CHAPTER FIFTEEN #2
“Depends on the Defect.” Collin paused, then said, “You ran last night, for quite a distance.”
“I did.” And I hadn’t been alone. I swallowed, my throat tight, pushing Hal from my mind.
Collin looked conflicted as he adjusted his sleeves. “You are the first Illum Mate in a very long time. We have had several generations of Illum who have focused on societal advances and innovation rather than procreation. In taking you as my Mate, that has all changed.”
“But didn’t Tabitha tell you to take a Mate?”
“She did, and in being an extension of me, you will be watched more closely.”
My stomach dropped. “What do you mean? Aren’t they always watching?”
“The Illum cannot watch every MIND all the time. There are too many. They watch for outliers, MINDs that do not follow their rules. Anomalies. They will watch more closely if moments like last night happen again. It is a side effect of being my Mate. I understand Vincent upset you, but if you were to do that before other members of the Elite, it would create issues. Also, your yearly deemed running as detrimental to your Procreation Abilities. I have no test for you, nor am I judging you, Emeline. This mating will proceed.” Collin’s expression grew heavy.
“If the Illum take notice, I will only be able to do so much.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” I asked quietly.
“Truthfully, I didn’t think it would be necessary. Forgive me, I thought being the Mate to an Illum would either be thrilling or terrifying enough to make my Mate follow the rules. As I said, you are not what I expected.” Collin shifted.
“Being your Mate is,” I admitted quietly.
“Which one?” Collin asked quietly, leaning toward me.
I stared into those sapphire pools, the depths treacherous—dragging me under.
“I don’t know yet.” I didn’t trust him and the Illum, not after the Starlings blamed me for what had happened to Violet.
I was terrified. But there was something about the Illum before me—the power, the viciousness .
. . I wasn’t terrified of it, only how my heart raced in his presence—the thrill that ran through me when his lips met mine.
You just want to understand—figure him out, some small voice whispered to me. Even as my traitorous eyes landed on his lips.
Nora’s tinkle of laughter floated from the room beyond, and my heart thumped wildly. I put distance between us.
“I do have one favor to ask of you. If something like yesterday happens again”—Collin cleared his throat—“if you feel you need to run from something, I ask that you run to me. You may contact me anytime, and I shall assure your safety.”
He looked at me expectantly, and I murmured, “All right.”
“We should join them. I assume you’re starving.” Collin stood, and I placed my glowing hand in his extended one, unsure what to say. His hand wrapped around mine, dwarfing it, as he led me up the stairs.
“You had something to say earlier when they were eavesdropping,” Collin said, pausing at the top of the stairs. “You were biting your lip.”
I released my lip I was once again holding.
I wanted to know what had kept him away from the dinner, what it meant that he was the Enforcer.
What had happened to Violet and Rose and whether he was behind it.
I wanted to know about the Elimination Act, why the Elite hid so much from the Minors, and why the Majors weren’t the monsters they led us to believe.
I wanted to know more about the people’s uprising.
I wanted to know why he had chosen me with my defect when he could have had anyone.
Whether the kiss had meant anything to him.
If my hand in his had the same effect on him as it did on me.
My heart stuttered as his hand tightened around mine. “Nothing.”
“All right,” Collin said as he led the way. I swore that disappointment swam in his endless blue depths.
We entered a cozy solarium. From this height, on a cloudless day, Collin told me, he could see the entire city, all the way to Low Town.
Right now, thick, heavy rain clouds whirled restlessly all around us, as tempestuous as my thoughts.
Phillip sat at the black oval table, his back to the window, tending to the tea service set out, handing Nora a cup.
She glanced our way, the ghost of a laugh still on her stunning face.
“There you two are. Emeline, they said this is all yours.” Nora gestured to the spot in front of Phillip. I stared in shock at the four separate plates filled with food. “Exactly how far did you run last night?”
“Just over ten kilometers,” Phillip answered.
Nora’s eyebrows raised. “You did that on a whim in a dress and heels?”
“I did it barefoot.”
“Your shoes are in my room,” Collin said as he pulled out my chair and took the seat next to me. “Phillip brought them.”
“Thank you,” I muttered as I grabbed my tea.
“Do you like to run?” Nora asked. “I have never seen the point.”
As an Elite with an Illum sibling and her life in the clouds, what could she need to run from? “I did when it was permitted.”
Nora hummed appreciatively as she sipped her tea. “You make the best cup of tea, Phillip.”
