Colton~~
The screams pull Bently and Abella away from their rather appalling display. If they decide to go through the doors Iris and I are in front of, they'll see us. I place my hand on Iris' shoulder to keep her from getting up and hold my breath. I do not want to deal with either of them if they were to know we saw them. I'd rather get around to dealing with whatever is causing the screaming. And if people are being murdered, well I can't exactly let Iris go in there.
But Bently and Abella go the opposite way, and Iris and I waste no more time heading into the ballroom, though I keep Iris behind me.
Guests and reporters bottleneck the main set of doors that lead out of the ballroom. I spot Abella and Bently to the left, and Abella lets out a command in French that sends the guests and reporters parting in her wake, revealing Alix surrounded by guards. He's frozen as if he's become a statue as he stares down at what lies in the center of his ring of guards.
A body.
The dead man stares heavenward while surrounded in a pool of blood, droplets of which are scattered across an Expiration Date of today's date.
Bently swears under his breath, shaking his head. "She was right."
The screaming has quieted to be replaced by raised tight voices.
Iris was right. There's an Amoris in France unless this man was a citizen of Elleany who somehow escaped our borders.
The guards part to let Abella inside the circle, and she turns to Bently, saying something to him in French.
He looks at me. "She's asking about the Expiration Date."
"I don't know."
"There's a dead body with an Expiration Date. I don't know isn't good enough."
"Alix." I take a step forward. "Did anyone see what happened? How he got here?"
"I did not. But perhaps someone did. We have not had the chance to ask. To question."
"Iris." It sounds as if the breath has been taken out of my cousin.
I twist around, finding Iris hunched forward, grabbing her arm. Bently grasps onto her, keeping her upright. As she turns her head to him, I can see she's paler, sweat beading on her forehead. Her lips move to form the words, thank you.
I start for her. "What's wrong?"
"The A—they're still here." If the Amoris knows she's Expired, she's a target.
"Bently, get her out of here. Hide her. Do something."
"You aren't seeing the opportunity that I am then?"
"Just help me, Bently. You can try to kill me later."
I scan the ballroom, at all the eyes staring at us. "Where's Vienna?"
"She told me she was going to her room." Abella looks at Iris. "What's wrong with her?"
"I'm afraid this"—I motion to the body—"has made her a bit queasy."
"Rather odd for someone whose country is so obsessed with death," she says as Bently leads Iris away.
"Is this man from your country?" Alix asks.
"I have no idea."
"Then how is he Marked?"
"Perhaps one of our Marking devices found its way onto the black market. Unfortunately, I don't think there is anyway for you to contain the story. Because Expiration Date or none, this man was murdered. Send them home. Detain them. Whatever you need to do but get them away from the body."
Alix speaks with his guards before addressing his guests in French. I don't know what he says to them, but it calms them down some.
I need to find Vienna, and then I need to alert my family. I'll warn them not to tell Jonas; that any communication with him could be intercepted. We don't need Amoria knowing there's a rouge Amoris who seems hellbent on revealing themselves to the world.
*****
As Abella said, I find Vienna in her room with guards stationed outside her door.
She jumps up from the bed. "Colton, what's going on? I heard the screaming but was told I couldn't leave."
I shut the door. "Iris was right."
Her hand goes to her mouth.
"There's a body in the ballroom. Marked with today's date."
She shuts her eyes. "Is Iris safe?"
"She's with Bently."
"Comforting."
"Is there anything I can do?"
"You can stay here for now. The Amoris is most likely still in the palace."
"But unlike most of the people in the palace, I can't die. I'm one of the few who are safe."
"The Amoris could still hurt you."
She takes my hand. "Better they hurt me than kill someone else."
I don't know what to say to that. "I need to call my sister."
As she guides me over to her bed, I pull my phone from my jacket's inner pocket. I don't know how to start this call. The moment my father hears I'm in France, he'll know exactly why I'm here. He was the one who arranged Erik's and Vienna's exportations.
I hold the phone to my ear. "Gwen."
"You have some nerve, Colton—"
"We're in France."
"What?"
"Vienna's here. I came to see her."
"And you took Iris and Bently with you?"
"I wasn't planning to. But, Gwen, please listen. There's an Amoris. Here in France. And they're Marking and killing people. There's one in the ballroom right now."
"Have you seen the Amoris?"
"Iris has, but she didn't recognize them."
Gwen lets out a slow, shaky breath. "I'll contact Jonas."
"No. Amoria cannot know about this. Not yet. We don't need them taking action, and there's no guarantee that our line to Jonas is secure."
Once the day comes when other parts of the world develop the technology to take them farther into space in a more time-efficient manner than is currently able to them, they could reach Amoria. The world does not need to know they aren't alone in the universe. Not when they have a history of attacking those who they deem as outsiders. They'd all declare war on Elleany, killing most of the Amoris and saving the survivors to study. Amoris like my mother.
"Have you heard from Jonas?" I ask.
"I told him Iris was sick and that's why she hasn't been able to speak with him. So he calls every day asking about her."
"You didn't tell him we were missing?"
"I knew you would show up and if he heard you ran off with Iris, he would end his mission. As his Tresais, I couldn't let him do that. You'll need to handle this situation very carefully, Colton. I don't think it will take much for France to break their ties with us."
"I'll find the Amoris."
There's a knock on the door before Abella lets herself in.
"I have to go," I tell Gwen and hang up.
Abella's gaze seems distant as she looks at us. "You're both needed."
"Has the culprit been found?" I ask.
"No, which is why we're all going to pay a visit to the DGSE."