Pet: Revelations - Chapter Nine (Patreon)

Iris

She’s reaching for me. Her eyes lack the emotion of a human as she reaches for me, ready to end my life. I can’t move, I can’t scream. I am paralyzed, my eyes wide as I watch her features so close to Remus’s grow closer.

Sharp pain explodes on my side, and when I look down, a purple beam of light coats her palm like a weapon, easily slicing through my flesh. I choke on my scream. It won’t come. I can’t call for anyone. I am helpless, choking.

“Iris!” 

I hear my name, but I can’t respond. I am locked in, my gaze unable to tear away from hers. She smiles wickedly, her eyes glittering unnaturally as she rips her hand from my side, my blood spilling. Her hand wraps around my throat, squeezing so tight that I cannot breathe. Slowly, her features shift until I am looking at Remus.

His eyes are filled with disgust as he glares at me with all the hatred he can muster. He doesn’t speak. He silently watches me, the blue flecks in his purple gaze dimming as the purple outweighs it, until his eyes glitter just like his mother's.

Then, he speaks.

“Die.”

I jolt awake, flying up in the bed. My scream rips from my throat, tearing over the unfamiliar walls. I feel hands around me, shaking me, and a voice tries to break through my panic. But it is warbled as my adrenaline spikes when I realize I am looking into the jeweled gaze that almost killed me.

“Oh, God, no! Please!” I scream, trying my best to tear away. But the grip is too strong.

“Iris…breathe. It’s me. I’m here.”

Finally, a familiar voice breaks through my nightmare, and my mind slowly settles as familiar warmth settles over me. My heart is beating too wildly for me to slow my breath, but I feel a warm touch against my chest, coaxing me as my vision focuses.

Remus is right in front of me, his expression filled with worry. He mirrors what he wants me to do, his breath warm as he leads me. He slowly nods, a small smile forming when I begin to follow his lead, breathing as slowly as I can. And after what feels like hours, my breath is back to normal.

My body is covered in sweat, my hair sticking to me everywhere, not just on my forehead. But Remus doesn’t seem to mind at all, even though he sits across from me, looking as ethereal as his surroundings, no hair out of place. His hair is pulled away from his face, his flawless features focused on me in concern. And he slowly reaches for me, pushing my hair away from my forehead. He rests his palm against my cheek, his thumb rubbing comfrotingly back and forth.

“You’re safe. I’m here,” he says gently. And for a moment, he sounds like the old Remus. I can close my eyes and pretend everything is okay. But when I open them, and I am met with the gaze so similar to his mother's, so unnatural, I am reminded that he is no longer the same Remus.

He said so himself when I woke up in this room. We are not equals. That was before. I close my eyes, savoring his touch before slowly pushing it away from my face.

“Iris…” He starts, but doesn’t finish.

And as the silence settles between us, I realize he is at a loss for words. Which is a first for Remus. After a moment, he takes a deep breath before moving away from the bed. I follow his movement carefully. He’s always moved with predatory grace, but now, he moves so unnaturally, my body can’t quite comprehend that he’s even humanoid. He’s truly unnerving to my eyes.

He stops over a dresser, grabbing a crystal glass. And as he turns to face me, my heart beats a little faster at the familiar pink liquid that barely moves inside of the glass. That’s how unnatural his footsteps are.

“Don’t worry. It’s only for your health. The atmosphere here is different, which is probably why you are so tired. And your nightmares are more vivid,” he says, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

He watches me carefully when I don’t respond, holding the glass out to me. I can’t help my reaction as I stare at it. I want to push it away, but he is right. I have been sleeping a lot since arriving. And that dream felt so real, the scar that I received from the encounter with his mother still throbs.

Remus takes a deep breath, bringing the glass to his lips. He takes a small sip, making a face as if reassuring me before holding it back out to me, and I reluctantly take it. He could easily manipulate it without me knowing, but I still appreciate the gesture. I study the liquid intensely, the water rippling from how violently my fingers tremble. It’s a stark contrast to how it looked when Remus glided across the room to hand it to me.

“Please, Iris. It’s for your own safety,” he says.

I slowly bring it to my lips, the lack of taste all too familiar as my body wakes up from its groggy state. I feel much better than I did, my head clearing as I drink it down. And when I finish, Remus reaches for it.

“Better?” he asks.

I slowly nod. I want to ask him about last night. When I woke up to find him asleep on me. But it feels like a part of my dream, and I don’t know if it’s real.

“Did you…sleep with me last night?” I ask.

“No. I’ve been busy trying to make sure Xion and Ezra are adjusted,” Remus says. “I’m sorry if you feel like I’ve been neglecting you. It’s not intentional.”

