Jonas~~

My father and I stand next to each other, alone in the ceremony chamber. I'm about to initiate my little brother, my final member.

"Breathe, Jonas."

I watch the flames dance in the bowl in front of me. "He's supposed to be the one doing the initiating. You raised him knowing he'd be the Preeminence. I'm stealing this from him."

Placing his hands on my upper arms, my father turns me to face him. "You were always supposed to be Preeminence too. Don't forget that."

"But only for a matter of days."

"Anything we taught Colton, we taught you. Fate altered and now this is your role. Colton will never know otherwise."

I step away from him, facing back toward the flames. "I feel he knows somehow. He's constantly challenging me."

"He's jealous. This is your Order, Jonas."

The flames climb upward before descending. Always reaching for more but never grasping it. "Are you happy I lived?" I've never asked him. My mother, yes. But not him. Maybe because I'm sure that if he were to answer me honestly, he would say no.

"Am I happy that after thousands of years an Expiration Date is suddenly wrong? No. Am I happy that Expiration Date was my son's? Yes, completely."

"Do you think there have been others in the past?"

He tucks his hands behind his back. "It's possible. There were never any reports though."

There have to have been others when Iris and I lived past ours within a month of each other.

The doors open, and August, Riley, Tobias, Eli, and Erik enter with their fathers and the rest of the former Order. I suppose it was too much to wish my entire Order to be together for the last ceremony. On the other side of the bowl, they line up on the left and right, beginning the half-circle. Next come our sisters, continuing the curves and bringing color to the dark room with their dresses. Gwen wears purple. Her usual proud demeanor is replaced with something other. Sad? Longing? Her head is tilted down at the stone. She didn't even glance at me when walking in.

I don't have to be her twin like Colton to know what's wrong. I just have to be her brother. Yesterday was the day she dreamed would be hers. I know I wished it. It's not hard to imagine Colton was thinking the same thing as I initiated Erik. Everyone in the Society knows Gwen would have made the superior Tresais.

But tradition . . .

Vienna and Iris walk in together. I haven't had the chance to speak with her since I walked her back to her room last night. I shouldn't have kissed her. But I meant the kiss though. That promise was real, but now I've complicated things. I put my happiness before the Society. If Erik finds out . . . he'll say I corrupted her, I stole her, I betrayed him.

Vienna and Iris take a spot on either end.

The Konkursi enter, Arrietty and a young man, and on either side of the Konkursi are them­—the Amoris, four in total. The small group nearly closes that curve of the half-circle, leaving only a small gap in between. The Amoris are so close to Iris. My Mark isn't burning, but I don't know if hers is.

Colton enters with one more of the Amoris, this one a man named Mor. Colton steps through the gap, Mor filling it in.

It's time to complete my Order.

Colton approaches. He's dressed in the same clothing as that of the men of both Orders: black pants and a white button-up shirt. The way he holds his head high, his shoulders back, his face confident, arrogant, he looks like the Preeminence I know he is supposed to be.

Colton stands on the other side of the fire. I meet his eyes, taking in this moment, the moment before my brother accepts his role in being a prince of the Society.

Erik's father, my Uncle Raoul, steps forward and delivers a glowing speech, praising my brother. He was my father's Beta and his brother. Erik's my only true cousin, Raoul my only true uncle, but that doesn't mean the men of my father's Order weren't uncles to me. Uncle Raoul tells Colton the responsibilities he'll be expected to undertake as Beta. Colton already knows them. "Without a doubt in my mind, you, Colton, are the best person for this role. You're going to assist the Preeminence in taking this country farther than my Order could ever have thought possible." He doesn't believe his own son would be the best man to take his position. Erik's been trained his whole life. He knows politics. He knows how to work a room. He knows how to lead.

He doesn't choose to use these skills. Using them is what matters. You can know everything in the world, but if you don't use that knowledge, you're useless.

One day tradition is going to destroy us.

My father gives the next speech as Colton's father and the former Preeminence. I wonder if my father had already written a speech before my Expiration Date for when Colton was supposed to become Preeminence. I wonder how much of this speech is from that one. He says what an honor it is to see his son grow into his fated role. I can't look at Colton when he says that, because no matter what my father says, I know it's a lie. Just as Gwen always wanted to be Tresais, Colton, while never saying it, has always wanted to be Preeminence. He's our father's prodigy. I'm not.

When my father finishes his speech, he takes a place in the half-circle. Now I need to speak. A month ago, I was never supposed to give a speech to my little brother as he became my Beta. This is a privilege even if I feel as if I'm stealing from Colton. It's a privilege I never allowed myself to hope for.

"Colton, I'm honored to be your Preeminence and even more honored to have you as my Beta. Even though I've had two more years than you to prepare for my role, I know you are more than primed for whatever challenges you'll face as Beta. As my second in command, I will ask much of you. At times you will think I've asked too much. I only will do so because I trust you, because you come to me as my Beta, not as a cousin, but as a brother.

"I wasn't even two when you were born, and while age has faded the moment, dreams replaced memories to the point I can't remember what's real, I know that when I first saw you, I was proud to be your brother. I've always known you were fated for so much more than you can even imagine." Words I started to write to him on my Expiration Date come back to me as I speak. That letter was where I could fully be honest with him for the first and only time. "Every attack we've faced, every heartbreak, every moment that we had to fight through our fear, has only made you stronger.

"You've always been my Beta, khaleedi. Today only makes it official. But know from the moment you were born, I knew I would be able to count on you for the rest of my life. You are the only person in this world I would have as my Beta. Never forget that. No matter what we face, you are my second. No one will change that."

Colton's chest rises, and he swallows. He doesn't cry, but those two small gestures say a lot.

"Show me your Mark and let me number the days you will be my Beta."

From the other side of the flames, Colton rolls up his sleeve and holds out his arm to me.

12-02-92

He'll live until ninety-seven. I've always wondered what it must feel like to know you will have that much time. What is it like for him having a brother who has always known when he will die, but he doesn't know when I will?

Our father steps forward and holds out a knife. Colton accepts it, and our father hands one to me before returning to his spot. Knowing what to do, Colton shows me his palm. In his right hand, poised over his palm, is the knife.

"Cut your hand to symbolize your loyalty to me—to symbolize you would spill your blood for me."

We drag our knives across our skin. I've done this now enough times, it's like my hand has started to become numb to the cool sting of the metal. Blood seeps out of the cut, pooling over our palms.

"Meet my hand over the fire to show your willingness to do whatever I ask."

His fingers touch mine over the flames. They don't reach us, but I can feel their warmth, their power. I can imagine what their burn would feel like. Burning is something I don't think I'll ever grow completely numb to feeling.

"Finally press your cut to mine so we are forever bound by blood."

We press our palms together, our fingers splayed out above us. He is now and forever my Beta. Not death nor our heirs will change that.

"Welcome to my Order, brother."