Expiration Date (Books 1 and 2)

21 Another Note

LAST MINUTE HALLOWEEN CONTEST!!!!!!!!

Submit your short Halloween fan fictions of Expiration Date to me through Wattpad messages between now and 11:59 PM Est Halloween. You can send them for a few hours after that time. But the later you send them, they may not be able to get posted. On November 1st I'll post them in a separate chapter on Expired.

It doesn't have to be long or have a plot; it can be a scene, a few lines of dialogue, or even flash fiction.

I'll be happy to help you with them and clarify things about my story to help you!

Iris~~

The morning of Kerrie-uh, I eat breakfast with the Society while seated with Jonas, Erik, Colton, Gwen and the rest of the Order. None of them wear masks, but I've spotted quite a few scattered throughout the dining room.

The tiny cakes Jonas mentioned are delicious. The meringue filling is the best I've had, and the strawberry icing is just the right amount of tart. But the bite-sized pancake pies are sorely underrated. I can already tell based on how many I've seen end up on plates. The batter is mixed with chocolate chips, and the filling in the center varies between each pie.

Since Colton left Arrietty's room yesterday, I have only seen him during meals. It's odd being around him now—not that it wasn't already intolerable—but things are different right now. We're working together—even sharing a secret. A transitory bond has been formed, and I'm certain after this whole ordeal with the rebels, we'll promptly shatter it.

I didn't have much time yesterday to focus on the rebels' orders. Between final fittings for my dress for the ball, and Amorian and French lessons with Jonas, my day was consumed by keeping up appearances. Being attacked is no longer a useable excuse to not be fully present at every event. It's happened too many times at this point, and I'm sure a good amount of the Society would claim I should be used to it.

"Miss," someone says from behind me. I turn to find one of the staff holding out a plain envelope. "A letter for you." It's not uncommon for letters to be delivered at breakfast. Wherever the staff is able to locate you is where you'll receive your mail. This, however, is the first letter I've received that has passed through the hands of staff, and after the note yesterday, I'm hesitant.

But how do I explain that to the rest of the Order?

Thanking the staff member, I accept it, praying he and those around me don't notice my shaking hand. The servant leaves, moving toward another table. There are more letters clutched in his hand.

I feel the Order's eyes on me, and I turn the envelope around to see my name printed on the front. It's not in the same font as the last letter when my name was typed out. This time it's handwritten and there's no sender listed.

Colton's eyes feel the heaviest on me.

I remove the letter. There's not much written.

Disregard your orders. We'll handle it.

I do my best to keep myself composed as I read it and fold it back up before returning it into the envelope and tuck it inside the envelope. The print inside is handwritten as well, but in a quick hurried scrawl as if the sender was worried their handwriting would be recognized. If that is the case, they must really belong to the Society.

The eyes of the Order are still on me as I place the letter in my lap, but they don't ask me about the contents of the letter. I return to eating the pancake pies wondering how I'm going to get Colton alone.

*****

I had thought that the holiday would mean Jonas would cancel our language lessons, but that's not the case. I do enjoy every second of our Amorian lessons, but the French ones only remind me I do need to leave the Society and say a final goodbye to not only Jonas but Erik as well. And soon. The prince and princess of France will arrive tomorrow.

In a way I suppose I'm lucky to only have two hard goodbyes I have to say, and I can't forget I'm blessed to have even the chance to leave Elleany.

I grip my French textbook and my notes on it and Amorian as I walk away from Jonas's office. Tobias, the Undici, interrupted us, which cut our time short. But the fact Jonas as the Preeminence can spend any time with me is a testament to his time management skills.

The door I'm passing pops open, and a hand grabs hold of me. My book drops and my papers flutter to the ground as I try to defend myself, but I'm already in the room with the door shut.

Colton looms over me, looking exactly like the Beta I've come to know. This is what I get for working with him. He's going to kill me.

"What was in the letter?"

I blink, needing a moment to process that I'm not going to be killed.

"Well?"

"I think you just shaved twenty years off my life."

He looks unamused.

The particular letter is currently hidden in my room. "That they no longer need my help."

"So they'll be sending someone else to retrieve it."

"I'm guessing."

Walking across the room, he rubs his chin. "Their best opportunity is tonight. If we spend an hour at the ball, that should be enough time to not raise any questions when we slip away.

"I'm not sure following you into the dark abyss of the Estate is wise."

"You're obviously not going alone, and"—he looks chagrined—"I'll need back up. If I bring in even one person besides you—I can't guarantee they won't alert Jonas when this is a plot that seems to say there's a rebel hidden in the Society. I think you remember what the first letter said about Jonas being involved."

I sigh. "So we go together."

He smiles, not in a way to illicit goosebumps but rather a punch in the face at the sheer arrogance in it. "I'm glad we're on the same page. You're not nearly as difficult to reason with as I thought."

"Flattered."

His lips stretch, revealing his teeth, and I wonder how it would feel to smash my fist into them and see them break.

I purse my lips. That thought had nothing to do with being at the Society too long. It was the rebels who taught me violence. Violence to use specifically against the Society. Against people like Colton.

He grabs hold of the door handle behind me. "I'll meet you at the champagne table at midnight." The next thing I know, he shoves me back into the hall and slams the door shut in front of me.

Thank you all for reading this far. It honestly blows me away.

One of you has even made a fanfic! The fanfic is on Tergitheelf 's page.