14. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Iris

Remus is a sadistic creature. I always recognized him as a plausible threat for obvious reasons, but he's patient—too patient. He's reveling in my slow descent to a mental break, and I know he is aware that I am getting there. He spends his free time making sure he slowly picks away at my sanity until it all belongs to him.

I stand in the corner of his study, taking in the map on the wall. It's of Earth. I recognize the continents from my fifth-grade test when we had to fill in the blanks of the United States. The bottom of North America was always strange to me, with all of its jagged edges and random plateaus. I also recognize the common continents—Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and even Antarctica. I was especially curious about Australia as a child. All of the strange creatures that resided there, and yet humans made a way, creating a civilization in the midst of it. It made me respect human ingenuity in a way I didn't realize could be shattered by the arrival of an alien invasion.

I step closer to the map, looking at the markings that Remus has placed. I assume the black pins are settlements that the Leviathan have created. He said they only had twenty cities on the planet. And that's how many pins I'm looking at. I slowly reach up, touching the pin in curiosity. It's strange that he would use something so simple and human to note the settlements. As my fingers brush over the pin, it lights up, projecting a hologram that reveals information in the Leviathan language.

My eyes widen as I take it in. The Leviathan technology is beyond my comprehension. All the information I could ever need is sitting right in front of me, and I can't even begin reading it. Remus openly leaves information like this around the house. I don't know if it's because he is taunting me or if he just doesn't see me as a threat. It's insulting either way.

My mind shifts to his reaction to me wanting to learn the Leviathan language.

It can't be because he sees me as a threat. He genuinely believes that I haven't earned the right to it. I let out a bitter chuckle, my eyes drifting to the bookcase stretched along the walls of the study. There's so much information at my fingertips and Remus is withholding it from me purposely. Even without trying, he taunts me.

"Still gnawing at the idea of education?"

I tense at the sound of Remus's sultry voice entering the room. He has the same mocking expression that he always does when interacting with me like he's amused by my existence and constantly interested in seeing my reactions. His gaze drifts to the activated pin. He doesn't seem concerned in the least, confirming my suspicions.

He doesn't see me as a threat.

He steps into the room, brushing past me to turn the pin off, shutting down my view of the map. He then takes a seat in his chair, facing me with an unreadable expression. I feel myself growing warm from his gaze as my nerves begin to fry themselves without so much as a word from him. A smirk finally peaks through his lips, and he angles his head, watching me. It feels like he's taunting me again. He probably is. Everything I do is a game to him but not to me. To me, it's life or death. Freedom or punishment. Pain or pleasure.

"Have you thought about what I said?" he asks. I blink in confusion at his words. I don't know what he's referring to.

"I don't—"

"About earning privileges," he says.

I narrow my gaze as my irritation flares. He's once again taunting me. He's flaunting his power in front of me.

"I shouldn't have to earn the right to live," I snap. His change of expression makes my heart beat a little faster. He was testing me, and I took the bait easily. He angles his head slightly as he watches me, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

"You're such an angry human. Do you ever just take a moment to breathe and appreciate your place in life?" he asks .

"What do I have to be appreciative of?" I shoot back. Remus mulls over my words, his eyes drifting over me with slow decisiveness. He finally speaks, standing as he does so.

"You're alive. You're seeing the process of your planet's history change. You're in the midst of an alien world, seeing things no other human ever has. And you have managed to secure yourself a place in my care. I would say that is more than what the average human is experiencing at this very moment," he says, coming to stand over me.

His eyes sweep over my face with interest, and he raises his hand to push my hair behind my ear. Blood rushes through me from his proximity, my body growing warm, but I force myself to remain still. Remus's eyes darken, and his hands are around my waist as he hoists me up, placing me on top of his desk. I cry out in shock, my eyes wide as I stare at him.

"Maybe you should use your position in life to your advantage. Instead of fighting me… give in to me." Remus's lips press softly against the sensitive flesh between my throat and shoulder, instantly awakening a dull ache between my legs.

"I am a fair ruler. All you have to do is comply, Iris. And whatever simple thing you want will be yours," he practically purrs as his hands dip under my shirt. "Including reading."

His words are like cold water. He's toying with me again. Before I can slap his smug grin off his face, a light knock in the doorway sounds, followed by the familiar tone of Margot's voice.

"Your guests have arrived. "

Remus doesn't move. His eyes are focused on me as he pulls himself out of his lustful mood, finally standing to his full height. His eyes don't leave me as he speaks.

"Take Iris to get washed up. I will greet them."

Remus's voice carries up the hallway as Margot leads me to the guests. He's speaking the Leviathan language, his tone laced with an ease I've never heard him use with his own kind. A woman's voice also mingles with his, chiming in occasionally. Her voice comes off as strong. There's no fear in her tone for Remus.

