Exposed [Book 4 in the Expiring Series]

9 The Food at the Reception Would Have Been Amazing

Merry Christmas to anyone celebrating, happy holidays, and happy New Year!

Jonas~~

         Gwen's knife clatters against the stone pavers. Before me, the Society doesn't look angry. Instead, the skin between their eyes is drawn together in confusion, and they look between one another, whispering. At least from here they sound like whispers. Everything is a bit muted for me in this moment.

I'm terrified of what comes next, but it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

"Khaleedi?" My sister's voice trembles. Alastair reaches for her hand, but she shakes him off. "Don't touch me," she says and whirls toward him. "You knew this was going to happen. You knew what my brother was."

"Gwen—"

"My title is Tresais."

Alastair's eyes sharpen, and he blinks, his hand curling inward. It's odd to be able to freely look into the eyes of others. He faces me, and his eyes flick to Gwen. I'm sorry, he mouths to me. "Preeminence Blackwood, you're under arrest by orders of the head Preeminence and his Order."

Iris pushes me behind her. "He's done nothing wrong."

I take hold of the back of her arm. "Iris . . ."

"If you need someone to arrest, take me." She thrusts out her arm, baring her Expiration Date. "I am the one who has caused problems. Who planned to stop hiding her Mark. Jonas had no intentions to ever reveal what he is."

Closing his eyes, Alastair bows his head. "Amoria's complaint is not with you. You are not the Preeminence who is stealing the destiny of another by remaining alive." Colton's destiny.

At his words, a chill runs through me, but I grab hold of Iris and tug her to my side.

Colton steps in. "Alastair, I have no need to be Preeminence until destiny demands it."

"My father has no intentions of killing your brother. But I must take him to Amoria to go before the head Order in senate."

"No." My mother twists in my father's tight grasp. "Please."

Alessi turns to my parents. "You have no right to speak. You covered up the truth."

My hand darts outward, tightening in Alessi's shirt, and I drag him toward me. "That is the former Preeminence and his wife. I shouldn't have to remind you of that. You are the one with no right to speak to them, so how dare you use that tone with them? You're merely one of Preeminence Moretti's pawns."

Alessi's eyes narrow. "I believe it's you who are now the former Preeminence."

"If you need to punish someone, punish me." Sebastian drops to his knees. "I knew what he was and stopped him from sacrificing his life."

Tobias kneels. "I knew as well."

"As did I." Bently bends down, until both knees rest on the pavers.

Colton drops down as well. "We all stopped him from dying at a false Preeminence's hand. Punish us, but not him."

The rest of my Order, including Gwen, stare at them, shock lacing their features, while I tremble under the weight of their words. "Stand," I say to them and turn to Alessi and Alastair. "I will comply with the Preeminence's orders."

Alastair looks as if he's had twenty years suddenly thrust upon him. "I'm sorry."

"This is no one's fault but my own." I pull Iris against me. Her hand presses against my chest. "I'm sorry we couldn't—"

"You're not leaving me."

"Iris, I don't have a—"

"I'm coming with you."

I open my mouth to speak when Alessi interrupts. "You can't."

Iris's eyes narrow, and from within the hold of my arm, she twists toward him, her hand remaining on me. "Most people who ruin a wedding would be overly cautious when talking to the bride."

Alessi arches an eyebrow. "You're no longer a bride though, are you? As far as I'm concerned, this engagement is off, and the former groom is about to spend the rest of his life in a cell on Amoria."

Iris raises her hand, but it's not me who holds her back. Bently catches her wrist. She breathes deeply, her chest rising and falling. "If it were your Expiration Date, I can't imagine your words would be so bold."

He only smiles and leans toward her, her fist still raised in the hair, held by Bently. "I serve the Preeminence until my death. Were it my Expiration Date, I wouldn't be scared of a girl in a white dress."

Iris tilts her chin up. "Let go of me, Bently."

"Iris . . ."

"Let go."

He obeys, and Iris drops her hand to her side, looking down her nose at Alessi.

"I'm coming. And if you try to separate me from my fiancé, I can promise you that you won't sleep easy until your Expiration Date."