Page 13 of Pet: Torment
I open my mouth to rebuttal, but Remus interrupts me.
“Don’t bother. I thought I could bring you here, and once you saw the potential of a new life, you would finally let that wasteland go. But I see I was too optimistic. Take your time in coming to terms with things. It is you who will continue to suffer in the long run, not me. I have all the time in the world.”
The duration of the trip to the capital is tense due to Remus finally letting his patience slip. His words were uncharacteristically harsh, making me feel less confident about my emotional state. And as we pass over the capital, I am once again reminded of Remus’s words to me and my own seemingly ridiculous decision to reject this place.
The buildings of the capital are tall, rigid, and reflective in the sunlight. There are more buildings in the distance, stretching far beyond the three that greet us, and it is surrounded by trees that don’t come close to reaching the heights of the buildings. The large building in the center has a waterfall pouring from underneath, leading to the river below that flows out to the sea. It looks foreign to my eyes but still objectively beautiful, making me wonder where we went wrong in creating our cities. Why did we mow down the land instead of building along with it?
We land on the roof of the tallest building, surpassing the usual adoring crowds, and are greeted by Leviathan. They each bow as Remus approaches, and I shift my attention to the edge of the building, looking to the other side as we continue to walk. There’s a massive maze-like garden with water in between it, leading to a side of the building I cannot see from this angle.
“Iris.” I tense when I hear Remus’s voice, looking at him in confusion. He’s watching me with a blank gaze, his eyes drifting to the Leviathan in attendance, and when I finally look, I notice they are bowing to me.
My eyes widen.
“I—”
And I look back to Remus in confusion. He smiles to himself, speaking for me, and the Leviathan rise, speaking to Remus as they lead us into the building. As the elevator moves, I realize my heart is beating in my ears. I’m nervous from the gesture of the Leviathan bowing to me. I’m human… one of the beings they conquered recently. Why would they give me the same respect they give Remus?
As we reach the designated floor, I note that Remus’s demeanor has changed significantly. He’s silent, barely acknowledging the Leviathan as they speak to him, his regal stature and distant expression unnerving. He only offers the occasional nod in response to the Leviathan, making even me uncomfortable.
The doors open, and we follow the Leviathan up the wide hall. My stomach twists as I take in the two people who scare me almost as much as Remus.
Xion and Ezra.
The sister who ripped open the mountainside and reduced an army of heavily weaponed men to a pile of shredded flesh and bone, and the brother who escaped his captivity, took out of aroom of guards single-handedly, and somehow prevented Sky from the intimate death she wanted.
My footsteps falter as Xion’s gaze falls on me, her eyes narrowing slightly at my presence. I note that as we approach, his siblings bow slightly to him in respect. And it’s Ezra who speaks, his boyish grin forming as he approaches.
“Well, look who has been given freedom despite her betrayal—”
“Ezra,” Remus snaps, pulling his brother’s attention.
He laughs, shaking his head as he steps into my personal space, his dual-colored eyes roaming over me in delight.
“I’m only kidding. I’m happy to see the woman who briefly argued for my humane treatment,” he chuckles.
He is suddenly pulled out of my space as Remus uses his powers of gravitational force to move his brother, quipping something to him in his language. It is Xion who steps forward and responds to Remus. Her gaze shifts to me as she speaks, her irritation prominent. Remus snaps something at her in response, and she steps back, trying to control her anger as she looks between me and Remus.
And when I look at Ezra, he is watching the exchange with cautiousness. Xion whips away, storming through the large double doors, and Ezra shakes his head in disappointment before also turning away.
I flinch from Remus’s tone as he speaks to the Leviathan in attendance, and they bow, shifting their attention to me.
“Go with them,” he says.
He doesn’t offer me anything, not even a brief glance as he brushes past me, his anger for the first time in a while visible. He storms into the room his siblings entered without looking back, giving me a new view of the being I “chose” to live life with.
Chapter Six
Remus
Control is an illusion.
From a young age, I was taught that the true way to rule is to allow people to believe they are in control. If they feel their voices are not heard, or if they feel they don’t have the space to make their own calculated decision, they feel that they havelost power. They become irrational, which is why my mother established a council upon her departure fromXyrannis. So that the Leviathan would feel like they are in control even though beings who could implode their planets at any second rule over them. Fear would only lead to unnecessary rebellion, such as with my mother’s reign and Iriel’s betrayal.
I, however, would never allow that to happen. I do not have the same compassion as my mother, which makes council meetings all the more difficult to sit through. Regardless of what the Leviathan in attendance believe, my plans will be the ones that leave this room. But they would never acknowledge that. It would shatter their fragile illusion. It would make their lives frightening instead of allowing them to blindly follow my will.
I have always been flawless in executing this form of control. But, as with everything that involves her, it is different with Iris. My usual patience is running thin as she goes about her days, refusing to accept that this is her new home. She has been in complete awe the past few days and has enjoyed her time. Yet she still coaxes irrational emotions out of me, most of which are beginning to make me irritable as time passes. I can’t begin to understand why she would choose to live a life free of an inhibitor and still feel guilt with each day that passes.
“With the last of the rebels wiped out, we can finally manage the resources of the planet properly and begin farming it for resources while continuing to turn it into a settlement.” I’m pulled from my thoughts as Xion reaches the end of her presentation. Murmurs of approval sound over the room as the council members discuss what this means.