23. Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

Iris

There's a constant rushing through my ears, like water. It holds me down as I watch my life move before my eyes. But I can't interact. I can't feel. I can only sit here, suffocating. My muscles are exhausted from working, yet I haven't moved.

I have no sense of space, time, or existence. I just... am.

"Iris." My name mingles with the gentle breeze surrounding me. I love hearing the sound of my name. It's guiding me away from this darkness. I want to hear it again. I need to get out of here.

"Iris."

There it is again, this time accompanied by the pleasant scent of grass and a cool breeze. I can't help but smile—it feels nice to be able to smile. I inhale, enjoying the expanse of my chest.

"Iris... come back to me, Iris."

The voice is beautiful. The tone rings like a pleasant melody in my ears, and I can't help but follow it. I need it to know that I can hear it and that I want to be out of this dark place... this lack of existence. Slowly, my world comes back to me. I'm in bed. I recognize the softness. It's overwhelmingly comforting. I roll over, not wanting to move. I just want to lay here and finally be. A gentle breeze carries the scent of nature over my nose. It livens my senses.

I feel a gentle caress on my cheek, followed by my name.

"Iris."

My eyes fly open as all my memories return to me, hitting me like a bolt of lightning. Remus, Jude, the kiss; Remus's terrifying reaction to my betrayal... Jude's death. I jolt up, my world spinning just as a wave of nausea washes over me. Panic sets in as I try to breathe but can't seem to get any air in my lungs, as if my body has no idea how to control itself. I feel a gentle hand on my back, followed by the soothing voice that coaxed me out of my slumber.

"Breathe, Iris. Breathe."

A chill ripples up my spine as Remus's voice washes over me, my terror spiking. Tears spring into my eyes, spilling down my cheeks as my brain tries to cope with the reality around me. He put an inhibitor on me. Remus actually placed an inhibitor on me. I pull away from him, falling off the edge of the bed in my panic to get away. I cry out in pain as the floor comes into contact with my body unceremoniously, but my eyes remain focused on the bed that I was just in. In my terror, Remus rounds the bed, his eyes looking down at me with no emotion. Chills pour over my skin as I recall his reaction to my betrayal. His outright rage.

He reaches toward me silently, and I squeeze my eyes shut, a squeal leaving my lips as I wait for the pain. But there is none. My eyes slowly open, and Remus has his hand outstretched to me. I look at it in confusion but gently take hold of his grip, and he helps me up from the floor. He's eerily gentle with me, his anger seems to have subsided as he helps me to the bed to sit.

"It's nice to have you back, Pet," he says with a smile. I don't respond. I can't. Every time I look into that gaze, paralyzing fear ripples through me. He tortured me. Mentally and physically. I silently reach behind me to feel my nape for the chip, almost breathing in relief when it isn't there.

"Don't worry. I've removed your inhibitor. I think you've had plenty of time to suffer for your betrayal," he says bitterly. His eyes glow in resentment as he studies me.

"I'm eager to know how your time was under my control," he says.

My heart rate rises as he continues to eye me. My body grows increasingly warm from my nerves, and I feel terror wracking my brain as I recall my time under the inhibitor. I never want to go through that again. And I'll do anything to keep it that way. I blink back tears as Remus continues to stare me down, and I can see that he is pleased with my reaction. He reaches for my face, his thumb wiping away a stray tear on my cheek .

"I told you, be appreciative of your position in life, Iris. I may not kill you because I've grown fond of you in the time we've spent together. But that does not mean I won't make you wish you were dead," he says, studying me.

I hear footsteps in the doorway, and when I look over Remus's shoulder to see who has entered, my heart comes to a standstill in my chest.

"Iriel has arrived." Jude's monotone voice washes over the room. He stands in the doorway with the same blank expression that Margot wore, his eyes dilated as proof of the control he is now under. I tremble in Remus's arms as Jude silently walks out of the room. My gaze shifts to Remus, who has a lazy smile on his lips as he takes in my increased suffering. He leans into me, placing a gentle kiss on my lips.

"You're mine, Iris. Don't forget that. If you ever betray me again, I will make you watch as I torture innocent souls. And once I feel that you have endured enough pain emotionally and physically, I will let you live the rest of your wretched days under an inhibitor."

Remus placed me under an inhibitor for a month. As a result, I find myself unable to form my own thoughts at times, let alone my own feelings. I don't know how long the effects of the inhibitor will last, but I understand Margot's tortured expression now more than ever. I feel nauseous just thinking about what she went through.I look away from my plate of food to the surrounding room. The pleasant scent of the outdoors caresses my nose, and I feel a small swell of happiness. Just to be able to indulge in my own senses again is something that I missed—and being able to see nature so close.

