The Kings weren’t very open when it came to their emotions. They believed any sort of showing of weakness could be a death sentence. All of that came from their fathers and the violent legacy that came before the current Kings. Trauma trickled down.
Now that I thought about it, a lot of the men in my life faced trauma stemming from their fathers. Theo and Sol’s fathers were dead. Zephyr’s father was demanding and remote. Now, I knew that Arvo’s father was abusive.
I believed that Arvo faced the worst burden, despite his faults. As far as I knew, Zephyr’s father hadn’t laid a hand on him, and I hoped that didn’t change. It was terrible that Theo and Sol lost their fathers. That was a pain that I was very familiar with.
“Well, at least you’re away from him when you’re here,” I said as I coaxed a smile onto my face for him. “You can have plenty of fun here.”
Arvo seemed relieved that I had moved on from our previous conversation. He looked relaxed and casual like usual.
“I sure can,” he murmured as he moved across the water toward me. His hands reached beneath the surface of the water, sliding up my legs as they gradually parted for him to slip between.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, drawing him closer to me as my breath quickened. This was the Arvo that I was used to, but I couldn’t help but think about his scar and picture the hurt, scared child that he used to be. What parts of his past had shaped him into the person that he was today?
What else did I not know about him and how much of a weakness was that for me?
CHAPTER 11
BIBA
I pitched yet another look over my shoulder as I lingered near my old supply closet, searching the hallways for one of the Kings’ freshmen spies. It always felt like I had eyes on me, whether they were Zephyr’s or Arvo’s. Even the freshmen spies’ eyes counted as the Kings’ eyes.
Today, I needed to be away from Zephyr for a little while. I loved being around him and how I felt when we were together, but he had been watching me so closely lately. He tracked every movement I made and asked about my plans each day. I had to tell him because I knew his spies would tell him if I lied, and I didn’t want to deal with the fallout of that.
I didn’t know what was going on with Zephyr, but he seemed more on edge than usual, especially around me. It made me uneasy, and I hated being in the dark when it came to the Kings and this school. It was time to uncover more truths.
I walked over to my first room, knocking on the wooden door before taking a step back. A hopeful look formed on my face as I stared at the door, needing it to open. I couldn’t do this alone, and I couldn’t be with anyone tied to the Kings. There was only one person I could trust.
After a few moments, the door swung open and Buffy appeared in the doorway. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of me, and I almost thought that she would close herself back in her room. She remained still, though.
“Oh, hey,” Buffy said as tension filled the space between us.
I shifted on my feet awkwardly. I hadn’t seen her since the night Amelia was killed. So much had happened, and we hadn’t shared a word since then. I could imagine how odd it was for me to suddenly show up at her door, but I needed her help.
“I’m sorry for just showing up like this, but I need your help,” I told her before looking up and down the hallway. “Can I come in?”
Buffy looked hesitant at first, but she nodded and motioned for me to follow her into her room. She shut the door behind me before turning to face me.
“Help with what?” she asked, sounding wary.
I couldn’t blame her. I had already pulled her into a few difficult, risky situations. I felt bad about doing that again, but she was my last hope.
“I need to find more information about the Kings and all of the people connected to them and their legacy,” I explained to her. It was a broad topic, but the little truths that I had yet to uncover meant a lot. My lack of knowledge made me vulnerable, even to Zephyr, who I cared about deeply.
“Why me?” Buffy asked.
“You aren’t connected to the Kings. They don’t have spies tracking your every move,” I told her. “I just need help looking through the archives.”
Buffy glanced away from me, pondering on my request. She looked nervous and unsure.
“Are you sure they’re not watching me? Do you know how many people around you have died?” she asked me before her eyes widened. She looked away from me with a guilty look on her face. “Sorry.”