Exported [Book 3 in the Expiring Series]

49 My Two Tresais

Jonas~~

"Contact the head Order on Amoria. Tell them to send their forces to Earth." Phone held to my ear, I pace around Andrew's guest bedroom. Colton's been listening from out in the hall. He has to realize that I've been aware he's been following me around like a puppy since this morning.

"Yes, Preeminence," my sister says.

"They can fly from Elleany to France." It will take two weeks for them to reach to Earth. If we still have not found the rogue Amorians, Amoria will be able to provide support and help us attack the rogues when we do locate their hideout. In any case, Amoria will need to take the rogues to Amoria and throw them in a prison. Preferably to never be seen again.

"Would you like me to send our own troops to France?"

"Yes, I'll clear it with Alix and Abella." After what Alix tried to do with Iris, he better be prepared to do anything I ask. "I'll check in with you later."

I end the call and have just sunken down onto the edge of the bed when Erik knocks on the open bedroom door, holding something behind his back.

"How did the call with your Tresais go?" Your Tresais. He used to be my Tresais.

"She's not thrilled we allowed Andrew to take 'the Expired.'"

"Andrew may not have even taken her to the Amoris."

"Then I suppose I should be expecting Andrew to drop her dead body off at the front door. It's barely been over a year since he tried to kill me. He would try it again in a heartbeat if given the chance, and since he can't kill me, he'll settle for her."

"He knows the Amoris want her. He won't risk Basile." Erik crosses the room, his hand still hidden behind his back. "You're going to find her, and then you'll have the most ostentatious wedding the world has ever seen."

"I don't know how I'm supposed to save her. She saved me from—" I motion to him, and he shrugs.

"Look it's your turn to be a hero, to no longer be the villain I've seen you as. I had known her for only two days before you waltzed through Brydan's door. You made it clear you despised her, saw her as trash. But then when I brought her to the Society, you took such an interest in her that I thought you were only using her to get to me."

I hesitate. Should I tell him? At this point, I don't know how it can hurt. I don't believe he has enough Amorian blood in him to exhibit powers like I do, to have had a headache when he first saw Iris. Though Colton, listening out in the hall, may pose a threat as he would have had a headache when he first saw her, like he would have had when he first saw me after I Expired. "I knew what she was ever since that night at Brydan's."

"Expired?"

"Yes."

The skin between his eyes draws together. "How?"

"I have enough Amorian blood in me to know. You know, how some of us can burn Iris's Mark?"

He nods.

"It's like that. She wouldn't have been safe at the Estate, but once you brought her there, I knew I had to protect her."

"Why?"

"I knew she was a hero. I didn't want to be her villain."

Erik sighs. "I had felt like she was mine and that you were trying to steal her from me to hurt me. I didn't believe you cared for her for one moment. I didn't understand you two. Together. Not until I saw you both at Andrew's house. You were always watching each other, always near each other. As if she and you were orbiting one another. It's like you can't be apart. Iris has never looked at me or anyone or anything the way she looks at you. Well, maybe except for breakfast." He manages to get a chuckle out of me, and he moves his hand out from behind his back, revealing a plate holding a croissant. "I noticed you didn't eat lunch. It's strawberry."

I feel a well's worth of emotion rising up in me until— "It's half-eaten," I say.

"I realized I didn't like it."

I accept the plate. "Thanks." I take a bite. It's not great—it's dry and rather bland—but the moment it hits my stomach, the hunger I've been clamping down on makes an appearance.

Erik sits down beside me, the mattress shifting. "I've been thinking after all this is done, maybe I'll go to Amoria."

I raise my eyebrows. "You?"

He shrugs. "I've spent years pining over one girl after another. France clearly wasn't the fresh start I thought it would be. Maybe I need a different planet."

"If you hate the Society, you'll hate Amoria." I finish off the croissant and set the plate beside me. "And I'm not sure Amoria will be in love with you either."

He scratches the back of his head. "I get it. You'll miss me."

For the tiniest moment I smile. "I've always missed you, Erik."

This edit for Erik is brought to you by dode_zengana.

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