Expiration Date (Books 1 and 2)

64 The Old Estate

Jonas~~

We arrived at the old Estate around nine. It's now after ten, and Eli and Riley aren't here yet. Riley said there was a delay. Personally, I think that delay was Eli being too scared of being anywhere near me. He knows that out of all of them, I'm the most furious with him.   

         Headlights appear in the distance, flashing over a bison grazing. It makes a grumbling sound and turns away. One of the Orders built this Estate in the grasslands of what now is known as the Thunder Basin because of the first Preeminence's fascination of bison the moment he laid eyes on one. When the Estate is in residency, the bison are kept off the main part of the property. When the Society leaves, they're left to roam and keep the grass down. They're like cows but for the wealthier or the more eccentric.

         I've always found them odd.

One Preeminence made it law that no one is allowed to hunt them. If a person were to kill one, they'd never see the light of day again. The Society doesn't particularly care for bison anymore, but they still uphold the law for the amusement of it.

My cousins' car stops in front of us, the lights from the car providing the only light we have besides for the stars and moon.

Riley steps out of the driver's seat. "Jonas." He dangles the keys in his hand. Riley knows I'm not angry with him. I know out of all my Order, Riley would be the one to always hold himself with dignity. "Brydan."

Brydan gives him a tired nod and takes the keys to unlock the front doors. On the outside they're wooden, carved with intricate patterns of the constellations, but on the inside they're reinforced with steel.

Brydan gets the doors open and ventures inside, Riley trailing after him to help him find the breaker.

Eli appears on the other side of the car as the headlights shut off. He's slow in approaching. "Preeminence." He bows deeper than normal which sets off my anger more. He doesn't even have the respect for me to own up to his offense. Instead my Epsilon cowers in front of me like a dog.

When he rises, my fist connects with his jaw. Clutching at his face, he stumbles back.

I tuck my hands behind me, flexing my hand. "If you ever say one more disrespectful thing about her, I'll have you locked in a cell for a week."

Eli is silent, watching me.

"She lived past her Expiration Date and she might now be dead, but you will hold your tongue, Epsilon. You will not find humor in her death. Is that understood?"

After a long pause, he drops his hands to his sides. "Yes, Preeminence."

"Adequate."

I walk into my old home, dark and abandoned, and pull out my phone to shed a light on my surroundings. The light shines against the curves of the wall. The entryway of the Estate is cylindrical. I sweep the beam of light upward until it reflects off the silver dome. This room never failed to make me feel small.

Lights flicker on, and once Riley and Brydan return, Eli seems to find it safe enough to be near me.

"Thank you, Riley, Brydan," I say. "It's appreciated."

Riley gives me a faint smile. "I know. It's nice to hear you say it though." He pats Eli on the shoulder. "Let's see if we left anything in our old rooms."

They head off, and Brydan follows me to the far end of the Estate. When we moved, we were able to organize who slept where in a more logical manner. It was like a fresh start from the forty-three-year residence here where the Tresais would be sleeping on one side of the house, and the Delta on the other.

Though Erik and I were able to have bedrooms next to each other here. It was our personal request when I was four and Erik was three, and he was about to get his own bedroom. I don't stop at my room, instead going on to Erik's. His room, besides for the layer of dust on most everything, is what it looked like the night Molly died. He didn't collect his belongings, so I offered to do it. After all, up until that point, I thought I knew Erik best. But he wouldn't confess whether her death was an accident or not, only claiming that he killed her, and doubt about someone I considered one of my closest friends had started to creep in.

That's when I was going through the drawer of his wardrobe and found the maps.

I crouch in front of that same wardrobe and pull open the drawer. Letters from Molly fill it, and without digging through them, no one would know there is more in this drawer. I'm certain Erik doesn't know that I found the maps. He doesn't even know I was the one who packed his clothes.

Brydan holds back at the door. He knows that being here is hard for me. He knows how much sorrow Erik has caused me.

I push aside the letters. There is something sacred about them. They contain the last traces of the old Erik. When he lost Molly, I lost him. These past years I've been trying to put a puzzle back together with pieces that have ripped to the point they no longer fit, and no matter what I do, I can't make the pieces connect.

Underneath them is a wooden box. I lift the lid, revealing the folded maps. Maps that will take me to the safe houses he set before we moved. Up until I discovered the maps three years ago, I didn't know he had safe houses. He never mentioned a desire to flee. Molly had just died, and I was realizing I didn't know my own cousin anymore.

I set the box to the side and close the drawer. I didn't take the box with me the first time because I was holding out hope he'd come and collect the rest of his things. I didn't want him to see them gone. I should have made copies, but at that time I still valued his trust. A drastic mistake.

The four of us will pour over the maps tonight and figure out the best path to take to hit all of the safe houses in the shortest amount of time. I rest my hands on my knees. "We'll leave in the morning," I say to Brydan, my back to him.

"I'll let Riley and Eli know." His feet clip against the dark wood floor, growing quieter the longer I listen.