She's relaxed.

Once we reach the large archway that leads into the living room, Margot steps aside to let me enter alone. I watch her silently as her head drops and her eyes focus on the ground. My heart aches as I see her like this, and I can't force myself to move as sadness overcomes me.

"Iris." Remus's voice pulls me out of my state and back to reality. I almost lift my eyes as well, but I remember my training and Remus's retaliations to my disobedience in the past. The woman's voice fills the room as she says something in their language. Whatever it is, Remus finds amusement in it, his soft chuckle filling the air, followed by his command.

"Come. "

Remus stands as I approach, placing his finger under my chin to lift my gaze. There's a female and two male Leviathan in attendance. And there's also a human man as well standing behind the female with his head down. His eyes raise slightly, but as soon as we make eye contact, he shifts back to his submissive position.

Remus speaks to the Leviathan in attendance, his eyes roaming over my features as a smile plays at his lips. Once he's finished, the female begins speaking, gauging my attention. Her hair is black, flowing past her hips with a bone-straight texture that's thick despite the silkiness of it. Her features are intimidatingly beautiful, with sharp cheekbones and full lips, making me wonder if Remus and this Leviathan have ever been intimate. The way she speaks and touches Remus to emphasize her words makes me think they have.

She's very comfortable.

"We will be taking our meeting to the back room. You will remain here and eat, and once you are finished, wait for me to return." Remus's voice pulls me out of my thoughts, and it takes me a moment to recognize that he's speaking English to me.

"Uh, yes," I murmur, trying to get my brain to work.

The female Leviathan steps forward, pulling my chin between her hands as she looks deep into my eyes. I feel intimidated being this close to another Leviathan that isn't Remus. However, it's nowhere close to the terror I feel when looking into Remus's eyes.

"Take care of my Jude, Iris. Don't let him get into any trouble," she chuckles softly .

Remus doesn't seem to mind her teasing as he guides her away from me, making his way to the back room with his guests in tow. Silence washes over the room, and I take in the human that's been left behind. Now that I am closer, I notice the scars that mar his body. I feel my stomach twisting in discomfort as I take in the fresh pink scar that runs up his arm.

"Mistakes are not tolerated in Zaya's household." I tense when Jude decides to speak, my gaze immediately shifting to the archway Remus just disappeared behind. Jude's soft laugh pulls me away from my terror-filled watch just as he steps past me toward the bar in the kitchen.

"Wow. I can't believe he's broken you already. Don't worry they won't be coming out for a while. They're discussing plans to finish out this hostile takeover. Among other things," he says.

I study him in confusion. He seems confident for a human in a Leviathan's care, especially considering his scars.

"How do you know?" I ask. He shakes his head as if it's obvious.

"Don't you find it odd that Remus didn't take you with him? I'm sure he takes you everywhere," he says.

He's right. Remus does take me everywhere. He even took me to what seemed like an important meeting among the Leviathan.

"Even he knows that you'll be able to figure out the direction of a conversation if there are maps and plans in front of you," he adds as he takes a seat, turning to face me. I can finally take in the color of his eyes. They're green, a warm and inviting green that makes you feel at home. His eyes rake over me, taking in my pristine state as he mirrors my own study .

"So you're the mighty Leviathan ruler's pet ," he says. His mocking tone makes me think of his words when he first began this strange banter.

"I'm not broken," I say. He raises a brow at me.

"Yes. You weren't . I saw what you did at the ball. When you tried to save those people, it was brave... and stupid. And I'm sure what ensued after left you shuddering at the thought of disobeying him. You played right into his trap. You gave him the perfect opportunity to teach you and any slave in the vicinity a lesson on what would happen. And judging from the way you reacted when you came in, he succeeded in breaking you," he says.

I walk across the room with determined steps, my eyes burning with rage as I approach.

"He did not break me," I hiss.

Jude's eyes search mine, narrowing slightly. "He's getting there."

Margot chooses this moment to step into the room, making her way into the kitchen to prepare something, probably per Remus's command. I move away from Jude, but he continues speaking.

"You're holding on even if it is by a thread. No one has ever defied Remus like that, especially in front of the Leviathan society. I'm shocked to see you're alive without a scar on you... and all of your bones intact," he says, taking in my arms and legs.

"He took me to a Leviathan that specializes in humans. She healed me," I say softly.

Jude nods his head, his smile widening. "So the mighty Remus doesn't like his toys damaged. "

My cheeks burn at his jab, but I don't react. Instead, I take in his battered state. Unlike Remus, his master seems to like showing off his scars.

Jude notices the direction of my gaze, gesturing to his scars as he speaks. "I'm a fighter. Something my master loves to toy with," he smiles.

"Why doesn't she just put an inhibitor on you?" I ask in confusion. She seems to share similar needs to Remus.

