Expiration Date (Books 1 and 2)

1 Dying

Jonas~~

She's dying.

Two nurses motion for me to lay Iris down on a gurney. The harsh hospital lights do nothing to hide the blood on her. On me.

She hasn't woken up once since she passed out.

The hospital, outlined by the night sky, looks more like an imposing fortress, encased in shadows, than a haven for the sick.

She could die in there, and I'll be powerless to stop it. The Preeminence. Powerless.

The medics are already at work, putting pressure on the wound in her side with one of Eli's shirts and wheel her toward the glass doors under the overhang.

With Iris out of my arms, they are finally free to shake. I've hardly let go of her since I ripped my shirt to have something to press against the bullet wound. She bled through that fast enough. The doctor we found in the restaurant rode with us. He follows along the gurney, explaining to the medics the situation. I know I should be cold. Eli made a comment at some point about how it's a crime it's in the 50s in August. But I'm hot. Burning.

As Iris disappears through the hospital doors, a doctor with a clipboard walks out of them. The closer he gets to us and away from Iris, the more my irritation grows. He's shorter than any of us: Erik, Brydan, Riley, Eli, and me. Stopping in front of me, he dips into a low bow. "Preeminence." He turns to Erik. "Tresais, Epsi—"

"Is there something you need?" Erik crosses his arms.

The doctor's mouth opens and closes, the overhead lights showing the start of dark stubble around his mouth. "I—I just need to get some information about the patient. Name?"

"Not important," Erik says.

"Umm . . . all—all right." He keeps his eyes glued to his clipboard. "Expiration Date?"

"Not important." This time we all answer.

I take a step toward him. "No one is to remove the bandage covering her Mark. Her privacy is to be respected. And no one is to know we are here. If you fail to help her, no one will be able to help you. Do I make myself clear?"

He bobs his head, eyes wide. "Yes, absolutely, Preeminence."

I only nod once.

After making the customary, time-wasting bows, he races back inside. I move to go after him, but Erik wraps his hand around my shoulder.

I grind my teeth. "Let go."

"Can we talk?"

I ball my hand into a fist. I can't punch him. Not here. I can't afford to lose my composure in public. Not again. "I need to talk to the Society member who works here." I think it's Tobias's aunt. "And I need to do it before she finds out about Iris."

The hospital doors glow with light from within. Do they have her in surgery yet?

I step out of Erik's grip and face him. "There are a good many things I'd like to say to you, cousin. None of which I have the time for."
Iris gave me hope that I could continue living past my Expiration Date, but if she dies, what does that mean for my fate? My future? Because even though she was Expired, I could see her in my future—teasing, smiling—but now those images I had are growing less clear by the minute.

Erik holds his head high, and I can't help but see it as a taunt. "I want to make a deal with you, Preeminence."