Revelation - Chapter 15 (Patreon)

I can hear my heart in my chest. I can feel it for better words. Remus’ confession of contemplating my death is a new revelation to me. I’ve always known Remus as patient if anything. I know I’ve been difficult but I’ve had every right to be. What I didn’t know was that his patience had run out.

He’s still watching me with that intense purple gaze, and I suddenly feel fear of him as I take in my situation. I’m alone. In the middle of nowhere with a being that was plotting to kill me. He lets out a soft laugh placing his finger under my chin and raising my gaze to meet his.

“Iris you act as if you’ve seen a ghost.” He muses. He traces my cheek with his finger as he speaks. I immediately slap his hand away; a soft gasp escapes me.

“Don’t touch me.” I hiss. His smile immediately falls.

“I’m not going to kill you, Iris.” He says. A shaky laugh escapes me.

“Why would I believe you after you just admitted to plotting my death?” I snap. He takes a deep breath as if reigning in his emotions.

“I said I was going to. But I decided against it. Your safest place is with me Iris.”

I scoff.

“For now.” I say with a narrowed gaze. He takes a step towards me and I immediately step back. His eyes follow the movements. I turn away from him unable to hold his gaze any longer. I know I shouldn’t ever put my back to my enemy, but my emotions are running wild right now.

I look above me taking in the lights streaming in through the tops of the trees. I recall what he had said earlier when confessing everything.

“What did you mean by ‘what your about to do’?” I ask hesitantly. Remus doesn’t respond, and I don’t hear him. I feel the hair on my arms stand I get a sensation behind me. I immediately turn around, and Remus’ lips come crashing over mine.

I’m shocked for a second. It’s been so long since he’s kissed me, or even touched me for that matter. It’s been so long since any kind of contact. His lips are warm and welcoming. And so soft. His kiss isn’t forced or angry, but soft and gentle. I feel myself melting into him, all of my worries and qualms melting away.

I place my hands on his chest wanting to push him away but it’s as if my body is only running on pleasure right now. I feel his hands wrap around my waist and pull me close. His hands snake up my body cupping my cheek as he pulls away from me, capturing my face in his palm.

“I’ve never lied to you, Iris. I know exactly what it is you’re trying to do and I don’t want you gathering false hope out of this sudden curiosity about me. I just had to set things straight between you and I. You’re here because I want you to be.” He searches my face for something, and strangely enough, a small smile forms on his face.

“Don’t play this game with me. If you want to understand who I am, and what my purpose is, you need to be open to the fact that you won’t like it.” He says. I don’t know what to say. He places his finger under my chin and pushes and I realize my jaw is open.

His face grows deadly serious.

“You like the truth.”

I awake to the sound of thunder. The vibrations rumble all the way through the floor and up the mattress resting in my bones. My eyes slowly open and I take in the room around me. The glass walls are open and spaced for me to see everything around the room. The waves outside are eerily still, and I can see bright gray clouds beginning to make their way over the waters. I take in a deep breath sitting up in bed.

Remus caught on immediately to my game. And he shattered it with only a few sentences. Now I’m more than afraid to learn anything more about him. His words are a constant alarm.

“You won’t like the truth.” Something he said to me seconds after kissing me. My fingers trace my lips. I can still imagine it as if he were next to me right now. I shake my head, throwing myself into the pillows.

What the hell is wrong with me? How could I let him kiss me after everything he’s done to me? Why did I let him? I let my guard down. And I hate how much he knows me. He told me to always keep my guard up with him. Because he knows I’ll feel betrayed if I found out anything after changing my perception of him.

It’s all one big mess.

What could the truth possibly even be? How much worse could it possibly get from this point? Remus just reminded me of how awful he is.

Once I go through my morning routine, I quickly get dressed and walk down the stairs. I look around the living room and find Remus, but he is sitting on the floor with the door open staring out over the waters. I feel a slight chill ripple up my spine as I watch him. Everything he did, he did on his own. No outside influence, no manipulations, but because he felt like it. And he clarified he would do it again If given the chance.

I don’t even want to go near him for fear that he might try and end my life.

