Page 42 of Martyr

“It’ll feel strange at first, tight,” West explained. “It’ll be uncomfortable until you adjust to the feeling. But it’ll fully seal the wound so you don’t have to worry about changing bandages. And you can shower.”

“Great, because cloth baths aren’t enjoyable.”

“I said you could shower,” West brought the nozzle to his neck, “not that you would get to alone.”

The hiss from the can cut off anything Nix might reply with, and he waited while a gunky substance coated the entire right side of his neck. As it dried, it tugged at his skin, like an overly tight bandage might, and he squirmed some.

“Stay still,” West said. “Almost done.” Another minute passed before he dropped the can. “All set.”

Nix stood and moved closer to the mirrors, curious what it might look like. His eyes widened when he saw that the synthetic skin was flesh-colored. It was still obvious when one looked closely at it what it was, but any sign of torn flesh and teeth marks had been hidden beneath.

West came up behind him and wrapped his hands around his waist, resting his chin on Nix’s left shoulder. “You like?”

“Depends,” Nix replied. “Did you do this for me, or to piss off Lake?”

His reflection grinned back at him. “Why can’t it be both?”

“What’s up with the two of you anyway?” Nix shook him off and turned to face him. “You’re not this competitive with Yejun. Is it because Lake is an Imperial and you aren’t?” Stories were always a little different depending on who you spoke with, and he wanted to hear West’s version of it.

“It’s a long story.”

“We’ve got time.”

“Do we?” West moved back to the ring and plopped down. “It’s not really Lake I have a problem with. It’s my father. I just take it out on him because arguing with the old man is out of the question.”

“That’s incredibly self-aware of you.”

“You can at least try to hide your surprise, Nixie.” He sighed. “Don’t be too impressed. It took me years to realize. Years where Lake just quietly took it—mostly.”

“He cares about you.” Say what he would about the Demons; that one fact rang true. The three of them shared something Nix had never even witnessed before, let alone experienced himself. “I’m a bit envious, actually.”

“Why? Lake cares about you too, in his own way.”

“Not because of that.” Nix walked over and settled down next to him, leaning back so he was braced by two of the velvet ropes that wrapped around the ring. “You read my file. I’ve always been a loner.”

West bumped his arm lightly against his. “You aren’t alone now.”

“Sure,” he drawled, “but if you guys have your way, I won’t ever be again. That’s not exactly what I want either.”

“Can’t have it both ways, babe. We wouldn’t. I wouldn’t give up Lake and Yejun for anything.” West placed a hand over Nix’s thigh, but it didn’t feel possessive, it felt like he was trying to comfort him. “Space is one thing. Gain our trust, and that’s not something any of us will feel the need to take from you. Eventually, though, you’ll see. Having us in your corner will be worth all this frustration.”

Since that was what West believed, Nix didn’t bother to argue.

The Demon sighed again. “What’s your family life like? You must be close, since you came all the way here after being called out by your cousin.”

Nix didn’t want to talk about Branwen, but since that was the excuse he’d given, he couldn’t exactly change his story now. “We weren’t as close as I assumed.”

“Right, whatever secret of hers you discovered is what has you in such a bad mood.”

“This,” he motioned to his neck, “is what has me in a bad mood.”

“You’re angry,” West corrected, “and rightly so. But that faraway look you keep getting in your eye? That’s not because of Lake. You said she lied to you? About what?”

“Everything.”

“She must have been a good liar if she had you convinced.”

Nix frowned. “We…We haven’t really seen each other in a couple of years. Ever since we decided to attend different colleges. We still spoke often, but through text and stuff. It…wasn’t the same.”

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