Iris~~

Colton slips his phone into his pocket. "Now as that's taken care of, I'm going."

"Where?" I wrap my arms around myself. There isn't much heat in the safe room. I went to bed wearing a nightgown that might as well as have been a slip. Even in sleep, the Society feels you have to look good. To them, baggy shorts and an oversized t-shirt as nightwear would be a calamity. When the alarm went off, I barely had time to tug the thin dressing robe on. The silk fabric is solid at least and my Mark is still wrapped in the bandage despite the Society being told it was misprinted. I never know who is going to break into my bedroom at this point. I'd prefer to keep it covered up.

"I'm not going to let the Veil have all the fun." He heads toward the door, making his way past his extended family.

I follow him. "You think fighting rebels is fun?"

"It's what I've been trained to do my whole life."

"But won't it make it more difficult for your Veil to fight them if they're worried about you?"

He taps his arm where his Mark is hidden underneath the sleeve of a long-sleeved t-shirt. I'd say at last a casual piece of nightwear, but I'm sure it cost at least a pretty penny if one of the tailors on staff didn't make it for him. If it isn't from a luxury brand, the fabric is probably still sickeningly expensive.

And now he's going to go fight rebels in it.

"That's why we have these things called Expiration Dates, Iris."

"Really? I hadn't heard of them."

He rolls his eyes, heading over to a Veil, probably to let him know he's leaving and that there's nothing he can do about it. I keep my eyes fixed on the door as Colton leaves. There's an antechamber on the other side, like in an aviary. There you don't want to let the birds out. Here you don't want to let the rebels in.

I don't have my phone. I lost it in some hallway when I encountered a rebel on my way here. I'm certain though Jonas should have been here by now.

Maybe he ended up in another room. I ask one of the Veil, but she tells me the Preeminence hasn't checked into a safe room.

"He said he'd be here by now."

"Where was he coming from?"

"His room."

A round of gunfire from somewhere nearby makes us both jump.

"I'll send a team to check."

More gunfire.

Who knows when the team would be able to get to him. "Where's the staircase?"

She dips her head to the gun in my hand. "Do you need more ammunition first?"

I nod, and she shows me to a small box and pulls out the correct clip for my gun. When I rushed out of my room, I had to choose between my gun buried in my dresser or the knife under my pillow.

I sacrificed time for the gun.

The Veil presses her hand against a stone on the wall, which causes a portion of the wall to slide back, revealing a hallway. "Head left. Take the fourth door. I'll get a team to head there after you."

"Thank you." I hurry down the hallway, trying not to think about what it means that Jonas is Expired and hasn't checked into a room.

I push open the fourth door and run up the steps on the other side, my bare feet scraping on the stone. Choosing my gun meant I didn't have time to go to my closet and grab a pair of shoes.

The alarm only went off once rebels were spotted. They could have been in the Estate long before that.

Please, let him be okay, I pray.

I reach the top of the stairs coming to a wooden wall. I run my hand over it, finally finding the button. The door slides open revealing Jonas's shirts and jackets on hangers, some hanging askew and others fallen to the floor. His wardrobe doors are cracked, but not enough to see out.

Maybe he's already gone down below but to a different room in the time it took me to get up here.

My gun at the ready, I push open the door.

My breath catches.

"Erik."

The former Tresais leans over Jonas where he lies on the floor outside the wardrobe.

My stomach lurches into my throat. If he's not unconscious but dead . . . I raise my gun. Erik looks up, his hands under Jonas as if he was in the process of lifting him.

"Step away from him."

He slowly removes his hands from Jonas and raises them, standing as he does so.

"What did you do to him?"

"He wouldn't cooperate."

Where are those Veil? "I don't know who it is you need to hear this from, Erik, but I'm sorry. This though"— I tilt my head toward Jonas—"is not the way."

"Considering you're letting him put you on a plane and send you to France, none of this involves you."

"It was my decision."

"That's what you think. He's sending you away so you can't use your Mark to hurt the Society."

"Right so send me to France where he'll have no control over if I reveal it."

Erik takes a step toward me.

I grip my gun, finger going to the trigger. "Stop."

He takes another step. "You're not going to shoot me."

I fire a warning shot, past his side near his ribs and into the wall behind him.

"I don't think you want us both to start firing bullets because only one of us can die here, and it's not me."

"So, you'll kill me?"

"Not on purpose. Though if I did, your aunt and uncle and L would not be happy with me."

My arm trembles, my aim wavering. "You're not . . ." They can't all be working together. Unless the rebel groups are finally coming together.

Erik ducks low to the ground, sweeping his leg out and catching the back of my calf. I stumble, and he uses the opportunity to tackle me, sending my gun clattering to the floor. My back hits the ground right after it, and Erik presses his weight into my stomach and leans forward, snatching my breath from me.

"This wasn't how I imagined me on top of you."

I grit my teeth. My dress has risen up to my hips. As he tries pinning my arms, I raise my hand and drag my nails down his face. They catch on his still forming scar. He swears, and whatever pain it brings him is enough to get him to lift some of his weight. Enough for me to drive my knee between his legs.

He grunts, and I push him off me, pulling myself to my feet, my dress and robe falling back into place. If these were different circumstances, I'd be blushing furiously, I think as I search for my gun. I spot it near Jonas's dresser. Erik is to the side, slowly getting to his feet.

"Let me take him, Iris."

I analyze the space, trying to find a way to get to the gun. Right now, I'm what's between Erik and Jonas. If I move, I leave Jonas even more vulnerable.

"I grew up with rebels; I know how they get information out of their prisoners." I won't let Jonas go through that.

And where the hell are those Veil?

Erik reaches for the gun tucked in the holster at his hip.

There's no getting to my gun, but Jonas might have one on him. I step in front of him. If I turn around to check for one, it's game over. I can't even spare the time to make sure he's breathing. What if I'm standing in front of Jonas's corpse?

Erik raises his gun, aiming it at me. "Step aside, Iris."

There are two new fanfictions of Expiration Date. One is called Termination Date by BillieHustwitt. It's an alternate sequel to Expiration Date. The other one is called Not Enough Time by UndeadHaloAnime2138 . It takes place during the previous Order's reign. Go check them out!

If any of you are interested in writing a fanfic of Expiration Date, please message me! All of the authors who have written fanfics for Expiration Date have blown me away.