Iris~~

Whoever has learned to pack formal wear into a suitcase is my hero. Because really this is probably impossible if I want to avoid wrinkles.

The prince and princess are returning today, and it's been hinted that I should be prepared to leave early because with Erik joining the rebels and the attack a few days ago, it's not a good idea for the French royalty to remain here.

I drape the floor length gown over the opening of my suitcase and step back. Really it needs a garment bag, but that doesn't seem practical with how many dresses I'm expected to bring. Abella wants me to be a part of palace life: attending balls, functions, dinners, parties, and more.

My meager grasp of French is not ready for that.

I check the clock on my dresser. Breakfast starts in only ten minutes.

Leaving my suitcase in its current state, I head downstairs and to the dining room. When I reach my usual seat, most of the Order is present; though, Jonas is one of the few who is not here.

It's been . . . different between the two of us since his confession. A sort of sadness stretches between us during our language lessons and at meals there's tension in the silence. If my hand accidently touches any part of him, I feel as if I've done something not allowed to me.

He's not mine. He's going to be someone else's.

August arrives shortly after me, taking the seat on my right. Without Erik, he's scooted up one in table seating.

The attendants arrive asking if we would like anything to drink other than the water and juice in carafes already present on the table.

Across from me, Colton asks for a latte and Gwen a mocha. August and I stick with water.

Bently arrives next, which leaves only leaves Jonas and Percy's sister not present, but she's supposed to be with the twins this morning.

"You look like hell," Eli says to the Digamma who pulls out the seat beside Seong-ho. Bently's eyes are dull and slightly bloodshot.

"My mother," is all he will say.

The Order seems to know what that means and returns to eating.

When breakfast is already halfway through and Jonas still hasn't arrived, I finally say something, "Have any of you seen Jonas this morning?"

Gwen shakes her head, cutting into her waffle topped in strawberries and banana.

"He's probably working," August says. "He is the Preeminence."

I want to respond with a And you're the Delta. Shouldn't you be working as well? "Has anyone at least heard from him?"

"Maybe dinner last night made him sick." Colton takes a sip from his latte, the cup white and trimmed with gold. "But just because he's not spending every waking moment with you before you leave, doesn't mean you should be worried about him."

Riley offers me a smile. "Not everyone comes to breakfast each morning."

I'm sure that it only feels like there's a stone in my stomach because I'll be leaving soon. I'm nervous. And if I'm honest, a little bit scared.

The world has been closed off to me my whole life, and now that the doors to it are opening, I don't know what to expect.

*****

After I finish breakfast and gather my language books from my room, I head to Jonas's office.

We spoke yesterday about starting our lessons earlier for today as Sebastian, Alix, and Abella will be arriving when we would normally have them.

I knock on the door but get no response. "Jonas?"

Silence.

When after fifteen minutes he hasn't arrived, I send him a text.

Seven more minutes pass before I decide to call him. If he were anyone else, I'd be able to say confidently he's not dead in a ditch somewhere.

The phone rings and eventually goes to voicemail.

If he's busy then I need to get back to packing. I'll stop by his room first and, if he is in there, make sure he's feeling okay.

There's no response when I knock on his door.

"Is the Preeminence inside?" An attendant asks, coming up to me, fresh sheets folded in her hands.

"Uh . . . no. I don't think so."

She knocks on the door anyway. "Preeminence?"

When there's no answer, she pulls out a ring of keys and inserts one into the lock. Lines appear across her forehead as her brows furrow.

"What is it?"

"It's already unlocked." She places her hand on the handle and opens the door.

Inside, the bedroom is empty, the lights in here and in the bathroom off. The top covers on his bed are pulled back.

A rock takes shape in the pit of my stomach.

The attendant sets about changing the sheets, and I step out into the hall, shifting my books into one arm while I pull out my phone to call Gwen.

"Hello?" she doesn't sound thrilled to be taking my call.

"Have you still not heard from Jonas?"

"You're on this again?"

"He didn't show up for our meeting," I say, "and he's not in his room. I can't get in touch with him either."

"There's no use in worrying yet. I'm sure he's only distracted with work. He'll be there to greet Alix and Abella." Gwen ends the call, and I return to my room, dropping my books on the bed beside my suitcase.

She's right. He won't miss welcoming them.

*****

A few minutes before Sebastian and the prince and princess of France arrive, the Order and I are gathered behind the front doors. I'm only present to make sure Jonas shows up.

He hasn't yet, and the Order has been trying to reach him either through calling or texting. I can't recall seeing his phone when I was in his room, but I wasn't looking for it then.

When it becomes apparent, Jonas won't be arriving in time, Colton claps his hands together. "We'll have to find him after. If they ask where he is, say he's stuck in a meeting."

The Order heads outside, and I'm left alone with my swirling thoughts. Jonas wouldn't miss something like this.

He was at dinner last night, and besides for the strain between us, he didn't act as if anything was wrong. And before I went to bed, he asked me to join him, Riley, and Enzo for a drink in a lounge. He didn't look sick.

Maybe Brydan's heard something. As far as I know, he and Jonas haven't spoken much. I don't really have a problem with him. It's kind of impossible for me to when I'm babysitting Seong-ho's babies.

I would reach out to Brydan now. Ask if he's heard from Jonas—maybe they're having a heart to heart—but I don't have his number.

The front doors open, and Gwen and Colton lead the prince and princess inside, the rest of the Order, now including Sebastian, following behind them.

