Page 97 of Pet: Genesis

“Please... tell me he’s dead,” I whisper. My fingers tremble at the thought of him being alive and coming to find me after what I did—the wrath that I have incurred because of my rage not only targeted him but his people. The innocent. Something that I have always harped on and accused him of being a horrible leader for. Jude gently places his hand over mine, a small smile forming on his lips, and he nods his head gently.

“He’s gone.”

“Iris?” We both look toward the door as a woman steps into the room. Jude immediately stands next to me as she enters, her eyes focused on me. She has a smile on her lips as she approaches. She’s beautiful. Her skin is a deep mocha with a warm golden undertone, without a blemish in sight on her face. She’s also very tall with a lean, athletic build. As she smiles at me, I notice a deep set of dimples that form on her cheeks, and her hair is braided up, the rest left to wildly curl around her face, resting at her lower back. As she approaches, I notice the tight coils of those curls.

“Hi, my name is Sky Barlowe. I am the lead researcher here in the resistance, but before that, I was a commanding officer alongside your brother,” she says softly.

“Once you are feeling up to it, I’ve been asked to bring you to him,” she says with a smile. My eyes widen, and tears once again fall over. I look at Jude for confirmation, and he smiles at me, nodding his head reassuringly. I’ve finally made it. I’m in the resistance.

The resistance is an entire society that has formed within a cave in the mountains. I look around in awe at what humanity has managed to create in a few years. There are homes carved into the mountainside and some made of rock and stone on the base where the people live. The sky opens up in random crevices of the mountain, giving little light that shines down on the people who live here.

I can see why Remus would have trouble finding it. They’ve been building their home inside a mountain. I watch Sky interact with the people passing on the street. She looks at ease as she smiles, reciting all of their names as they greet her.

“You really know everyone here,” I say, gauging her attention.

“Of course. I practically grew up here. This is all I know, and these are my people. We’ve all been here since the invasion,” she says with a smile.

I smile again at her confidence in this thriving society. Women, children, and whole families are not only surviving but creating a life here. People also stand watch with their weapons. As I look inthe distance, I can see people near the furthest wall of the cavern, working away. Sky notices the direction of my gaze and speaks.

“We’ve finally found a way to expand our reach within the mountain safely,” she says.

“I can’t believe you guys have been thriving here this entire time,” I say softly. I feel a tinge of anger that none of my girls survived to see this or at least make it here. There are so many more people in the world who have no idea this place exists or that there is even someone still fighting for them.

We make our way deeper into the cavern, away from the sunlight, where artificial light hangs on the walls. I note that as we approach the building, there’s a gate to block regular citizens from getting in. There are also what look like soldiers coming in and out on the combat motorbikes we used during our escape from Remus.

Once we reach the gate, Sky shows a pass to the guards, and they let us inside, not glancing in my direction once. We enter the building, and I find myself looking around in awe. It’s nothing impressive compared to Remus’s buildings and research labs, but for a group of humans hiding in a mountain, it’s amazing. They’ve even generated their own electricity in these buildings made of stone.

I continue to marvel at the people moving about their day, doing their jobs. Some even pause to say their greetings to Sky. Whatever her role is as lead researcher, people around here respect her for it. We continue to make our way through the halls until we finally reach two double doors that are once again guarded. The mensilently step aside, allowing Sky to enter the room. She looks at me before entering.

“Wait here,” she says softly. With that, she slips inside the room, leaving me alone in the hallway. I take the time to look around, letting the situation settle into my mind. I did it. I escaped Remus. According to Jude, I managed to kill him, something that should excite me but makes me feel...uneasy.

If Remus is gone, where does that leave the Leviathan society? Remus and his sister are both dead, leaving Ezra alone on this planet. What could possibly be next? How do we eradicate them from our world for good?

The doors to the room open, and Cypress comes out, grinning at me as he pulls me into an embrace.

“You fucking did it,” he whispers as he squeezes me. He pulls away from me, taking me in with pride.

“You should have seen it, Iris. The weapon worked like a charm. One second, he was there with his back turned, and the moment that beam of light hit him... there was nothing. Just the collapse of the building and no Remus to protect them,” he says with a smile. My eyes widen as his words wash over me. I take a small step back, wanting to vomit at the turn of events, but I hold strong as a look of concern washes over Cypress’s face.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“I... I’m just feeling overwhelmed, is all,” I say softly. Cypress smiles at my words, gripping my shoulder.

“Well, you certainly saved us a lot of work. The last thing we thought was going to happen was the death of their leader,” he says.

“How did you know he would let his guard down over something so simple?” he asks. I immediately pick up Cypress’s use of the word “simple.” Sacrificing a group of innocents is simple to him.

“I... he told me,” I say softly. I sense an oncoming headache, my chest growing tighter by the second. Before Cypress can respond, the door opens, and Sky beams at us.

“He’s ready for you,” she says. Cypress nods his head, grabbing me by the arm as he leads me into the room. The room is dimly lit, but I immediately notice the Leviathan technology that sits on the walls, adding natural light. There’s a circular table in the center of the room, and a Leviathan that I immediately recognize sits behind it.

Iriel.

He eyes me as I approach, a smile on his lips. I note that two other humans are also sitting on either side of him, watching me as well.

“Welcome, Iris. Your brother has explained everything you have done for us.” Iriel stands, making his way toward me, and I feel my muscles tense as he approaches. Out of reflex, I drop my gaze, keeping my eyes focused on the ground. I hear his soft chuckle before he gently grabs ahold of my hand.

“We don’t do that here, Iris. You are no longer under his rule.”

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