Page 75 of Pet: Genesis

“You don’t understand. You will die if you go, Cypress. Remus is here. He knows! He knows everything. This is a trap for all of you.” I rush out. Cypress eyes me in confusion but faces me, so I know I have his attention.

“What are you talking about?” he asks. I think back to what Cypress said about this being a safe house. Remus knew. He knew Iriel was the traitor. He knew my brother was here. He knew I’d be safe here and keep my brother distracted from battle.

My grip on his arm tightens, and I immediately begin pulling him toward the door.

“We have to get out of here. We have to run, Cypress. This isn’t a battle. It’s going to be a massacre,” I say.

“I’m not going to run just because the Leviathan ruler joined the fight,” he says. I glare at him in disbelief. Do none of them know how dangerous Remus is?

“You should,” I say. Cypress narrows his gaze at me, attempting to pull his arm out of my grip. I can’t let him go. If I let him walk out that door, I can’t guarantee his safety. Cypress rips his arm from my grip, his gaze growing more impatient.

“You do know why he’s here, right? He’s here because we are finally giving him a run for his money. We had no problem handling his brother. Now that the playing field is level, we will have no problem taking him down as well,” he growls out.

My eyes widen at his revelation and pure panic washes over me.

“Cypress—”

“I know this is terrifying, but I have played an important role in the resistance since the Leviathan arrived. I won’t sit this battle out because of your fears. I promise I’ll be okay. I’ve been fighting them for years.” He turns his back to me, making his way out of the house.

“You don’t understand!” I scream, but he’s already out of the door, yelling back at me.

“Stay here!”

I don’t, though. I follow him. I follow him down the hill and into the town, where the “battle” ensues. All the beauty I saw earlier has been destroyed and turned to ruin. I look around me in horror at the bloodshed. There are Leviathan dead.

Leviathan.

The rebels seem to have the upper hand, but if what Remus said about their society is true, that they are ranked among strength and value, these Leviathan never stood a chance against the rebels. They weren’t trained for it at all. And that’s why Iriel was stationed here, to protect them. But he betrayed them. And Remus hates betrayal.

More Leviathan are running with their children as more explosions go off, disintegrating their target. These are not weapons designed by humans. A Leviathan must be helping the rebels.

I scream, stumbling as a building explodes near me, the rubble falling between me and Cypress.

“Cypress!” I shout as I stumble back. The stone comes down fast, and I know there’s no way I can dodge it in time. It’s going to crush me. I suddenly feel a familiar tug on my body as I’m rippedout of the way by an invisible force. I cry out in pain as my body collides with the ground, and I look up at my savior. My heart stutters to a standstill as I take in Remus in his disguised form. His hair is still dark, and his eyes are still blue as he takes me in. He slowly kneels to my height, reaching for me when I hear my brother’s voice.

“Get away from her!”

Remus grins slightly, his eyes shifting above me to take in my brother. He doesn’t speak as he takes a small step back. I turn to see Cypress making his way toward us with his weapon still aimed at Remus. He holds his hand out for me.

“Iris, move away from him,” Cypress calls.

Out of reaction, I look at Remus. His eyes meet mine as he steps further away.

“Do as he says,” he murmurs. I don’t understand his plans or what is about to happen. My heart thunders in my chest, making it difficult to breathe as I slowly move toward Cypress, keeping my eyes on Remus as I do. Once I am close enough, Cypress pushes me behind him, his weapon remaining locked on Remus.

“Cypress, don’t,” I whisper. My voice is trembling, and he notices.

“He’ll kill you,” I add. I keep my eyes trained on Remus, who isn’t amused in the least. He has a look of irritation on his face as he speaks. And God help anyone who Remus finds irritating.

“Where has Iriel skulked off to?” Remus asks. His tone itself is cold and commanding. There’s no room for mercy in hiscurrent state. I notice Cypress’s grip on his weapon tighten as Remus mentions the name.

“Give me his location, and I won’t kill your rebels. I’ll allow you servitude,” Remus smiles. Cypress steps closer.

“You sick son of a bitch!” he snaps. I grab his arm, pulling him back.

“Cypress, don’t! It won’t do anything!” I shout.

Remus chuckles, stepping closer. “You should listen to her.”

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