Iris~~           

Odalia is one rolling hill after another. They're a crisp dark green as if they've been freshly watered or painted.

Beside me, Jonas drives the vehicle we rented after we landed in Odalia. It's different than the ones we rode inside of in Borilia. This reminds me more of Jonas's silver car back in Elleany. Driving with him through the countryside makes me feel as if we're a normal couple. For right now we're in control of where we go and how we get there. It's as if we're back in Elleany before our wedding was crashed.

Jonas's father has an account with a bank on Amoria Jonas was able to access. Colton, wherever he is right now, would be able to draw from it as well. Erik would not. While Erik's father has an account here, he has made sure his son has no access to it.

My hand rests on the console, Jonas's fingers intertwined with mine. This is the most peace I've felt in days, but at the same time dread underlays it all. If only one Order says no, then we've failed.

Jonas glances at me, smiling, before looking back at the road.

This must be what it's like for people who are in love with people who aren't in the Society, who aren't ruling a country. Who can just get in a car and drive without worrying about rebels attacking you or in my case, family I didn't know I had.

"There's a town before we get to the Order," Jonas says. "Do you want to stop for lunch?"

I give his hand a squeeze. "Let's do it."

The town is tucked in between three hills and gently slopes upward at the bases of them. None of the buildings are more than one story tall and all are made of light gray stone with black-thatched roofs. Jonas pulls off on the side of the road near a café.

I step out of the car, stretching my neckONLYONWATTPADBENDERas the sun warms me. "This is much better fleeing-for-your-life weather."

In response, Jonas wraps his arm around me and places a kiss on my cheek.

Once inside the café, we both order sandwiches and something like lemonade but with a different sour fruit native to only Amoria. As the woman writes our Orders, I spot tattoos of lines and arrows, circles and moons and stars on the inside of her arm that doesn't bare her Mark, and when our food is brought to us, the waiter has a similar one on his right arm.

Instead of immediately biting into his sandwich, Jonas takes his time, cutting it down its center with a knife. One of my favorite things about him is that he eats pizza with a fork.

"Do those tattoos mean something?"

Jonas looks up, heading tilting to the side. "Hmm?"

"The ones with the circles and moons."

"Oh." He lowers his knife. "Have you noticed them before?"

"If you mean in Borilia, I was a bit distracted."

"Right." He scratches at his unmarked arm. "They're Amoria's version of a wedding ring. Instead Amorians use another mark. One that's a bit more permanent than a wedding band."

"Does everyone married get them?"

"Most. They want to be certain their marriage is going to last before they mark their commitment on their arm."

"You don't have them in the Society, though?"

"We do. Most just aren't as noticeable. Usually only a few lines or a moon or star. They're less of a commitment that way."

I drum my fingers against my glass, leaving fingerprints in the condensation. "I take it you don't have any interest in them."

His expression becomes guarded. "Why would you say that?"

"Because you've hardly looked at me since I asked about them."

He sighs. "I love them. I think they're beautiful. But they're another Mark, and I didn't know how you would react to them."

"So it's not because of the commitment—"

"No." He slides his plate to the side and reaches across the table, taking my right arm and turning it over to reveal the inside of my arm. "You can remove a wedding band. You can choose if the world sees you as attached or not. A mark is permanent."

I study the inside of my other arm, at the numbers printed there since the day I was born. "I didn't choose this."

Jonas draws his hand back toward him, but I grab hold of it.

"But taking one on my own terms is different. I think I'd like it. A lot. And if it's a mark I'd share with you then I'd be very, very happy."

*****

A few hours later, we have yet to reach the Order. Heavy grayish black storm clouds block out the stars and two moons. Rain beats down on the car forcing Jonas to drive slower.

"The rain isn't acid or anything, right?"

Gritting his teeth and squinting, Jonas still somehow manages to snort. "It's perfectly normal rain, I promise."

I settle back in my seat, watching the rain hit the windows. If Jonas and I share a mark, what will it look like? While we ate, Jonas explained that couples usually include each other's favorite constellations and have lines and arrows connecting them. Jonas's are Orion and Libra but mine? I have no idea.

Jonas swears.

I jolt, sitting up. "What?"

"The car—its power keeps draining."

"Is it the rain?"

"It shouldn't be."

"Do we have enough to get to the Order?"

"I don't know. We should be fine as long as the power doesn't drain any faster."

But an hour later the rain still hasn't let up and the power's continued to drain too quickly. The map system on the car says our ETA is only fifteen minutes. I use the map to look ahead and see we stay on this road for the rest of the way. To save power, I turn it off.

I can't make out any of the landscape through the windows besides for lumps and blobs. "What kind of wildlife does this part of Odalia have?" There could be giant wolves. Or giant moths. Maybe there's a swamp nearby, and there's a giant alligator that likes climbing hills or whatever the landscape currently is. Or maybe Amoria has dinosaurs.

No, I'm fairly certain that's something Jonas would have mentioned.

"I didn't think that was something I needed to research before now."

I swallow. It'll be fine. We're almost there. We'll make—

The car slows, coming to a stop. All the lights on the dash turn off as the car goes dead.

