Chapter Seven
Iris
I don’t know if it’s the bond or if I’ve suddenly become hyper-aware of Remus’s moods, but something is bothering him.
Distracted is a word reserved for others, not for Remus.
Since our return to the capital for a celebration, he has been silent and distant.
And not in a closed-off, brooding sort of way. Something is on his mind.
I twist once again in the mirror as I admire the design choices of the Leviathan.
The gown I’ve been given looks to be one of a kind as it clings to my body in a texture that doesn’t exist on Earth.
The sweetheart neckline is accompanied by fabric that mimics the look of sea foam as it wraps flatteringly around my body.
It is accompanied by sheer sleeves and a slit that allows my leg to escape the excessive fabric.
It’s more beautiful than anything I’ve ever seen, the neckline going out of its way to reveal the symbol Remus, and I now share.
And like everything that involves Remus, the dress is all white.
I lean forward in the mirror as my attention once again falls to the symbol.
It pulses calmly. I haven’t looked at it since it was revealed that it was given to me.
Part of me feared what acknowledging it would mean.
As I study it now, more questions form in my mind at the unnatural movement within it even though it is on my body.
But asking Remus about it is out of the question at the moment, especially since he is so agitated lately.
He still hasn’t spoken to me since berating me in the snow.
I study my fingers as I recall the resistance against my fingertips when I tried to touch him.
There’s still so much I don’t know about Remus.
I’ve been so focused on everything that I lost since arriving to Xyrannis.
It hasn’t occurred to me until now just how much of himself he kept at bay on Earth.
By nature, Remus has always been a reserved being.
But after his anger at me for stepping outside, I’m curious just how much of that reservation is attributed to the power he wields.
Suddenly, the familiar feeling in my body I’ve come to associate with Remus’s presence appears. And as I turn to look in the doorway, Remus is already leaning against it with a smile as he takes me in.
“I never grow tired of seeing you like this,” he says as he enters the room.
He’s fully dressed in clothing native to this planet, and his smile makes me feel like I am the most precious thing he’s ever laid eyes on.
I’m curious if he’ll ever grow to regret his decision to take me from my home world and make me part of his.
But as he pulls me into his arms, I can see that his obsession has grown so deep that he doesn’t see this for what it is.
“You’re watching me as if I am about to eat you,” he says with a grin.
His eyes drift to the visible symbol and as he reaches for it, it tingles upon his touch, earning a gasp from me from the intensity of it. Remus leans into me, his lips gently tracing my collarbone before settling on my throat as he murmurs.
“Though you do look ravishing in this dress,” he says.
My body once again reacts to his proximity, heat washing over me, settling in my cheeks as the dress suddenly feels too tight, and I step back from him. Remus doesn’t let me get far, though. His hand grips mine, pulling it to his chest where his symbol lies beneath his clothing.
“You don’t have to be so frightened. You are mine, and I am yours. No matter how you feel about that fact,” he says gently.
My eyes widen, and I pull my hand from his chest, unable to form a coherent thought from his sudden shift in mood.
He’s much more relaxed than he was. This is a new side of Remus I am not familiar with.
I am so used to him being the alien conqueror who found me in the blight and spent his days trying to convince me to give up on my people. This gentle side continues to rock me.
“Tell me what’s on your mind,” he says.
As I find the courage to look him in the eyes, I feel a deeper sense of warmth wash over me.
His gaze has always been distracting. But at this moment, it pulls me in, compelling me to speak.
It’s unnatural, even more so than usual, making me think something in him has shifted.
Something that I am not even sure if he is aware of yet.
But being human, I am instantly affected by it.
Luckily, I don’t have a chance to respond as a Leviathan enters the room.
“Aureon, renti mit.”1 Remus doesn’t react immediately to the Leviathan in the doorway as he continues to study me, waiting for me to speak. And when he realizes I won’t, he pulls in a deep breath, standing tall.
“Then let us depart.”
I knew the return of the Divine Three was something celebrated among the planet, but to compare it to the celebrations on Earth is insulting to the Leviathan on Xyrannis.
The elaborate setup is in a building made of glass.
The glass is so pure that I can easily see the edge of the city, and the large planet in the distance that seems to decorate the sky constantly.
The interior of the building has multiple stories with food, drinks, and the Leviathan equivalent of specialty acts.
And there is no shortage of plants within the building, the colors pulsing with life that mimics the eyes of the siblings who have returned.
Everything has been meticulously planned all the way down to Remus’s symbol on the glasses filled with the Xyrannis equivalent of champagne.
I feel a stroke of sadness as I take in the excitement.
On Earth, I was placed with other slaves, and Jude and I would converse the night away.
But he is gone now, and I have no one to share this moment with.
I shift my attention to the floor we’re on.
It must be the important figureheads in Leviathan society to be able to speak so freely with Remus and Xion.
