Colton~~

I've taken down three rebels so far, and I feel fantastic.

I'm near the ballroom, but I don't have a destination in mind. I go where I hear gunshots, but in an estate of this size, it's not easy to determine where they're coming for.

So maybe I am wandering a bit aimlessly, but I've managed to incapacitate rebels, so it's working out.

I've passed probably a dozen Veil who were bleeding on the floor, their partners already tending to them. They really do need me out here.

From what I've been able to gather, the rebels landed helicopters on the roof. At the next Senate meeting, I'm bringing up making the roof less helicopter friendly.

Ahead where the hallway ends and branches off to the left and right, a shadow passes over the floor. I move toward the wall, raising my gun right before a girl pokes her head around the corner. She's young, but if she was a part of the Society, she'd be down in the safe rooms by now.

Her eyes widen as they land on me, and her head disappears behind the corner.

Then again, a rebel is a rebel, and maybe she looks young for her age.

I round the corner, and she squeaks, throwing up her hands.

I raise my gun slowly, not used to rebels squeaking. She has a gun at her hip but doesn't reach for it.

"You're . . . you're Colton Blackwood?"

I love rebels quivering in fear but why do I think I hear awe in her voice?

"When it comes to strangers, I prefer Beta."

"Right. Of course." She keeps her hands up. "Sorry."

I don't really know what to do here. I'm used to shooting first and asking questions later, but rebels never apologize to me. I don't know what the proper protocol is among enemies in this situation.

"Do you know Iris Levine?" she asks.

At this point, is there anyone who doesn't? I swear every damn rebel knows her. "Unfortunately."

She looks relieved. "I'm her cousin."

I blink. I wasn't expecting that. "Did you want to see her or something?" It's not like we're in the middle of fighting each other or anything.

"Can I?"

"No." I feel like I'm looking at her as if she's grown two more heads.

"Oh." She takes a step back. "I shouldn't have come here. I just thought this might be my only chance to see the Estate."

If they stopped trying to blow it up, then maybe she'd have another chance to see it.

"Do you know Vienna Rosen?"

She nods. "Kind of."

My breath catches, and I'll beat myself up for that later. "Is she here?"

"No, she didn't want to come."

"Is Erik here?"

Her eyes drop from my face to my gun. "I'm worried he's going to hurt Iris. I don't

know her well, but she's family and—"

"Do you know where he is?"

She's been a very forthcoming rebel so far. I figure I might as well try.

"They're looking for your brother."

"Why are you answering all my questions?" Though I am holding a gun on her. That's usually a convincing tool.

Iris's cousin looks at her own Expiration Date. I can just glimpse the black numbers. "I'm worried about her."

When I left the safe room, Jonas said he was headed down there. If Erik wants him, he'd know there are only a few places he'd be.

Keeping my gun trained on her, I pull out my phone to see if Jonas has checked in.

He hasn't.

"Turn around," I tell her.

"Okay." Biting her lip she turns, her arms still in the air.

I back up until I round the corner I came from and take off, running for Jonas's room. Before I make it there, I encounter and deal with two rebels. It's not like I have time to humor them with the illusion of a fight.

Never one for subtlety, I kick the door open, my gun raised.

Erik whirls, his gun pointed at me.

But mine's pointed at him so we're even. Near Jonas's wardrobe Iris stands in front of

my brother who's crumpled on the floor unconscious.

"Give it up, Erik."

"You're going to stop me when you hate her and tried overthrowing him?"

"It's a matter of my principles. I stop rebels and you seem intent on being a rebel."

Iris sinks down beside Jonas. Erik doesn't seem to notice, his attention fixed on me. He reaches for the gun in one of his two holsters. "It appears we're at an impasse," he says. Iris leans over my brother.

"I'll happily accept your surrender."

"Will you now?" Erik asks dryly. "That sounds a bit too much like Andrew's storyline for me."

