Part 2

Cassiopeia

Iris~~

When I take my first step onto Amoria, there isn't the rushing whirlwind of emotions I expected to face. I'm scared, yes. Terrified, absolutely, but there isn't the I'm-taking-my-first-step-on-another-planet sensation I'm pretty certain I should be experiencing.

Jonas's hand clutches mine. Vienna, Colton, and Percy stand behind us on the bottom steps of the plane's stairs.

The blue-sky overhead is the same as Earth's if not a little lighter in hue. The air is crisp, snowflakes flurrying in the air. In the distance are gray storm clouds.

At the center of Borilia is Amoria's north pole. None of the five of us has the proper attire for being this far north. Both Percy and Colton brought a suit, but folded into bags, they were wrinkled.

In the past few days, the steamer got a lot of use. Jonas's suit at least wasn't quite as creased and wrinkled in his bag.

Vienna and I are both in tight black pants. Our long-back blazers don't do much to shield us from the cold. Our high heels do nothing at all.

Across the tarmac is a large building made of a greenish-blue tinged glass. Before stepping outside the plane, Jonas told me it's the airport's terminal. He's been here before.

Waiting for us is a sleek silver car. It's edges smoother than most vehicles I've seen in Elleany. Behind it are two similar cars but black instead of silver.

"Where's the Order?" I say. Only a driver stands outside of the silver car.

Jonas's jaw tightens.

"It's a message," Colton says. "They want us to know they don't view us as being their time."

"You mean me." Jonas starts walking toward the cars, me at his side.

"Not everything is about him." Colton's voice is lower, probably intending to only speak to Vienna and Percy, and I don't have to be looking at the Beta to know he's rolling his eyes.

"It literally is about him," Percy says. "I'm sure he'd be happy to have some of the attention directed at you."

Colton huffs, and I squeeze Jonas's hand.

"I've got you," I say.

Jonas works his jaw. "Thank you."

Attendants from the plane load our luggage into the silver car while the driver opens the door for us.

Having to be in the same plane with Alessi for two weeks was torture. We remained in Alastair's room as much as possible. As I duck into the car, I spot Alessi heading for one of the black ones. A small bit of the tension in my shoulders releases.

Even stowing away in the room, it didn't take long for Vienna, Percy, and Colton to be discovered. But at that point it was too late to turn back.

Inside the car are four folded peacoats. Two gray and two blue, the latter ones larger.

Once the Society was told where the two Order members and Vienna were, they would have contacted Amoria. We were still close enough to Earth when they were discovered to still be in range to contact the Society.

Regardless, we spoke with Amoria yesterday when the ship was within range. They knew there were five us. So it's clear which ones of us the coats are intended for.

"You can have my coat, khaleedi." Colton holds one out to him. Jonas only stares at it.

Scooting closer to Jonas, I spread one of the gray coats over our laps. "I don't think he wants to make everything about himself."

Percy snorts.

The cars start driving away from the airport, and some part of me, despite the situation, finds it amusing I didn't even have to show a passport to travel to another planet.

Outside the fields are covered in fresh snow, as well as the trees, with only bits of brown and green peeking out.

Am I really on another planet right now? In the distance, mountains are draped in snow like a fur coat, and about an hour into the drive, we reach those mountains. With a tunnel, the road cuts through one of them, and right before we drive into it, I find myself pressing closer to Jonas. I've seen one too many movies where a car drives into a tunnel and never comes out the other side.

Jonas offers me a hesitant smile and brushes his thumb over my cheek. "We're almost there."

I grimace. "Is that supposed to be comforting?"

"I'm hoping the anticipation is worse than the actual thing."

I clutch his hand.

The tunnel exits out into a forest, and I release a breath.

A tunnel would have been the perfect opportunity to get rid of me and Jonas.

There is much more greenery on these closely knitted trees, but so little light comes in, not including the headlights from the vehicles, that the leaves and snow are cloaked in shadows and darkness.

You need darkness to see stars.

But there are no stars in here.

I was supposed to die by being hit by a car (*Author's Note: this is to reflect changes in the most recent draft.)Jonas lived because he went for a drive.

