Colton~~
Erik opens his door with far too many locks to be considered welcoming. I never thought I'd be so glad to see his face even if it is scowling.
Behind him is the hellhole he's been living in—empty but claustrophobic. The color of the walls alone makes the entire room look dirty. Pressure builds behind my forehead, possibly from driving all night. The haziness I feel is an indicator I need caffeine. Two cups just aren't cutting it. I only have to pull myself together long enough to inflict on my cousin the wrath of my brother, and then we can both be on our way home. Erik will become Tresais, and I can become Beta.
"What do you want?" he asks.
I wave a hand dismissively. "I'm not going to tell you how I found you."
His fingers on the door whiten. "That's not what I asked."
"That's what you were wondering. Pride just wouldn't let you ask it."
The look of distaste that flashes on his face lets me know I'm right.
I place my hand on the door. "Won't you let me in?"
He tries to close the door, but I press harder.
"I did travel all this way to see you."
He eases up, and I step past him, better able to examine his . . . room.
"I don't know why you insist on these places—what do you call them? Bomb shelters?"
"Family shelters."
I frown. He may be making my life and many others difficult, but he's still my cousin. Our fathers are brothers. We grew up together. "Why won't you give up and come home? You've had your fun. It's time to grow up."
"Colton—"
"We all miss you. It actually feels empty at home without you."
"Andrew's not there, and yet I don't see you in France begging to bring him home. Do any of you even care?"
I clasp my hands behind my back to hide that they've balled into fists. "He had to go. Look what he did to you."
Erik winces, his hand flying up to the gash still healing on his face.
"I know you became close after Molly, but you know he had to go. It was your decision after all."
"I'm not coming with you." He still hasn't closed the door. The pressure in my head continues to build. I blink in an attempt to clear it.
"You missed August's ceremony."
"A shame."
"And Eli's."
"I don't care."
I keep my face composed. All our lives the twelve of us have talked about our ceremonies. We thought we would be there for each other's. But as I've learned, the older a plan is, the less likely it is to go accordingly. "Erik, please, the country needs its Order."
"You all haven't changed one bit since I left. But I shouldn't have expected you to."
"Jonas is beside himself."
He crosses his arms. "Good."
"What can I give you to make you come back?"
He steps toward me, putting himself only inches away. "Nothing. Right here is where I want to be." His eyes don't waver. "If I never become Tresais, you won't become Beta." That's an exaggeration.
"And you'd do that to your father?" When Jonas became Preeminence, our father took Erik's father's place as Beta. Erik's father is now the Tresais. "Your ceremony is in four days."
"A ceremony which I won't be attending. Now, get out of my house."
"This isn't a house, Erik. It's a shell."
I have no problem leaving though. The Veil—the Society's soldiers—that will remain behind will bring Erik in when he steps outside. So I turn and walk away from him.
Erik shuts the door behind me with a clang.
The farther I get from his place, the more my head clears, the pressure alleviating. I pull out my phone and dial my brother. At least he'll be happy I found Erik.
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