Page 28 of Martyr

His neck that already had teeth marks on one side of it.

If West caught him, would he make good on that threat he’d alluded to last night? He’d posed it as a joke, even seemed annoyed when he thought perhaps Lake had really said he’d do it, but Nix hadn’t missed the flash of interest in his eyes. The competition between West and Lake was no joke.

Nix wouldn’t put it past him to make a claiming mark just for the sake of staying on even ground with his bestie.

The second the file finished copying, he snatched his multi-slate away and shut down all of the programs he’d opened, taking extra care to leave everything exactly as it’d been before he’d sat down. He even adjusted the chair, so it was facing the same angle, just in case.

The relief he felt when he stepped out into the hallway to find it empty was palpable and grew with every step he took further away from the bedroom.

He hadn’t been caught.

All he wanted to do was find a corner somewhere he could go through his findings, but there were no safe spaces in the Roost. His belongings had been brought to Lake’s room last night, so he stopped there first to get changed for classes but he hesitated when reaching for his backpack.

What were the chances Lake would agree to allowing him to stay home for the day?

Nix scowled at himself in mild disgust.

Allowing.

As though he were a pet or a belonging.

His hand wandered to the bandage over his neck and he winced. They were going to have to have a more indepth conversation about this. About what Lake thought it meant and what Nix was willing to put up with within the confines of that definition. At this point, he didn’t give a shit what was actually written in that NDA/contract Lake had forced him to sign.

If he needed to run, he needed to do it soon. Planning his escape would have to be the next thing on his list, right after he checked Branwen’s chat logs.

Grabbing his bag, he swung it over his shoulder and adjusted the stiff collar of his black dress shirt as high around his throat as he could get it. It’d be better if the bandage were black at least; the white stood out too much. Not that he was stupid enough to think for even a second that word hadn’t already spread throughout campus like wildfire.

Exactly as Lake had intended when he’d paraded Nix through the halls, still bleeding and with tears in his eyes.

Bastard.

He made his way down toward the stairs and was just about to descend the first step when something shattered below, causing him to jolt and then freeze in place.

“You’re a fucking bastard, you know that, Lake!” it was West’s voice, coming from the left of the stairs, so most likely the kitchen. Had he just broken a glass? It’d sounded like glass.

“Calm down,” Yejun’s voice came next, sounding as worn out as Nix still felt. “Or, at least keep it down, would you? My head is killing me.”

“I’m about to kill you,” West snarled. “The both of you! Are you two idiots? Have you forgotten the plan? Am I the only one here who still gives a damn about getting Lake on the throne? Because if so, tell me now so I can walk out before—”

“Stop being so melodramatic,” Lake spoke finally, voice low and clipped, so that Nix had to lean forward a little to catch all of the words. “Admit it, you’re pleased I did it. You’re just upset you didn’t get to do it first.”

“Bullshit,” West disagreed, though his tone wavered.

“Just do it now and get it over with,” Yejun said. “We all know you’re going to.”

“Whose side are you on, June?”

“Rich coming from you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“And where exactly is our little Firebird at the moment, hmm?”

“Notmyroom,” Lake clipped, clearly displeased by that fact.

Nix stuck out his tongue, glad none of them could see him or his childish reaction.

“Whatever.” The sound of chair legs scraping against the floor came and then a huff as West no doubt dropped into it. “After what you did, you’ll be lucky if he ever sleeps with you again.”

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