Page 65 of Pet: Torment
She finally releases me, and I stumble back. Her words cause chills to form across my arms. It had been years since the initial invasion when Remus and I stumbled upon each other. But his mother has removed all nuance from his mind. Even the invasion is just fact.
“Why won’t you answer my question?” I ask. “What are you going to do to get him back?”
Both Ezra and Xion don’t respond immediately, fueling my anger.
“Remus just killed someone in cold blood. He did that because she has manipulated him to make him go against everything he believes in. The least you can do is figure out how to break this hold she has on him,” I say.
“You are right, Iris,” Xion says, stepping forward. “We know that she has not only wiped his mind, but is capable of manipulating his actions, so we must tread very carefully, as we don’t know the extent of these manipulations. I know asking you to be patient is a lot, but it’s the safest thing for you right now.”
I release an irritated breath, moving away from her. I need space. I know she is on my side mentally, but physically, having her stand so close, looking like the woman who tried to kill me makes me uneasy. My body is screaming at me to distance myself from her.
The room is quiet as I move to one of the windows, looking out at the landscape. It’s not as calming as Remus’s home. On Xion’s side of the world, I can see the rings that surround the planet, adding to my unease as I think of how they were put there.
My eyes widen as my mind starts to realize the pattern. The rings are unnatural. They were put there by their mother, according to Remus. But he never explained why.
“Could the rings be affecting him?” I say aloud, turning to face the room.
“The rings your mother put around the planet. You all react to them, knowing when someone enters or exits. Even my body reacted to them but only because of the bond. They affect you somehow, what if they’re connected to Remus?” I ask.
“What would that matter?” Xion asks.
“Because if they are the one thing connecting all of you somehow, that might be our chance. Do you know why they exist? Has she never explained to you why they are there?” I ask.
“She said they are to keep things in balance,” Ezra says.
I almost laugh at the obvious hidden intention behind her explanation. But we don’t have the time nor the resources to understand the rings completely, only the hope that they affecting Remus. And we can somehow do something about it.
“Then we can start by getting rid of them…” I trail off as I notice a figure approaching the textured glass door of Xion’s home. Xion and Ezra notice as well, both speaking at the same time.
“It’s Remus.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Iris
“Iris, no!” I hear multiple people call my name as I sprint to the door, intent on being the first to greet him, to finally speak to him. But Xion is much faster than me. She catches me easily, her body colliding with mine.
“Careful!” Ezra hisses at her.
But Xion has me in a tight grip, attempting to pull me from the room despite my struggles. Tears burn my eyes in desperation as I keep my eyes on the door, my fingers outstretched uselessly.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Xion growls in my ear, but I ignore her. This might be my only chance to speak to him. She and Ezra won’t let me anywhere near him otherwise.
Remus must hear the commotion because he enters without waiting, and his presence alone pulls all life from the room as silence envelopes each of us. My struggles cease instantly as I look at him. He’s dressed in his usual white attire, his hair held away from his face. He is emotionless as he enters, his eyes void of the life I’ve grown used to seeing there. He is completely different and utterly terrifying.
So much so that I forget everything I said prior to this moment. Remus’s eyes find me and Xion, and I cry out when the weight of gravity rattles my bones, ripping me from Xion’s arms. My feet don’t have time to touch the ground as I am pulled before Remus, to my knees. I look up at him, feeling more frightened than I ever have. Remus rarely used his abilities on me, even when we first came into contact with one another. It not only feels violating, but it also makes me feel much smaller as it forces me to feel the power gap between us.
But Remus isn’t looking at me. He wouldn’t give me that satisfaction in this state. He’s looking at Xion, speaking to her in their language.
I grit my teeth, trying to lift myself from his hold as I speak. “At least have the decency—ngh! To look at me,” I manage.
I’ve never felt regret so quickly in my life as Remus shifts his gaze from Xion to me. The blue flecks within his purple gaze blaze bright as he smirks down at me, holding his hand over my body.
“Okay,” he says.
Suddenly, the weight of the world crushes my body. It’s slow and deliberate to draw out my pain as he uses his power to crush me in front of everyone. It feels like every piece of my bones are seconds from shattering, and yet the seconds pass much slower than usual. The pain finally becomes too much, and I scream, tears in my eyes as I look up at him. He’s doing what I said. He’s looking at me, excitement in his eyes as he crushes me like the insect he sees me as.
Xion is next to him, grabbing his hand as she screams at him in their language, and the pain stops. She continues shouting at him as Ezra kneels next to me, his hands gently wrapping under my legs as he picks me up. I sag easily into his body, unable to hold my head up. My body is past its limit.