Exported [Book 3 in the Expiring Series]

56 Wisterias

Colton~~

Golden light from the street lamps casts itself on pink mauve wisterias that sway in the night breeze and cover the flower shop's façade. Lavender dahlias wrapped around the frame of the door remain transfixed. Abella walks under that archway of flowers and wipes the back of her hand against her forehead before her weary eyes settle on my brother. Jonas keeps his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes narrowed and face taut as he speaks with one of the French soldiers in charge of the scene.

Only Abella is here, her twin tucked away in his palace—the situation deemed too dangerous that it'd be a risk to bring both royal siblings.

The soldiers erected a barricade of fence and tape around the area, evacuating the four closest businesses. Anyone who approaches the perimeter is ordered to move on. Mid'haa is in the back of an ambulance. They haven't been able to get her to wake up, and I wonder if Odette gave her some concoction similar to what was in those darts Erik and I were hit with.

Despite the situation, the terse atmosphere, my body is tempted to curl up on the nearest bench and let that breeze lull me to sleep even if my arms and legs won't stop shaking.

Sebastian sidles up beside me, a disposable mug in his hand, the string of a tea bag hanging along the side of the cup. A girl no older than us is beside him, balancing four cups in a drink carrier. Sebastian merely angles his chin in the direction of the carrier and then tilts his head toward me. The girl's eyes are wide as they dart between me, my cousin, and the drinks.

Sighing, Sebastian says, "The plain coffee."

The girl bites her lip as she struggles to keep hold of the drinks while retrieving mine. I step forward and take the one her hand is heading for before the drinks can topple to the ground.

As I raise the cup to my lips, I say, "Thank you" to my cousin who merely grunts and sips from his cup.

With his hands in the pockets of his blazer, Tobias walks up to us, Erik prowling on his heels.

Sebastian doesn't bother with vague head motions and instead asks the girl which cup is which and directs her to give the correct beverages to Tobias and Erik. While Tobias wraps his hands around his mug of juice like it's a hot cider and not a cold—or lukewarm at best—

beverage, Erik pulls a flask out from his blazer and pours it into his latte.

"We'll be here for a while," Tobias says speaking to us while eyeing the girl, distrust lacing his gaze.

"The final drink is for the Preeminence." Sebastian doesn't bother looking at her as he says this, instead pointing to my brother where he stands beside the ambulance.

"The Preeminence?" Her voice wobbles.

"Yes." Sebastian angles himself toward Erik. "Any word on Mid'haa?"

Erik shakes his head.

"I cannot speak to the Preeminence." The girl's throat bobs.

Sebastian rolls his eyes at her. "You spoke to me. I fail to see how that's any different. Go."

Her feet are planted firmly to the cobblestone.

"A waste of my time," he mutters before walking her over to Jonas. I don't have to ask to know it's a coffee with milk only.

Erik rotates his wrist that holds the mug, blending the coffee and whiskey as Vienna slips in place beside me. I take a large pull from my coffee even as my jittery arms and racing heart scream at me not to.