He smiled. It was the first time I had seen him do so, and he instantly looked younger. “After two decades, I’d like to think I can get it right.”
“You’d be surprised. This one”—she gestured to Collin—“never puts enough honey in it.”
Collin shook his head. “Most people enjoy tea with honey, not the other way around.”
Nora rolled her eyes, leaning into Phillip, her head resting on his shoulder. The movement was effortless, like they had done it a thousand times. Phillip tilted his head toward hers. I stared at the two of them, the closeness.
Nora noticed, smiling as she sat up. “We’ve known each other almost our whole lives. We are the same age. We grew up together at the Academy.” She scrunched her nose at Phillip.
The tea was bitter—like me. I set it down. “I didn’t know how you take your tea,” Phillip commented. He knew Nora, and I was a stranger.
“Were you guys ever Mated?” I asked. Phillip and Nora laughed.
“Never, could you imagine?” Nora said, placing a hand on Phillip’s shoulder. Phillip shook his head, his curls bouncing. Collin downed his cup of tea, pouring another. “I used to joke that while I had a twin”—she pursed her lips at Collin—“I also had a brother.”
Phillip and I locked eyes. Nora withdrew her hand.
I took another sip of tea, hoping the heat would burn away the knot in my throat.
I forced myself to focus on the aspect of her comment that didn’t twist the dagger in my chest. The side of my leg grew warm as Collin leaned forward.
He placed a spoonful of a golden substance into my tea without a word.
I glanced down to see Collin’s leg still warm against mine.
“Twins?” I asked, looking between Nora and Collin. Twins were unheard of.
They shared a look before Collin answered: “Yes, we were the first documented case in several hundred years.”
“Your birth parents must be thrilled.” I took a sip of tea, a sweetness there from Collin’s addition.
Collin nodded, a shadow crossing his features. “They were.”
A silence fell, and we turned to our plates. The taste of their food reminded me just how ravenous I was, and I tried to pace myself, the others all taking polite bites in silence. My stomach rejoiced.
Recognizing the gold-dusted chocolates, I reached for them, then hesitated. Was I allowed to eat them now? Was there a polite way to eat this much food?
“We are alone, Emeline,” Collin said. “Eat the chocolate whenever you please.”
My eyes went to Phillip and Nora.
“They do not count,” Collin told me.
“That’s rude,” Nora claimed haughtily.
“You wound me,” Phillip said as his hand found his chest.
“I’ve watched you eat an entire chocolate cake in one sitting, Nora,” Collin retorted, taking a bite.
“I’ve seen her eat two,” Phillip countered, smiling, staring at Nora like she was the only one there.
“I dislike you both,” Nora insisted as she eyed the chocolates.
Phillip leaned forward, his curls swaying. “You’ll change your mind in a few minutes. Your tea is almost empty.”
Nora shook her head, stabbing her food. I snagged a chocolate, eating it before offering the plate to Nora. She grinned at me, taking one. I chewed the chocolate, trying to understand their closeness. It was all so informal. There were no Defects waiting on them.
“Is this your only residence?” I asked.
“What do you mean?” Collin inquired.
“I expected more grandeur for a member of the Illum,” I confessed. While it was beautiful, there were none of the ostentatious displays of most of the other spaces I had seen in the clouds.
“This is my only residence,” Collin told me. “This is my private floor. I created it for myself and those close to me. The floor below contains my formal quarters, which is what the outside world sees. It is every bit as grandiose as you would assume. The dinner will be held there.”
The rest of the world seemed an exaggeration. The Elite saw it.
“Speaking of the dinner,” Nora started—Phillip whooshed a breath, looking at the glass ceiling—“William mentioned at our last Courting that many Elite are becoming increasingly concerned with the frequency of the mishaps.” Nora side-eyed me.
“William is Nora’s current Mate,” Collin told me. I wondered what he meant by current. Did Elite women switch Mates?
“My dear brother is kind enough to let me stay here during my Courting Phase,” Nora told me before returning her attention to her brother. “Did you resolve everything last night? I didn’t hear either of you return.”
“Do you all live here?” I asked them.
“For now, yes,” Collin explained. “Phillip is here until we move into our procreation phase. Nora is here until her own procreation phase. Elite women are housed by their relatives between Mates.”
“Did you?” Nora prompted again.
“We handled it. It wasn’t resolved,” Collin informed her. He folded his hands on the table, his food only half eaten.