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)
“Whatever,” Peter muttered bitterly, waving his hand dismissively. “Zephyr has been asking questions. I have to tell him about Biba.”
“Do you trust him? Or is he wishy-washy like his father?” Edward replied in a challenging tone.
“Do not question me or my son’s loyalty,” Peter gritted out, leaning closer to Edward.
Edward didn’t look fazed in the slightest. He merely chuckled lowly and left the room, leaving Peter to fume as he dug his phone out of his pocket.
I couldn’t keep my heart from racing at the sound of Zephyr’s name. It felt like I hadn’t seen him in forever, and even if I shouldn’t care about him, I still did deep down. We shared a connection with each other, and it broke my heart that the power-hungry side of him dismissed what we shared. Now, we were essentially enemies, and I was surprised to hear that he didn’t have anything to do with my kidnapping.
How would he react? Would he even care? I dug the tips of my shoes into the ground as I shifted impatiently in the chair, wishing that I could get the hell out of here and do something about the Kings’ plan to take over Stormcloud. Time was running out, and I felt useless and like a liability here.
“Zephyr, Edward and I have Biba,” Peter said, putting his back to me as he spoke to his son over the phone.
I listened closely, wishing I could hear what Zephyr was saying. I couldn’t even get any clues from Peter’s expression since he wasn’t facing me. I dug my fingertips into the arms of the chair, frustration sparking in me.
“She’s in a safe location until we figure out what to do with her,” Peter spoke again. “Don’t do anything or say anything. Just stand by.”
I frowned as I lowered my eyes. I knew how Zephyr was with his father. He would follow his father’s orders, which meant that I was stuck here until Peter and Edward figured out a use for me or determined that I was useless and discarded me. At least it would end this torture.
When Peter hung up, he turned and peered at me, seeming to realize that I was watching and listening to him. He strode over to me and tucked his phone back into the back pocket of his khaki pants.
“Don’t worry. This will all be over very soon,” he assured me.
I narrowed my eyes.
“You mean, all of my friends will be dead, and you’ll fill Stormcloud’s halls with blood,” I replied with a sneer. Even if he seemed to advocate for me, I still didn’t see him as a good person. He used Simone, and there was no telling what other awful things he had done.
Peter’s jaw clenched.
“Stormcloud has always belonged to the Kings. The sooner people accept that, the better things will be for them,” he said in a low, intense voice.
“The time of the Kings deserves to end,” I told him. There didn’t need to be a power-hungry ruling party like them at an academy full of innocent students. They preyed on the weak, thinking they were destined to be the strongest.
Peter shook his head at me.
“Having that mindset will get you killed,” he warned me.
“Evidently, just being my father’s daughter can get me killed,” I replied evenly, holding his gaze. I was exhausted, barely hanging onto the hope that I had left, but I wasn’t going to bend to their will. I was in this fight alone until someone found me, and I had to consider the possibility that no one would.
Peter gave me a hard stare before turning away from me and leaving the catacombs, the door loudly thudding shut behind him.
With each second that passed, my fiery attitude gradually simmered down into a faint glow. It was hard to be defiant when I was tied to a chair. My thoughts soon shifted to Zephyr, wondering what he was doing and what he was thinking. Then, I thought about Theo and Sol. What were they doing? What were they thinking?
Would I ever see all three of them again?
CHAPTER 8
ZEPHYR
My heavy, quick footsteps echoed up and down Stormcloud’s halls as I headed to the King’s Hall. My jaw was clenched so tightly that my teeth ached, but I didn’t give a damn. What I gave a damn about was the fact that my father and Arvo’s father had kidnapped Biba.
No one brought it to my attention that Biba was to be kidnapped and held captive for whatever insane reason was on their minds. Even if Biba wasn’t on our side, she didn’t need to be kidnapped, and the thought of whatever they were possibly doing to her made my stomach twist. My father could be harsh, but Arvo’s father was a whole other story. Biba wasn’t safe around him.
Now, I had to see if Arvo was a part of this plan and didn’t tell me. This entire situation was ridiculous, and I wanted it to end. I wanted them to free Biba and focus on making a smart move to gain control of Stormcloud and our money. We needed to focus on Schmidt instead.