“A penny for your thoughts?” I jump when I hear Remus’ voice. He doesn’t turn around though. I slowly make my way over to where he is seated making sure to keep a good distance between us.

“…What?” I ask.

He chuckles softly keeping his gaze focused on the water.

“A phrase your planet invented. It means I would like to know what you’re thinking.” He clarifies. I narrow my gaze, biting my tongue. I look over him in the direction of his gaze but see nothing worth staring at other than the scenery. But there’s no way Remus could be taking it in.

I look back down to where he is seated and realize his finger is slightly pointed. He senses my gaze and drops his hand. No sooner than he does, do the waves begin to move again. My jaw drops.

Remus holds his hand out in front of him inspecting it.

“You- “

“Yes.” He says cutting me off. He stands, turning away from the ocean that is now moving.

“It would seem I can reach the point at which the two seas connect.” He says simply. My eyes widen.

“You can control the water?” I ask. He doesn’t look up.

“Among other things.”

He finally looks me in the eyes and I can feel myself beginning to squirm. I open my mouth to say something, suddenly realizing I have nothing to say. I immediately turn away from him, moving to make my way as far away as I can.

“No more questions for me?” He asks. I shake my head, continuing my trek towards the kitchen. There’s no way in hell I want to know anything about him anymore. Not after yesterday. I pause near the archway turning back to look at Remus.

He’s turning away from me walking back to where he was first seated before I came in.

“Wait.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. Remus turns back to look at me. His expression is unreadable.

“Why won’t I like the truth…?” I ask. The words are out before I can stop them. He pauses, crossing his arms over his chest. He contemplates whether or not he wants to tell me, but decides.

“Because you like the fight for freedom and righteousness.” He says matter-of-factly.

“So, you’re enslaving more people.” I say. He shrugs.

“If they don’t comply.”

“And if I wanted to stop you?” I ask. He smiles.

“We all know what happened the last time you tried.” I narrow my gaze.

“Why am I here Remus.” I growl.

“Because I want you to be.” He says.

“But you know I will do everything I can to stop you from wreaking havoc on innocent people.” I say. He laughs.

“I know. But you know that it will be futile.” He pauses. “Or do you?” He asks.

“Remus, how long are you going to drag me around on this mission of massacre you call life?” I ask. His smile drops.

“As long as I desire.” He snaps. He walks towards me with such speed I stumble over my own lets trying to back away. He’s directly in front of me though, leaning down so that he is the same height as me, his purple gaze boring into mine.

“You fight with me because you don’t want to give into your own temptation. Your body, your mind knows what it wants. Yet you fight with me to prove yourself worthy of something. What it is, I’m not entirely sure.” He says.

“That’s a l- “

“No, it is not.” He says. He smiles and kisses me. His lips crash over mine, and I’m caught off guard. This kiss is passionate. Nothing like yesterday. Filled with so much energy I feel my lips tingling. The sensation courses through my lips down to my toes. And to my horror, a moan escapes me.

Remus pulls away immediately looking at me.

“You can’t deny it Iris. So why continue to fight me?” My breathing is ragged as I try and catch my breath.

“Just give in to what you want.” He says. His voice is so smooth it makes me want to melt. I bite my tongue trying to pull myself out of the lust filled haze.

“No.” I whisper. It’s weak and quiet. And quite honestly, I don’t know how Remus hears me. He smiles softly.

“No?” He says. He leans into me, kissing my throat.

“Are you sure?” He asks just as he latches on and begins sucking on the skin lightly.

“Yes.” It comes out in a shaky whisper. I’m unsure if it’s because I am answering him or wanting him to keep going. He chuckles deeply.

“Ok Iris.” He murmurs. He stands to his full height. Walking away from me, and I watch him leave. I have to lean against the nearest wall to keep myself up. What the hell just happened?

I completely forgot the reason I was even speaking to Remus in the first place. And I let him kiss me again. It’s as if he has some form of control over me. I feel anger rushing through me. He’s controlling me. He has to be.

I sprint from the room going in search of him and I find him in front of the house walking through the sand. He's looking out over the water again as he walks.

