Exposed [Book 4 in the Expiring Series]

20 Elisana's Bow

Colton~~

After my brother, Iris, and the Head Order disappear down one of the many hallways, Elisana extracts herself rather ungracefully from my cousin's arms. "Sorry about that." Grimacing, she bends down and pulls off both her high heels.

Percy rakes a hand through his hair. "As long as you're all right, please do not worry yourself."

With one hand holding her heels, she pushes back her hair with her other and offers him a smile. "Besides for the mortification that is sure to last a week at least, I'm fine."

"You're ankle—"

"Is fine."

"As regretful as I am to interrupt this lovely meeting"—I grunt as Vienna elbows me—"could you show us to our rooms?"

"Of course. If you would follow me this way . . ." She heads for a hallway to the left of the entrance we came through. "The Order asked me to give you a tour of the home, so you'd know how to get around."

I'm sure a caveat in her instructions was to not show us the home well enough that'd we know how to escape.

The hallway we enter soon opens into wide room with hallways and doors interspersed across the walls.

Elisana opens one of these doors. "The dining room."

It's nothing like the one back home. Here there are only a few tables, all shorter in length than the ones we dine on at the Estate. It is though only the second home of the Order and their
families. Perhaps that explains this apparent lack of grandeur.

"Where is everyone?" Percy asks. I haven't even seen a glimpse of a konkursi—a servant—or Veil. Those who were in the cars behind us, I never saw come inside. The mansion is eerie, as if it has never been inhabited by more than a few people in the past decades. Soon Vienna and I will have to find an opportunity to speak with the Head Order, and I can only pray our request doesn't do anything to jeopardize Jonas.

"The konkursi will be preparing for dinner soon. A few family members are around, but most are away finishing preparations for the ball tomorrow evening."

"Ball?" Vienna says, and it's a very good question considering I'm quite certain we're still supposed to be here come tomorrow evening.

Elisana shuts the door. "They didn't tell you?"

I frown. "Who didn't tell us?"

"The Order. Didn't you speak with them yesterday from the ship?"

"We only spoke with the Beta's son and no ball was mentioned," Percy says.

Elisana tucks her hair behind her ear. "It wasn't intended to be a surprise. At least I don't think it was . . . It's a small ball with only the Order and their families. It's a chance for everyone to meet both raggioets.

Warning bells go off in my head. "I'm sorry, what?"

The Tresais's daughter tilts her head to the side, looking confused. "I—"

"You want to put them on display."

"It's nothing like that, I'm sure. But Ms. Levine has long been of interest to Amoria."

"What security measures will be taken to protect our Preeminence and his fiancée?" Percy asks.

She spreads out her arms, palms up. "I'm sorry. I really don't know the details, but I am sure someone will brief you."

As much as I don't like this, it means the Order is not planning to murder them both in the Senate chambers right now. Unless they're planning to take a very loose approach to the definition of meet.

Elisana continues the tour, showing us the way to get outdoors—a potential escape route—and to the ballroom in the east wing of the house. We pass a couple of konkursi and a few members of the Order's families to whom Elisana introduces us. Eventually she leads us up to the fourth floor, and I'm grateful to find the layout is a lot less labyrinth-like than the first floor. The maze at home should have prepared me better. She shows us first to Vienna's room, followed by mine, and then Percy's. All three rooms are far from each other.

In Percy's room, Vienna takes a seat on the edge of the bed, the spread a rich purple. "Iris and I definitely did not bring any ballgowns," she says to Elisana who sinks gracefully down in an armchair. I take a seat beside Vienna.

"They will be provided. Please don't worry." She toys with a long gold necklace. At its end is on oval-shaped pendent of blue glass in which diamonds are embedded.

There's a knock on the door. Percy, the closest to the it, answers it, and Iris and Jonas walk into the room. Though they look unharmed, their eyes and faces are haunted as if they've seen a ghost.

"What happened?" Vienna asks.

Iris looks at Jonas and then across the room to where Elisana sits.

Jonas rubs the back of Iris's upper arm. "Not surprisingly the meeting didn't go well . . . and Erik is here."

I stand and so does Vienna.

"What?" A hundred questions whirl through my mind. "Has he been brought in for questioning?" Is he being asked to testify against my brother?

"I don't think so," he says. "He was with the Preeminence of Acquaellia's daughter."

Percy arches an eyebrow. "Odd."

Elisana runs a hand through her hair. I'm sure this is either an uncomfortable situation she's found herself in or, on the other hand, quite the perfect one if she's been asked to spy on us. "They're here to petition Rydersin's right to the title of Preeminence."

"And our cousin is helping her?" Percy asks.

"They've been traveling from one Order to the next."

She must have something on Erik. And in that case, she's a threat.

Jonas turns to the Tresais's daughter. "Are you named after the constellation?" Not a very subtle way of turning the conversation away from family secrets, but I suppose Jonas has too much on his mind right now.

She grasps her necklace and nods. "Elisana's Bow." While Amoria's night sky holds many constellations, there are ten main ones: Elisana's Bow being one of them. Elisana was a mythical heroine who was gifted with a blessed bow, one that any arrow shot from it would always find its mark. It's said she slayed a dragon-like creature who wished to eat the stars. When Elisana died, her bow was immortalized in the sky. Elisana should be one of the statues on the fountain outside.

The real Elisana presses her hands together. "It's been brought to my attention that you may not have yet been informed of the ball tomorrow night."

My brother and Iris exchange a look. "No," Iris says, her tone tight. "We weren't."

Elisana bites her lip and glances at Percy. "I'll do my best to remedy that."

Iris rubs at her Mark. "Thank you. If you wouldn't mind excusing us, the Preeminence and I would like a chance to speak with our family before dinner."

Our family.

How will they feel when Vienna and I are forced to separate from them so we can make our own petition to the Orders?

Elisana curtsies. "Certainly."

Once she leaves, both Jonas and Iris slump to the ground.

Jonas leans his head back against the wall. "Why is it that disasters only ever seem to get worse and not better?"

Percy grimaces and runs his hand down his face. "I take it we're not going home anytime soon?"

Jonas's shoulders sag, and he looks as if he's gained ten years since the morning of his wedding—before Alessi interrupted it. "No, I'm afraid we aren't."

Would it really be a book in this series if there wasn't a ball?