The home is very open and foreign to my eyes. The walls are circular, giving me the perfect view of the scenery. Our location is far from civilization in the middle of a valley. The large mountains in the distance loom over us, accompanied by a river and warm air. It also appears to be secluded.

My eyes shift to the bracelet that now rests around my wrist. Remus first placed this on me when he took me to that awful celebration where they tortured those humans... and now, he's returned it to my wrist. I look up as Jude silently crosses the room, placing flowers around. A weight forms in my chest as I take him in. Remus is cruel. He did this to Margot, and now he's using Jude to ensure my obedience. I choke back tears once again as I think of just how outmatched we are by this one being. Jude and I were the only inside source for the resistance, and now we've both been completely blocked out. I think back to Jude's words to me in that room.

"What we did… was worth it."

At the time, I thought he was just reassuring me the only way he knew how. But a small part of me hopes there was a double meaning to his words. I hope that all the information we were able to get was relayed to them. Now, we can only wait and hope. I hate myself for crying again, but I can't fight my emotions ever since I was released from the inhibitor. Remus is in a whole other class than us. I'm no closer to figuring out how to kill him today than I was when I first agreed to help Jude. And now, we have both paid the price for a betrayal much smaller than leaking secrets to the resistance.

As a result, Remus has left me a pathetic, sniveling mess.

Maybe he's right. Maybe it's time that I accept my fate. We won't win. Remus is somehow always ten steps ahead. And now I wonder if he may be aware of my and Jude's involvement in the resistance. If this is our punishment for a kiss and what he feels is a betrayal, I can't imagine what awaits us should he discover the truth. I push my plate away, unable to garner an appetite, standing from the table. I silently move to the living room that overlooks the landscape beyond. For once, there's no glass. I can step outside if I'd like to. But I have no desire to at this point.

Why am I here? Why, after all this time, did Remus decide to remove my inhibitor?

My eyes shift to the bracelet. I'm still his prisoner in more ways than one. I no longer have free will, even if he's letting me keep my mind. He's still punishing me for what I did. He's dangling my freedom and Jude's life in front of me.

I tense as the sound of Remus's voice pours out of the hallway. He rounds the corner with a Leviathan. I recognize him as one of the generals from the celebration. If he's here, then something serious must be happening in the vicinity, possibly with the resistance .

Remus's eyes fall on me as he enters, his smile widening. Other than that, he doesn't acknowledge me. But I feel my body moving against my better wishes. It's the bracelet. He's showing me he still has control over me. I keep my eyes down, but Remus's hands close around my jaw, angling my head toward him. Fear crawls up my spine as I take in his intense gaze. The Leviathan next to him speaks up, pulling my attention.

"She is captivating, Remus. I see why you've grown so fond of her," he says with a gentle smile.

"She is," he says softly. He finally releases my face, and I feel like I can breathe again. The Leviathan takes me in one last time before saying something in their native tongue. Remus studies me for a moment before shaking his head, giving the Leviathan a terse response. The Leviathan then steps away from Remus, his smile widening before making his way in the direction of the house I have yet to see.

Remus watches him leave before turning his attention back on me. I hear footsteps entering the room, and I don't have to look to know it's Jude. Remus wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me in so that I am flush against him.

"You can explore if you'd like... the boy will watch you," he says cruelly.

I feel what little resolve I had slowly crumbling as Remus taunts me. He gently places his finger under my chin, lifting my face to pull me in for a kiss. His lips are warm against mine, and the kiss is so soft as if Remus himself is afraid he's going to break me. My mind is a swirl of emotion as I try and find it in me to remain strong against him. I pull away, a gasp escaping me when a sharp pain suddenly forms on my bottom lip. I bring my fingers to my lips, eyeing Remus in shock, but he's watching me with a wicked grin, my blood on his lips.

He licks his lips, tasting the blood he drew. "Don't wander too far."

Remus eyes me once more, and a soft laugh leaves his lips before he steps away from me and heads in the same direction as his general.

Remus

"We've picked up strange movement near the edge of the village. Usually, it would be nothing to worry about. It could be stray wildlife or one of our own, but since you put us on high alert regarding the resistance, we've begun monitoring the movement."

I raise a brow as I look at the pulsing red signature on the border of the village.

"What is strange about this?" I ask. Iriel steps to the furthest border, where the red signatures are more erratic and numerous.

