Exported [Book 3 in the Expiring Series]

4 The Charioteer

Jonas~~

Iris plops down on my bed and crosses her legs before starting to twirl the ring around her finger, the ring being too big."

"We can get it sized when we get back."

She shakes her head. "Whenever there's time." She lets go of the ring. "I still can't get over how well they took it."

I fall back on the spot next to her, the bed creaking in response. "Are you sure I'm still not asleep?"

She nudges me with her knee. "You're awake."

"I did find my mother cooking breakfast."

She places her hands on my stomach and leans over me. "It's real."

I shake my head. "I don't believe it."

She lies her head down on my arm. "Until our Dates separate us. . . They've passed; we have an infinite amount of time before us." Her fingers tug gently at the ends of my hair.

"Considering you have a knack for almost getting killed, and I'm constantly getting knocked out, I wouldn't get too excited."

She presses her lips into a thin line and taps me on the nose. "It's general knowledge Death keeps spitting me back up, but you really do get knocked out a lot."

"It's honestly mortifying."

"Erik though seems to be the common denominator."

"It's been a while since you mentioned him."

"It's hard to think about him. "For nearly five months, I've had that same dream almost every night."

"Still?"

She nods, and I recall the dream. One where she stands in front of a door and when she opens it, she's just in time to see Erik be shot.

"Erik's Expiration Date isn't for a long time."

"I know. But my dreams don't."

I brush my hand over her cheek. "He saved you, so it has to be hard to see him like that. He might have hurt me, but it would be hard for me too."

Erik chose his path though. And as much as I miss my cousin, I have to remember every day that there is no place at the Society for Erik, for a traitor.