Page 83 of Pet: Torment

“What does that have to do with—”

“It sounds like you’re quitting before you’ve even tried. Like you want them to go on living their fucked up existence for the sake of…what, exactly? Peace?” she asks.

She looks away from me, her attention focusing on the city as she continues.

“Their mother is evil. She is a wicked, evil being with no regard for life. She wiped theminds of her children.She’s manipulated them over the years without their knowledge.” Sky gestures to the rings visible in the sky. “She’s fucking holding them and this entire world hostage. And you’re willing to let her get away with these unforgivable crimes for the sake of their peace? The aliens who fucked upourlives?”

“No! It’s just…” I trail off, my mind drifting to Remus. “I’m scared of what he’s capable of.”

Sky releases a bitter laugh.

“Whatever it is, it can’t have been worth all of this,” she says more to herself than to me.

“Did Ezra ever specify how she was sealed away?” I ask.

Sky shakes her head.

“No. But with all the ways she’s manipulated their minds, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was a lie, too,” she says.

My heart beats faster as she casually floats the theory. She’s right. Their mother somehow manipulated Remus into killing Iriel, something he was firmly against for the sake of the Leviathan. There’s no telling what else could have been a lie, including the history of this world, and her place in it.

I exhale in irritation, rubbing my temples as my frustration mounts.

“Don’t worry, Remus won’t kill his own mother. His siblings will be okay at the end of the day. They may be shocked at how much of their lives are a lie, but they’ll live,” she says matter-of-factly.

I laugh softly as I move to stand next to her.

“I care about Ezra, too, you know,” she says after a moment of silence.

“It’s fucked up, but I do. He deserves the truth. He deserves to know what parts of his life are a lie, and you’re the only one who can make that happen, Iris,” she says.

I smile, but it’s sad as I see her in another light.

“So you’re just using me?” I ask.

She shrugs. “If you want to see it that way. I know you care about Remus, too. You’re the only one who can really fight for him at this point. Because those two are lost without him.”

The mood is somber as we arrive back at Ezra’s. I’m glad to be among more familiar faces, even if he’s been avoidant. Xion’s home is slowly becoming more hostile with each passing day, and I finally understand why. She is beginning to resent me for what might happen in the future. She’s had time, just like me, to think about the consequences. And in her eyes, there are more cons than pros at the end of this.

“Something’s enteredAnafalta. It doesn’t seem to be hostile, and we don’t know its trajectory at the moment,” Ezra says, pulling me out of my thoughts.

It takes me a moment to realize he’s speaking to me and Sky alone. Xion isn’t here. As I look at him, I note that he looks concerned with the information, and when I look at Sky, she seems confused as well.

“Why is that worth a meeting? If you’re aware intelligent life exists outside of your planet, doesn’t it make sense for there to be others searching out intelligent life?” I ask in confusion.

Ezra shifts his attention to me, shaking his head.

“My brother really didn’t tell you anything, did he?” he says in disbelief.

“People don’t justenterAnafalta. It’s a protected star system. Why do you think the Leviathan here only know peace? Why do you think we ventureoutto conquer? Or why do you think it was such a shock that Xion’s human crash landed here?” he says.

“Well, like you said. He didn’t tell me,” I say, my irritation mounting at his attitude. But after a moment, I realize it’s not from anger, but anxiety. He’s nervous about this news.

“So what does this mean for us?” I ask.

Ezra shakes his head.

“I don’t know. But I have a feeling it has something to do with—” Ezra trails off, his eyes widening as he looks past both me and Sky.