Princess Abella smiles at me, her eyes lighting up. "Iris. How are you?"

I manage to execute a curtsy even though my nerves about Jonas's are making me spiral on the inside. "I'm excited," I say.

"We're eager to have you see our country," the prince says. "It's not often we get to hear Elleanian's opinions on it." He glances around the group. "I hope your Preeminence is not in too tiring of a meeting."

Gwen shows them to their rooms, and Colton pulls me aside, the rest of the Order crowding around us

"Have you heard anything?" he asks, and I shake my head.

"No. I thought maybe he was with Brydan."

Colton pulls out his phone. A few taps later, he holds it to his ear.

As he does that, Riley pulls out his own phone. "I'll contact security. Maybe they know where he is."

Colton soon learns that Brydan hasn't seen Jonas and that he's on his way downstairs to join us.

It takes a while for Riley to get a report from security, and when he does, it doesn't tell us where Jonas is. There's no footage of him leaving his room after he retired to bed last night. The door isn't the only way in and out of his room, but it is the only way that makes sense for him to have used. Security did note that the motion sensors on the lights malfunctioned last night because there's footage of Bently's mother exiting her son's room, but the hall lights don't turn on.

Around that time of night, only one vehicle left the Estate. A van.

"Bently," Eli says. "Contact your mother. Maybe she saw something."

Bently dials his mother but can't get a hold of her. "She's probably busy."

Eli looks unconvinced. "Or something happened."

"If something happened, we'd know."

Seong-ho drums his fingers against his leg. "Not if Erik's involved."

"We don't have any proof rebels were here last night," Bently says. "Let me see if I can find my mother before we freak out. It's not unlike her to not answer my calls right away."

I let out a deep breath. "But if he was taken"—I clench my phone—"every minute is important." Maybe he had a breakdown from too much pressure and is in hiding. He didn't have to be taken by them. That's not the only option here.

"Right," Riley says. "Well, Seong-ho, Iris, as our resident rebel experts, what do you suggest?"

Seong-ho's brows furrow. "For rebels to pull off taking the Preeminence from the Estate this much under the radar, Erik has to be involved, which would mean it's the rebel group from the attack last week."

"If rebels did take him"—I place a hand on my bandage, rubbing my thumb over my Expiration Date—"we'll probably be hearing from them soon." They'd know Jonas's Expiration Date by now. I hand clenches down on my heart. Would they kill him immediately or make demands to the Society first?

"We can find out where their base is from the prisoners," Eli says.

Colton flexes his hand. "They won't give it up easily."

I let out a slow breath, trying to steady my heartbeat. With Colton doing the questioning, though, they just might break quickly. I don't want to get behind Colton torturing them, but Jonas is the one whose life is in danger. The three rebels have Expiration Dates protecting them.

For most of my life, I was one of them. They were my friends. My family.

They were my people.

Until they made the choice that they weren't.

"Do you know where any bases are?" Sebastian asks. His cheeks are slightly pink as if he spent a lot of time in the sun on his trip.

"Growing up, I only knew about one." I look at Seong-ho. "But the Society destroyed it. My uncle had a small group in Nevada. It was not one that could have pulled off the attack. I know he's involved now with whatever group Erik is with, but they're not located in Nevada anymore. We know Vienna took him to hers."

"Which must mean it's somewhat close," Tobias says.

August steals an uncomfortable glance at Colton.

"We should question the Rosens again."

Brydan walks up to us. "You really can't find him?"

I glance around to make sure we're the only ones in this part of the house.

"No," Sebastian says. "You really don't know anything, Salvatorre?"

"If I did, wouldn't I tell you all?"

Sebastian crosses his arms. "That's a topic we could spend time debating."

"That's rid—"

"Enough," Colton's voice cuts through them. "This isn't getting us anywhere. Iris, the rebels that chased you, Erik, and Vienna, do you think they have a base near here?"

Shrugging, I frown. "Even if they did, they wouldn't be the ones who took him. If Vienna was part of that group, things wouldn't have gone down the way they did, even to keep her cover. Vienna helped fend them off, and during a car chase like that, they could have been seriously hurt. If they knew Vienna was a rebel, they wouldn't have interfered in our dinner."

"But still," Riley says. "They could lead us to the right base."

Seong-ho grimaces. "No. The groups are separate, often having nothing to do with each other."

"Do we tell the Society?" Enzo asks, finally saying something.

"They're going to find out soon enough when Abella and Alix keep asking about him." Tobias drums the back of his phone. "Depending on what Bently comes back with, I say we tell the Society. If Bently's mother is missing, we need to know if anyone else has been . . . misplaced."

"If an Amoris was taken"—Percy lets out a deep breath—"that might be worse than them taking Jonas."

I stiffen, my shoulders tightening. They don't know Jonas is Expired. They don't understand the stakes.

"We should probably move this conversation somewhere private," Colton says, and though we are still the only ones in the area, I can't help but agree with him.

Agreeing with Colton. That's how I know circumstances have turned dire.

We all make it into a nearby lounge by the time Bently calls.

He can't find his mother.

Colton pinches the bridge of his nose. "August, you're in charge of figuring out how to announce this to the Society. I'll go visit the rebels."

I stop Colton on his way to the door. "What can I do to help?"

He casts his eyes on me, full of disdain. "You're leaving. This doesn't involve you any longer."

With that he throws open the door and leaves.