But now I wonder if fate is about to have the last laugh.

Across from us Percy tugs at his tie.

"Are you nervous, Iota?" Jonas asks. "It is the head Order. It's good to have a healthy
dose of respect."

Colton brushes at the lapels of his suit jacket. "Fear you mean."

Percy glares at him.

"They'll have no reason to be angry with you," Jonas says.

"Maybe not me, but the rest of you are fair game."

Jonas remains silent.

The car exits the forest, but not into light. The sky has thickened with charcoal gray clouds. In the distance are more snow-covered mountains, and looming in front of the mountains is a six-story dark-gray mansion trimmed in black.

The road becomes a driveway of cobblestone that leads first to a fountain with ten stone statues of Amorians each holding what must be a star cupped in their hands. The stars seem to be made of blue marble fashioned into the shape of an orb. It is from these that the water flows.

Behind the statue waits the Head Order. Twelve men who would all be around my father's age if he were still alive. They're all dressed in long felted black coats and boots so polished they manage to gleam in the gloom. Gloves shield their hands, and even though the wind pushes snow flurries past them, they don't flinch.

I thought Elleany's Order was imposing.

At the head of the row is Leorus Moretti, the Head Preeminence and Alastair's father. This mansion is the second home of the Morettis from the Preeminence to the Douze. Like the Blackwoods, all of the Order members are related. Jonas said it's the same for the rest of the Orders. Five families to rule the entire planet.

"I don't see any Veil," Percy murmurs. Colton reaches for one of the coats, but Percy snatches it away. "What are you doing?"

"I don't think I need to answer that."

"No one can wear the coats. Even if we give one of ours to Jonas, it would still be an insult to him. The only way to turn it around is to disregard their gift."

Jonas shakes his head. "You don't have to do that. I'm certain this will be the least insulting thing they'll subject me to."

Colton again reaches for the coat.

"Beta," Percy snaps, and Colton draws back his hand. Our car comes to a stop, and the other two cars park behind it.

I'm grateful the windows are tinted.

The driver opens the door, and Percy steps out first. The wind whips through his hair as he bows.

The Order shows no expression.

Vienna is the next to exit, Colton out and beside her before she finishes straightening.

Again, the Orders' faces give nothing away.

Jonas turns to me and grasps my face in his hands. "Whatever happens, I love you." He ducks through the doorway, stepping out onto the cobblestone. Without bowing or even nodding to the Order, he turns back to the car, bending—bowing—and holding out his hand to me.

Something in my chest soars, and when I place my hand in his, he presses his lips against the back of my hand. "My queen," he whispers.

Tears come to my eyes. "Jonas."

He helps me out of the limo, and as one we stand before the Order. He doesn't bow or nod, and so—though it terrifies me—I don't either.

Some of the Order raise their chins a little higher, others lock their jaws tighter.

Leorus takes one step forward. "Jonas." He doesn't smile, but his tone is warm.

"It's Preeminence," my fiancé says.

"That's bold, don't you think?" Leorus spreads out his arms placatingly. "Considering the circumstances?"

"As far as I'm aware you haven't removed me from my role of Preeminence yet. I might as well use it while I can."

Even with twelve Head Order members, introductions don't take long, each reply terse. Jonas is the only one who has met everyone before. I'm grateful they go by quick. The temptation to wrap my arms around myself is strong, the wind cutting through the thin sleeves of my blazer. But even if I do wrap them around me, it won't stop my shivering.

And now is not the time to show weakness.

After the introductions, we're led inside the mansion. The interior is much the same as the exterior, except that the air is warm. The esthetic is not.

Wooden buttresses protrude from the walls, supporting the ceiling. The room is oval in shape with hallways branching out of it as if they are the notches for the spokes of a wheel. The floor is a mosaic of gray and black stone.

"Tresais," Leorus says, "where is Elisana?"

"I'm here!" a voice calls from one of the hallways, and a moment later, a figure in a thin flowing blue dress rushes into the room. Her white-blonde hair has soft blue highlights and falls in her face as she runs. The heel of one of her pumps catches between the stones, and she stumbles, the heel snapping.

