70 Exposed

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

Jonas~~

A gun goes off as my back hits the stones, joints cracking and pain racing along my spine. Erik presses me down. Not far from us, one of Odette's soldiers lowers their gun that was pointed my way.

I let out a rough breath. "Thanks."

"I'll be holding this over you for a while," Erik says already on his knees and aiming at the Amoris.

I pull myself up, grabbing my handgun. Colton and Iris have tucked themselves behind chairs they've lined up as a makeshift shield. A piece of fabric from Iris's dress, blue and stained with a patch of red, is wrapped around his shoulder. I grab hold of a chair of my own and drag it away from the table. With a harsh tug, I turn it around so the back of it faces me. I crouch behind it. The chair won't do much against bullets, but they should stop the tranquilizers.

The room has divided itself. On the other side of the table, the majority of the soldiers are Odette's Amoris, and on the other side are our Amoris and Elleanian soldiers. Odette, Isabeau, and the third female who I've gathered is her Beta are across the room. They can't be allowed to be carried out by their soldiers.

With both guns in my hand, I fire a bullet into an Amoris headed for Odette, following it with a tranquilizer dart. I repeat the same move three more times before I have to duck to avoid a bullet. I do my best to block out the earsplitting pops that come from guns—the cries of pain, the shouting, the screaming—but it's not enough.

I chance sparing another glance at my brother and Iris. They work in synchrony from behind the chairs, covering and defending one another.

I aim my handgun at an Amoris that's about to launch herself with three others over the table. The bullet hits somewhere near her stomach, and our soldiers take down the others in her party.

There's an acrid smell in the air from all of the guns being fired. The screaming and yelling grow louder.

Closer to the table are Gwen and Alastair looking as if they're the wrath of hell even with Gwen using only her left arm to shoot, which isn't the arm she normally uses. I don't have time to think about what that means. Firing into an Amoris's shoulder, I crouch behind the chair and reload.

Soldiers rush into the room through the entryway on our side, but these soldiers belong to Odette.

Two Amoris approach my brother and Iris. She kicks over her chair, tripping one of the Amoris, which sends him sprawling to the ground. Colton swings his chair into the second Amoris. The chair splinters along with probably a few of the Amoris's bones.

I fire both of my guns at two soldiers entering the room, expelling three of my normal bullets and two darts.

In this mess, I don't have any idea where Erik, Vienna, Tobias, or Sebastian are.

Off to my right, Iris fights hand to hand with an Amorian man while Colton picks up one of the splintered legs of the chair and drives it into the shoulder of the Amoris he had hit with the chair.

Two Amoris approach me, one man and one woman, their guns raised. Not making eye contact while fighting has always been incredibly difficult. But this is when it matters most.

Copying Colton, I throw the chair at them, hitting one in the wrist while the woman jumps back. He drops his gun, and I use the small distraction to fire at her. The bullet hits her leg. Gritting her teeth, she clutches at her thigh. The man, his wrist looking rather limp, reaches for his gun, but I kick it away. Changing tactics, he lunges for me. Ducking, I clench my fist and drive it into his stomach. With a grunt, he curls in on himself.

I grab hold of his arms and whirl him around so his back his against me.

The woman narrows her eyes but doesn't raise her gun. The man struggles, but I have too tight a hold of him. I twist both of his arms, snapping them with a sickening crunch.

He screams, and I let him fall to the floor. Before he's hit the stones, my gun is in my hand, and I fire at the woman, hitting the same leg again. She collapses under the pain.

I shoot the tranquilizer dart into her chest.

About six feet from me, Iris fights a new Amoris, Colton nowhere to be seen. The Amoris she had been fighting pulls himself up off the floor. I don't have to make eye contact with him to know his gaze is fixed on her. Blood drips from his nose. His hand reaches for his gun.

She can't see him.

I fire at him, but my gun only clicks. Empty. If I fire a tranquilizer dart, it won't kick in fast enough.

I lunge toward them, tackling him and sending us rolling over the floor and into a struggle for control. He manages to pin me down, his hands on my arms and his dark purple eyes hovering over mine.

My heart stops. The noise of the room quiets.

For almost twenty-two years, I've avoided looking into the eyes of every Amoris besides my mother. As a baby, she was the only Amoris allowed to hold me, all so we could protect the greatest secret of Preeminences—their Expiration Date. We had no idea just how important keeping that secret would prove to be.

And now all those years of work have gone to waste in an instant.

His eyes widen as my Date flits through his mind.

Sounds rush back as my heart starts to race.

Though it's empty, I reach for my gun—I can still hit him with it—but can't find it. It must have got knocked away when I tackled him. At the same time, I try to grab my knife, but he drives his knee into my leg, and I let out a grunt. As he goes for his gun, I grip his hand, twisting his wrist. His other hand claws at my face, but before he drags his nails through my skin, Iris slams into his side, knocking him off me. They wrestle, each fighting to be the one to get their bearings first.

She pins him down, slamming the butt of her gun into his head, and I shoot a tranquilizer dart in his chest. He still struggles against her, but Iris clamps a hand on his throat and punches his nose before standing, her gun pointed at him. His movements start to slow, and with my own gun missing, I take his handgun. His arm is turned in a way that allows us to see his Expiration Date. He won't be dying for years.