I turn back to the balcony that overlooks the excitement.
Ezra and Sky are nowhere to be found. I’m sure Ezra isn’t as curious as Remus was when we first began our journey together.
He wouldn’t bring Sky somewhere as important as this when she isn’t ready.
But as I look around, I realize this is a much more important occasion than the celebrations on Earth.
“You must be Iris.” I don’t recognize the voice speaking to me. As I turn in confusion, I am shocked to see a human standing before me, dressed in Leviathan attire without an inhibitor.
He’s a handsome man with dark hair and blue eyes. And as he smiles, I note that he has one dimple on the right side of his face.
“Who are you?” I ask.
I don’t recognize him, but he watches me with familiarity. I shift my attention past him to Remus, who is speaking to a group of Leviathan, Xion at his side. He doesn’t seem worried about me in the slightest.
“My name is Noah. I came to Xyrannis years ago by accident with my crew.” He laughs, shaking his head as he stands beside me, looking at the Leviathan below. “I never thought I’d miss seeing a human face this much,” he says.
I quickly put together this man’s situation as I look at Xion, and I recall Remus briefly explaining what happened with the group of humans who crash landed on his planet.
“You’re with Xion…” I say.
He nods slowly.
“You’re the reason they invaded in the first place,” I say.
“I wouldn’t say solely,” he says.
“And yet you are with her,” I say.
He once again smiles, but it’s mocking.
“And you are with him,” he counters.
It forces me to realize I don’t know this man’s story. I saw what Xion is capable of. I’m sure we share a similar journey when becoming part of these alien’s lives.
“I never thought Remus would bond with someone. I think everyone here is shocked to see you,” he says, gesturing to my symbol.
I laugh bitterly. “No one was as shocked as he was.”
Remus has admitted to it being a mistake. But it is a mistake he is glad to have made, as he’s said on more than one occasion. As I look back at Noah, I notice he is hesitant. He didn’t just approach me to introduce himself.
“The Leviathan truly admire their Aureon,” he says.
There it is, that word again. “Aureon.” I’ve heard it on more than one occasion, usually from the mouth of a Leviathan who is addressing Remus.
“Aureon?” I ask.
Noah shifts his attention to Remus and Xion briefly before responding.
“Can I show you something?” he asks.
“I don’t think Remus wants me to—”
“You aren’t a slave anymore, Iris. You are his equal now. Especially since you have bonded. You have every freedom you once did. And more,” he says.
I shift my attention to Remus and Xion, and Remus’s attention is on me. But he only watches me. He doesn’t approach, nor does he gesture for me to join him. So, I decide to test Noah’s theory.
“…Okay,” I say. And as I follow him from the floor we’re on, Remus doesn’t stop us.
Our destination isn’t far at all. We move out of the main ballroom into a hallway.
And Noah leads us to a balcony. I see why, as I stand on it, taking in the large portrait of a woman so stunning, she can’t be real.
She sits on a throne, her white hair flowing around her as she looks with eyes resembling Remus’s.
She’s wearing a crown and is dressed in a white gown except for the blue jewels that stand out on it.
I know without asking that this is Remus’s mother.
“Aureon was originally her title. It means god in the Leviathan language. The Leviathan history is a complex one, but it starts with her. And continues with her son,” Noah says.
Silence drifts between us.
“So they let you in on the Leviathan history?” I ask, sarcastically.
Noah chuckles, shrugging.
“More or less. It is a vicious one. And although it starts with her, it really became something when her son took her place,” he says.
“Why are you showing me this?” I ask.
“From what I’ve been told, you are a very stubborn woman…You are no longer on Earth. You are on Xyrannis. Their home. You don’t understand all that they are capable of—”
“I’ve seen what he is capable of. I watched him and Xion destroy what was left of Earth’s last hope—”
“What you saw was only a fraction of the power he radiates. He is… otherworldly. A bond is a powerful thing, and it opens the door to things you and I were never born to acknowledge. It’s dangerous for someone like him.
These beings… they don’t process emotion the same way we do.
He might seem human, but he is only mimicking what he knows will make you lower your guard.
Something like him…it shouldn’t exist on the same plane as us.
Yet he does. For everyone’s sake…please, don’t piss him off. ”
Noah looks frightened as he warns me. I don’t know what he’s seen or what Xion has told him. But it has him terrified enough to warn me.
“Why are you telling me this? Did Xion force you?” I ask.
Noah shakes his head.
“Just something I wish someone had told me before I got in too deep with these beings,” he says.
Before I can respond, we are interrupted.
“Look who has proven herself enough to be invited to an event like this!” We both tense as Ezra’s familiar voice fills the hall.
I follow the direction of his voice to see him approaching alone.
Sky is nowhere in sight. Ezra grins mischievously as he stands next to us and looks at the portrait of his mother.
“So, what are we talking about?”
1. Translated: "Aureon, it is time."