Exposed [Book 4 in the Expiring Series]

56 Is It Just Me Or Did You Feel Water?

Iris~~

            Gadfrie's Order lives together in one magnificent, death-entreating palace surrounded by the sea. A Konkursi leads Jonas and I through the courtyard where high above the light brown stone columns and pavilions the sun basks on us and the sea, kept from crashing down on us by structures I cannot see, looms over our heads as if we are positioned at the bottom of four waterfalls.

Droplets of water splash against my bare arms, causing me to shudder. Jonas doesn't seem to have any difficulties trusting Amorian architecture. He doesn't look up, doesn't pay the towering water wall of doom a moment's notice other than when he first saw it and paused to admire it. Percy trails a few steps behind us. I wonder if he's nervous.

Maybe it's just me.

Knowing them, it's probably just me.

Ean is somewhere in the palace, supposedly meeting with other Veils for security purposes.

I lean into Jonas, tightening my grip on his hand.

When I woke up the morning after winning Tela, I found that Elisana had right after the game to return home to the Head Order in Borilia.

The Konkursi stops to push on a door that groans as it opens. Inside is a room paved in stone and decorated with ferns and furnished with brown furniture. Two chaises are set at angles, a small round table positioned between them.

The room holds five additional doors. The Konkursi opens one of them, revealing a large bathroom that smells of vanilla and salt. The next door is the room that's been assigned to Percy. His luggage is propped in the corner, and he immediately heads toward it.

"We received word today that your brother will be joining us as well, Preeminence," the Konkursi says.

Colton's on his way? I half expect him and Vienna to have married since we last saw them.

The Konkursi crosses the room and twists the handle of another door. "We've prepared rooms for the Beta and his party with you. But this"—she pushes open the door—"is yours."

My eyes are first drawn to the floor to ceiling window across the room. A wall of water bathed in sunlight fills it, reminding me of where exactly the palace is situated. Ferns frame either side of the window.

Jonas places his hand on my lower back, his fingers pressing into my skin, and we follow the Konkursi into the room.

A bed draped in white is pushed against one wall. On it are two large silver boxes, the ribbon sealing them shut reminding me of the shimmer of scales.

There must be heads in them.

We haven't seen any of the Order yet. I don't know how they feel about us besides for the fact they originally agreed to let Jonas marry me.

"Dinner will be brought to you for tonight. If there is anything you need before then, please do not hesitate to call." She drops into a curtsey. "The Order sends their regrets, but they won't be able to meet with you until tomorrow evening." She motions to the boxes on the bed. "They hope though you'll attend tomorrow's ball."

A chill runs down my back. "We didn't know there was one."

"It's nothing too extravagant. Only a weekly one the Order hosts. They won't have time until then to speak with you unfortunately."

"We'll be happy to attend." Jonas looks at me as if making sure I'm okay. "We understand the Order is busy, and we're grateful they're able to accommodate us at all."