one back.

  “What are you talking about?” Scarlett couldn’t see what he was trying to get at and the alarms blaring through her mind jarred her attention.

  “What I’m saying is, it’s the night’s time to shine.” Cain spread his hands and darkly smiled.

  “That isn’t funny.” Scarlett weakly threw back as her heart slowly sunk to the pits of her stomach. She didn’t want to accept what he was implying.

  “He’s my brother, Scarlett.” He sang as he made his way over to her. “I couldn’t turn my back on my brother. He caught me sneaking and well… we talked and made amends.”

  Scarlett battled the urge to recoil. “And that’s it? You guys talked and that made everything okay?” she scoffed. “You’re bullshitting me. I don’t know what this is, but it isn’t you.”

  Cain stalked forward until he was toe to toe with Scarlett. She stared him hard in the eyes and noticed how much darker they looked than the last time she saw them.

  He smirked and got close to her face. “You don’t know me. You never did. You believed what you wanted too. Saw only what you wanted to see. Felt what you wanted to feel.”

  Scarlett’s breathing got heavier as her heart slowly cracked under the pressure. “What did he do to you?” She whispered before clearing her throat. “You wouldn’t do this. We’re partners, Cain. Snap out of it. We shared something last night.”

  “We may be partners Scarlett but we all know that in the end, it means nothing.” Cain darkly chuckled. “I mean, didn’t your sister stab her partner and leave him to die, just to save herself? Our shared moment was but a moment of lapsed judgment. Nothing more.”

  ‘Nothing more.’

  His words splashed over Scarlett like a cold bucket of water. She lifted her hands to Cain but he caught them before they reached his
chest. He yanked her flush against himself and Scarlett noticed how different he felt. It was wrong and made her skin crawl.

  “You asshole!” She shouted and growled in frustration. “Let go of me, Cain!”

  “Why would I grant you such a thing?” He sneered at Scarlett.

  The face she once found attractive, twisted to reveal the ugly monster that hid inside.

  “You’re just like your father.” Scarlett spat at Cain. Her eyes were glossed over as her lips quivered from the hurt that was tearing through her.

  Cain slowed his movements and tilted his head as a grin spread across his lips. “Precisely, and I’m fucking proud of it.”

  His proclamation startled Scarlett. ‘What was wrong with him?’

  “Now… my father shared some very valuable information that I believe is now ready to be shared with others.” Cain brought his lips to her ear and whispered his final words. “I wouldn’t want you to miss it and I’m even being generous enough to give you front row tickets. Sweet Dreams, Scarlett.”

  Scarlett’s blood ran cold as he winked. He tightened his grip and before she could react, Cain shoved her backward off the side of the hill.

  Her last thoughts were of Cain’s eyes and how she noticed they were completely void of any emotion. Like a blank page.

  He watched her roll and tumble, as Scarlett’s world went black.

  Thirty-One

  Three Days Earlier

  Cain fled the Refuge and submerged himself into the darkness of the realm.

  In the area the Refuge was built, it was perfectly hidden. Right on the edge of the Realms where a pocket of space protected them from the nightmares and Dreamers. Nightmares didn’t like treading close to the edge and Dreamers didn’t risk entering the darkness.

  ‘Perfectly hidden and safe from harm.’

  When his Dreammares sided with Scarlett, Cain’s blood had boiled. He needed to have left before he lashed out at them all.

  He could see the good in the alliance. His people would be safe.

  But he would not.

  Scarlett wasn’t wrong in calling him a coward.