"You okay?" she asks me.

"Yeah." I don't want to worry her. Not here. Not now. Besides if we make it out of here, who would believe his claims? And there's the chance he won't remember, not after Iris hit him in the head with her gun.

In any case, I can't deal with it right now because if I don't make it out of this room, the Amoris knowing my Expiration Date won't matter.

We position ourselves back to back. I catch a glimpse of Tobias and Erik across the room before my view of them is blocked. I fire at two soldiers headed for us while Iris takes out one across the room.

More soldiers enter the room, and I recognize them as ours.

With her back against mine, I can feel her panting. Odette wouldn't have allowed her to train all this time, and I can't imagine whatever food she might have been served helped much to keep up her strength. But still with three shots, she hits three separate Amoris.

I reload, grateful the gun takes the same ammo I already have. "Have I ever told you how impressive I find it that you can fight in a dress?"

She laughs, though it sounds strained. "Keep the flattery coming."

I fire my tranquilizer gun, hitting an Amoris in the chest, followed by a bullet in their leg from the handgun. "Your eyes shine like a star-filled night."

She snorts. "I'm swooning." I hear her gun go off, and she leans against me more as if the kickback is getting too much.

"I could lose myself in them and never find my way back out," I tease, shooting an Amoris in the shoulder. "It's very problematic."

She presses against me more, and I feel her shoulders rising and falling as she breathes too hard. "I love you," she says, her tone serious.

"Iris?"

"I don't have all my strength." She's out of breath. "I don't think—"

"You will." I turn and grab her waist before pushing her behind me and backing us toward the wall.

Her forehead presses against my shoulder. "You don't have to do this."

"If death wants you, he can go through me first."

In the distance an Amoris raises his gun, but I'm faster. With two bullets, he falls.

"Hey." Bently runs up to us, Sebastian behind him. My Digamma's eyes shift to Iris. "Is she okay?"

She turns her head, her forehead rolling against me. "You're doing better," she mutters.

"What's wrong?" He turns to me. "Was she shot with a tranquilizer?"

"Turns out being locked in a cell saps at your strength," she answers as she lifts her head off me and shifts against my back as if she's standing up straight.

"Has she been saying she thinks she's not making it out of this?" he asks, and I nod. He rolls his eyes. "I swear your brother is a horrible influence." Facing us, he holds his arm out to the side and fires off two shots at an Amoris. "He's incredibly dramatic, if you haven't noticed." Iris grumbles, and I can imagine her giving Bently a vulgar gesture.

I reload my gun. "We're all making it out of this."

Three Amoris head for us, and my cousins and I each take one down.

Erik makes a dash for us, skidding to a stop, a grin on his face, before turning and firing at two Amoris. "No one dead yet?" he asks over his shoulder.

I cut him a glare he doesn't see.

"Since none of you are answering, I'm going to assume that you're all dead."

"If we're all going to stand around and chat," Bently says, "then care to tell me what Alastairi Moretti is doing here?"

Iris stiffens against me. "Moretti?" Alastair hadn't included his last name when he introduced himself to her.

"As lovely as it is too catch up"—I squint, firing a tranquilizer at the Amoris I shot last—"can we save this for later?"

"Save what for later?" Tobias sidles up to us, both guns raised, firing one after the other.

"Lunch," Bently says drily.

"Ooh." Erik drops down to a knee, aiming. "I could go for a burger."

As if he's actually weighing the idea, Sebastian tilts his head side to side. "Do you think we could find a place where I can get bacon on mine?"

I'm about to bash my head against the wall. "Have you seen Gwen or Colton?" I ask Tobias, my eyes scanning the room for the closest threat.

"Alastair and Gwen are stationed in front of Odette and her Order."

"Colton?"

"Here." My brother grips Vienna, leaning against her as she takes aim and pulls her trigger.

While Sebastian, Erik, and Bently drag over chairs to create shields, Vienna leans Colton against the wall beside Iris before standing guard in front of him. His makeshift bandage is soaked through with blood. Iris tears off another strip from her dress and sets to work on him.

Across the room, two of our soldiers fall to the floor, but there are more of us than them. We have a chance.

Colton lets out a groan as Iris finishes tying the fabric.

Bracing a hand against the wall, Iris reaches for her gun. "Promise me we can get pancakes and not burgers, and I'll pull myself together."

"We make it out of here, and I'll take you to eat pancakes in any country you wish."

Her gun clicks as she reloads it. "Deal." Her voice sounds haggard.

Working together with Iris, Vienna, my cousins, and our soldiers, my brother helping when his strength allows, we're able to overpower the remaining Amoris who serve Odette.

At last, they lay down their weapons and raise their Marked arms. As they take a knee, it opens a path for me to see Alastair and Gwen, both still standing, their heads turned toward each other.

I cling onto Iris, pulling her against me. I feel her heart beat against my chest as our soldiers round up Odette's Amoris. Her hands tighten in my shirt.

And I hold her. 



JulianaTheis made a Discord server for Expiration Date! It's a place to chat about the series and chat with each other. If you want to join, the link is on my message board or you can message me. I hope to see you there!

So . . .

An evil Amoris discovered Jonas's secret.

Jonas: Everything's going to be fine.

Me: Keep lying to yourself if that makes you feel better.


You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net