"These are human signatures. Usually, we attribute these to our own sending the humans under their control on an errand or something of that nature, but the heart rate read on the inhibitors spikes every so often. We assume this is because the human is not under the inhibitor's full control," he says.

I lean back in my seat, my smile already forming as I calculate what's happening. Humans are posing as slaves to move within our society.

I chuckle aloud.

"Clever... very clever," I say in amusement. There is definitely a Leviathan helping them. There's no way humans could figure out, re-engineer, and place an inhibitor on themselves. It's much too complex. Iriel continues speaking, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"We were planning on setting up a perimeter in the following weeks to tail them—"

"No. I will take care of it," I say, eyeing the map. Iriel nods in understanding.

"How long have you been stationed here, Iriel?" I ask, my thoughts shifting. He looks slightly taken aback by my question but responds.

"Five years," he says. I nod, looking back at the map.

"This activity has only just appeared out of the five years you've been here?" I stand, making my way to the map. There are multiple signatures around the borders that are stationing themselves into households and businesses. Iriel is silent for a moment before finally responding.

"We just never thought to check the signature of the inhibitors," he says. I keep my gaze trained on the map until, finally, it wafts over me—the scent of fear. I personally choose and train my generals. I know each and every one of their tells and scents. It's a very small trace, but I can smell it.

I look at Iriel, offering him a grin.

"How unfortunate," I say, studying him. He doesn't move. On the outside, he looks calm. But on the inside, he's beginning to crumble. I'm unsure if he's solely responsible for helping the resistance, but he is somehow involved.

"May I ask what you plan on doing if not following them back to their hideout?" he asks.

"They won't be going back to their hideout. They've been living amongst us, gathering information. If you set up a perimeter, you'll just alert them to stay in their roles. I'm sure if they've learned how to use the inhibitors to their advantage, they have a system in place for when their plans are in danger." I look back at Iriel.

"I will only be observing their patterns—no more. I'll leave within the week. We have more important things to be concerned with than a few humans who are willingly acting as slaves," I say in amusement.

Iriel nods, bowing before turning away from me. If he's involved, he will alert the resistance to my plans, and their pattern from the map will drastically change within the week. They will remain within their roles, none leaving the perimeter. What he doesn't know is that if he warns them, he will doom the entire operation.

After Iriel leaves, I go in search of Iris. I have an idea of where she'll be. I caught her a few times this morning looking at the nature that falls beyond where we're staying. I find her quickly, just as I predicted. She's sitting near the water, her knees drawn to her chest as she gazes at the scenery. She's far enough away that she won't notice my presence, causing me to think of all the times I'd entered the room, and she didn't notice until I said her name.

It's bewildering to me how vulnerable humans are.

Their senses, strengths, intelligence, everything about them is fragile and weak. If I wanted to, I could take her life right now, and she would never even know. She shifts slightly as the wind blows, tilting her head back to enjoy the warm breeze. Her hair has grown since she was first taken. Because of the damage, I had to remove most of it, so it only fell to her jaw. And now, it reaches her shoulders in loose waves.

Humans have unique traits that I've come to admire. Their physical beauty ranges in ways I have yet to see on other planets. They have different hair textures, skin tones, eye colors, and body types. Until now, most planets have similar traits that don't go beyond textures and tones. Either that or they share most traits. Humanity's evolution is beautifully daunting. It's strange to me that instead of celebrating these differences that make them each unique, they chose them as reasons to exterminate one another.

They are physically the weakest race I have ever encountered, and yet they bicker among themselves for their differences. It's one of the many reasons I don't care for them. It's also one of the reasons their planet was taken from them so easily. If not for me, there would barely be a planet to inhabit. When we first arrived, they attacked with poorly constructed missiles that could devastate and radiate miles of their world. And yet, they didn't care. They chose to sacrifice their own helpless people for the greater good of their leaders.

I chuckle at the thought.

Such a primitive race.

My eyes shift back to Iris. Had the humans shown an ounce of her selfless bravery, there would have been a place for them. But they are volatile, destructive, and selfish. They cannot be left alone. They will destroy their planet long before they destroy themselves. They don't deserve the abundance their planet provides. The decision to take the Earth from them happened long before we invaded.

Years of studying the race as a whole solidified my final decision.

Iris shifts again, pulling me out of my thoughts. She's now lying in the grass, her attention still focused on the water. I fight the urge to lay with her. I always enjoy figuring out the way her mind works and her interaction with her surroundings. But I know her mind is a mess after being released from an inhibitor for so long, so I silently make my way back inside, leaving her to relax for the time being.