Colton~~

We eat dinner with the Order. Not their families who eat at other tables. They probably aren't usually separated like this as I imagine they don't often have Expired Preeminences and their families over often.

We're in the middle of the table that's fixed in the center of the room. Vienna is on my right, Percy my left, and Jonas and Iris are across from me. Beside Iris are two empty seats separating her from the Epsilon. The Preeminence and Beta are at the heads of the table.

The first course has yet to be served. Only our glasses have been filled with wine that is better than any I've had on Earth.

Ever since my brother and Iris told us Erik is here, I've been waiting for him to come and find us, to appear at any moment, but he never showed up, and when I asked a Konkursi where I could find him, they told me they didn't know.

Vienna nudges my ankle with the tip of her shoe.

"Can I help you?"

"Could you at least attempt to look like you're not contemplating murder?"

I hold my glass close to my lips. "I'll try," I mutter before taking a sip, regretting it as my stomach clenches, demanding food before more alcohol.

I'm going to sound like Sebastian—of all people—but they could at least have already had bread sitting out.

From my seat, I face the door through which we entered the dining room. Percy is in the perfect position for him and Elisana whose table runs along ours to make accidental eye contact. And I'm at the perfect spot to be subjected to that torment.

The dining room door opens, and two Veil enter, followed by a woman wearing a laurel wreath crown . . . and Erik. He casts his gaze across the room before his eyes snap to mine.

My mouth goes dry, my throat tightening. It hasn't been long since I last saw him, but when you grow up living with someone, studying and training with them, days apart feel like weeks, weeks feel like months, and months feel like years.

Three more Veil enter the room behind them.

Erik and the woman, who must be Rydersin Torellea, are led to our table. Percy stands when they reach the open spot beside Iris. Does he want to hug Erik? Our cousin is still a traitor to the Society. We can't forget that.

Ever.

The woman crowned with the laurel wreath turns to one of the five Veil. "What about my Veil?"

The Amorian looks uncomfortable. "Veil don't typically eat with the family unless by invitation."

"If there is no room at this table, then please find spots for them at other tables. If a Moretti were to visit another Order, would anyone insist they be separated from their Veil?"

The Veil bows. "No, Ms. Torellea. I will make sure your request is met."

So it is the woman who wishes to be Preeminence.

"Thank you."

Once the five Veil walk away, and Erik can no longer use that as an excuse to be distracted, he turns to us, offering only a morose look before pulling out Rydersin's seat.

Why didn't he come to find us? Has he really separated himself from us in not only distance but in his heart as well?

When the two of them sit, a door at the side of the room opens, and Konkursi bring out dishes filled with soup.

"How have you been, Erik?" Percy leans forward—imperceptible to probably anyone but me. "How has it been here for you?"

A Konkursi fills Erik's glass with a deep red wine.

"Better than I hoped," he says before nodding at the Konkursi who moves on down the table. "It's really starting to feel like home."

Percy reaches for his own glass of wine. "And where is it that you call home?"

"Acquaelleia. I have an apartment there." That's the continent Rydersin is from. Could that explain how they've come to work together?

I sneak a glance at Leorus at the head of the table. I need to speak to him tonight about Vienna.

"Where is Alastair?" Erik's eyes shift to his wine, but he frowns and picks up his spoon instead.

"In Elleany." Percy looks at him, his expression sly for the stars know why. "With Gwen."

I grip my spoon where it hovers between my mouth and bowl.

The Head Order members have no reaction to the Heir being mentioned, never breaking the flow of their conversations.

Rydersin turns to our wayward cousin. "Are you going to introduce me?"

Erik wipes at his month with his napkin. "Rydersin this is Percy, Elleany's Iota, and Colton, its Beta and his . . . lover Vienna Rosen. She introduced me to the rebels."

Rydersin aches an eyebrow at no one in particular while Vienna flushes, and I feel the intense need to clobber him.

"And this is Rydersin Torellea, daughter of the Preeminence of Acquaelleia."

Rydersin's face softens, her lips lifting into a smile. "It's a pleasure."

"How did you meet?" Iris asks. Neither her nor Jonas's soup has hardly been touched.

Rydersin's purple eyes lighten. "I tracked him down. I wanted him on my side."

