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)
Edward gave me a mock look of sympathy. He moved his hand from my cheek down my neck.
“Oh, honey, you’re shaking,” he said before suddenly closing his hand around my throat.
I gasped in shock, digging my nails into his hand as he tightened his grip. He easily cut off the oxygen from getting to my lungs, making black dots start to appear in my vision.
Even Peter stepped forward.
“Hurley,” he growled.
Edward ignored Peter as he stared into my eyes, looking amused.
“Don’t play games with us, dear,” he warned me. “Or I’ll tie you to that chair naked and do whatever the fuck I want to you.”
When his hand released my throat, I stepped away from him, shuddering even more. Tears burned my eyes as I tried to catch my breath, oxygen burning my lungs like fire. I couldn’t believe he said that. Did he really mean it?
Telling from the grim look on Peter’s face, Edward did mean his words. If I stepped out of line once, he was going to make me regret it. Not wanting him to touch me again, I wordlessly dipped the cloth in the water and ran it over my exposed skin, keeping my eyes cast downward.
“Good girl.” Edward smirked before heading out of the room.
Peter lingered there for a moment, watching me timidly bathe myself. He stepped toward me like he was going to help me or even comfort me, but he stopped himself. Turning on his heel, he strode out of the room as well, leaving me alone.
I immediately let the tears fall from my eyes, feeling them course down my cheeks. I curled up on the ground, skin glistening from the water. I couldn’t believe that I had ended up here, verging on the brink of death or wanting to die. I just wanted someone to save me, but I feared that no one would find me until it was too late.
CHAPTER 5
THEO
Something was definitely wrong. Biba had been missing for an entire week without a single call or message like she promised. She could’ve still been at the academy or God knows where. All I knew was that we had to find her before something terrible happened to her. Unless that had already happened.
“We need to check the academy,” I told Sol in a distraught voice. Flashes of Biba lying dead in some ditch somewhere crackled through my mind, making me grimace. She couldn’t be dead. I refused to believe that until I saw her body with my own eyes.
“That’s the last place we need to be seen.” Sol sighed as we lingered outside of the inn.
“Do you have some other plan, genius?” I asked him, my anxiety fueling my snappiness. I couldn’t stand the thought of Biba being hurt or in trouble. I just got her back in my life. Now, she was gone all over again. Why couldn’t I just be with her?
Sol clenched his jaw as he narrowed his eyes at me. After a moment, his body became less tense.
“Fine. We can take a look around, but we can’t go inside, though. We can’t risk all of us… going missing,” Sol replied.
I knew he was avoiding the word “dying.” He didn’t want to think of Biba possibly being dead either. I wanted to move quickly in case we still had some time left. Biba needed us, and I was going to answer her call. Sol could come along if he wanted to, but I was going to find her with or without him.
“Come on,” I said, leading him away from the inn and down the road that led back to the academy. It was a lengthy walk, but we could make it there in an hour if we kept a brisk pace. “What if Arvo and Zephyr found her?”
Sol didn’t say anything at first. The only response was the sound of our shoes hitting the ground.
“I don’t think they’d kill her. At least Zephyr wouldn’t,” he told me.
“Even after exiling her, you think he still cares about her?” I questioned him with a look of disbelief on my face. It sounded like he completely tossed her aside.
Sol nodded.
“You don’t just bond with Biba and then tear yourself away. Deep down, he’s still hooked on her,” he said quietly.
Great. Not only did I have to compete with Sol for Biba’s heart, but I also had to deal with Zephyr. He already got under my skin enough.
“I’m more worried about Arvo anyway,” I muttered bitterly.
“Me too,” Sol agreed. “But don’t underestimate Zephyr. He can be unpredictable too.”
“What about you? Can I trust you?” I asked him, glancing over at him.
Sol gave me a pointed look.
“I don’t particularly like you, and you don’t like me. But we’re here because of Biba. If we want to save her and keep her alive, we need to work together,” he said firmly.