“I’ll think about it,” I said. That was the only answer that I could give him. I couldn’t risk anything reckless right now.
Sol sighed softly, but he nodded, giving my hand a squeeze.
“Thank you,” he told me. “Just don’t tell anyone about us meeting, okay?”
If I did, that wouldn’t be good for me either. Not only had I met with Sol, but I’d also met with the Dean. Two people on Zephyr’s shit list.
“I won’t. You should probably get out of here,” I replied. I didn’t want him to leave already, but I was afraid of the possibility of someone seeing us together and reporting back to Zephyr. I had a feeling that I would see him again sometime soon, whether that was in real life or in my dreams.
It would be nice for the Kings to not be fighting or being untrusting of each other like this. They were supposed to be a unified group, but power did tear people apart. Power showed the worst in people. Even Zephyr could be cruel, but he was consistent. When it came to him, I knew what to expect.
When it came to Sol, he was a mystery. I still wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or bad thing. The surprise of him was thrilling, but it could be worrying as well. It just depended on the circumstance. Right now, it was worrying because I didn’t know what he was up to and how that would affect me and everyone else around me.
Sol nodded, his hand lingering on mine before he finally let it go. He gave me the faintest of smiles. It was almost easy to miss, but I saw the warmth in it.
“Bye, Biba,” he said, sounding as sad and longing as I felt. He turned and hurried off, leaving me in the lot behind the store.
I wasn’t really in the mood for shopping anymore, but Zephyr would be suspicious if I came back empty-handed. I didn’t feel like trying on the dresses, but I knew the dress was my size. It would just have to work. It would have to be me, or I would become the woman who belonged in that dress.
I had to be someone strong, someone fiery. I wasn’t sure I would survive if I didn’t become that bold of a person. So many people wanted to rely on me or to use me. I couldn’t let myself become a stepping stone. I had to think of my outcome too. That meant weighing my options carefully and making sure that I didn’t die for someone else’s agenda.
CHAPTER 7
ZEPHYR
A sweet burn sizzled down my throat as I took a sip of brandy, settling back in my throne. I believed the brandy had been ageing in the cellar for around 150 years, and it did wonders for the flavor. I also needed a drink right now, whether it was vintage liquor or cheap garbage from a liquor store.
Arvo lingered near the dark pool in front of me, finishing off his glass of brandy without even bothering to savor the taste. He tended to do that a lot with an array of different things. Special moments. Accomplishments. Women.
“Alright, what’s first?” I asked as I rested the hand holding my glass on my right thigh. Arvo and I had Kings matters to discuss today, so I sent Biba out into town to shop. There were things to be discussed today that I couldn’t risk being exposed.
“Dean Schmidt, of course,” Arvo replied, gazing down at his rippling reflection. “He’s always going to be a problem.”
He probably wasn’t wrong. Dean Schmidt had a vendetta against the Kings that he wasn’t going to give up. Unless we forced him.
“Funny how the Kings have funded this school. His school. Yet, he does everything in his power to take ours away,” I commented with a bitter tone. Talk about a lack of gratitude. It was almost like he wanted to take credit for our hard work and our money.
“He wants to be the big man, the ruler,” Arvo scoffed as he shook his head. “We could crush him like the pest he is.”
I tapped my fingers against the side of my glass, wishing there was an easy way to get Schmidt to back off. He wasn’t going to take the Kings down. We weren’t going anywhere.
“We need to scare him,” I replied.
“Scare him? That’s temporary,” Arvo told me. “We need to do something permanent to stop him.”
I gave him a pointed look, knowing what he was hinting at.
“We can’t kill him,” I said as an annoyed look appeared on his face. “Do you really want to stir that much trouble up for us? I don’t want to deal with the heat that’ll follow if we kill him.”
“We’ll do things your way, but if that doesn’t work, we’re putting him six feet under,” Arvo replied firmly. “The Kings can’t prosper if we’re fighting off problems left and right all the time.”