Exposed [Book 4 in the Expiring Series]

23 The Witnesses

Jonas~~

Following dinner, Iris and I were led down into the Senate chamber.

All the Head Order members are seated in their thrones. Near the stairs are four Veil. Only a moment ago, Preeminence Leorus ordered for the first witness to be brought forth.

That there is more than one has me especially worried.

From the staircase, a Veil leads a woman to stand in front of Leorus. Her hair is a dirty blonde that's thin with the faintest hint of waves. Freckles are dotted across her nose and cheeks, as well as on her shoulders and chest from what her dress reveals. I don't have any recollection of this Amoris, but her contempt for me is clear on her face.

The Beta gestures to her. "This is Lorelei Aeton. She was the one to inform us of your Expiration Date."

"I've never seen her before."

Lorelei's eyes narrow as her chin tilts upward. "I served Preeminence Clarignon, raggioet." Lorelei takes a step forward, and I snatch Iris's hand.

"The murderess, you mean." Iris's jaw trembles, and I know just hearing Odette mentioned has brought up memories for her of being locked in the catacombs.

The Digamma frowns. "Ms. Aeton told us you took her fiancé prisoner when he learned your secret, Preeminence."

Lorelei takes much more than a single step toward us this time, and the Veil has to grab hold of her to keep her from reaching us. "What have you done to him, Preeminence?" She spits the last word. "He doesn't deserve to be tortured."

"Restrain yourself, Ms. Aeton," the Epsilon orders.

I do my best to keep a cool countenance by arching an eyebrow and crossing my arms. "He is far from innocent." Anyone who was under Odette's employ falls in that same boat.

"Neither Ms. Aeton nor her fiancé are the ones on trial here. In exchange for her . . . information, Ms. Aeton has been freed and a team is on their way back from Elleany with Illias."

I grit my teeth. Amoria has always undermined Elleany's authority. They treat us like their offspring. Illias is Elleany's prisoner. They would never stand for us taking one of theirs, so why should we?

"What exactly do you hope to prove by her presence?" I ask. "Frankly, I'm surprised you would ever take her at her word."

"We of course verified her claims before bringing you here," the Tresais says.

"How?" I snap, losing my thin grasp on my nerves. My Expiration Date has always been kept secret, never once written down.

The Preeminence motions to the stairs and two figures emerge, followed by a Veil. I hear the breath leave Iris, and I stand, riveted in my spot, my gaze solely on who has been led into the chamber.

"Andrew."

My cousin stares back at me, Basile beside him. His letter—the last time I heard from him—comes rushing back to me in full clarity even months later—his confession that he had seen my Expiration Date and chose to try kill me on that date, how he only gave Iris to Odette to save Basile.

They both look almost exactly the same as they did the last time I saw them. Andrew's curly hair is no longer than it was before, nor is Basile's hair any longer or shorter. Their faces though have thinned.

"You had no right to bring my cousin and his boyfriend here."

"Husband now actually." Andrew's eyes flick to Preeminence Moretti. As both he and Basile are brought farther into the room, he shoves his hands into his pockets.

"Congratulations," I say a tad drily, bitter about my own wedding.

Andrew's green eyes land on Iris before drifting back to me. "I hear I can't say the same to you." His tone matches mine.

Preeminence Moretti holds up his hand to silence us. "When Ms. Aeton provided us with a Date, we looked into what had happened at the Estate at that time. That's when we saw Andrew's assassination attempt fell on the same date."

The Tresais gives the couple a glare. "They didn't make themselves easy to track down."

Basile has looked lost since he was brought out here. Whatever Amorian he has
picked up by being on Amoria or that Andrew has taught him isn't enough. Iris, even with formal lessons, still has times where she needs to ask afterward if she understood everything correctly.

"So you were abducted by aliens," I say to the couple in French.

Basile looks relieved despite my statement. "Quite literally." He doesn't sound amused, but beside me, Iris lightly snorts, too low for the Order to hear.

Preeminence Moretti sits forward in his throne. "Your cousin Andrew admitted to us that he discovered your Expiration Date and attempted to kill you on it."

"I had no choice," Andrew says to me in French and casts his eyes to Basile. "They threatened him."

"I'm to believe you didn't jump at the opportunity to expose me?"

Basile shakes his head. "He really didn't want to."

"That's a surprise."

Andrew rakes a hand through his hair, and says in Amorian, "Basile loves me, but he doesn't agree with parricide."

"Neither do I." I look away and back to Moretti.

"What do you hope to prove by showing us these witnesses?" Iris asks the Order. "Jonas isn't denying he's Expired."

The Epsilon stares at Basile and then Andrew before letting his gaze drift to Iris. "We want to see him get on his knees and beg for forgiveness."

It's like I can feel the ground begin to open up underneath me.

"No," Iris says. "He is not doing that."

"Iris." I place a hand on her shoulder. "It's all right."

"He is a Preeminence," she continues. "If you want someone to beg then I will get on my knees and do just that."

"Why would your pleads mean anything to us?" the Digamma asks.

In response, she sinks to her knees. I grab hold of her arm, intending to pull her to her feet, but she looks up at me and shakes her head.

"You are my intended queen, you shouldn't have—"

Once more she shakes her head and looks at the Order. "When Jonas Expired, he had the stability of a county to worry about. But when I did, what excuse did I have for not killing myself other than that I desperately wanted to live?"

Preeminence Moretti raises his hand and makes a beckoning motion but not to Iris. A Veil steps forward.

"Escort the witnesses and Ms. Levine out. We would like to speak with Preeminence Blackwood for a moment in private."

Iris doesn't try to resist as a Veil leads her away. I imagine she's worried what would happen to me if she put up a fight, but every part of me wants to grab hold of her and not let her out of my sight.

Once we're alone, the Eta runs a hand through his hair, coincidentally the same red as Riley's. "Stars, she's rather annoying, isn't she?"

I narrow my eyes. "Strangely, I've never found that to be true, Eta."

Preeminence Moretti again holds up his hand, silencing us. "The twelve of us will discuss whether you will be allowed to return to Elleany and will have an answer for you after the ball."

"And my title?"

"I wouldn't worry about a title when your freedom is at stake."

I bite my tongue.

The Eta eyes me. It's odd to so freely be able to meet their eyes. There's power in being able to meet their challenge rather than having to look away. "I'd recommend you remain on your best behavior," the Eta says. "It'd be a shame if your bride was punished for your sins."

You have no idea how long I've been waiting for Jonas to make that comment about being abducted by aliens.