Percy chuckles saluting Erik with his glass. "Now that is a mystery in itself. How did you get him to help you, Ms. Torellea? Are you two . . ." He points back and forth between the two of them.

Iris rolls her eyes. "I can't possibly imagine how you could have been any more discreet, Percy."

The Iota shrugs. "You were wondering it too."

Erik looks at Iris for a second too long. "No, we aren't. It's strictly business between us."

Rydersin lifts a shoulder and nods.

Throughout the meal's courses, the conversation remains surface level. No one mentions why the five of us are here, and most of Erik's responses are deflective. As the main meal is cleared away in preparation for dessert, I excuse myself. While I'm still in the same room as Leorus, I need to speak with him. Right after dinner, he and his Order and Jonas and Iris will be headed into another Senate meeting.

I approach the head of the table, feeling Vienna's eyes on the back of my neck, and bow before Leorus Moretti. "Preeminence."

"Beta. What can I do for you?" His tone is neutral.

My heart thuds, the room suddenly warmer. "Could you spare a moment to speak with me?"

He pushes his chair back and stands. "Of course."

"Thank you."

He leads me to a corner of the dining room. "Will this work?"

There's enough chatter that it should mask our voices.

"Yes." I clutch my hands together behind my back, so he can't see them shaking. I'm the Beta. I still need to show a modicum of pride at the very least. "I have a petition of my own."

Leorus crosses his arms. "This should be interesting."

"I'd like to marry Ms. Rosen." I didn't intend to lead with that.

"When your brother approached us about marrying the raggioet, he assured us that you would marry one of my kind in his place. Now with the situation your brother is in, there may be no possibility of his heir becoming Preeminence even if he were to marry an Amoris. You will most likely find yourself Preeminence after this, Beta."

I can't process those words right now. I don't want to think what they could imply about Jonas's fate. "We have a sister who is already Tresais. Her blood is the same as ours. And she's told me that if it means her child will become Preeminence, she will marry an Amorian."

Leorus rubs his jaw. "My son has spoken often of her since he last returned from Earth. He's given her much praise. If they were to marry, their heir would be Preeminence of Elleany and Amoria."

I pray the alarm doesn't show on my face. "That's not—"

"And your sister would be willing to marry Alastairi?"

"Well . . . I . . ."

She can't marry someone like him. He'll publicly shame her with his exploits, and if she ever learned to like him . . . heaven help her . . . he'd break her heart.

"Will she marry Alastairi if asked to?" he asks again when I take too long to give an answer.

"I don't know."

Leorus frowns. "If it means my future grandchild will rule both Amoria and Elleany, I will give my support. Once we handle your brother, I will bring it up to my Order. You will need the rest of the Orders to agree though. And I wouldn't bring up your sister marrying my son to any of them. You understand how they could feel about that, don't you?"

"What if it's not what your son wants?"

Leorus cocks his head, a smile playing at his lips. "Not what my son wants?"

How am I supposed to tell him that based on everything I read and saw about his son between his visits to Earth, he certainly wasn't missing Gwen? "I'm sure there must be someone here Alastairi has known for a long time . . ."

"Once my son returned from Earth, he spoke almost exclusively of your sister. I assumed he had plans to ask for her hand when he left for Elleany."

The two of them at the Estate—unsupervised—the maze . . . I need to be there. To put a stop to it. Alastair surely can't believe Gwen would ever say yes after he knew what would happen to Jonas and gave us no warning.

Even though speaking to Leorus right now is going behind Jonas's back, I'm not going to go as far as to insult the son of the man who holds my brother's life in his hands.

"If my son asks, will your sister say yes?"

"I cannot presume to know my sister's heart." Yes, I can. "But I imagine she wouldn't pass up the chance to unite our two worlds." The words come out tasting like lead.

Not, I feel I should clarify, that I have ever ate lead.

Leorus smiles and places his hand on my shoulder. "Excellent. Then once my Order and I conclude this nasty business with your brother, we will turn our focus to you and your sister and of course my son."

I nod through the sensation of the room tilting—of the wine wanting to come back up my throat. "Thank you, Preeminence."

If you've made it this far, you've finished Expiration Date and Expired already, but make sure Expiration Date is still in your library because on Monday, May 24, 2021, I'll be sharing something fun featuring Iris and Colton.