“Hey!” I shout. He pauses looking at me. I run down the steps until I am face to face with him.

“What the hell did you do to me?” I snap. He raises a brow in confusion.

“Meaning…”

“Why are you controlling me?” I snap. He stares for a moment then laughs.

“Controlling you? Why would you think of such a silly thing?” He asks. My cheeks burn.

“You… When you kiss me.” I snap. He shakes his head taking a step closer to me.

“It’s in your nature.” He says. He leans into me, his scent is intoxicating.

“To be drawn to something extraordinary. All you are feeling is a natural reaction to my power Iris. But I must admit I am impressed by how much you are resisting it.” He says. I quickly take a step back

“Have you not noticed yourself changing Iris? For a second, I thought your curiosity about me was from your desire, but I quickly realized you were just trying to manipulate me.” He says. My heart jumps from his words.

“I am an existence that you and your people should never encounter or have to come into contact with, for reasons you can’t comprehend. You think this is about saving your world or all worlds, but it isn’t. Not even close.” His amusement dissipates. He holds his hand up and immediately the water behind him shoots up in a wall.

My eyes widen and I gasp as I watch the impossible become possible.

“Do you see what it is you’re up against Iris? Do you understand why your existence is pointless against me?” He growls out. My legs give out under me and I watch in shock and amazement. He drops his hand to his side and the water falls, causing it to splash everywhere.

He stands over me.

“Try all you want Iris. But stopping me?” He laughs bitterly.

“It’s impossible for you.”

“She’s the perfect match, Remus. Unlike any woman on this planet- “

I can hear my father speaking to me. But all I can think about is Iris. I never intended on returning with her to the castle. But here I am, and there she is locked away in her wing. Especially now.

Her actions were confusing when she first began with her strange questioning. She’s never been interested in me in the least. The one time she did show interest was because she was asking how to kill me. So, when she was asking innocent questions, I knew to be on guard. When we were on the cliff together, I finally understood. Her words shocked my very core.

I laugh every time I hear those silly words. But it put things into perspective for me perfectly. The human mind tries to comprehend what it doesn’t understand. And it seems she was at that point in our relationship. It was a bitter revelation to know she wasn’t genuinely curious about me. Which is why I had to set her straight about things between us.

If Iris knew exactly what I am, and what my plans are, she would be running in the opposite direction. She would never fully understand it. And that’s what I love about her. She always stands up for what is good. No matter how hard it is. At this point, I’m unsure how she would even react if she was aware of all of this.

I have never been one to hide things. But it would seem that I am at that point.

“She has arrived.” I look up as my father’s voice cuts through my thoughts. The day that I have been dreading has finally arrived. My father’s hand-picked choice for my bride. I wonder if this is how my mother felt when she had to meet my father for the first time. Even though she physically belonged to my father, her heart belonged to another. Someone she was willing to turn her back on her entire race for. Someone that would never be deemed acceptable in this society.

I take a deep breath reigning in my emotions as the large double doors are pushed open. The servants surrounding the room immediately bow in respect to their future queen. Something they never did and would never do for Iris unless I was by her side. But I keep my gaze level. My eyes fall to Ezra who is standing with no emotion on his face. To any onlooker, he would seem unbothered. But I know my brother as well as his ticks. He’s upset about something. It doesn’t take a genius to try and figure out what.

My eyes travel to my bride to be.

She’s beautiful. Her hair is as white as mine. Her eyes shining a bright purple indicating her rank. She’s the average height for my people with a lean build and full lips. Even her eyes are shaped perfectly. Like a doe. She walks with grace and poise of the privilege provided to her, her entire life. I take note of the guards behind her that came with her to this kingdom.

She approaches the throne my father sits and bows to him.

“My king.” Her voice is sultry. Hypnotizing to anyone that hears it. My father nods his head and stands, holding his hand out to me.

“It is a pleasure to have you in our presence, my dear. May I introduce my son and heir, Remus.” He says. He turns to me giving me a warning look, but I ignore him turning my gaze onto her. She bows.

