11. Chapter Eleven

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 more about 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 creature is 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. The busy 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 afraid to 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.

Remus notices my concern, and I see a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He steps closer to me, resulting in the servants stepping away as he reaches for me. His eyes shift, focusing on a stray hair falling into my face. He reaches for it, his fingers lightly brushing my flesh, sending a wave of energy through me at his touch. He's captured my attention, and he finally speaks .

"Didn't I tell you? A pet knows its place in regard to the being that ensures its survival," he smiles, stepping back. My anger flares, but only for an instant because he speaks again, letting me understand my place.

"I will return for you, Pet."

Remus looks up at the servants, giving them a nod before they finally move forward to begin primping me for the night.

The servants are in no hurry as they dress me up. They trim my hair and remove my leg hair with an object that flashes a beam of light. They also place clothing on me that constricts my body in places I didn't know were possible. I note that as the servants work, they mumble to one another in their native tongue. Even their giggles fill the air as they discuss things they know I don't understand.

The Levithan language is fluid and relies more on flow than tone. I think back to all the writing that I've seen in their language as well. It doesn't move left to right like English. It stays in one place, building upon the words that have already been set up on the page.

Humanity never knew that aliens existed until that day. And now I have been placed so close to the species that I can see the society that's been formed.I can see it all without recording, studying, or deciphering it. The mystery of alien life will die with any human who has encountered the Levithan.

And that includes me.

Hours pass until the women finally complete their task, ushering me to the mirror for their final placements. I stare at myself in the mirror in confusion as a woman who slightly resembles my mother looks back at me. Her eyes are wide and filled with fear, her face filled out, and her cheekbones high. There's a light blush on her cheeks, and her short hair has been held out of her face by silver pins as it still isn't long enough for a bun. Her gown is white and hangs on her shoulders, draping her body beautifully with root-like stitching stretching over the dress. I shake my head in disbelief. She looks nothing like me, and yet, she is me.

I look away as the sound of the door opening catches my attention, my mood dampening even further when I see Margot entering the room with a bowl of fruit in her hands. Her eyes are dull as she moves in silence, placing the bowl on the table in front of me. It makes my blood boil to see her like this. Remus brought her with us to toy with me even when he's not around. He's constantly doing his best to make me understand how helpless I am.

She silently places the bowl on the table, bowing to the servants before speaking.

"I have been instructed to guide her to her master," she says softly. My eyes widen when I hear her voice. Her enslaved voice. Her eyes meet mine, and I see no sign of free will. She offers me a soft smile that makes my flesh crawl.

"Shall we?"

I follow Margot through the halls of Remus's home in the city, my head spinning like a top as I take her in.

"Margot?" I murmur her name, hoping to see hesitation in her step, but I see none.

"Margot, I'm sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't save you," I murmur .

She continues her pace, and it makes my heart break even further. The light of the living room shines through the upcoming archway and my stomach knots in anxiety. My fingers twist and knead in front of me as my eyes drift to the chip lodged into Margot's neck. Remus's words play in my mind as I take it in.

"The mind is a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes. And eventually, the wearer will break out of their... vegetative state."

"Margot, I promise I'm going to save you." I slowly reach for the chip lodged into her neck, my fingers itching the closer it gets.

"No matter what it ta—"

The moment my fingers brush the metal lodged into her neck, she whips around, her face twisted in anger as she roughly grabs my arm, twisting it at an uncomfortable angle as she shoves me against the wall. I cry out in pain, my heart wrenching in my chest. When I look into her eyes, I still see nothing, even though her features reveal anger.

"Do. Not. Do. That."

My eyes widen, my chest heaving in horror as we stare each other down. I shake my head in disbelief.

"Margot," I whisper her name, hoping to reach some deep part of her, but there is nothing. She grips my arm tighter, forcing me to flinch in pain. She doesn't let go. Even as footsteps approach over the hall, she keeps her vacant gaze on me, watching me with the intent of holding me still. I see no familiarity in her eyes.

"That's enough. "

Margot releases me, her hands dropping in front of her as she steps back. I can't tear my gaze away from her even as Remus approaches me. She slowly steps back the closer he gets, her eyes lowering to the ground as she follows whatever silent command Remus gives. I feel his fingers under my chin as he lifts my gaze to meet his. I don't know whether to feel anger or fear at the sight of him.

His purple gaze is burning bright as he focuses on mine, his lips pulled into a small smile.

"Pet."