"Drop the gun, Erik." Iris has what must be my brother's gun grasped in her hands. She stands in front of him, putting herself in the line of Erik's fire. I can't tell if she's going for a pathetic or a sexy look with the gun and flimsy nightgown getup. My brother and Erik would probably vote the latter.

But even if that is the case, it doesn't appear to be working on him now. My cousin grits his teeth, trapped between me and her. He can't continue with raising his second gun without risking her firing at him.

"Erik," she warns.

He tilts his wrist enough to aim the gun at her even if his arm is still down at his hip. "I'd say we're stuck."

Iris shifts even more in front of Jonas. "What do you propose?"

"It's not too late to turn in your application to return to the rebels."

"Let me know when they issue an apology for abandoning me after your family burnt down my home."

"And then you'll come to my side?"

"No, it would just be nice to read."

I adjust my grip on the gun. "If you two are done, I have an actual proposition. I'm not letting you take the Preeminence for whatever nefarious rebel schemes you have planned. I'll move toward Iris—"

Erik laughs. "Only your worst nightmare." He's not wrong.

"And then you'll move toward the door."

Erik's silent.

"Well?"

His sigh comes out more like a huff. "Fine."

When I step toward Iris, he takes a step toward the door. It's one step at a time, a dance of mirroring each other. As I reach Iris's side, Erik steps into the door's threshold.

"Someone you care about," Iris says to him, "is going to end up hurt before you get what you want."

"It's good then there are so few people I give a damn about."

I hold his gaze until he slips out the door.

I shut it while Iris drops down to my brother's side. I can't lock the door since I broke it when I kicked the door open.

"Jonas. Jonas, can you hear me?" She shakes him. "Please wake up." She presses her fingers to his wrist.

"How's his heartbeat?"

"He needs a doctor. They were supposed to be sending Veil here."

"I'm sure they're on their way." I press my back against the door becoming an oversized door stop. I was meant for more than this. "They're probably being held off by rebels if the plan was for Erik to come here. I encountered two just getting here." Should I tell her I almost shot her cousin? I pull out my phone to call a Veil, watching her while I do. She still has the gun; it's best not to set her off. The moment the Veil picks up, I tell them to get a medical team here. Just because my brother can't die, doesn't mean he can't be damaged.

"Jonas—" Her words get caught in a sob.

"Hey." I bend down beside them. "He's going to be okay." I don't know which path I took to put me in a position where I'd be forced to comfort Iris, but whatever I did that led me here, I will gladly repent for it.

"How do you know? We don't know what Erik did to him."

Right then, Jonas squints. His eyes remain shut though.

She places her hands on the sides of his face. "It's safe now." Not really. The rebels are still outside the room rebelling with guns instead of pitch forks. "Wake up, please."

My brother groans.

She brushes her thumb over his cheek. "Hey."

He finally cracks open his eyes. "Iris?"

"Where are you hurt?"

He grimaces. "My head."

Someone pounds on the door. "Beta?"

I breathe out a sigh. It's about time they got here. Maybe we need to rethink the training we put them through.

*****

When the attack is over, the Veil only managed to take three rebels prisoner.

They tried to carry Jonas to the small part of the Estate designated for medical purposes, but Jonas insisted he would walk. I and Eli ended up having to drag him since walking was not something his body wanted to do, even if it was what his mind wanted.

Once the doctors examined him, they determined he has a concussion. They're keeping him in the infirmary to watch for swelling. Even still, Jonas won't tell us what it is that Erik did to him.

Until my parents make it to Amoria, I won't be able to contact them to let them know what's happened.

There are Veil also being kept in the infirmary as well as Arrietty. August found her in a hallway unconscious, her arm bleeding. My cousin has barely left her side even though she hasn't woken up yet, which really can't be all that exciting for him.

Erik will lose it once he learns what happened to her and realizes he's caused the Expiration Date of one girlfriend and is responsible for sending another to the infirmary after she was shot in an attack he seems to have led.

He'll never find someone to love him, not with the promise that he'll destroy them when they try.