“My prince.” She murmurs. I can hear the added affection in her tone. I study her intensely. No matter what I think, or how I look at her, I feel nothing. She isn’t Iris. She doesn’t even compare.

“Nira. It’s a pleasure to have you in our house.” I say. I bow to her, taking her hand and kissing it gently. A small blush crawls up her cheeks and she smiles softly.

“The pleasure is all mine, your highness. It’s an honor to have been chosen to be at your side.” She says. I don’t like it. I can do nothing but compare her to Iris. So, I nod in acknowledgment and let go of her hand.

My father addresses the room holding his hands out over everyone.

“To the future king and queen!”

We’re back in the castle. Remus cut the vacation short. And I know exactly why. I pissed him off. Bad. After his display of power, his revelation of my almost death, it seemed pointless to be there anymore. So, we’ve come back, and I’ve lost all hope.

The guards are escorting me to the gardens. It’s the only place I want to be right now. The only place I can be other than my wing anyway. Remus was very persistent on that. He’s been short with me and irritated. And I know it’s only a matter of time before he takes what he wants from me, and I can do nothing to stop him. He made that very clear. It’s all just a matter of time.

We finally reach the garden and the guards stop at the gates letting me go in alone. It’s strange I didn’t see any of the servants on our way here. But knowing Remus he probably told them to be scarce. I’ve always known Remus was powerful. But his display of the water made me realize just how powerful. And I can tell that with each day he grows stronger and stronger. He was right about one thing though.

He is out of my league.

I give up.

I walk through the gardens silently and pause when I come across the pond. Sky is here. I recognize her immediately. Her wild hair is flowing around her in large curls. I walk slowly towards her. She’s facing the water sitting on the bench. She’s eerily still. I plan on giving her a piece of my mind, and I feel my anger rising. I finally round her and pause when I see her, all of my earlier emotion gone. She’s crying. Her eyes are closed, and tears are streaming down fast.

“Sky?” I say her name softly, and her eyes open. She turns to look at me, and I immediately know why she’s crying. She has a new symbol. The one that looks exactly like Remus’. Ezra bonded with her.

Her eyes are filled with so much sadness.

“Wha- “

“Don’t. Just… don’t…” Her voice breaks. But I can’t do as she asks.

“How…?” I ask. She looks at me.

“He lied. He told me he would never force me, but he lied.” She says. She breaks after that sentence, dropping her head in her hands. Her sobs come faster and louder. I gently rub her back comfortingly.

“I belong to him. He owns me now…” She sobs.

“Isn’t this what you wanted?” I ask. She slaps my hand away and jerks up.

“I never wanted this!” She shouts.

“He told me he would let me live my life out. He would let me die when I needed to.” She snaps.

“He betrayed me. He betrayed my trust, everything I put in him.” She snaps. I feel anger for her at what he has done. For his own selfish gain. I look at her in confusion.

“Selfish?” I ask. She looks at me for a moment.

“Oh. You must not know…” She manages.

“Our bodies weren’t made for this atmosphere. With each day, we grow weaker and weaker, and eventually, it will kill us. Unless…” She trails off. But it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what she’s going to say.

“Remus hasn’t bonded with you yet. He must be planning to let you die of your own accord.” She says. She laughs.

“In the end, I guess he isn’t quite the monster we imagined, huh?” She says. My ears are ringing from the revelation. I’m dying…? Much quicker than I am supposed to be? I think back to all the times I felt sluggish and exhausted for no reason. It’s because of this world?

“Sky.” I look up and see Ezra. Sky glares at him, and he returns the favor.

“How could you?” I ask. He narrows his gaze at me.

“Don’t start.” He snaps. But I don’t listen.

“You did this to her. You forced this hell on her!” I shout.

“I did what I had to!” He says. I shake my head.

“You didn’t have to you selfish bastard!” I scream. Tears are forming in my eyes and they fall over as anger and frustration course through me. All of this for what?

I lunge at Ezra against my own better judgment, and my body is thrown back by an unknown force. I know without looking who it is.

I land in the pond; the water Is freezing cold as it engulfs me. Before I can even begin to stand, my body is yanked out of the water and I am face to face with a frightening pair of purple eyes.