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)
The Holland twins pouted, watching me leave the hall.
“Where are you going?” Arvo asked me, breaking away from the kiss to give me a perplexed look.
“Got some things to do,” I merely said, not looking back at him. He liked knowing everything that went on around the academy, but he didn’t need to know about my every move. Besides, I was doing something that he would judge me for.
Fed up with Biba’s absence, I strode through the courtyard and into the building, heading toward Biba’s room. Was she hiding from me? Hiding from everyone? It was killing me not knowing where she was or what she was doing. I used to be so in tune with her. Now, I hadn’t ever felt so disconnected from her.
I shouldn’t care. I knew that, but I did. I got so comfortable with her in my arms and by my side. Now that she was gone and I couldn’t be with her, I felt cold and alone. I couldn’t focus on anything else but the fact that my life had a gaping hole in it.
I stopped outside of her door and knocked loudly. I leaned closer to the door, trying to hear if there was any noise inside of the room. All that met my ears was pure silence. That didn’t mean she wasn’t in there. I pounded my fist against the door again, the thunderous sound echoing down the hallway. I didn’t even care that people were looking at me. I just needed to see her.
“Come on, Biba. Open the fucking door,” I grunted out beneath my breath, my heart racing. I just wanted to see her. I didn’t even need to talk to her. Desperation clutched me in a way that jarred me.
I stood there for a minute, listening and watching the doorknob. There was no sound and no movement. She wasn’t coming out, or she wasn’t even there. Hell, she could’ve been off campus somewhere or dead for all I knew. The not knowing part was what killed me.
I rested my forehead against the door, closing my eyes as my heart ached. As much as I tried to push her away, my attempts never worked. I had to face the fact that she was a part of my life, and I needed her. I couldn’t function properly without her.
My eyes slowly opened and narrowed in determination. I didn’t know where she was, but I was going to find her. And this time, I wasn’t going to let her go.
CHAPTER 7
BIBA
Voices gradually coaxed me awake, my eyelids slowly lifting. A spiritless haze filled my eyes as they shifted around the catacombs, trying to find the source of the voices. Since I was tied back up to the chair, I didn’t exactly have the option of walking around to find out.
At that point, I didn’t even know how long I had been kidnapped for. Days and nights bled together here because the only light and darkness I saw was when the torches went out and were relit by either Peter or Edward. Now that I was listening more intently, I could tell that it was them murmuring to each other by the door.
“Is having her here really necessary? We haven’t heard a word from Schmidt,” Peter asked Edward, sounding fed up.
Edward crossed his arms, clenching his jaw in annoyance.
“Don’t you remember what her father did to us?” he snapped.
“I do, and he’s dead! What does his daughter have to do with that?” Peter gritted out.
Edward laughed coldly. “Don’t tell me you’re pussying out, Peter. I don’t have time to put you in your place too,” Edward bit out in Peter’s face.
Peter shoved Edward back.
“Don’t threaten me,” he told Edward firmly.
“You act like you’re any better than me. I’m not the one who held Estrella’s death over Simone’s head,” Edward smirked as he tilted his head at Peter. “Who forced her to be Stormcloud’s headmistress to maintain your influence there. You’re just as bad as me.”
Peter looked away from Edward, shaking his head.
“I had to do something besides just killing every single one of our enemies. I made a smart move.” He defended himself.
“Tell yourself whatever you need to so that you can sleep at night,” Edward replied with an amused expression on his face.
I remained quiet as I listened to them talk, my blood running cold. Simone risked so much by trying to tell me the full truth. She wanted to try to protect me, to arm me with knowledge. Information could be as defensive as a shield. Now, I had to turn it into a sword.
The Kings, young and old, were still up to no good, driven crazy by money and power. They wouldn’t stop until there was money and blood on their hands, and it sounded like their patience for their money and full control of the school had just about ran out. That was why I was here. They were making their final moves.