Page 69 of Martyr

Yejun watched him closely as Nix walked backward in front of him, but his mood didn’t improve. “That makes me feel pathetic. Here I am, jealous over Juri, but you’re fine knowing I actively stick my dick in other people? I screw both men and women, Firebird.”

“I’m aware.”

“What if I give you something?”

Nix stopped and cocked his head. Admittedly, he hadn’t considered that. “I suppose I’m going to have to ask that you use protection when you’re with someone else.” He did draw the line at getting an STD from some random stranger.

“With others?” Yejun kept moving toward him. “But not with you?”

“We haven’t used protection so far,” he reminded.

“So what you’re really saying is,” Yejun captured his chin between two fingers and held his face steady, “you like feeling me come inside of you.”

He felt his cheeks heat and cleared his throat. “Something like that.”

“What are you two doing?” Lake was coming from the opposite direction, dressed in his waif uniform, tight black riding pants and a blood red polo shirt. The university crest was pinned to his belt, three ravens and crimson foxglove flowers ringed in gold. He looked like he should be plastered on a sports magazine cover.

“Wow, do you drool like that for all of us, or just him?” Yejun teased, but it was obvious this time he wasn’t offended by Nix’s interest in another. To Lake he said, “Coming back from practice?”

Lake nodded and the three of them met at the end of the bridge that led to the porch. “Did I interrupt something?”

“Nope,” Nix stated before Yejun could. “We were just discussing how I won’t be happy if I catch an STD.”

“There’s no fear of that from me,” he reassured. “I’m only intimate with you.”

“Make me feel like shit why don’t you,” Yejun growled, storming off toward the Roost. “Whatever. I’ve got work to do.”

Nix quirked a brow at his retreating back. “He’s been acting weird lately. What’s up with that?”

“He likes you,” Lake said, chuckling when Nix seemed skeptical. “He didn’t anticipate that either. June doesn’t get attached to things, so the fact that he feels guilty over his playboy ways means he’s struggling to come to terms with justhow muchhe likes you.”

“Are you done for the day?” Nix changed the subject. There was nothing he could do either way, whether they all liked him or not, he was stuck with them, so there wasn’t really a point in talking about it at the moment.

The corner of his mouth tipped up knowingly, but Lake turned and began to lead the way across the bridge, keeping hisstride even so they took their time. “Let’s change and then go over what we have again.”

They’d looked at the list of Kings West had given Lake a couple of times already. The name Nix had found in his cousin's chatlog had been there last year and three years before but was absent this one, meaning whoever he was, they’d already graduated. Nix had been surprised to learn that not even Lake knew the identities of all of the Kings, all of whom used a username on their accounts.

“We’ll need West in order to read Serendipity’s chat logs,” Nix stated as they entered the Roost. “Maybe there will be something in there that can help us identify him.”

“It’s doubtful,” Lake warned. “But we can try.”

“There’s really nothing else we can do.” Nix was out of ideas. It didn’t help that they had to beat around the bush when explaining things to the others. With each passing day, the guilt he felt grew bigger and bigger, and his frustration toward himself grew right along with it.

Accepting that this was his new reality was one thing, actually developing feelings for the Demons? That was idiotic. Only a fool would fall for his abusers, his jailer, and yet…

Lake turned suddenly, effectively cornering Nix against the wall to the right of the door. He planted a palm against the wood at the side of Nix’s head, and then brought his other hand to the spot between his brow, pressing there until Nix shook him off.

“You were scowling,” Lake said, voice low. “Why?”

“It’s nothing.” He tried to brush Lake’s arm away so he could walk past, but the Imperial wouldn’t budge. “Seriously?”

“You’ve been amicable lately,” he mentioned. “Should I be concerned?”

Nix gave him a dark look. “Concerned for what?”

“That maybe,” he stepped in closer, until they were standing chest to chest with the wall at Nix’s back holding him in place, “you’re plotting something you shouldn’t.”

He racked his brain for any signs he may have given the past week that could lead to that assumption, but there was nothing. “Aren’t you just suspecting me for no reason? I’ve been doing everything you tell me—”

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