King of Cups (Stormcloud Academy 2)

There was a long pause. I could almost hear Mary and Thomas mouthing private words to each other. At last, Thomas spoke.

“I met your father only once, Biba. He was with Doug when they returned from their last year at Stormcloud Academy. They didn’t know at the time that it would be their last year, but I could tell they were never going back to that place.”

My voice was caught in my throat. I couldn’t believe he was only just now telling me this. In many ways, I was only putting up with the bullshit at this school for the vague possibility of learning more about Dad.

Thomas continued, “Doug and me—we took your dad ‘round the pub. Cozy little spot down the corner. Tipped quite a few pints of mild that night. And Harry, your father . . . he said something I’ll never forgot about the people at that school.”

“What was it?”

“He said, ‘You can’t trust them for a moment because they have so much to lose. They’re all rich, so they think that binds them together. But the moment things go bad, they turn on each other. They don’t care who gets killed as long as they’re safe.’”

Mary summed it up. “Don’t trust anyone, Biba—especially the men who say they’ll help you. They’ll let you die in a second.”

I shivered. Somehow she understood. I wasn’t in danger from some shadowy figure in the night. My enemy was in my own bed.

We said our goodbyes, and I knew at once I could not stay at Stormcloud. It had killed and beaten down so many. There was no way I’d make it another term.

I was about to walk to Zephyr’s room and start packing when I heard a creaking behind me. A secret passage I didn’t know about.

But before I could turn, a hand clasped over my mouth from behind. An arm went around my waist. I was off my feet and moving backward.

I didn’t even have time to struggle before I was in the darkness, watching as a false wall clasped shut before me.

CHAPTER 26

BIBA

“Shh,” the voice behind me in the dark hissed. “Shut up.”

I knew it in an instant, and it filled me with relief and dread at once. It was Sol who had me pinned. Some part of me couldn’t help but feel calm. It could have been another masked man. It could have been one of Soglio’s men or one of the Kings’ goons there to drag me to a dark hole.

But it was Sol. I knew him at least. Or did I? For just as soon as I realized he was pulling me into a dark secret chamber, I started fighting. If even a third of what Arvo had told me about him was true, I was in mortal danger.

“Let me go!” I shouted under his hand.

“Promise not to scream.”

“Fuck you! I’ll scream if I’ll want.”

I wiggled my head enough to evade his stifling hand. Then I bit down hard on it.

Sol yelped and let me go. I fled to the edge of the room and put my back against the wall.

“What the hell, Biba? I’m bleeding.”

“Tough shit. Stay away from me.”

“I’m trying to help you.”

“That’s a laugh, Stamos. Fucking kidnapping me is not helping me.”

“I tried to tell Theo, but he wouldn’t hear it. I figured you would trust him more. But he’s gone, and you need to be too.”

“What are you talking about?”

He sighed and leaned against a dusty baby grand piano, being stored here in whatever room we were in.

“Arvo and Zephyr,” he groaned. “They’re going to kill me and you.”