Page 78 of Pet: Torment
It’s the hairpin Remus gave me.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Iris
As I hunch over the toilet, releasing everything in my stomach, I laugh to myself at the irony of it all. The transporting of my body has made me sick, just as the trip toXyrannisdid, because I was not used to it. Except this time, Remus isn’t here to comfort me. I don’t know if he ever will be again.
It’s obvious from our secret meeting last night that he doesn’t trust anyone. Not even his siblings at the moment. And if he ever regains his memory, I can’t help but wonder how that will come to affect them. But I can’t worry about that too hard right now. Not when I can’t even protect myself.
Remus has always kept his abilities secret from me, only revealing them when necessary. He was able to find the resistance in the end because of that very reason. He’s always been a calculating being, even when he feigned trust. I don’t know whether to feel hopeful that he’s realizing things aren’t making sense, or resentful that even when he claimed I was his equal, there were still things he was keeping from me.
I wipe my mouth, standing as I flush the toilet to make my way to the mirror. I expect to see the tired, haggard woman who has been reflected in it for weeks staring back at me, but I don’t. I look rejuvenated. My skin is clear and dewy, my eyes bright, and my hair even has a soft gloss to it. I slowly lift my fingers to the strands, a soft laugh escaping me as they pass easily through, not snagging on dry tangles and brittle ends.
Even though he threatened to let me die in the snow, he ended up healing me in the ways only he can, restoring me to how I was before the bond was taken from me.
“Neither of my siblings’ strong suits has ever been healing. But I’m sure you’ve realized that by now.”
He’s right. After his first attack,it took days for Xion to heal me. And still, remnants of the pains I felt in my stomach lingered. But now, it’s all gone. I feel better than I’ve felt in a long time. It makes me wonder what parts of us he must remember to take the time to heal me completely after almost killing me in the snow.
As I make my way out of the bathroom, my attention falls to the hairpin I left in the middle of the bed. It taunts me with its existence, giving me hope that may be false in the end.Just because Remus suspects doesn’t mean he will remember anytime soon. It was his mother who did this to him. She must be the only one who can reverse it, and I doubt she will.
I pull in a deep breath, looking at the bright sky. The rings are barely visible as they stretch across the sky. When did this all become so complicated? I’ve been dragged from my home to the middle of some crisis these creatures are experiencing at the hands of their own.
I ignore the crushing doubt bubbling up within me, moving to grab the hairpin off the bed. Instead of placing it in my hair, I put it in the drawer under the small bit of clothes I’ve accumulated over the weeks. It feels ridiculous, hiding something from the god-like being who lives up the hallway, but it’s better than having her notice it and ask questions that could get me into deeper trouble.
Once I’m satisfied with its hiding place, I make my way out of the room and up the hallway where Xion and Noah sit at the table. I’ve rarely seen him since I’ve come to stay with Xion. He only ever shows up when Sky and Ezra are around, and even still, he remains silent—much more silent than he was the night I first arrived. And this morning is no different, as he gestures to me with his mug before shifting his attention to the scenery as Xion stands to greet me.
“You look better,” she says, eyeing me closely. Her gaze lingers on the places that once ached before shifting back to my face. “Much better.”
“I don’t feel any different,” I say, hoping she doesn’t obsess over it. I wish there was something I could do to avoid her gaze, especially since I now have something to hide. I try to keep my wits about me as she comes to her own internal conclusion, finally leaving me alone.
I shift my attention to the scenery, happy for once to see the warm green forest surrounding me instead of the snowscapeof Remus’s home. I never want to be out in that kind of cold again. I shudder as I think of my body shutting down because it couldn’t handle the weather. What was even more frightening was Remus’s indifferent attitude towards it. But he did end up changing his mind in the end and doing something out of character for his current state of mind.
I don’t know what he has planned, or what he knows so far. But I know it’s enough for him to see some value in my life.
“Can I ask you something?” I ask.
Xion gives me her full attention, so I continue with my question.
“Why isn’t it possible for either of you to remove the rings?” I ask.
I can see her battling with getting angry or not. But she answers me.
“Something like this takes time. We haven’t stopped trying to figure it out—”
“I know that…I’m just curious why you and Ezra are so different from Remus,” I ask.
Remus has always been the strongest of his siblings. Last night, he didn’t even flinch when I suggested he remove the rings. It’s obviously something he is capable of, and his siblings are not. Which makes me curious as to what the difference could be between them. Xion is powerful in her own right, I’ve seen it. I’ve also seen the aftermath of Ezra’s presence. Still, Remus seems to be on an entirely different level.
“Remus has always been stronger. It’s just been a fact of our lives. He’s the oldest, he’s been alive much longer than me and centuries longer than Ezra. With that comes power, and things we haven’t learned yet,” she says.
In answering my question, she has confirmed what I need to do about this situation. I need to focus on getting Remus to remove the rings. What comes after is a question of hispower compared to his mother’s. Will he be capable of stopping her? We’re in this situation now because she overpowered him. So if his memories return, can he prevent this situation from happening again if he’s aware of it this time?
“Why are you asking anyway?” Xion asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“I’m just trying to understand the situation from your point of view,” I say, hoping she’ll buy into my lie.
She eyes me for a moment longer before changing the subject.