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The beautiful cover is by @MarieDani


Iris~~

While I eat a Belgian waffle, Jonas fills the Order and Brydan in on his plan. I find myself watching Sebastian, Tobias, and Enzo, wondering what it is about them that makes them more trustworthy—less murderously inclined—than the others. I've always liked Riley since I met him, and thought Tobias was at least a decent Society member from the few encounters I've had with him, but I wrote that off as charming, which most of the Order excels at being. Maybe the few stragglers Jay-yeon, Eli, Colton, and Bently do as well but don't feel like wasting their talents on me.

As I pour more syrup on my plate, I catch Erik watching me. I haven't forgotten when he said that I had been screwing his cousins while he claimed to be trying to find a way to get us out from underneath the Society's foot; when he told me he wished he had never saved me from being killed by the car that was destined to hit me.

How much of what he said did he mean? It certainly felt like he meant all of it when he was hurling the words at me.

I thought it was him who had shot me, but I was mistaken about that. How much else was I wrong about?

*****

While the Order waits in the limo, Jonas and I walk into the inn together. I can't say that I'm disappointed by the approaching storm. I wasn't looking forward to stepping foot in the Society anytime soon. Not with Society members—and Amoris waiting for me. Not with my uncle wanting me to infiltrate the Society. Will he try making contact, eager to use his niece after nineteen years now that he knows I might be of some benefit to him?

I just want to live out my second chance at life. To do the things I never got to do before.

I steal a glance at Jonas who keeps looking up at the storm clouds as if he expects them to open upon us at any moment. I've known for a while I can no longer destroy the Society, not while Jonas is a part of it.

I do want the Society to change. Even if something does happen to me, maybe he'll be the one to enact the change the country needs.

Thunder claps overhead just as we reach the sliding glass doors. They open and a blast of cold air from inside hits us.

The concierge behind the front desks hurriedly bows to the Preeminence, and after Jonas tells him how many rooms we'll be needing, he passes over his card.

As the concierge is turned away from us to run the card, Jonas rubs his neck. "Are you looking forward to sleeping in a normal bed again just as much as I am?"

Before I can answer, a gun clicks. It's a sound I would know anywhere.

"Preeminence."

The blood rushes from my face. That voice is also a sound I would know anywhere.

"L," I breathe. She was a fellow orphan in my home.

I turn slowly. Her thin black hair is pulled back in a ponytail. As her dark brown eyes shift from Jonas to me, the color drains from her face, her gun pointed at Jonas's back. Our training taught us too well.

"You're a ghost."

"L." My heart pounds, and I raise my hands. Jonas doesn't move at all, his back tense and neck ramrod straight. I know that Jonas has two guns on him. I can't let her see them. "I assure you, I'm very much alive." I have to keep her eyes on me.

The concierge has ducked behind the desk.

She drives the nozzle of the gun into Jonas's back, and my heart seizes. If he weren't Expired and she pulled the trigger, the gun wouldn't go off, or the wound wouldn't be fatal. But he is Expired, and the bullet has fate's approval to kill him. "How is she here?" she asks him before her eyes flick to me. "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing," I say at the same time Jonas says, "I did nothing." His voice is just as smooth as usual.

Keeping my hands raised, I try to step between L and Jonas. L, though, keeps the gun on his back.

"He's my prisoner," I say. "I don't want him wounded. It would make my job harder."

Her hand wavers. "You captured the Preeminence?"

"Do you think we're just waltzing around the desert together because we want to?"

"He's not tied up."

"Do you have so little faith in me that you'd think I need to restrain my prisoners?"

She tilts her head, eyes on me, and there's something cold behind her eyes. I've seen it a few times. "Isn't that the fun part?"

I place a hand on one of Jonas's arms. There's no burning sensation this time. Instead, his skin is ice cold.

"I know your Expiration Date, Iris. I mourned you. We all mourned you."

Her words barrel into me and fill me not with pain or sadness but anger. We. Not just her, but the others I grew up with as well. They didn't decide to care until they thought I was dead. Even if it hurts, this shouldn't come as a great shock. My death was all they ever cared about, not my life.

"My Expiration Date was somehow wrong. That's why I need him—to tell me why and why I haven't heard of it happening before."

If she's been in contact with Y, we're done for. He and Eun-seob saw me flee with Erik and Vienna. Saw me take the Society's side over theirs as I shot out the tires in their car.

L lowers her gun but doesn't put it away. "It's not every day a friend comes back from the dead with the Preeminence at her side. Forgive me if I'm wary."

"Just friends, L? I thought we were family."

A hint of a smile appears on her face for the tiniest of moments.

We love you. That's why we have to do this. Her words from the night our orphanage was burned to the ground. The words she said as I pleaded with them not to leave me behind. They didn't want to watch me die. They said it was because they loved me too much that they couldn't. I don't think I'll ever forgive her for turning her back on me that day, not when she had the power to sway enough minds that they would have taken me with them instead of leaving me on my own for what should have been the last couple of years of my life.

"You've always been a sister to me," she says. "You know that."

Then why did you leave me? I have to bite my tongue to keep me from throwing those words in her face. Why did you leave me alone for my last years?

"Why are you here?" I ask, taking the opportunity of her gun being lowered to fully step in front of Jonas.

"My team and I didn't want to drive in the storm." Team. There are more rebels.

"Anyone I know?"

"No, but now that we're back together, I'll put you into contact with the others."

I force a smile.

"I was just eating dinner in the dining room." She tilts her head to two open doors. "I never thought I'd be inviting the Preeminence to my table, but here we are."

Jonas and I walk side by side, my hand still gripping his arm. L's right behind us, and I know she's paying close attention to every bit of body language.

The dining room is empty save for two people. It's to their table L directs us.

Their eyes widen when they land on Jonas, and they stand, almost knocking over their chairs.

"This is Afreen," she nods to the rebel on the left. His brown hair is cut close to his head and his dark eyes narrow as he stares Jonas down. "He recruited me a few months back. And that's Anya." L motions to the second rebel. "They're quite skilled with a knife. They even got me once." L gives me a conspiratorial look as if I'm included in some inside joke. L's knife skills were always good. Y's were better though. And Jay-yeon's were unfortunately the best. "They're dating," she eyes Jonas. "So if you think you can flirt your way out or"—she throws him a disgusted look–"seduce them, think again."

"As if I'd ever waste my attentions on a rebel."



Competition Update~~

I don't know how I'm ever going to choose. They're all so amazing! They're all making me smile.

If you want to enter, I'll post the rules again.

Create a description of Expiration Date in your words. It can be how it made you feel, or a description of the story. When it's done, comment it here.

By posting your description you agree to let me share it. I'll give you credit for it.

In a little over a week I'll choose the winner, and it will be posted in an update. The chapter will be dedicated to you.

I'm also considering creating a separate book to put more of the descriptions in as well as the short stories for Expiration Date.

To increase your chances of winning, grammar is a plus and foul language is a negative.


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