Page 54 of Pet: Torment

I turn away from the ocean, looking past the glass into Ezra’s home. He and Xion have been speaking for at least an hour, her frustration mounting as he explains to her the situation. Even she is in denial about what this could mean. But I know it’s just fear. Remus is like the sun—he’s a constant in everyone’s lives that represents stability. Now that this has happened, everything is unstable.

I quietly stand from my place on the patio, making my way inside. Just as I enter, Ezra is in the process of speaking.

“I’ll go see her and get to the bottom of this—”

“No. She’ll know something is off. We have to feign innocence if we want to—” Xion trails off, her gaze narrowing as I enter the room.

She’s never liked me, and she lets that be known each time she sees me. Now is no different, and I don’t have Remus here to be the buffer between us.

I shift my attention to Ezra, ignoring her glare.

“Did you figure out what could have happened?” I ask.

Ezra exhales, shaking his head. I tense as Xion suddenly steps up next to me, close enough that her body heat radiates into me.

“You look like shit,” she murmurs.

I release a humorless laugh, placing my cup of tea on the counter.

“I feel like shit,” I say.

I look away from her and notice that Sky is seated in the living room, quietly observing.

Xion pulls me from my thoughts as she moves into Ezra’s kitchen.

“Your body’s been fueled by Remus’s energy. Now that it’s gone, you’re degenerating. Did Remus ever explain the bond to you?” she asks.

I slowly shake my head. “He told me that we can feel each other’s emotions. He only got around recently to explaining it extended my life,” I say, leaving out that it was the result of an argument we had.

Xion crosses the room, placing a glass filled with a familiar pink liquid in front of me. She watches me expectantly, and when I finally bring it to my lips, she begins to explain.

“A bond is a lifetime commitment. Once it is formed, there is no breaking it. There is no leaving.” Xion pulls the top of her shirt to the side, revealing the intricate symbol etched into her flesh. It pulses with life, just like Remus’s.

“These symbols only form when we have fully matured asCelestivine. It is a literal window into our soul. Our anger, our excitement, our lust, all of it lives here, moving with our energy levels. When we bond, we give part of it to that person, sharingour emotions. We are giving our soul to that person,” she says as she releases her shirt.

“It was stupid of Remus to trust you with that. And ever since he did, things have gone to shit. He hasn’t been himself. He’s been unable to control his power—”

“Xion,” Ezra tries to interrupt in a warning tone, but she doesn’t care for the warning Remus must have left with them.

“No. She needs to understand. A bond is a serious life commitment. You are a unit—a team. From the moment you bonded, Remus has been changing. And you have only been making it difficult for him,” she snaps, glaring at me.

I narrow my gaze, standing my ground.

“Why? Because I mourned the loss of my world?” I ask.

Xion scoffs, but I continue.

“You’re upset because I was taken from everything I had ever known and wasn’t happy about it?” I say, standing.

I am mentally thankful that she gave me the glass of pink liquid before this moment. Because there is no way I would have been able to speak to her like this with the heavy weakness I felt prior.

“No. I’m upset because you refuse to see your place in all of this. And my brother is now paying the price for it,” she snaps.

I release a humorless chuckle. “I had nothing to do with this. Yourmotheris the cause of all of this! Have neither of you stopped to ask how Remus felt in all of this? Has it not crossed your mind why Remus bothered with me the way he did? It’s because he’s never feltanythingin his life! He doesn’t even remember his childhood. Helivesfor your mother’s command. He speaks of her like she’s some stranger he serves, not the woman who raised and nurtured him. And now, because he gets a little out of control and went to her for help, this has happened, and you want to blame me? It’s her! He said it himself. He said stopher!” I shout.

Xion’s gaze narrows, and she crosses the room, coming inches from me before Ezra steps between us. But I hold her gaze. I won’t let her think she can run over me just because Remus isn’t here.

“We’re getting off track here,” Ezra says.