Page 1 of Pet: Torment

Prologue

Iris

I always thought space only consisted of galaxies. In the pictures and videos I saw as a child, it was pitch black, with maybe a few stars in the distance. From our own planet, we could only see the moon and the sun. And from our space stations, we could only see Earth. But space is much more than that, I realize as the shipslows its speed, taking a few minutes to come to a complete halt. And after a moment, I see why as I look past the glass in the distance.

An array of colors approaches, mingling within itself, the smoke and debris causing a cloud-like pattern. Bits and pieces of illumination form within the cloud as it approaches, and I feel the light tremble of the ship as it slowly consumes it, bathing the interior of the room with the reflection of its color.

The speaker throughout the ship sounds, and a Leviathan’s calm voice comes through in their native language. I can only assume she’s telling them the specifics of what’s going on. And I only have the tone of her voice to go by as I assume it is nothing to worry about.

I shift my attention to the storm as I sit up in bed. It’s an actual storm in space. It’s another thing people on Earth will never know exists. The colors are so vibrant that they reflect off the walls of Remus’s room, reminding me of the auroras that once painted the sky at certain times during the year. Awe courses through me as I see pieces of asteroid caught in the storm, passing over, and the ship trembles slightly from the impact.

Suddenly, a wave of nausea hits me, and I’m out of bed, sprinting to the door. Lucky for me, Remus ensured I was able to open and close doors on his ship. I note that the Leviathan in charge of watching me stands on the other side of the door, tensing when I sprint out and in the direction of the bathroom nearest Remus’s quarters.

I push open the doors, barely making it to the toilet as vomit spills past my lips. My stomach cramps in pain, my skin tingling as I once again empty what little food has entered my stomach.

It’s been like this for days since we left Earth. My body is having complications adjusting to not only the speed of travel that humanity never unlocked, but also the lack of Earth’s form of oxygen in the vents. According to Remus, my body is incomplete discomfort as it has been forced into what it considers extreme conditions.

I tense when I feel a hand rubbing comforting circles on my back. I know without looking, it’s Remus. It takes all my strength to swat away his touch, as I am still resentful of the direction my life has gone due to him. But since we are bonded, my body also demands to be in his presence, needing him to calm my nerves. And Remus has been patient as I deal with the transition.

“Iris, you must at least let me help you…it’s not a good sign that your body is still rejecting everything after we’ve been traveling for so long,” he says gently.

For a little over a week, we’ve been traveling to his home world,Xyrannis. And as much as I want to give in, as much as I no longer want to feel so shitty, I can’t bring myself to do it. I might have to live with my decision, but that doesn’t mean Remus gets his way so easily.

I stand a little too hastily, shoving away from Remus as I make my way to the sink. The world around me tilts slightly, and I stumble against the sink as I struggle to work at the foreign fountain. Leviathan objects are much different than human objects. There is no nozzle to turn on the faucet. There’s a motion I have to make over the designated area. And since my body heat isn’t as high as the average Leviathan’s, it takes a minute for the object to recognize me.

I don’t know how long I struggle until Remus’s hand appears next to me, and he does the honor of turning on the water for me. I quickly proceed to splash my face and mouth, and as I spit, I look at myself in the mirror.

I look exhausted.

My hair is wild, my skin clammy and pale from being sick so often, and my eyes are red. As I shift my attention, I notice the perfect being standing behind me, watching me with concern. His hair is pulled into a ponytail, and his eyes are calm as hestudies me, probably trying to understand why I’m being so stubborn.

Even though we are bonded, Remus promised he would keep our minds separate until he felt we were ready to take that next step. So, as we stare at each other, neither of us knows what the other is thinking or feeling.

I release a breath of irritation, once again moving past him back into the hallway that leads to his bedroom. The Leviathan who has been charged with watching me follows me as well until I enter the room, the warm lights that glow on the baseboards offering me a small bit of comfort.

I sit on the edge of the bed, letting my head fall into my hands as a sob escapes me. Guilt continues to eat at me these days as I think of everything and everyone I left behind. Each time I close my eyes, I see the crumbling mountainside. I see Jude’s eyes void of life. I see Margot. Remus says it’s the new form of travel that’s making me sick, but I think it’s me unable to live with myself, knowing the future that awaits my kind— knowing all the people I failed.

Remus enters the room immediately after me.

I hate my body’s reaction as I lift my gaze to take him in.

I watched him and his sister take down a mountain without lifting a finger. I’ve seen him rip apart Earth and stop weapons without moving. And I’ve seen him create flowers from thin air. And as he studies me with that vividly purple gaze, unease creeps up my spine.

There’s no feeling in the world that compares to the level of helplessness I feel right now. There is nothing I can do to free anyone or save my planet. I am the spoils of war. And as Remus gently places his palm against my cheek, instantly soothing the frayed edges of my nerves, I know that it’s true. In Remus’s eyes, Earth is no longer a threat, let alone an issue, and I should forget it ever existed.

He did everything in his power to break me, to make me see the ways of my people. And I saw. I saw the lowest places humanity could stoop. We are a disease that the Leviathan caught and destroyed, a disease that their leader, who kneels in front of me, stroking my hair, despises with all his might.

“How long are you going to punish yourself, Iris?” he murmurs in disappointment.

I choose not to respond. He doesn’t understand my guilt. In his eyes, I should have been over this the moment he entered the resistance. But I won’t be. I can’t. I know this feeling of guilt will linger within me for as long as I live.

Remus releases a breath, obviously running out of patience, as he stands and pulls me out of my thoughts.

“It was dangerous to pass through a storm like this at the speeds we were traveling. The ship will remain in place until the storm passes. Hopefully, it doesn’t take us too far off course,” he says as he looks at me.

He gently places his hand on my thigh, his thumb rubbing in comforting circles.

“Maybe it will give your body a chance to adjust,” he says.