Iris~~

When we arrive at the Preeminence of Acquaellia's home, we're told he's not in residence and shown to the pool deck where we're his other guests are relaxing.

The pool deck overlooks a series of lakes that from here seem like puddles, and he pool, a turquoise blue, curves in the shape of a lowercase m, but the view isn't enough to distract me from the four guests.

Stepping back, I grab Jonas's hand and shift my right arm toward my back as Percy and the woman beside him, Elisana, look up. We didn't expect to have to share our news with family so soon.

Colton and Vienna twist around, looking over their shoulders, and it feels as if someone has tied my throat in a knot. When Preeminence Moretti led us from the ballroom to our fates, Colton did nothing, and now seeing him here, I think I know why.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Erik popped out of the water," Jonas mutters.

Colton pushes back his chair and stands. "Brother."

Jonas nods curtly.

The Beta's eyes shift to mine, and they seem unsure, anxious. "Iris."

My lips press into a flat line. I thought Jonas and I were being led to our deaths. I thought Colton would save us. I counted on that. On him. But he must have struck some deal with Leorus regarding him and Vienna, something that would ensure the Head Preeminence did not have his plans for us interfered with: his plan to have me play the role of live prey thrown into an exhibit to feed a predator.

I begin to tremble.

Odette isn't here. She's locked up. All the way on another continent.

But didn't I tell myself when I was on Earth that she was all the way on another planet? And look what still happened.

The four of themONLYONWATTPADBENDERapproach us, Percy at the forefront. I wonder how his babysitting gig has been going for him.

Jonas lets go of my hand to shift his new mark toward his back.

"Preeminence," Percy bows, all decorum and grace.

"Didn't you hear?" Jonas's voice drawls. "The Head Order revoked my title."

Both his cousins flinch.

Jonas slides his right arm around my back, fully hiding his new mark. "Is she here to ensure you stay in whatever parameters Leorus gave you?" He jerks his head toward Elisana who pales.

Colton shifts his eyes to her. "I'm still trying to figure that out myself."

The door behind us opens, and Jonas and I turn around quickly only to find an attendant holding a tray of water and fruit and not a weapon.

Percy swears.

I clench my fingers of my right hand, my arm of which is now visible.

"Tell me you didn't," Percy says in English and grabs Jonas by the shoulder, whipping him around to face him.

"Is there a reason why we shouldn't have?" Jonas's voice is cold.

"You were just arrested and lost your title. One would think you have much larger problems to deal with than settling down and sleeping with your girlfriend."

"My wife you mean."

A muscle in Percy's jaw ticks. "Don't you think this will only further infuriate Leorus once he learns of it?"

"He was the one who originally approved my request to marry Iris in the first place."

"You should have waited until you were back on Earth and—"

"And what Percy? I lose my title and you suddenly feel you have the right to speak to me like this?"

Percy blanches. "I'm not speaking as the Iota. I'm speaking as your cousin who loves you."

Sensing an imminent explosion, I slide my hand up onto Jonas's shoulder. "I'm feeling tired from the drive. Maybe we could lay down for a few minutes."

Jonas sighs and places his hand up over mine. I know he's aware I'm trying to diffuse the situation. "Okay."

As we walk away, I glance over my shoulder to see Percy staring at us with his arms crossed. My eyes shift and meet Colton's. I flinch, turning back around.

One of the servants shows us to where we'll be staying on the second floor, and they leave us to settle in. I open the doors to the balcony, only to see the pool and hear the voices of Percy and Colton arguing about our marriage. With a resigned sigh, I shut the door.

Jonas has sunk down onto the edge of the bed, the dark emerald green comforter wrinkling under him. His shoulders sag as if there were bricks resting on each one.

Sitting down beside him, I rub my hand against his back.

"I would have expected that from Colton before Percy." Jonas frowns. "I don't know why I thought they'd be happy for us."

"Because they're our family?"

He lets out a half-hearted laugh.

"Should we stay and wait for Preeminence Torellae to return or do we go on to another Order and come back?"

"I think we should stay. If he arrives tomorrow and finds we've left, he'll assume we don't possess a shred of patience."

I rest my head on his shoulder and slide my hand into his, eager to distract him. "Tell me about the kind of dog you're thinking."

The two of us remain in our room until dinner. Only the six of us are seated for dinner. The Preeminence's wife and son aren't home either. Colton and Percy seem determined to ignore the fact we're married now, and as they discuss the rest of Elleany's Order and who they miss the most, it doesn't escape my notice that Colton never mentions Gwen.

Vienna, seated beside me on my right, leans over to speak into my ear. "Can I see?"

I smile at her, sincerely, and hold up my arm, revealing my new mark.

She examines it, tracing the lines with her fingertip. "It's beautiful."

"Thank you."

"You're finally a Blackwood." There isn't a trace of envy in her voice. "Do you feel any different?"

"Not really. I can't even say I miss Levine." For the longest time I did like it. Levine was my connection to my parents. But my uncle ruined it for me.

Vienna steals a glance at Colton across from her as he cuts into his meat. "He is happy for you. It just might take him awhile to say it."

Colton raises his eyes, and I look away, my stomach twisting. Last year the idea of trusting Colton was absurd, but somehow, I did end up trusting him and he wasn't there when I was flailing.

After dinner we all try to have drinks in the lounge together, but every time Percy or Jonas look at each other, I can tell one of them wants to say something to the other that's only going to start a fight. Because of that, Jonas and I decide to retire early to bed. And I prefer that, because I'm worried that if I have more than one drink around Colton, I'm going to end up telling him how I'm feeling, and it honestly sounds better that he never knows how betrayed I felt—how he finally managed to hurt me.

