Page 95 of Pet: Torment

“Why are you fighting me? Can’t you see I am here to help you?” he says in irritation as he approaches. There’s barely a scratch on him.

I grimace as I stand.

“Strange words coming from someone who chose to fight before even introducing himself,” I say.

He raises a brow, laughing after a moment.

“You chose to fight, Remus. I only tried to calm my children when they attacked me for freeing them from their prison,” he says.

I narrow my gaze. He’s speaking of Ezra. He must think we’ve been manipulated into serving him.

“From where I’m standing, it looks like you tried to kill our brother, and weaken us so that we can't fight back,” I say.

He continues to watch me, trying to figure me out. If what he says is true, and he is our father, then our mother has done morethan just tamper with recent memories. I have no recollection of this Celestivine.

We both sense the sudden presence at the same time. His amusement vanishes as he looks in the opposite direction. For the first time in weeks, I sense my mother. And it isn’t just a presence; it’s a force. She’s letting this Celestivine know she is here, and that she isn’t going down without a fight.

I must be weak, because I don’t even see him move. There’s suddenly a hand around my throat, and before I can try to wrench free, my body is flying to the ground. I cry out in pain as the force of his attack pushes me layers deep, but he doesn’t let go. He lifts me again, smashing me back into the rock, doing it again and again and again and again. Until I am bloody, gasping for air, and my bones are numb. My breath is shallow by the time he is finished, and as he holds me in the air, he finally decides to speak.

“Apologies, my son. I need you to pay attention now,” he says. The world suddenly shifts around us and only once we are in a new location does he release me. I am too weak to hold myself up, so I collapse at his feet.

I suddenly hear Xion’s voice.

“Remus!” she screams. But she sounds far away. I don’t have the strength to lift my head, but I feel my father’s fingers in my hair, ripping me up to my knees as he forces me to look at the scene in front of us.

I was right. My motherhasreturned. She’s kneeling over Ezra, her expression shifting into a murderous rage when she sees us. I frantically look around for the human I saw earlier using what little strength she had to drag Ezra from the danger. She’s a few feet away from my mother, with another unconscious human in her arms.

She looks frightened as she clutches the unconscious human to her chest, but her fear isn’t for herself as she looks at me. She’sworried for me. I fight the urge to tell her it’s okay, tensing as I notice the cracks circling her. The dirt and rock surrounding her continue to break away, making her sink lower as it threatens to give way.

I look away from her to Xion, my stomach knotting. She’s bound by bright blue beams, the sight forcing memories to flash over my mind. My mother used the same beams on me that day. I know instantly Xion won’t be able to break free. Our mother is holding her hostage.

“Me’Rite.” The patience in my father’s voice is all but gone as he addresses my mother. She slowly stands, her power radiating on top of her skin. Usually, I would be able to sense it. But right now, I can only watch with weak breath.

She steps over Ezra, keeping him protectively behind her.

“Kuron,” she says.

“So this is what you’ve done with your freedom?” he asks. “Betray everything we stand for?”

She doesn’t respond for a second, but I feel a light tremble beneath us, and I know immediately it’s her. She shifts her attention to me, hatred in her gaze as she moves closer to Iris.

I struggle against Kuron’s hold, as my mother shifts her attention to him.

“You can have your children. Leave my son out of this,” she says, referring to Ezra.

Kuron chuckles humorlessly behind me.

“You’ve forgotten yourself in your reckless state. Iwillbe taking my children. But leave this alone? Never. You will face consequences for what you have done,” he hisses.

My mother scoffs. “You don’t know who they are, Kuron. You don’t know what makes them obedient,” she says.

Iris screams as the ground beneath her cracks more, causing her to sink a few more feet. My mother’s going to take out the entire mountainside to prove a point. My body is moving,however, as I try to get to her. I turn threateningly, using what little power I have left to form a weapon. It’s weak, but it’s enough to cut the strands of my hair he holds in his grip.

He releases me in shock, my hair falling around me as I cling to the desperation I feel to save Iris. She screams as my mother uses her power to pull her into her arms, a weapon of pure energy forming. As I near them, my mother glares at me with a smirk, and I know I’ve stepped right into her trap.

“No!” I scream. I don’t know where the panic comes from. I still can’t remember this human or why I should care. But seeing my mother hold her weapon, seeing the fear in Iris’s eyes is debilitating.

My hand is outstretched, but I have no access to my power. I am too weak. I can’t pull her and I can’t transport her. The most I can do is move to her physically. I am too late as my mother stabs her using her weapon.