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Iris~~

Jonas and I enter the ballroom arm in arm, the rest of our party trailing behind us. Not that it's really a party. With only seven of us, we'd be hard pressed to even justify having party decorations besides for plates and cups. Maybe a tablecloth but definitely not balloons. But I don't like balloons, so I'm not too torn up about that.

            I do like confetti though.

Before us lies a sea of dancers—truly. I don't know how they aren't trampling over each other. They're all dancing so close like a school of fish.

I don't see the Head Order anywhere, which means unless they're also dancing, they've found a different place to camp out on their little hunting trip.

            Andrew and Basile slide away from our group.

            "So . . . umm . . . if you don't need us, we're going to dance." Andrew jerks his thumb toward the dancers. My mind goes back to last night, to Jonas's and Andrew's fight, to what was said. It's clear that at some point these cousins cared about each other. Maybe they weren't as close as the Order, but they meant enough to one another that the pain the other caused ran deeper than only a physical wound. Jonas motions for them to go on, and once they do, he and I are left with only Vienna, Colton, and Percy. I have no idea where Ean is. Maybe having tea and a catch up chat with his father?

            "What now?" Colton moves his hand to the small of Vienna's back. "Are we supposed to find them or do they find us?"

            I grip Jonas's arm, forcing a smile for the room. No one is paying us any attention though. "You mean ambush us?"

            "If you wanted to hide"—Percy comes alongside me—"the dancefloor wouldn't be a bad place."

            "It also wouldn't be a bad place to stab someone with a dagger."

            Jonas squeezes my arm while Colton says, "You're in a sour mood."

            Can he blame me?

            "Ahh there you are." A man with long hair walks up to us, and Jonas immediately inclines his head.

            "Beta."

            I curtsy, eyes not leaving the man. He doesn't look familiar; he's not of the Head Order, so he'd be Gadfrie's Beta.

            "If you're ready to begin, I'll take you to our chamber. The rest of my Order will be along shortly."

            "We were told the Head Order was here." Colton steps forward, coming to Jonas's side and pulling Vienna with him.

            Gadfrie's Beta frowns, straightening his back. "They're around somewhere. Shall I show you to the chamber?"

            Jonas stretches out his hand. "Lead the way, Beta."

            The Beta guides us to a stone statue of a merman with antelope-like horns. At the base of the sculpture are stairs he leads us down, taking us below the water level. Maybe when he said chamber, he didn't mean senate chamber but torture chamber.

            I glance back at Colton. He'll feel right at home then. To think I used to fear that I would be tortured by him. To think I was actually hoping for it if the alternative was being killed.

            At the bottom of the stairs is a door, and rather than opening it, the Beta turns to us. "The rest of the Order will arrive shortly, but in the meantime, Beta and Iota, and"—he looks at Vienna—"Ms. Rosen, you can follow me inside."

            Colton starts forward, but Vienna hesitates.

            "And what of my Preeminence and his wife?" Percy asks, crossing his arms.

            The Beta's eyes flick to Jonas briefly. "We will see them afterward."

            Jonas wraps his hand securely in mine. "It's okay, Iota." He inclines his head to the door. "Go on. Please."

            With one final beseeching look at Jonas, Percy trails Vienna and Colton into the room. Gadfrie's Beta shuts the door behind the four of them.

            I turn to Jonas and raise my eyebrows. "Do we make a run for it?"

            "Honestly?" Jonas raises his eyes to the stairs behind me. "I'm considering it."

This is the second of two updates today, so make sure you didn't miss Chapter 58 if you clicked on the notification to get here!