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)
It was the next day, so her message had to come at any minute. As Theo and I quietly ate the roast and potatoes that was the tavern’s daily special, it was easy to notice that I wasn’t the only one who was tense because of Biba’s absence. Theo kept glancing at his phone, his foot tapping beneath the table. He was just as worried as I was.
A flash of jealousy rang through me as I stared down at my plate, picking at my roasted potatoes with disinterest. I couldn’t help but be jealous of Theo and his close relationship with Biba. When Theo arrived yesterday, I couldn’t remember seeing Biba look so happy in a long time. She gazed at him in a way that would’ve made any person drop to their knees.
Why did she have to look at him like that? Had she ever looked at me like that? I felt pathetic thinking questions along those lines, but I loved Biba. I would die for her, and I feared that she loved Theo more than she could ever love me. All I wanted was for her to care for me like I cared for her.
We had experienced plenty of intimate moments together, whether we were in bed together or not. Even before we met, we were connected in a way, and I wanted to deepen that connection. Hopefully, I’d have the chance to.
“What’s our next move once we get Biba?” I asked Theo. “Do we go after Zephyr and Arvo ourselves or report them to someone?”
Theo put down his fork, finishing chewing and swallowing before answering.
“Well, I think we have the information we need to tell Interpol about what’s been going on,” Theo replied.
“Interpol?” I questioned him, not expecting that answer. I figured we would go to the police and have them hopefully arrest Zephyr and Arvo. Then again, they had powerful fathers who could probably have them released with a snap of their fingers.
Theo nodded.
“I don’t want any more bloodshed at the school. Since this goes beyond borders, an international body should look into all of the crimes that have been committed. And there’s quite a few of them,” Theo scoffed as he shook his head. “Kings for you.”
I couldn’t even argue with him. The Kings had lost their minds over the years. Gradually, I felt less and less like a King because I didn’t want to get involved in all of the violence and bloodshed. It hurt me to feel so separated from my own legacy, but I wanted to control my own path. That meant taking down Arvo and Zephyr before they destroyed everything and everyone in their path. No matter what I did, I would be an enemy to them.
“Will that be enough? Reporting them to Interpol?” I asked him. The Kings and their fathers were more powerful than people expected them to be. Underestimating a King was a fatal mistake.
Theo didn’t say anything for a minute as he stared at his unfinished plate of food that mirrored mine. It seemed like neither of us had a big appetite. How could we when the girl we loved was in a dangerous place?
“We’ll just have to see. Do you really think we can take them ourselves?” Theo questioned me.
I wanted to believe that we could. Admittedly, Theo wasn’t weak. He could handle himself, and I believed I could do the same. Against Arvo’s and Zephyr’s joined power, along with Arvo’s cruelty, our chances of winning were slimmer than I hoped. However, if it came down to saving Biba, we would fight to the end for her.
“We might not have a choice,” I replied before glancing at my phone that was on the table near me. I pressed the power button and checked the time, my heart racing at the numbers on the screen. Biba should’ve called by now. She promised that she wouldn’t take long.
“I think something’s wrong.” Theo sighed nervously, speaking my exact thoughts. “Why hasn’t she called?”
I shook my head, dragging my fingers through my dark hair. My skin started to heat up from anxiety, sweat threatening to bead along the crown of my head.
“Something held her up,” I told him. That had to be the reason. She wouldn’t stay longer at Stormcloud if it was her own choice.
“I’ll give her another few hours. If she doesn’t reach out to us, we need to figure out our next move. Quickly,” Theo gritted out before abruptly standing and leaving the tavern.
I put my face in my hands, breathing in deeply through my nose. I didn’t want to imagine the worst. What if Zephyr and Arvo had found Biba and captured her? They wouldn’t be forgiving toward her if they knew that she was teaming up with us. I snatched my phone off the table and stared at the screen.