Page 18 of Pet: Genesis

“Your society...is color-coded?” I ask.

“How very clever you are.” His smile widens, and he lightly pulls at the fabric of his shirt while he explains his society’s rules.

“The white is a sign of nobility—my nobility, to be more specific. I am the only one who wears it,” he says.

I take in the society consisting of Leviathan. They’re laughing, enjoying each other’s company. Some brought their human slaves with them. To boast no doubt about their place in society. Thehumans wear inhibitors, their gazes as blank as Ruth’s. It makes my heart ache. It’s despicable. I turn my attention to Remus, who is looking out over the crowd with indifference, completely blind to the sick display before him.

“How can you live with yourself?” I hiss.

Remus looks up, gesturing for a server.

“Calm yourself, Iris.” He says it so low I’m surprised I hear it. “The sooner you accept your position in this society, the easier your life will be. There is nothing you can do for the human race. Remember that. You can’t even do anything for yourself.”

I narrow my gaze but keep my mouth shut nonetheless as a member of the Leviathan society comes to greet Remus. His words stab at me. He’s right. I couldn’t protect anyone in the blight. I couldn’t prevent myself from being caught or even escape once I was in his grasp. I am as helpless as the humans who wear inhibitors. The only difference is that my mind is free of an inhibitor to wallow in my self-pity.

As the night drags on, more Leviathan arrive to greet Remus, each of them bowing before approaching and taking care not to touch him at all. Not one of them speaks English as well; they all speak in their native tongue offering toast after toast to Remus who politely smiles. He never drinks, though. He only gestures with the glass. As I take in the rest of the room, I suddenly realize the Leviathan in attendanceareeating food. I swiftly look at others to make sure my observation is correct. They’re holding small plates with food on them, and even the servers walk around with more than just drinks.

The final visitor bows to Remus, taking his leave down the steps when I decide to voice my question.

“I thought you said your race doesn’t eat like we do?” I ask.

Remus actually smiles while keeping his gaze trained ahead.

“I never said my race, Pet.” His tone suggests the discussion is closed. Each time he answers anything about himself, he only opens more questions. I release an irritated sigh, looking back over the crowd as I’ve been all night. I focus on Leviathan after Leviathan, watching each of them interact with each other. They smile familiarly, enjoying each other’s company while they’re at it.

Another Leviathan society member approaches, pulling Remus’s attention. As they converse, I notice more approaching. One of which has a human behind him. My eyes widen slightly as I take her in, her features familiar. It’s Leah. One of the girls I survived with while in the blight. Remus said they were all dead, but he was wrong. She’s here, her gaze vacant from the inhibitor she wears. Any fear that lingered in my chest evaporates as newfound hope blooms. Her being alive means any one of them could be alive.

I take a small step forward, and I know Remus notices. But I don’t care. I take another step, and Remus still has yet to say or do anything as a consequence. And the longer I watch her, the more memories emerge in my mind, forcing my reluctance and hopelessness out the window. Now, instinct possesses me to grab her and run. My feet are moving before my mind has a chance to entertain the consequences. I take off down the steps in desperation, ignoring the sound of shocked Leviathan. My panic overtakes me as I stumble, crashing right into Leah.

My arms wrap around her waist, holding her tight as we stumble down the steps, crashing to the floor. I ignore the pain, scrambling to my feet as I quickly try and pull Leah up with me. But she won’t move.

“Leah!” I shout, grasping her face between my palms. Her dull eyes see right through me as I shake her. “Leah, please!”

Tears spill from my eyes as she ignores me, her mind locked away in the same dark chasm as Remus’s slaves. Her pupils are heavily dilated as she looks at nothing, and her legs are firmly planted. I reach for the inhibitor, planning to rip it off of her.

“It’s me, Iris-Ah!” I cry out in pain as I’m roughly pulled away from her. To my shock, it isn’t Remus that is doing so. It’s a Leviathan. He’s snarling something at me, his gaze narrowed, and his hand raised, ready to strike. I squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for the pain to reach me, opening my eyes when it doesn’t.

Remus stands over the Leviathan, his hand locked in a death grip with Remus. Remus towers over this Leviathan easily, his expression holding something I’ve never seen before.

Rage. Murderous rage.

A loud crack fills the room, followed by the Leviathan’s scream of pain. The surrounding Leviathan watching the scene gasp, and I faintly register that everyone has stopped to watch the drama unfold. Remus grabs the Leviathan by his shirt, pulling him in close as he growls something in their native tongue, causing the being to turn visibly pale. Even I shiver from his tone. Remus releases the Leviathan, shoving him so hard that he stumbles, landing on his ass, his arm bent at an unnatural angle.

Remus turns to me, and even though he’s dressed in all white, he looks evil. He reaches for me, and I immediately back away, letting my turmoil fuel me.

“Don’t touch me! You’re despicable! All of you are! You’re all wrong for this enslavement! We have every right to the freedom that you have!” I screech.

Remus quickly snatches me off the ground, his hand wrapped around my arm so tight that my adrenaline spikes further. I don’t know where my sudden burst of bravery comes from. Maybe it’s from all of the emotions I’ve kept tamped down out of fear. Or maybe it’s from seeing Leah—a stark reminder of the horrible past we’ve all endured and shared as a result of this invasion.

“Iris—”

I look Remus directly in his eyes, letting my adrenaline-fueled rage fuel me.

“You can try all you want, but you willneverbreak me,” I hiss.

Silence washes over the room, everyone in attendance stopping to watch how the scene plays out. I keep my brave façade, even as Remus shows no emotional reaction. Then, as if a switch has been flipped, he smiles. He releases me, letting me step away from him, his eyes still focused on my face as he slowly steps around me.

“Maybe I can’t break you...”

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