Expiration Date (Books 1 and 2)

37 The Ceremony

Jonas~~

My father and I stand next to each other, alone in the ceremony chamber. I'm about to initiate my little brother, my final member.

"Breathe, Jonas."

I watch the flames dance in the bowl in front of me. "He's supposed to be the one doing the initiating. You raised him knowing he'd be the Preeminence. I'm stealing this from him."

Placing his hands on my upper arms, my father turns me to face him. "You were always supposed to be Preeminence too. Don't forget that."

"But only for a matter of days."

"Anything we taught Colton, we taught you. Fate altered and now this is your role. Colton will never know otherwise."

I step away from him, facing back toward the flames. "I feel he knows somehow. He's constantly challenging me."

"He's jealous. This is your Order, Jonas."

The flames climb upward before descending. Always reaching for more but never grasping it. "Are you happy I lived?" I've never asked him. My mother, yes. But not him. Maybe because I'm sure that if he were to answer me honestly, he would say no.

"Am I happy that after thousands of years an Expiration Date is suddenly wrong? No. Am I happy that Expiration Date was my son's? Yes, completely."

"Do you think there have been others in the past?"

He tucks his hands behind his back. "It's possible. There were never any reports though."

There have to have been others when Iris and I lived past ours within a month of each other.

The doors open, and August, Riley, Tobias, Eli, and Erik enter with their fathers and the rest of the former Order. I suppose it was too much to wish my entire Order to be together for the last ceremony. On the other side of the bowl, they line up on the left and right, beginning the half-circle. Next come our sisters, continuing the curves and bringing color to the dark room with their dresses. Gwen wears purple. Her usual proud demeanor is replaced with something other. Sad? Longing? Her head is tilted down at the stone. She didn't even glance at me when walking in.

I don't have to be her twin like Colton to know what's wrong. I just have to be her brother. Yesterday was the day she dreamed would be hers. I know I wished it. It's not hard to imagine Colton was thinking the same thing as I initiated Erik. Everyone in the Society knows Gwen would have made the superior Tresais.

But tradition . . .

Vienna and Iris walk in together. I haven't had the chance to speak with her since I walked her back to her room last night. I shouldn't have kissed her. But I meant the kiss though. That promise was real, but now I've complicated things. I put my happiness before the Society. If Erik finds out . . . he'll say I corrupted her, I stole her, I betrayed him.

Vienna and Iris take a spot on either end.

The Konkursi enter, Arrietty and a young man, and on either side of the Konkursi are them­—the Amoris, four in total. The small group nearly closes that curve of the half-circle, leaving only a small gap in between. The Amoris are so close to Iris. My Mark isn't burning, but I don't know if hers is.

Colton enters with one more of the Amoris, this one a man named Mor. Colton steps through the gap, Mor filling it in.

It's time to complete my Order.