"She doesn't believe in inhibitors. She likes to break us herself, proving that fear is stronger." A sad look crosses his features. "She, uh, killed the last three men she had because they never stopped fighting. The rest of the slaves in her household are too terrified to make that same mistake. Me, however, I'm counting the days until she grows tired of my fight and ends my life as well," he laughs bitterly.

"I'm sorry," I murmur.

"No need to be. We're all just living different versions of the same hell, right?" I look up, and he's smiling at me. It's refreshing to see a smile in such a dark time. I haven't seen a genuine smile from another human since I was taken into the Leviathan society and surrounded by humans with inhibitors.

"What's it like? Being his slave?" Jude is staring at me with unnerving curiosity on his face, and I honestly don't know how to answer. Just thinking of all the pain and pleasure Remus brings to me is enough to make me want to crawl in the corner in discomfort.

"It's... terrifying... degrading... unpredictable," I say softly .

"And yet you still tried to save those humans," he says.

"I wasn't thinking about Remus at the time. I was thinking about them. I was thinking about saving them—about showing others that not all of us have given up," I say.

"But we should give up, right?" he asks.

I immediately shake my head in shock at his words.

"No. Never. This is our home. We can't just give up," I say. Jude is silent as he thinks about his next sentence.

"If you had a chance to kill him, would you?" he asks. I'm caught off guard by his question, and I immediately look to where Margot prepares food to see if she's listening. Jude chuckles at my reaction.

"He's not listening through her. That isn't how inhibitors work. And even if it was, he's in a meeting. Even Leviathan can't multitask that well," he says.

I almost correct him and tell him that Remus isn't actually a Leviathan. But I don't. I don't know if Jude's purpose is to test me or if he's genuine in his inquiry. So, I keep my eyes focused on Margot as she continues to make dinner silently.

I still don't trust Jude's logic, so I decide to change the subject.

"Do you know why Remus is meeting with them here instead of in the city?" I ask.

Jude nods, his expression serious. "The resistance."

I look at him in shock, a flutter of hope blooming in my chest, but I push it down.

"You're not serious," I whisper.

"It's like you said, we shouldn't just give up. And those who haven't are giving them a run for their money. Leviathan resources can't pinpoint the exact location of the resistance, and now the resistance has access to weapons that are damaging to the Leviathan armies," he says.

I find myself moving toward him with wide eyes.

"How do you know? How are you sure that they have a real chance?" I ask. My voice trembles as real hope washes over me.

Jude's eyes meet mine, and I immediately see the remorse in them before he responds.

"The humans you tried to save were from the resistance. They were caught trying to infiltrate this city's enslaved."

My eyes widen, and I stumble, anchoring myself to the counter for support. For the first time since my capture, genuine hope blooms in my chest. It grows until I feel overwhelmed with emotion. A new door has opened—a new path. This isn't the end. I don't have to die a slave to the Leviathan empire—a slave to Remus. I find myself stepping closer to Jude, my hands closing around his in excitement.

"But how are you sure ? How do you know they weren't just thieves?" My whisper echoes over the room as tears burn my eyes. Remus lied to me during his translation, saying they were thieves. I see now why his punishment was so excessive. I had given hope to a group of people who were a threat to his empire. And if Jude's reaction has proven anything, it's that I have given the resistance more reason to fight.

"Because I'm from the resistance. I knew each of them. And I could only watch as they were made an example out of. But you… seeing what you did for them and the fact that Remus didn't kill you for it means we have a real…" Jude tenses, ripping his hands from mine as his stance turns rigid and his expression shifts to stone. I only have a few seconds to register his reaction before I am ripped away from him by my hair. I release a gasp of pain, looking behind me to see Remus watching me with an irritated expression.

"You must learn to keep your distance, Pet," Remus snaps. His features hold no amusement as his eyes slowly pulse, the black growing with his anger.

Zaya's laugh pulls me out of my fear-filled trance as she steps around us, her finger drifting over Jude's stoic expression. His body trembles as she touches him. "It's okay, Remus, I'll have to mar this pretty face to keep the girls away," she laughs.

I narrow my gaze, but I don't have an opportunity to say anything as Remus pushes me to the side, allowing Zaya to step past me.

"Thank you for meeting with us, Remus. We will see you again very soon. Come, Jude," she says. Jude quickly follows behind her, and I take a moment to compare them. Jude is easily six feet, and Zaya is at least five-foot-ten. It's strange seeing that this woman actually instills fear in him. She injures him easily when he should be able to hold his own—in theory.

I tense when I feel a chilling presence behind me. Remus places a light kiss on my shoulder.

"If you're not careful, you could get him killed," he murmurs.

"By her? Or you," I whisper bitterly. Remus chuckles softly, moving away from me as he makes his way to the archway leading to the hall.

"Me."