Zeno
“Know what?” Kallias asks, eyes narrowed in confusion.
Lazarus pushes himself up onto his feet and leans against the door, a picture of determination. “I hear them talk. About you. I know.”
Heartbreaking betrayal flashes across Kallias’ face for just a second, before it’s replaced by his usual calm.
“Are you blackmailing me?” he asks, slipping off Alexander’s bed and stalking over to Lazarus. He says it so casually he could be asking about the weather.
Lazarus looks affronted at the accusation, like he hadn’t even considered it, then he winces and says, “Yeah, I am.”
“So, let me get this straight. You’re going to tell them what you know, assuming what you think you know is even true, unless I convince them to bring you along.”
Lazarus crosses his arms. “Yes.”
Kallias bites his lip, studying Lazarus’ face. Then he smirks. “So, do it,” he says.
Lazarus’ eyes widen. “Wh—What?”
“Tell them. What’s the point of blackmail if you can’t use it?”
“Kallias is—” Lazarus starts, addressing the group. Then he stops himself and winces. “He’s…”
“Not gonna go through with it?”
“No,” Lazarus admits, then shouts, “Forms!”
Kallias inches closer, arms crossed.
“You’re not cruel enough to tell them, but you do have the gall to threaten me with it. That’s not a very favorable combination, you know. And there goes your leverage. So what’s the plan now, Lazarus?”
Lazarus’ facade of confidence drops completely. “The Priestesses will kill me. You know they will.”
“Not my problem.”
“I’ll tell the Council your plan, then. You won’t even make it to the First Arc.”
Kallias’ head tilts predatorily. “You’re gonna tell?”
“Yes,” Lazarus says, reaching a hand back for the door handle. Everyone rushes forward to stop him, but Kallias gets there first. He grabs Lazarus’ throat in one hand and pushes him against the door hard enough that the sound reverberates through the room.
“Whoa, whoa, Kallias, calm down,” Zeno yells.
Kallias stays still, holding Lazarus’ throat tight enough to make him cough.
“How much time do you think I have to keep you here to do enough damage to your vocal cords? It shouldn’t be that long,” Kallias says. “And besides, I’m patient.”
Lazarus stops fighting, lets his arms hang, and chokes out, “You won’t kill me.”
“Are you sure?”
Lazarus doesn’t respond.
They’ve all grown so comfortable with Kallias that Zeno forgot why he was afraid of him in the first place. But now he remembers.
Kallias is scared. He has been since Zeno first met him twelve years ago. And when someone has been scared for as long as Kallias has, there is no telling how far into their own mind they can run.
This wouldn’t have happened had Zeno looked after Lazarus as he should have. He knew Lazarus was missing from classes and meals—he was just too wrapped up in his own stuff to help him at all. So now he needs to fix it.
“Alexander,” Zeno whispers. Everyone else is as frozen as he is, trying not to set this off further. “Do something. Tell him to stop.”
But Alexander’s eyes are distant and his expression hard—just from that Zeno can tell this isn’t his usual Alexander. This is whatever calculating person is hidden under the charm.
“Why should I?” he asks. “He blackmailed Kallias. He’s threatening to ruin this for all of us.”
“He’s desperate. That doesn’t mean he needs to get hurt,” Zeno says, and then tries an argument that will land with the darker version of his best friend.
“Ophelia can’t open the emergency exits from the tower and get Arete from the First Arc.
It was unrealistic to think she could. But he could get Arete, which frees up Ophelia to focus on her own task. ”
Alexander blinks slowly and some of the darkness fades away. “You’re right.”
Zeno nods and watches Alexander approach Kallias. “Kallias,” Alexander says, shaking his head once.
Kallias rolls his eyes and lets go, putting his hands up in surrender and backing away. The room exhales a collective breath of relief.
“Welcome to the team, Laz,” Zeno says with a smile and, despite it all, Lazarus smiles back.