Page 17 of Pet: Torment

My eyes widen, and I pull my hand from his chest, unable to form a coherent thought from his sudden shift in mood. He’s much more relaxed than he was. This is a new side of Remus I am not familiar with. I am so used to him being the alien conqueror who found me in the blight and spent his days trying to convince me to give up on my people. This gentle side continues to rock me.

“Tell me what’s on your mind,” he says.

As I find the courage to look him in the eyes, I feel a deeper sense of warmth wash over me. His gaze has always been distracting. But at this moment, it pulls me in, compelling me tospeak. It’s unnatural, even more so than usual, making me think something in him has shifted. Something that I am not even sure if he is aware of yet. But being human, I am instantly affected by it.

Luckily, I don’t have a chance to respond as a Leviathan enters the room.

“Aureon, renti mit.”1 Remus doesn’t react immediately to the Leviathan in the doorway as he continues to study me, waiting for me to speak. And when he realizes I won’t, he pulls in a deep breath, standing tall.

“Then let us depart.”

I knew the return of the Divine Three was something celebrated among the planet, but to compare it to the celebrations on Earth is insulting to the Leviathan onXyrannis. The elaborate setup is in a building made of glass. The glass is so pure that I can easily see the edge of the city, and the large planet in the distance that seems to decorate the sky constantly.

The interior of the building has multiple stories with food, drinks, and the Leviathan equivalent of specialty acts. And there is no shortage of plants within the building, the colors pulsing with life that mimics the eyes of the siblings who have returned. Everything has been meticulously planned all the way down to Remus’s symbol on the glasses filled with theXyrannisequivalent of champagne.

I feel a stroke of sadness as I take in the excitement. On Earth, I was placed with other slaves, and Jude and I would converse the night away. But he is gone now, and I have no one to share this moment with. I shift my attention to the floor we’re on. Itmust be the important figureheads in Leviathan society to be able to speak so freely with Remus and Xion.

I turn back to the balcony that overlooks the excitement. Ezra and Sky are nowhere to be found. I’m sure Ezra isn’t as curious as Remus was when we first began our journey together. He wouldn’t bring Sky somewhere as important as this when she isn’t ready. But as I look around, I realize this is a much more important occasion than the celebrations on Earth.

“You must be Iris.” I don’t recognize the voice speaking to me. As I turn in confusion, I am shocked to see a human standing before me, dressed in Leviathan attire without an inhibitor.

He’s a handsome man with dark hair and blue eyes. And as he smiles, I note that he has one dimple on the right side of his face.

“Who are you?” I ask.

I don’t recognize him, but he watches me with familiarity. I shift my attention past him to Remus, who is speaking to a group of Leviathan, Xion at his side. He doesn’t seem worried about me in the slightest.

“My name is Noah. I came toXyrannisyears ago by accident with my crew.” He laughs, shaking his head as he stands beside me, looking at the Leviathan below. “I never thought I’d miss seeing a human face this much,” he says.

I quickly put together this man’s situation as I look at Xion, and I recall Remus briefly explaining what happened with the group of humans who crash landed on his planet.

“You’re with Xion…” I say.

He nods slowly.

“You’re the reason they invaded in the first place,” I say.

“I wouldn’t say solely,” he says.

“And yet you are with her,” I say.

He once again smiles, but it’s mocking.

“And you are with him,” he counters.

It forces me to realize I don’t know this man’s story. I saw what Xion is capable of. I’m sure we share a similar journey when becoming part of these alien’s lives.

“I never thought Remus would bond with someone. I think everyone here is shocked to see you,” he says, gesturing to my symbol.

I laugh bitterly. “No one was as shocked as he was.”

Remus has admitted to it being a mistake. But it is a mistake he is glad to have made, as he’s said on more than one occasion. As I look back at Noah, I notice he is hesitant. He didn’t just approach me to introduce himself.

“The Leviathan truly admire theirAureon,” he says.

There it is, that word again. “Aureon.” I’ve heard it on more than one occasion, usually from the mouth of a Leviathan who is addressing Remus.

“Aureon?” I ask.