I’ve never known Remus to lie. And I don’t know why he would start now. He even admits to keeping things from me regarding what happened on Xyrannis. So, I quietly hand him the glass without pushing.

“How are they?” I ask, looking at him.

“Ezra is still in recovery, and Xion is resting,” Remus says.

“And Sky?” I ask.

Remus blinks, as if forgetting who I am, even speaking about.

“She is resting as well,” he finally says.

“I want to see them,” I say, moving to the edge of the bed. I am stopped by a gentle force. It’s soft, but firm as it wraps around my body, moving me back. I look at Remus in shock. He hasn’t moved, but I know it’s him.

“Now isn’t a good time,” he says.

I am completely taken aback.

“I don’t care,” I say, attempting to move again. The force is still there, and this time it’s stronger.

“What…do you think you’re doing?” I ask, watching him. I try to tamp down my terror at this newest development. I know Remus sometimes keeps fields around himself, but he’s never used them on me. He’s doing the same thing he did on the ship when he forced me to sleep instead of letting me visit Ezra. He is slowly taking my free will in the name of protecting me.

“I need you to listen to me. Now isn’t the time to visit. I have things I need to take care of, and I need to know you are safe,” he says.

“So you are saying if I set foot outside of this room, I won’t be safe?” I ask.

“That is not what I am saying. But for my peace of mind, I just need you here when I get back. Can you do that?” he asks, looking at me.

I don’t respond immediately, and he continues. “And I swear, the first thing I will do when I return is take you to see everyone.”

I slowly look away, rubbing my arms as chills form. It’s better that he is asking, instead of enforcing his will. But still, the less I know, the more I fear.

“Fine,” I say, looking at him. “But on one condition.”

I note that his eyes darken from my attempt to negotiate. He is clearly not the same Remus he once was. He once enjoyed negotiating with me. But now, the thought of playing a game doesn’t even cross his mind. He doesn’t like that I am offering a condition, reminding me of what he said to me about being equals.

But I stand my ground.

“Tell me where you’re going.”

Remus

The deep pulse of this world courses through me as I stand near the large arches that open up to reveal the world beneath us. The pulse is slow and getting slower with each passing month. I was never able to pick it up as a child, and now that I have returned, it is second nature.

I take a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. Kuron gave me a few days to get my affairs in order, and it feels like I have failed. I’ve set the already fragile relationship between Iris and me back; I’ve shattered my sister's reality, and I continue to question where Ezra lies in my heart. It’s been a waste, just like Kuron warned.

Seeing Iris struggle in her dreams, sensing her terror as she woke up, was a humbling experience. Out of everything I’ve put her through, nothing ever broke her. But what happened on Xyrannis has seared itself so deeply into her mind that she cannot get a peaceful night’s sleep unless I am there helping her through.

What’s worse, is being near her, I can sense how much this world is affecting her. Kuron was right about that as well, making me desperate to make a decision.

“Remus.” I turn to see Kuron approaching with a grin on his face. His joy of seeing his son in his rightful place obvious. I remember the happiness I felt seeing this Celestivine as a child. But that happiness turned to resentment in my mother’s prison. And now, I feel nothing. He is a stranger to me.

“You seem to be adjusting well,” he says.

I nod, looking back to the world below.

“It’s much different than my memories,” I say.

Kuron is quiet as he steps up next to me.

“A lot has changed since you were a child,” he says.

“Hm,” I scoff.

“And how is your sister adjusting?” he asks. I tamp down my irritation at him asking about Xion.

“Not well. She still mourns for her love and wishes Ezra would wake up. She also knows the truth and hasn’t taken well to it,” I say.

Kuron places his hand on my shoulder.

“You didn’t either. Just give her time,” he says.

I step away from him, narrowing my gaze.

“We don’t need your pity,” I snap.

“It’s not pity. I just want—”

“You almost killed our brother. And you plotted his death all the way here, even after you knew what he meant to us. You have a ways to go if you ever want us to see you as anything other than an enemy,” I say.

Kuron watches me carefully, his expression becoming stoic.

“Are you ready then?” he asks.

I nod, gesturing to him to lead the way. He is the only one who has access to the place I want to go. This is my final step before I give myself fully to this world and become whatever Kuron needs me to be. The world slowly tilts, and I feel the weight of everything shifting. I study him carefully, remembering everything that he is doing in this moment, just as the punishing gravity settles around me, and I feel my power wane.

The world dissolves, and we are transported.

I ignore the discomfort, focusing on my mother, who still remains in her chains, the bright blue beams holding her hostage. Her long strands cover her face as she keeps her head down, settling around her. And when she hears my approach, she slowly lifts her head.

A wicked smile forms as she takes me in, and I feel the rage I desperately tried to push away come rushing back to the surface.

“My son,” she says mockingly. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”