The authorized.
Cher’s hand shook as she read the list and inhaled a shaky breath. Before Scarlett could ask what was wrong, the door to the meeting room opened and armored Dreamers brought in eight others. They showed no signs of a struggle and sported faces of confusion. The door closed behind them only to burst open again as two Dreamers dragged in a fighting Jenna.
“Let go of me!”
Scarlett stepped forward as the ugly feeling in her stomach solidified to dread. “Jenna?”
Jenna stopped fighting her holders and froze.
A hand was placed on Scarlett’s arm and she glanced back as she was pulled by her mother. Cher’s expression was not one of surprise, but of anguish as affliction filled her eyes.
“We found her packing up her things and she’s resisted every step.” The Dreamer’s grunted out.
Cher kept her eyes trained on Jenna who looked like a complete mess. She wore her yellow armor which harbored stains and marks and her face was pale with dark circles lining her eyes. Jenna’s normally up-do hair was undone with visible knots.
“Officials, release the others.”
The rest of the authorized was led out of the room and only Jenna, Scarlett, Cher, and two Officials remained. Silence fell upon the room like a thick blanket when Scarlett caught on. Her heart dropped from her chest and her knees weakened.
‘No…it couldn’t be.’
“Why?” Cher softly whispered. “Why did you do it?”
Her voice broke and Jenna whimpered as she hung her head in shame. Cher had known, deep within her that she’d been betrayed by her eldest and she cracked.
“You’re the reason, your father and my husband, my partner is dead.”
Scarlett choked at her mother’s words. She couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that it was her sister Her eyes glossed while Jenna broke into sobs. Their mother stayed still as she peered down at Jenna with raw disappointment.
“You’ll have to live with the fact that you killed your father and murdered many more. All the while sentencing the rest of our people to near death.” Cher’s voice grew coarse as she relayed what Jenna had done. Scarlett’s pity slowly dissolved.
“What was worth the death of our father? Of more than half our people?” Scarlett asked as she couldn’t think of anything the Dark Realm could offer her.
Jenna could barely comprehend a full sentence as her sobs and hiccups filled the air. Scarlett and her mother stoned their expressions at the one that betrayed them all.
“I was helping you! Ren told me that Jayden was dangerous and influencing you. She’s a Dreammare, Scarlett! They can’t be trusted!”
“And Nightmares can? How does that even make sense to you Jenna?” Scarlett brought her knuckles to her teeth as her blood boiled.
“They said they’d leave us alone if I helped release their people! They’d stop their rising activity since they’re after something else. The Dreammares.” Jenna cried. “They said they’d leave us alone.”
“And that was reason enough for you to turn over your authorization and risk everybody? You don’t even know the Dreammares!” Scarlett’s voice rose.
Knowing she was running out, Jenna continued to spill. “The leader goes by Raxon and I hadn’t met him directly or even know what he looks like. He’s kept his rein and identity hidden from all. He’s obsessed with Dreammares. Ren is the one that got me in contact with them.” Jenna’s tears ceased as she realized her ranting was being met with silence.
At the sound of Ren’s name, Cher snapped her face towards an Official to her left and sharply nodded. They immediately left the room while activating their collar. Cher knew Jenna couldn’t have accomplished this on her own. She’d have needed the help of someone older and more sophisticated to pull through with it and Ren perfectly fit the description.
Scarlett remembered how Jayden reacted when they last ran into Ren. She’d known something was wrong and she was right. Ren was a traitor and a rat. Scarlett didn’t recognize the woman before her and disgust ran through her veins at the thought of her sister making a deal with the Dark Realm.
“Please, I didn’t mean to! I’ll do anything!” Jenna pleaded.
Scarlett couldn’t stand the cries and her mother couldn’t either.
“Jenna Blackdall, for your crime of treason, you are being banished to the Nether Realms. You will live with the deaths of others and your father, hanging on your conscience.” The words chilled Scarlett to the core and paralyzed Jenna with fear. Cher clenched her jaw as she finished and held back the tears that threatened to spill.
“Mom, please, no. Don’t do this.” Jenna’s face scrunched with fear as panic assailed her. She tried to yank against the Dreamers holding her but found no give.
The Nether Realms were unknown planes. Those who went were left to fend for themselves as it resided other nightmares and monsters and had no rules or morals. The Nether Realms was the badlands and worse than the Dark Realm with its never-ending land. Jenna’s human body would be killed and she could either choose to remain dead or live on as a Dreamer in the Nether Realms. In the end, it’s the sentenced one’s choice of death.
Not one bit of Scarlett felt for her sister at the order of her death sentence. Jenna wronged them all and would have to live or die with the consequences. She killed too many and sentenced many others to death. She made a foolish bargain with the Devil himself.
“Is this why you’ve been withdrawn from Chad?” Scarlett asked as she stared her sister in the face. Jenna’s gaze couldn’t meet Scarlett’s and she stilled at the mention of Chad.
“He’s alive? I didn’t mean to hurt him.” Jenna whispered as more guilt washed over her features.
Every muscle in Scarlett tensed at her sister's words. Bitterness filled her mouth. “You… You’re the one who cut Chad?”
Jenna’s body heaved as she tried to hold back another round of sobs. She was drowning in her guilt and grief.
“I didn’t mean to! I didn’t mean to!” Her cries fell upon deaf ears.
‘I’ve truly lost my sister.’
Cher looked at Jenna with disregard as her heart hardened against her pleas. She made a grave mistake and she’d have to pay for it.
“You left him, after possibly ending his life.” Scarlett huffed out a breath in disbelief. “Your partner! Your damn mate Jenna! How could you be so stupid?”
Scarlett yelled as ugly tears ran down Jenna’s face. Tears of a traitor, a murderer, and a coward.
“It wasn’t just me… I was tricked. Please, mom, I’ll do anything.”
Jenna had nothing else to share, she didn’t even know what the Dark Realm’s operation was. In the end, she sold them out for no reason. She held the end of the rope in her hands as her mother and little sister watched her fall in the hole she dug.
Her mother ordered the final words. “Take her away.”
Numbness overcame Scarlett as she watched fear and desperation hit her older sister like an icy wall. Jenna screamed and sneered at the Dreamers dragging her out of the room.
“No…NO, LET GO OF ME! PLEASE!”
Jenna’s hidden lies came to light and they burned everyone as they shone through.