Rain beats down on the car, the only sound now that the car no longer runs. When we first spotted the storm clouds, I checked the weather app on the car. The rain won't be letting up for hours.

Jonas unbuckles. "We can't be far from the Order."

I watch his seatbelt go back in its crevice. "So . . ."

"We'll need to walk the rest of the way." Neither of us have phones. We can't call for help. If Jonas somehow forgot to mention, you know, dinosaurs, we won't get a call-a-friend option.

"Wouldn't it be better to stay put for the night?"

"The car running out of power like this isn't sitting right with me."

My stomach churns. "You mean . . ."

He nods. "If so, we're sitting ducks."

He twists in his seat, reaching into the back and pulling two guns out from his bag. He hands one to me before returning to his bag and grabbing a coat for him and one out of my bag for me. I grab the emergency kit from the glove compartment and pull out the flashlight inside.

Jonas maneuvers himself into his coat. "Ready?"

Outside the wind howls—or maybe it was a giant wolf, but I nod.

As I open my door, the wind catches it and blows it open. Rain sweeps into the car. I tuck the gun into the waistband of my pants and step outside, fighting the wind to get the door shut. After, I click on the flashlight and do a sweep of our surroundings. We haven't passed any cars for miles since all this road leads to are the homes of the Order.

Side by side, Jonas and I hurry down the road, the wind blowing rain into my eyes. Though the weather wasn't cold earlier, now with both the wind and the rain fighting against us, I feel almost frozen solid. The water's soaking through my jacket and shoes straight down into my socks.

I don't know how long passes before I see a light winking in the darkness. Followed by another. And another.

The two of us are—assuming we make it—about to appear in front of the Order of Odalia with our clothes drenched, hair dripping, and shoes squelching with every step. Will they really approve of us?

Through the rain a mansion comes into view. Not every window emits light but it's enough to feel like a beacon. Beyond the mansion are lights that are higher up and illuminating parts of cliffs and buildings that are built into them.

Jonas and I stumble up the first step. Every bone in my body aches and honestly spending the rest of the night in a hot bath sounds divine.

A Veil steps out from behind shrubbery, coming to stand between us and the door, and yells at us to halt. He holds a gun butONLYONWATTPADBENDERdoesn't aim it at us.

Jonas grips the fabric around my waist. "We're expected by the Order. I'm Jonas Blackwood of Elleany and this is my fiancée."

The Veil's eyes narrow.

"He's the Preeminence," I say, my gaze shifting to the gun.

"Where's your vehicle?"

"It failed." Rain runs off Jonas's face. "We had to walk." Shoving a hand into his pocket, he pulls out a silver disc. The Society's insignia. "If you could just ask, you'll see we were expected by the Order."

The Veil taps a device in his ear and begins speaking to someone about us, and through it all, rain beats down on all three of us.

The Veil lowers his hand from his ear. "You're cleared." He pauses. "Preeminence." He drops into a stiff bow and a moment later the door is opened by an attendant who ushers us inside. Water runs in rivulets off us onto the marble floor.

"You'll be staying in the Preeminence's residence," the attendant says as three others appear to take our sopping coats and offer us raincoats and umbrellas in exchange. "The Order is finishing their dinner and then having a Senate meeting. They will hear your petition then."

"They want to see us tonight?" I have a hard time getting the words out. Even before our car broke down, we weren't expecting to have to make our case until tomorrow.

"Yes, Miss Levine. You'll be shown to your room in the meantime."

"Our belongings," Jonas says, "they're in our car. We had to leave it up the road."

The attendant nods once. "We'll find you something to wear until we can send someone to tow your vehicle, Preeminence." It's a good sign they're still referring to him by his title.

"Thank you."

A separate attendant leads us to the back of the mansion and outside where light shines down on the cliffs illuminating the waterfalls and the houses built into the rock.

It's to the first house on the left that we're taken where we pass through a door at the base of the cliff that looks as if it's carved into the rock. Once inside an elevator takes us up into the cliff and into the house. Not only do our clothes drip but now the raincoats do as well as the attendant guides us through the Preeminence of Odalia's home. By the end of all this, we'll be lucky if the Order doesn't see us as a nuisance. The layout of the house is open; the second floor where the elevator lets us off looks down on the first floor as if it were some sort of arena, a fighting pit but with rugs and couches and tables instead of weapons and blood splatters in sand. The banisters and floors are made of a dark brown wood, and it almost looks as if the stone has been painted in some places to match.

Our bedroom looks down on the first floor—convenient if the Preeminence ever feels like turning it into a fighting pit. There are curtains we can pull shut to keep the Preeminence and his family from peering inside at us as if we were a zoo exhibit. I have very low expectations for Order members at this point. Odette's Order treated me like a pet. Jonas's Order tried killing me. And Leorus's Order enjoyed psychologically and emotionally torturing us. Would it really be all that shocking if this Order put us in a zoo?

Pushed against the center of the wall is a mahogany bed fitted with a black comforter. If we were in other circumstances—though honestly after everything I'm not sure what those circumstances would have to be—I'd spend more than a few seconds thinking about how they plan for Jonas and I to stay together and not separate us and leave me to wonder if an Order is in the process of killing my fiancé.

