“Gimme a break,” I called to him. “You and I both know I’m not a part of the Kings thing, not really. I’m a . . . an extraneous part. Zephyr doesn’t tell me what you guys are doing.”
He turned back. “That doesn’t mean you won’t tell him.”
“You’re the one who came out here for me, Sol,” I answered in exasperation. “I’ve never been anything but straight with you, so tell me what you’re gonna tell me.”
Why didn’t I just tell him to screw off and enjoy the rest of my walk? Something was drawing me closer, demanding that I find out whatever was tearing into him. Sol slowly walked back, his voluminous mane waving in the breeze, his green eyes flashing in the sun, locked in on me.
“Something’s going on, Biba,” he whispered. “Something dangerous.”
“You think I don’t know that? There isn’t a day that goes by I don’t think of the knife that almost ended my life.”
I gritted my teeth and stifled the emotion well up inside. I wouldn’t let my emotions get the best of me. Besides, Sol was already responding.
“I’m not talking about that. There’s—” he cut himself off and looked back at the mountains. “Jesus, what am I doing? I don’t even know what I’m up against. But you’re the only one I can talk to.”
I didn’t have the first clue what he was talking about, but either Sol was the actor of the century, or something was genuinely tormenting him.
Without an idea of what to say to him, I placed my hand on his sunken, smooth cheek. His expression melted. Even a little human contact was too much for him to handle. But he didn’t retreat.
“I’m frozen out, Biba.”
“What does that mean?”
“All those meetings that Zephyr’s going to— they’re happening with just him and Arvo. I’m on the outside all of a sudden. I try talking to Zeph. He tells me activities are on hold because of Schmidt, but I know that’s not the case.”
I clammed up, remembering the Dean’s fiery warning to me. He intended to smash the Kings into a million pieces.
“How do you know he and Arvo are meeting?”
“I tailed Tess a few days ago. Arvo is too snaky to track, but his girl . . . they don’t separate unless he’s meeting with Zephyr. She was on her own, in the gym, three nights in a row, the exact times that the Kings normally meet.”
“But that doesn’t make any sense. Zeph loves you. He trusts you completely. He’s told me as much.”
“But something has changed. I’m being followed.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “What? That’s crazy.”
“I know the kids Arvo and Zeph would have tailing me. I see them outside my classes, in the halls near my room, even jogging on the same trails I do. That’s why I came out here to find you. Mont Fer is totally exposed. I would know immediately if we were being watched.”
For nearly a minute, I didn’t respond. I couldn’t tell if Sol was lying or crazy or on to something. Only this was sure: I hadn’t seen him and Zephyr together in a while. But he was the most loyal of the Kings. It wasn’t possible that Zephyr would marginalize him.
“What do you want me to do?” I replied finally.
“Guys have been killed for crossing the Kings, Biba. I know I haven’t done anything wrong, but I need Zephyr to know that. You have to tell him.”
“Hang on. First, I’m not supposed to talk to him, then I’m supposed to deliver a message—?”
“He can’t know that I suspect something, or he’ll think this is a ploy. But he’ll listen to you. You know I’m reliable. I’ve got the Kings’ interests in my heart. Just find a way to convince Zephyr to meet with me, one on one, so I can find out what’s wrong.”
There was such openness and pain in his voice—it caught me off-guard. The Kings were not supposed to be vulnerable or afraid, and yet Sol was, appealing to my better nature and fondness for him.
I wanted to agree. His need was almost magnetic. But I also knew I couldn’t do what he asked. The Kings were bigger than me, him, or even Zephyr. If forces were aligned against Sol, I couldn’t help him. And siding with him would put my safety in doubt.
I couldn’t say yes, but I wasn’t strong enough to say no.
So I told him I’d think about it and walked away before he could speak again.
CHAPTER 12