Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
“Why did they let you stay in control for so long?” Theo questioned me.
“I was just a placeholder. If Arvo made a move against me, my father wouldn’t have been happy. Arvo and his father were trying to act innocent in the background while having an ulterior motive. That’s easier when I’m the face of the Kings,” I replied.
“Arvo can’t possibly think he can rule Stormcloud by himself now that his father is gone, especially with us against him,” Sol pointed out with a shake of his head. “That’s suicide.”
“He wants that money,” I said with a shrug. “If he can get the dean to crack, he can still get the money, whether we’re against him or not. When he gets the money, he’ll probably just go off-grid. Start another generation of Kings elsewhere.”
The cycle would repeat. I didn’t want that to happen, whether that was at Stormcloud or not. Arvo was a danger to society, and that money would make him even more lethal and manipulative. He could have anything he wanted, and that was a nightmare to think about. We had to stop him now before it was too late.
“We can’t let that happen,” Sol replied with a grave look on his face. “We have one shot to kill him now. We need to take it.”
Theo nodded in agreement.
“He’ll figure out that his father is dead soon. That’ll make him crazier,” he pointed out.
I drew in a long breath, knowing that all hell was about to break loose. What happened in the catacombs was a pillow fight compared to what would happen when we faced off with Arvo. He didn’t have anything to lose, which made him ten times more dangerous.
“We need to get you fixed up before we do anything,” I told Sol. He wasn’t critically injured, but it would slow him down, especially if he didn’t get his wound stitched up.
“There’s a doctor in the village,” Theo said. “I can take him there to get stitched up.”
“Would you?” Biba asked him with a warm look on her face.
“Of course,” Theo replied, sharing a smile with her. He rose to his feet and helped Sol off the bed, helping him shuffle his way toward the door.
“I’m going to take a shower,” Biba said, her eyes lingering on mine before she disappeared into the bathroom. I noticed that she left the bathroom door cracked.
When Theo and Sol left the room, my eyes shifted to the door as the shower was turned on. I was finally alone with Biba, and there were so many things that I wanted to tell her. If I was going to finally say them, it needed to be now.
I pushed open the bathroom door and stepped inside, shutting the door behind me. Biba was already in the shower, her clothes in a pile on the floor. I stripped mine off, feeling my heart race as I approached the curtain.
When I pulled the curtain back. Biba glanced over her shoulder at me, giving me a small smile. It seemed like she felt all sorts of emotions. Nervousness. Confusion. Happiness. Hope. I had a feeling she didn’t know what to feel because of what happened between us. I stepped into the shower and took hold of her waist, spinning her around to face me.
“I’m sorry, Biba,” I said. Damn, no words were enough to express how guilty I felt. I had all of these thoughts and emotions regarding Biba and how I felt about her, and I couldn’t even form them into sentences.
Biba gazed up at me, holding her hands together against her chest. She hadn’t reached out to me yet, which killed me. I needed her to want me back.
“I shouldn’t have listened to Arvo. He got in my head and turned me against you,” I told her as I watched droplets of water cascade down her beautiful face. I wanted to kiss her so badly, but I stood my ground. She had to come to me, and I needed to make sure that I was forgiven before reaching out to her again. “I regret everything I did that hurt you.”
“What changed, Zephyr? What made you care for me again?” Biba asked me.
“I never stopped caring for you. Deep down,” I assured her. The feelings were always there, but they had been buried beneath feelings of hurt when I thought she betrayed me. I was blinded by Arvo’s influence and my own emotions. Now, everything was clear to me at last, and I had a lot of mistakes to fix.
Biba’s face softened.
“It killed me when you pushed me away,” she admitted. “I missed you so much. I thought we’d never talk to each other again. Especially on friendly terms.”
“I don’t want to be your friend, Biba,” I told her. I never wanted to be her friend. I wanted more. I always had. “I’ve thought about you every single day, and when I found out you were kidnapped… I don’t think I’ve ever felt so worried before.”