*****

I awake to a thump. The lights in the bedroom are off, and Jonas's arms are no longer around me like they were when I fell asleep. There's a grunt followed by heavy breathing.

"Jonas?" Déjà vu creeping over me, I sit up, and my eyes adjusting, I make out two forms wrestling. One is Jonas; the other is masked, and Jonas slams them into the wall.

I quickly hop out of the bed just as the intruder lands a punch in Jonas's stomach. Jonas's hold falters.

The intruder tries to land another punch, but Jonas wraps his hand around their wrist, while his other grabs hold of their throat.

"Who sent you?" Jonas's voice, darker than the room, sends fear running down my back.

The intruder doesn't struggle, and apprehension boils in me.

"Well?"

It happens in a blink. The intruder brings their leg up, driving their knee between Jonas's legs. Jonas lets out a grunt and releases his hold on them enough they're able to slip along the wall. Pulling out a knife, the intruder puts their back to the doors leading out to the balcony, one of which is open. I'm able to make out their hair is a shade of red, but their nose and mouth are covered by a mask. They're tall, their shoulders wide while the rest of their torso narrows.

They move for me, their knife out. I grab hold of their wrists, using their momentum to whirl them around and bend their arm back.

They kick out at my leg, and I jump back rather than trying to hold my ground and stumble into them. They slash their knife up, and I raise my left arm to keep them away from my neck. The blade slices through my skin, and I let out a hiss, reeling back but still keeping my arm up, though it's a struggle.

Jonas calls my name and instead of using his distraction to their advantage, they run through the open balcony door. Rather than going after them, Jonas slams the door shut and locks it. He grabs the end of the nearest piece of furniture, a desk, and begins dragging it toward the doors.

I grab the other end.

"No. Your arm."

"It's fine." I shove the desk while Jonas pulls, and once it's blocking the doors, he comes around to look at my arm. The cut doesn't seem deep, but blood runs down my arm to my wrist, and it stings. I cover it with my palm to staunch the flow. "It can be dealt with later. You need to call someone. I didn't notice a ladder so it's possible he climbed onto another balcony and is inside."

From the nightstand, Jonas grabs his phone and makes a call. He explains to whoever is on the other end what's happened. When he puts his phone down, he says they're going to search both the grounds and the mansion.

"Now please let me take care of your arm."

I nod, and he looks relieved as he leads me to the bathroom where he helps me up onto the white countertop. It's cold against my legs only covered by shorts. The gray material now has drops of blood splattered over it.

Jonas bends down, looking through the cabinets until he pulls out a brown box. Setting it beside me, he opens it. Inside are bandages, gauze, an assortment of glass bottles of different colors, and round pads of cotton. He plucks a blue bottle from the kit and a few pads. He places a dry one against the cut. The bleeding has slowed at this point, and he gently wipes at the blood covering the cut.

Even after experiencing a fight, my body is freezing in this bathroom. If Jonas is as well, shirtless with only his gray sweats sitting low on his hips, he doesn't show it. His eyes are trained on my wound. He looks so focused, one would think he was performing brain surgery.

There's a knock on the door, and he draws back, grabbing another pad. "Can you hold this against your arm until I'm back?"

While I do, he steps out of the bathroom. I hear him get confirmation on who it is before I hear the door open. Jonas goes into detail about what occurred, and heavy footsteps, booted, tread around the bedroom. Through the door, I catch a glimpse of a few Veil.

It's not long before Jonas returns to the bathroom.

"No word?"

He shakes his head before pouring liquid from the blue bottle onto one of the round pads. He wipes it across the cut, and I clench my teeth.

A Veil walks past the bathroom door.

"Do you think Leorus sent them?" I whisper.

"Probably."

"Then why not kill us when he had us?"

"Maybe he's opposed to publicly having the blood of a Preeminence on his hands. Even a former one." He places a clean cotton pad over the wound and wraps the gauze around it, holding it in place. It covers up the 08 in my Mark.

"This feels familiar."

His lip quirks up. "Wait here."

He's gone for less than a minute and when he returns, he holds a maroon silk dressing robe in one hand and a t-shirt in the other. "Do you want it?"

I rub at the goosebumps on my arm. "Please."

As he shuts the door, I slide off the counter and pull it on while he tugs on his shirt. I tie the sash around my waist.

"If they were sent to kill us, I don't know why they ran so quickly."

I wrap my arms around him, resting my cheek against his chest. I could have lost him.

"Do you want to go back?"

I hesitate. "No. No, I don't. I don't want Leorus to win." I look up at Jonas. "Is there any chance I could convince you to return to Elleany while I stay and persuade everyone that your title should be restored?"

"Iris, if my choice is between my title or you, I choose you."

"Then don't let it be a choice. We stay purely for the purpose of vengeance."

"Purely?"

"And maybe also pride."

He arches an eyebrow.

"And it would be rather satisfying, wouldn't it?"

"If you're certain . . ."

"Who doesn't want their honeymoon steeped in revenge?"

He takes my face in his hands. "When we get back, I'll take you on a real one. I promise."

He presses his lips against mine. The kiss is slow, gentle, reverent, as if he's committing the feel of my lips to memory, the way my face fits in his hands.

I tighten my arms around his back.

He draws away. "We should really go out there."

I clutch his shirt in my fingers. "The Veil seem capable."

"I'm sure Colton will be arriving any minute."

I tense. "And Percy."

"I don't know how much more of his ire I can take."

I pull him toward the door. "Stop being dramatic."

This chapter of course reminded me of Bently, and now I miss him, but he's dealing with his own problems on Earth right now.