The attendant who led us here remains standing in the doorway. "Someone will be by to collect you in two hours."

Once they shut the door, Jonas and I stare at each other.

"Tonight?" I run a hand through my wet hair. "They want to see us tonight?"

Jonas works his jaw. "We'll make do. Why don't you go ahead and shower? I'll wait for the clothes."

I start for the bathroom but hesitate. "Do you think someone did sabotage the car?"

Jonas peels off his raincoat and hands it to me to hang in the bathroom. "Let's just stick together and hope I have an overactive imagination."

"But you don't."

He won't meet my eyes. "That's why I'm scared."

*****

Underneath the Senate chambers is a cave. The steps leading up to the chambers from outside were deemed too slick, especially for two raggioets. It's nice to know they at least aren't trying to kill us off. One point for Odalia's Order. Or maybe something like that should be worth twenty.

We've been left alone to find our way to the Order. To the left and right of our walkway, waterfalls stream down the walls from gaps in the ceiling's rock. Lights have been placed at the base of the waterfalls to illuminate the cave.

I glance at Jonas, at his black hair that's bare a laurel wreath. We're both dressed like we were during Erik's initiation into the Order: Jonas in black dress pants and a white button up and me in a dress that's the same toga-inspired design as the one I wore in Elleany, but instead of a light blue it's a deep purple that's almost black.

At the end of the cave is a door leading to a staircase, sealed off from the damp air created by the waterfalls. We were told the Order will be at the top of the stairs. I'm not leaving their chambers until they agree Jonas should have his title returned.

Once we reach the top, we find an attendant waiting for us who bends forward into a deep bow to Jonas. "They're ready to see you, Mr. Blackwood." That's not a good sign.

The Senate chambers are swathed in darkness. In what light there is, sits twelve men in thrones.

I follow Jonas into the center of the room where he bows and I curtsey. I focus on one of the two men in the middle of the group. Jonas described Rylin, the Preeminence, to me as we changed into the clothes provided to us. His curly hair is a lighter shade of gold than the wreath in his hair and I'm again reminded of the crown missing from Jonas's head.

"Thank you for seeing us." Jonas keeps his hands at his sides. "We know we did not give you much notice."

The Preeminence rests his chin on his fist, leaning into the armrest of his throne, the picture of casual boredom. It's clear the rest of the Order is experiencing a similar feeling. "We know why you're here," Rylin says. "But we're not really sure why you're here."

My heart seizes, even as I try sorting out the meaning of his words. They were spoken in Amorian. Maybe I missed something. But if I didn't, and I heard every word correctly, does that mean they aren't willing to consider his request?

Jonas keeps his chin raised. "The Head Order has revoked my title, Preeminence, because I'm Ex—"

He waves his hand. "Yes, Expired. A ridiculous reason to say you can't be Preeminence."

The man on his right nods. "A waste of time."

Sighing, Rylin leans back in his seat. "We've already granted your request to marry your fiancée. We don't appreciate the Morettis stopping that. And if we didn't have an issue with her being Expired, why should we care that you are?"

Jonas's mouth opens and closes.

"I think Leorus just enjoys being irritating," a member at the end of the right says, either the Douze or Iota.

"I don't know why any of them think we should be upset that you lived," another member says. "Are they all really that happy with their allotted time?"

Rylin studies us, his purple eyes reading my Date when his eyes meet mine. "We wanted to see you right away because we've already made our decision . . . Preeminence Blackwood."

I grasp Jonas's hand, squeezing it. They've sided with us. They've accepted Jonas as Preeminence, Expired and all.

"Sto soleil." Thank you. Jonas's hand tightens around mine. "Sto soleil."

*****

Jonas spins me around in a circle before setting be back down in our room in the Preeminence's residence and kissing me, his hands sliding up my back and pulling me tighter against him. He laughs. "I didn't think—I didn't imagine they'd already sided with me."

"You're meant to be a Preeminence, Jonas. They can see that. Even Expired." If the rest of the Orders share the same beliefs, we'll be able to go home soon. I hate that I get the chance to spend time on a planet that isn't Earth, and I just want to go home. One day, I want to return because Jonas and I want to and not because the Head Order dragged Jonas here.

I wrap my arms around his waist.

His hold on me tightens. "I don't want to wait, Iris."

My brows furrow. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't want to wait for someone to make another decision about our lives. Tomorrow—let's get married."

I feel my heart beginning to race. "What?"

Smiling, he tilts his head to the side, looking so entirely innocent and carefree that I could lose myself in this moment. "Marry me, Iris."

I was scrolling through my Wattpad notifications the other night when I saw a notification from Wattpad. They added Expiration Date to a new reading list called "Celebrating Wattpad Classics." I definitely stopped what I was doing to tell my parents and then tried to take a screen recording with many unsuccessful attempts. I can't believe I started this series back in 2014 when I was in high school, and now I'm out of college and living away from home and working and it's almost 2022. 

If you're wondering about the title, I'm thinking of the scene in Clue when Miss Scarlet's car breaks down, and she and Professor Plum show up to the mansion in the rain.