Colton~~

Vienna stares at me, her entire body stagnant. Do I say something? Do I wait for her?

Damn it all. I came all the way here to—

She whirls around and slams the doors behind her.

Oh no, she doesn't. I dart for the doors and throw them open, not bothering to excuse myself before the king of France.

Ahead, Vienna rounds a corner, and I take off after her, skidding on the polish floors. I'm gaining on her.

"Vienna!"

Dress fanning around her, she chances a look over her shoulder. For a moment, our eyes lock. I can't read them from here.

She rounds the corner ahead, and when I reach it, I'm just in time to catch her disappearing through a door.

I don't slow down until I'm upon it, and I hurry to open it.

Water flows down all four sides of the room, the walls underneath the water a pinkish stone besides for the wall before me, made of what appears to be glass, though I can't see through it. From the left and right walls, it falls into tiny pools. On the wall the door is set in, the water disappears into two slits in the floor. Vienna isn't in here, and I'm standing at the only door.

The water falling before me cascades into two waiting pools that connect with the pools on the sides of the room. Between the pools a walkway leads to the glass.

"Vienna?" I call out, partly wondering if she'll magically appear. I step onto the walkway, nerves alert and body tense.

Through the glass, a blurry figure of white and blue appears. I reach out, my palm connecting with the glass.

"Vienna, is that you?"

The figure comes closer until I can make out Vienna's face.

"Why are you here?" she asks, her voice muffled by the fall of water.

"I've given up."

"What do you mean."

"I want you. And I'll do anything to have you."

"That's not possible, Colton. You know. I'm a traitor to the Society. How can I go back?"

"I'll figure out a way," I say even as I know my brother is on his way to Amoria to use my marriage to an Amoris as a bargaining chip.

"I'm in exile."

"Upon my request. I asked for you to be exported."

"Exactly. You made your decision."

"You didn't even want to help the rebels."

"I still helped them though."

"And protected my brother." I swallow, sliding my hand down the water, the mist falling in droplets on my face, and the crashing of the water, filling my ears like a second heartbeat.

She shakes her head. "I think we're just star crossed. You shouldn't have come."

"But I did. Please, Vienna." I lean my head against the glass, water pouring over the top of my hair. "My life is slipping through my hand. I'm losing control of it."

"What do you mean? Your Expiration Date—"

"As Preeminence, Jonas has to marry an Amoris. But he's headed for Amoria to ask that I be the one to marry an Amoris instead."

She reels back. "What?"

"They won't grant his request. They know she's Expired. My brother and Iris the star-crossed lovers. I'm not Preeminence. Why should I suffer a Preeminence's fate?"

"What about Gwen? Couldn't she marry an Amoris?"

"Amoria hardly allowed her to be Tresais."

"Colton, you don't have a plan here. And I'm sure because I'm a traitor, you'd never be able to marry me without Jonas's permission."

"I will come up with something. I promise you. I'm not losing you again."

Vienna takes a step forward, the glass gone, slid away—I don't know. I don't care. The water falls over her, turning the light blue of her dress dark. Gold crawls down her sleeves that reveal her arms underneath.

"I'm too scared of losing you again."

I hold my hand out and step closer, my fingers grazing her arm below her sleeve, a part of me not so sure she won't vanish. Her skin is cold and soft and wet beneath my fingertips. She places her hand on my arm, sliding it up to cup my neck, and goosebumps spread over me. Her fingernails etch at my skin reminding me of the carving she's done on my heart. This is the bewitchingly exquisite pantomime of us.

She tilts her head. "You're actually here."

I slide my hand up her arm until I'm cupping her face, her hand mimicking mine. Her eyes resonate the unsureness in mine. The water continues to pour over her, soaking her hair and now my hand as well.

I close the distance between us and stare down at her as she stares up at me. "You're real," I whisper.

She smiles, and I bring my lips to hers, water rushing over us. She wraps her arms around me, melding against me, the past, present, and future finally coming together. I scoop her up in my arms, breaking the kiss long enough to step down in the shallow pool next to us. Trailing kisses down her chin, I press her against the glass where the water continues to flow down, diverging around her.

"Colton, what are we—"

I capture her lips, and her hands roam up my torso and grip my shirt. She's here. Back in my arms. I kiss down her neck, slick with water.

"Colton, really—"

"What?" I continue kissing downward.

"What happens when we walk out those doors?"

I rest my forehead against the base of her neck, breathing in the scent of lavender. "We probably shouldn't let Bently and Iris know we're not at each other's throats."

"But aren't we?"

I let out a breathy laugh against her neck. "You know what I mean." I straighten, taking her hands in mine. "Why are you in the palace?"

Alix and Abella insisted on it, and Abella and I have become fond of each other. They've done a lot for me."

"Where's Erik?"

"He's sworn me to secrecy." How convenient.

"And Andrew?"

"I haven't seen him."

I grip her hips. "And by haven't seen him, that doesn't happen to just be referring to today?"

"Again sworn to secrecy."

"Maybe I wished to pay my cousins a friendly visit."

"Mmhmm. So once we walk out those doors, I have to shun you?"

"I wouldn't go so far as to say shun."

She places a kiss just under my jaw. "This could be fun."

I groan. "I'll visit you tonight."

"Where?"

"Your room."

Her eyes narrow. "Where have your morals gone?"

"Oh, I don't think I ever had those." I grin at her. "But I'll only stay for a few moments."

"They're probably wondering what happened to us."

"Oh I'm sure, but you've forgotten something, darling."

"And what might that be?"

"We're soaking wet. I'm not sure how to explain that away."

"We'll say I flew into a rage and tried attacking you when you came after me."

"Will that work?"

"Never doubt the tales of a woman scorned."

We return to the throne room only to find it empty. A guard directs us to a sitting room. When he opens the door and Abella and Bently see our soaked clothes and hair, they stand up from their seats on opposite sides of the room. Iris and Alix are not here.

Abella strides over. "What happened to you two?"

Vienna weaves her tale about how she attacked me, and while Bently seems skeptical, Abella seems to believe it. It makes me wonder what secrets Vienna disclosed to Abella that made the princess so fond of her.

"Bently," I say. "Come with me for a moment."

He looks all too happy to obey, and once the door is closed behind us, I turn to him. "Where the hell is Iris?"

"Alix asked her to accompany him for a walk, and it wasn't like she could say no." His lip curls in disgust. "I had to entertain Abella."

"I'm sure entertaining a lovely princess is horrible, while your cousin's fiancée could be getting ravished by the king of France."

"It was horrible. And what would it matter to you if Alix did do anything to her?"

What would it matter to me? If anything were to happen to stop Iris's and my brother's engagement that would help me, but . . . but as much as I hate to admit it, she is like a sister to me, and I wouldn't want Gwen alone with Alix.

"I'm sure Iris could handle it if he tried anything," Bently says. "She fought us in the maze, didn't she?"

"You do remember that we grabbed and drugged her, don't you?"

"I'm sure the king of France doesn't walk around with poison in his pocket."

"Still"—I push him back toward the door—"we need to find her, and Abella is our best bet at doing that."

"I'm not groveling."

"I don't expect you to."