Percy, the closest to her, steps forward, catching and steadying her. She looks up at him, her lavender eyes wide, the white skin on her cheeks flushing.

Percy looks a bit horrified. "Are you all—"

She lets out a particularly filthy Amorian curse.

The Tresais sucks in a sharp breath. The woman's eyes manage to widen more. "I'm so sorry," she says while the Tresais pinches the bridge of his nose.

"This is my youngest: Elisana. She will show the three of you to your rooms." He motions to Vienna, Colton, and Percy who still grasps Elisana.

"What of me and my fiancée?" Jonas asks.

Leorus clasps his hands behind his back. "We're having a senate meeting with the two of you." A trial he means.

Meanwhile, Percy and Elisana are stuck in a meet cute.

Colton claps him on the back. "It's time to let the nice girl go."

"Go on without me."

Colton's nostrils flare. "We can't very well do that without her."

The Preeminence turns to me and Jonas. "I am sure they will sort things out. This
way."

Jonas grabs my hand, his skin clammy.

"I've got you," I whisper.

Down the center hallway, we follow the Head Preeminence, the rest of the Head Order trailing behind us. It feels strange leaving Vienna, Percy, and Colton behind. Elisana at least didn't come across as bloodthirsty.

There are doors to the left and right, and I wonder if they're offices or bedrooms or something else. I expect for the hallway to eventually widen into a larger space, but it never does, and we come to the end of the hallway where a light gray door awaits that looks as if it's made of stone, but something about it doesn't look heavy. There are designs carved into it, including all around the edges, the designs mainly comprised of triangles and leaves.

Preeminence Moretti places his hand flat on the door. There's a soft click, and the door opens a few inches. He pushes it forward the rest of the way, and the air shifts. It doesn't get warmer, but the air thickens slightly.

Through the door is a staircase that leads downward, but the room before us isn't a room at all. It's a cave made of tawny-brown rock. Lights in the shape of large white crystals hang on the wall, illuminating the space.

The Order sheds their coats, followed by their blazers, hanging them on hooks outside the door, until they're down to their thin long-sleeve shirts. I'm reminded of the attire for the Society's initiation ceremonies.

We follow the Preeminence down the staircase, its length probably only equal to a flight.

At the bottom the door widens into a small cavern. At the center of the room set in the rock is a natural pool of water. Steam curls above it, and I wonder if it's a hot spring. I stifle my snort as I suddenly picture this Order having senate meetings in a hot tub.

Surrounding the pool, are twelve thrones carved out of the same tawny brown rock. They aren't smooth and polished besides for where a body would rest. On the outer parts, it looks like stalagmites are growing from them. I have a hard time believing the Head Order actually sits on rocks. The thrones are set on a rock shelf about two and a half feet above where Jonas and I stand between the thrones and the pool.

The twelve Amoris take their seats, surrounding us.

My heart pounds making me dizzy. I try to control my breathing to slow it down, but my thoughts are swirling too fast to allow me to focus on something that should be automatic.

Leorus sits where Jonas would if this were the senate chamber back at the Estate and the Tresais where Gwen would, so I can assume that I know each and everyone's positions. A little bit of equal footing then.

"Jonas Blackwood," the Preeminence begins, "you have let us know that you are Expired."

I turn toward Jonas. He never said—

I notice his eyes. Eyes that are focused on the Preeminence. Eyes that are currently meeting Leorus's eyes. Was there ever a point since we exited the car that he diverted his gaze? I never noticed.

"If I hadn't, you would have forced me to any moment now. I've only made it easier on all of us."

"Although you Expired, you remained Preeminence."

"I'm not allowed to resign."

Leorus's fingers dig into the armrests of his throne. "You shouldn't be alive."

Jonas gives a half-hearted smile. "It wasn't as if I tried to survive. I didn't live
on purpose." Jonas lets go of my hand, and I feel like I'm falling. If we separate, will they ever let us back together? "I'm not on trial for my life. Alastairi assured me of that. And besides, you've already given me permission to marry another raggioet."

