Iris~~

The Preeminence sits on the edge of the stone fountain. Half of him is exposed by the amber glow of the lampposts while the other half is cast in shadow. His elbows dig into his thighs, while he presses his face into his hands.

"Jonas?"

He drops his hands, letting them fall to his lap and looks up. He stares at me as if he's not sure who I am.

I take a few steps farther into the courtyard.

He blinks. "Iris." He runs his hands though his hair, from the back to the front, disheveling it. "What are you doing here?"

Reminded of Erik's words, I take a step back before I can realize there's no venom in his words. He's genuinely confused as to why I'm here.

"I needed to clear my thoughts."

"This is a good place for that." He stands and walks toward me. "You've already met with Alix?"

I examine the tip of my burgundy high heel as it presses into the cobblestone paving the courtyard. "Not yet. The timing didn't work out."

He stops a few feet away. "You've won Abella over."

I smile—sincerely. "She's lovely."

"Do you think you'll be happy there?"

"I—" The stars paint the sky in streams of silver as if someone once overturned a bucket of stars and never wiped them up. How different is the night sky in France? Is there too much light pollution where I'll end up that I'll never see the sky like this again? "Eventually I'll be. It will be an adjustment, but I've been on my own before and gotten by."

He takes a quick step forward as if pulled. "You shouldn't have to be alone."

I shrug and feel the chill in the air. I rub my arms.

"I do occasionally visit France." Pulling off his jacket, he drapes it over my shoulders. I place a hand on it to take it off. "No, Jonas, you don't have to—"

He covers my hand with his own. "Let me offer you this before you're gone."

A lump forms in my throat. "It makes it easier knowing it isn't goodbye."

"You know the possibility of your secret getting out to the rest of the country has nothing to do with why I've arranged this?"

"I know." I place my hand on his sleeve where underneath his Mark hides. "Once upon a time there was a girl who wanted to destroy the Society."

He places his other hand over the back of my hand and threads his fingers though mine. "Is this the story where she meets the handsome boy?"

"There are a lot of handsome boys in this story. I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific."

His eyes narrow even has his lips quirk up to the side.

"This girl met their king—"

"Not Preeminence?"

I slide my hand out from underneath his where it rested on his jacket and my shoulder and place a finger to his lips. "Would you let me finish?"

With a sheepish grin, he holds up his hands. "Sorry."

"She fully expected this king to be . . . well a creep."

It doesn't seem like he can stop the grin that spreads across his face or the laugh that comes out of him. "Creep?"

"What do you think I expected to find? A ruler of a mysterious government who happened to be friends with all the forest animals?"

"I take offense to that. I happen to be king of the forest animals."

My own lips curve into a smile. "Really?"

"Really but don't let me keep interrupting."

"The whole point of this is to say that she found the king good. That if he let himself, he could make Elleany into something wonderful."

His face softens. "I want to." He raises his hand hesitantly to my face. He doesn't touch press it against my cheek, instead holding it over my skin close enough that I can feel the warmth seeping from his hand. "Alevia qui quotes moleve qui soleil."

I recognize it as Amorian but only understand a few words. Two I's and you. "What does it mean?"

A sigh seems to roll through his body, and he moves his hand from near my face to rest on my shoulder. "If I told you, I don't know if I could bring myself to let you go."

"I guess there isn't much time left for our lessons for me to get to that chapter."

"You used to want to destroy the Society. What do you want now?"

"I wish I could help you change it into the vision I see when I look at you." I run my hand over my Mark. "I won't use this to hurt you. No matter where I am, it will remain my secret."

"There will be no one stopping you."

"Make the Society, Elleany better, and I won't have to."

"Why, Miss Levine"—he leans down, bringing his face near mine—"You wouldn't happen to be blackmailing me, would you?" My eyes flick to his mouth as he speaks, and I'm struck by the desire to press my lips to his. "Me? Blackmail the Preeminence?"

"I'm wondering why the idea suddenly sounds appealing now that I hear you say it." He leans closer, and my lips part. It's a bad idea. I know it is. I'm leaving, but I want this. Desperately.

Jonas, though, doesn't feel the same. The thought is a thorn twisting into my gut as I watch him straighten his back, pulling away from me. "I know there's no chance for us. I suppose I've always known it'd have to be that way. But in another time, another universe, I think I could have happily spent my life with you."

A hand clenches around my heart at the images his words bring forth. "It feels as if I've known you far longer than I have."

He places his hand on my Mark, gliding his palm up my arm until it disappears underneath his jacket. I take a step closer, relishing in the warmth of his hand.

"You'll be surprised to learn my brother isn't happy you'll be leaving. He thinks you're the only thing keeping Erik here."

"I don't want Erik to think of me as his captor." And I don't want to be a pawn in his revenge plot. "Sending me away doesn't have anything to do with keeping Erik from using my Mark?"

"No," he says it gently, his other hand coming up to rest on my check, his fingers threading through my hair. Goosebumps run down my back at the feeling of his fingers lightly tugging at my hair. "Not in the way you think. I don't want to see you hurt. I love my cousin, but he blames the Society just as much as himself for Molly's death. He won't let himself rest until he's avenged her and what that means only he can decide. I don't want you caught up in it."

I place my hand over his that covers my cheek. "Will I ever be able to see Elleany again?"

"I think once you've drifted into the back of the Society's mind, it will be safe to."

"I'm going to miss you."

His other hand comes up to the side of my neck, knocking his jacket to the ground. "I'm going to regret letting you go." Then don't, I want to say. Instead, I place my hand on his chest, tightening my fingers into his shirt as he brings his lips to mine. My hand at my face falls to my side as he draws me closer.

Let me stay in this moment, I pray.

Give me the chance—the time to fall in love with him.

Because I know I could.

He pulls away enough to murmur my name with such need that I break and tangle my hands in his hair as his hands glide over my shoulders and down my back. Wrapping his arms around me, he draws me against him, his mouth still moving against mine as if he's had a thirst he's long sought to quench.

It's as if every nerve in me stands on alert, as if every particle I am made of is tuned to him. What would it be like to fall in love with the Preeminence?

His fingertips press into my lower back, and I push up against him, wondering how I can feel so entirely alive right now when my Mark says I should be feeling otherwise.

Pressing his lips against the corner of my mouth, he brings his forehead to rest on mine. "I'm so close to asking you to stay." There's a tug at my heart.

"I'm close to asking you to let me stay. But I think"—I place my hands on the side of his head, brushing my thumbs against his cheeks—"I have to go. We both know that."

Drawing back, he nods, regret and sorrow clouding his eyes.

"Set ul freyanay a Earth fa ul kreealis pera, abree soleil ana."

"Jonas?"

He entwines our hands. "It's an Amorian farewell for when you don't know when you'll meet again." He squeezes my hands. "To the ends of the Earth and the stars beyond, go well."

End of Part 2: Corona Borealis

https://youtu.be/TrLsVpxCAo8

There's a new fanfiction called Spoiled for this book! Check it out on Toothbrushing 's page!