Page 33 of Pet: Genesis

His gaze moves up to mine, and I can’t help but see him in an entirely new light as I gaze into those celestial eyes. There’s no telling what he’s seen throughout his life, however long that may have been.

“That is the purpose for which I was created.”

He offers me a small smile before standing to leave the room. I can’t help but stare at his retreating form. His curious features now have new meanings and explanations behind them, forcing chills to break across my skin just imagining it. I slowly lower mygaze to look at the object he placed in my hand, gasping. Tears blur my vision as I take in the familiar silver pendant with a new chain attached to it.

It’s my locket.

Chapter Eleven

Iris

I do wish that I could understand the Leviathan around me. There have been so many instances in which I have been surrounded by Leviathan, and their words are more than likely important as they speak to Remus. Today is no different. Remus allowed me to accompany him to a meeting. I assume the Leviathan in attendance are important to have an audience with Remus. And he’s been silently listening to the conversation around him, occasionally chiming in, but not once has he raised his voice or shown any signs of disdain.

He appears calm from where I sit near the window across the room. Occasionally, his eyes wander in my direction as he listens. I don’t dare make a sound during what seems like an important meeting for him. We’ve been in this room for hours, giving me plenty of time with my own thoughts. Now that I know moreabout his origins, it’s strange to look at the Leviathan around me. Compared to Remus, they’re extremely ordinary. I take in their features with interest. They have solid-colored hair and eyes; nothing out of the ordinary about them.

It poses the question, what kind of otherwordly creatureis Remus? Are there more aliens out there like him, whatever he may be? I can see now why the people of this race regard him with such awe and sometimes even fear. I don’t think they themselves know what he is. They just know he is powerful and not to be trifled with. He is the descendant of the woman who built their society into what it is today, which pulls my thoughts in the direction of his father. He never mentioned him when speaking about his mother. He made it sound as if his mother arrived alone, and if that’s the case, is Remus only half of whatever his mother is?

Remus speaks across the room, pulling my attention. His voice is loud and authoritative. I can tell by the twist of his features that he is irritated with whatever is happening. The Leviathan around the room gaze at Remus, nodding their heads in understating to his command. Remus says something once more, and the Leviathan all rise to bow before gathering their electronics and exiting. I keep my eyes down as they file out, eventually leaving Remus and me alone in the large room.

When I glance at Remus, his eyes are closed as he pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. It’s a humanlike trait that I see extends to him. For all of his taunts in my direction, I rarely see him flustered. I turn away from him before he catches me looking as he always seems to do, peeking out the window once again. Thebusy workday of the Leviathan in this city is in full swing as they move amongst each other. Although it seemed like something of the future, flying cars are not part of the Leviathan society, at least in the cities. They all file into what resembles a train that moves along the upper airspace of the buildings.

My mind wanders to the life that could have been had they not invaded. Remus doesn’t realize how significant of a revelation it was that he revealed to me how long it’s been since their arrival. I’ve missed significant birthdays. My thirteenth, sixteenth, eighteenth, and twenty-first. All were spent fighting for my life instead of enjoying whatever milestone that portion of my life had to offer. And now, I’m deeper into my twenties, the feeling of hopelessness growing as I see how established the Leviathan have made their society in that timespan.

I tense when I feel a hand on my shoulder and whip around to see Remus standing over me. My heart accelerates at the proximity of his body, my mind racing to our session just the other night. He shifts his hand to my face, his thumb gently stroking my jaw as he looks at me.

“You have been so well-behaved today.” A small smile tugs at his lips as his eyes roam over me. His fingers trail to the silver pendant that now hangs around my neck, and he gently pulls it between his fingers, his eyes focusing on it in the palm of his hands.

“Could it be that perhaps, with a little positive reinforcement, you become more obedient?” he laughs.

His mockery stokes my anger, but I must tamp it down. Ever since he told me the origins of him and his mother, I’ve been afraidto test him. I see him in a different light than I did before. The gap in our existence has expanded beyond my original thoughts. He can send my mind to a torturous place just by looking into my eyes and expand my life just by giving me a drink. There’s no telling what else Remus is capable of.

Remus opens my locket, looking at the picture of my family inside. His eyes graze slowly over each individual face, lingering on our features before he smiles softly.

“What a quaint family,” he murmurs.

Remus’s eyes remain focused on the locket until he finally grows tired of playing with my emotions. He closes the locket, glancing at me one last time before turning to leave the room with me in tow.

We stroll up the hall of the pristine building, the sun’s rays glittering inside the windows. Remus walks ahead of me with his head held high, not sparing his people a glance as he passes them. Each Leviathan that comes near him immediately bows to their leader in greeting, but Remus still doesn’t acknowledge them. His demeanor makes me wonder how he feels about his race as a whole. He seems to regard himself as above them, and even still, he did say that they imprisoned his mother at one point. It makes me wonder if the only thing that holds his loyalty is his mother’s ability to forgive a race that imprisoned her. And for some reason, she gave that race her son to lead. Or perhaps she did it more so for his father?

We finally reach the elevator, and when it closes, I feel Remus’s eyes on me.

“What plagues your mind so much that you seem to be elsewhere?” Remus’s words pull me out of my thoughts, and I look at him. He’s watching me with an amused expression, as he has all day. He seems to be in a playful mood, so I decide to voice my thoughts.

“Do you… hate your race?” I ask in the silence.

I wish I had a camera or photographic memory at this moment because my question surprises him. His stone-cold features break just as a look of shock passes over them, and he gazes at me in confusion.

“What?” he asks.

In all honesty, I expected him to threaten to have my tongue removed as he loves to do, but he doesn’t. He regards me with a strange expression, still not responding, so I decide to elaborate.

“It’s just that you don’t seem too fond of them,” I whisper, suddenly wishing I hadn’t said anything. Remus lets out a breathy laugh, gazing at me with that purple gaze.

“Hate?” he repeats, looking up at the ceiling. “Hate is such a strong word. I don’t hate them, the same way you wouldn’t hate an animal you’ve been charged with. You would feed it, take care of it, and give it a better life than it would otherwise have without you. But you wouldn’t put its existence above your own.” Remus’s eyes meet mine, and I feel a chill snake up my spine as he speaks. “An animal knows its place in regard to the being that ensures its survival.”

His words are chilling, painting him in a cruel light just as the door to the elevator opens. He’s done with the conversation,however, as he doesn’t wait for my response. He leaves, knowing that I know my place and will follow him.

Once we arrive back at Remus’s home in the city, there’s an entire staff of Leviathan waiting. Not human slaves with inhibitors, but Leviathan. They each bow upon Remus’s entrance, and he waves them off immediately, stepping to the side to reveal me. Remus speaks to them in his native tongue, and I feel his hand on the small of my back as he nudges me forward and into the care of the Leviathan servants. They begin reaching toward me with intent, and out of instinct, I look back at Remus with wide eyes. The fear of being left alone with Leviathan terrifies me. Even in my captivity, I have become familiar with Remus. I understand his tendencies and reactions a little more each day. With these servants, I am completely in the dark. And as I think back to the facility I was forced to see, my terror grows at what individuals in this society are capable of.

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