"Miss Levine is under Elleany's—Earth's jurisdiction," the Epsilon says. "We couldn't Order Elleany to kill her, but you as a member of the Society are under our jurisdiction."

They can't kill him. They shouldn't even discuss it. Alastair said they have no intentions of killing him.

I shove all of my willpower down into my heart, forcing it to be calm. "Your acceptance of me wasn't because of some made-up jurisdiction. You certainly didn't discuss this jurisdiction with the rest of Earth. You accepted me because I, despite being Expired and knowing at any turn I could face the wrath and hatred of the Society, helped save your kind when they were taken prisoner." I inhale, my hands threatening to tremble. "Jurisdiction . . ." I shake my head. "I see no reason why as a citizen of Earth I can't claim jurisdiction over him."

The Order is silent, their eyes bearing down on me.

"Do not forget that both Jonas and I fought to stop the Amoris in France from exposing your kind to Earth."

The Beta's shoulders shift. "These are bold words. Aren't you frightened?"

"What was bold was interrupting our wedding."

"She's feisty." The Douze leans back in his throne, his hand resting under his chin as he examines me.

"Regardless," the Beta says, "he should have removed himself from the equation the moment he lived past his Expiration Date."

Jonas glowers. "Even if we were here to discuss having me killed, we all know you can't. The Society may dislike having an Expired Preeminence, but they'd hate you killing their Preeminence even more."

The Tresais leans to his right to speak to the Preeminence. "Perhaps we should . . ."

Straightening, the Preeminence nods. "We will call both of you back when it's time." Time for what? Sentencing?

Jonas dips his head, and I manage a curtsey.

As we head up the steps—my heart hammering and my nerves frayed—I'm right behind Jonas, and once at the top, he pushes open the door.

The hallway isn't empty.

Jonas stumbles, gripping the door. "Erik?"

The former Tresais of Elleany turns away from the woman beside him. She's nearly his height with dark brown braids that are pulled into a half-up half-down style. A gold laurel crowns her head. She's someone very important then.

Erik, his amber eyes wide, is dressed impeccably. He wears a deep green blazer trimmed in black with silver designs throughout the green.

Behind them are three others, all dressed in Veil uniforms. The one man in the trio has brunette hair, and he steps closer to the woman beside him whose hair is cut short. The other's is pulled back into a long ponytail.

"Jonas?" Erik takes a step forward as Jonas shuts the door behind us. "Iris?"

The woman beside him and the three Veil drop into curtsies and a bow. "Preeminence," they say softly.

Erik only blinks. "What are you doing here? Don't tell me you chose to honeymoon here."

Wincing, I take hold of Jonas's arm. "We didn't marry. Amoria stepped in." In Alessi's case, quite literally.

"They gave you permission. Why would they—"

Jonas looks down at me, and I bite my lip. "It would be best if we discuss it later," he says. "And we of course want to hear all about what you've been up to and why you're here as well." Jonas smiles, and he makes it look natural. "Why don't you introduce us to your friend?"

Erik shakes his head, as if clearing his thoughts, and smiles back, a rare sight. "Right, of course. This is Rydersin Torellae, daughter of the Preeminence of Acquaellia. And her Veil, Karn, Meilin, and Xiaozhi." He next motions to us. "This is my cousin, Preeminence Blackwood and his—" he hesitates "fiancée, Iris."

I nod. "It's a pleasure." And it would be if the circumstances were different.

Jonas places his hand on the small of my back. "I can see you're here to speak with the Order. If you would excuse us, we don't wish to delay that meeting."

Rydersin and the Veil again curtsey and bows. "Certainly, Preeminence," Rydersin says.

Jonas's hand remaining on my back, we return down the hallway, no real destination in mind, I imagine. I only know we both wish to get far away from that chamber before we're inevitably summoned back.

I'm really loving this picture @pkata01 made of Jonas and Iris!

If anyone is interested in joining the Discord for Expiration Date, you can find the invite link in my bio on my profile or you can ask me!