Your comments are amazing! 

Jonas~~

I stare up at the ceiling of Colton's bathroom, counting.

Counting the seconds it takes for him to respond. Water sloshes from the other side of the wall that divides his shower from the bathtub where I'm seated. Ten . . . Eleven . . . Come on. My foot taps the floor. It's not an awful idea.Seventeen . . . Eighteen . . . He has to know that.

"It guarantees nothing."

My shoulders slump, and I lean the against the wall. "Would you suggest locking him up? He'll never be cooperative."

"I don't understand how this plan of yours is set up in your head. He'd have to really like this girl to stay for her. Yet last night he wasn't the one hovering over her." Erik can't possibly care at all for Iris. If he did, he wouldn't have brought her here where her secret could be discovered in the flash of a second.

My foot taps harder. "I wanted her to feel relaxed. If she doesn't feel comfortable here, she'll never want to stay."

"I'm sure she felt relaxed as the Preeminence poured all his attention on her."

Growing warm, I unfasten one of my shirt buttons, the air thickening from the steam his shower creates.

"I think we need to find another way that doesn't involve her staying here."

I rub my forehead. "Not you too."

"I found her down below talking to Arrietty."

No. No. No. She does not need to be down there.

"Jonas?"

"I'll talk to her."

"Arrietty already did."

"She doesn't know, though, right?" I force my foot to be still.

"About which part?"

"That Arrietty's a konkursi."

"She doesn't."

I let out a slow, steady breath. "I don't know how we would have explained that one."

"That's why she shouldn't be here." The water shuts off. "Can you hand me the towel?"

I stand, grabbing the towel beside me and hold it out in front of the shower door. "If she stays and proves her loyalty then we can tell her."

His hand pops out of the shower to take the towel. I sit down again. If I want Erik to work with me, I have to make sure he doesn't feel trapped. He has to think he's staying on his own terms, but if it comes to it, I'll have no choice but to put him under house arrest.

Colton steps out of the shower, his towel around his waist. "If you want this to work, Molly's replacement can't wind up in love with you."

I press my hands against my thighs and stand, wishing he wouldn't call her that. "I'm going to ask her to eat breakfast with us. I want you to introduce her to Vienna."

"Khaleedi—"

I raise my eyebrows, and he stops. Being Preeminence does have its perks, like the power to make your little siblings obey. I nod to him before exiting his quarters and take the staircase down to the second floor, headed for the bedroom Iris was assigned to. Her door is in the same stretch of wall as mine but hers is farther down the hallway, away from the staircase. Room 237-Lae. Lae for the section of the Estate her room is in.

Before I reach it, her door opens, and she steps out, still wearing the dress I had brought to her as a replacement. I never saw her in it. Never found out if it was suitable. The dress is wrinkled while her hair appears as tidy as if she brushed it only minutes ago.

"Good morning," I say, and she freezes while I close the distance between us. "Still in your dress?"

Her face reddens. "It's not what it looks like."

I let out a laugh. "While I believe you, the Society is always looking for a reason to gossip."

"Erik told me to go ahead and sleep in this and that he would find me something to wear this morning."

"You didn't pack anything?"

"Your Veil were trailing us through the store. It slipped our minds that I would need other clothes." She bites her lip, eyes not on me, but past me. "He said he'd have something by 7:30. That was thirty minutes ago."

"And breakfast is at 8:30."

"Right. I can't show up in this, can I? Forget I asked that. I was just headed to his room."

"He's not in there." I got a text from Riley about an hour ago saying he found Erik passed out in a lounge, an empty bottle of rum beside him. "I'll take care of it."

"You really don't have to."

"Well, since I'm about to ask you to eat breakfast with me and Erik, it's the least I can do." While seating for breakfast is more relaxed, sitting beside me, Erik, and Colton will draw attention. "Would you sit with us at breakfast?"

"I would . . ." She shakes her head. "Of course, thank you."

Bringing Iris into our table will make Erik feel like she's being welcomed with open arms. And if he thinks she's happy, he won't believe she'll let him expose her. And once people see her at our table for breakfast, they won't think too much of it if she's there for other meals. "I'll see you in a few minutes then." With a smile, I turn and walk back down the hallway. I pull out my phone and text Gwen.

Jonas: Erik neglected to buy Iris suitable clothes.

No need to mention the lack of any clothes.

Jonas: I've seen your closet. Can you bring her some things?

The screen shows she's typing, but after a few seconds and no text has yet to come through, I slip my phone back in my pocket, continuing on to my room.

I'm opening my door when my phone buzzes.

Gwen: Your wish is my command.