Page 97 of Martyr

“Babe.” West sighed and waited for Nix to meet his gaze. “I promise, they’re both feeling like absolute trash right now forwhat they’ve done to you. But even if they didn’t and they did try something again, I won’t let them humiliate you like that from here on out. Believe me?”

Even though he probably seemed weak for it, Nix found himself shifting so that he was sitting at West’s side. Then he lowered his head to the other man’s shoulder and exhaled. “Yes.”

At this point, Nix needed to believe in something or he’d go mad.

Chapter 23:

Nix kept the easy smile plastered on his face as he grabbed his lunch tray and walked across the small cafeteria toward the table in the center of the room where his friends sat. He kept his chin up and ignored the whispered remarks as he passed, knowing that drawing attention was the goal for once.

It was the usual group at the table, minus Juri who’d been spending more time with Briant since bringing him to the hospital.

Nix’s cousin was still there, but not because Yejun had beaten him badly enough to need it. He was under observation for his obvious depression, the grief from losing his sister, and then discovering what Nix had found out, too great for him to handle at the moment. The two of them had spoken thrice already, and Nix felt like trash each time.

Briant didn’t understand why he was sticking around Foxglove if he believed all these things about Branwen. He wanted Nix to quit, but he also wouldn’t push him into doing anything he didn’t agree to. Which meant, when they did see one another, Briant gave him disapproving stares and acted like Juri was the one related to him instead.

Still, Nix would forever be grateful to Juri for that. For taking care of Briant and being a friend to him when Nixcouldn’t. Especially since he’d been unable to explain to his cousin that he was also trying to keep him safe by agreeing he should remain hospitalized.

Juri was aware of his and West’s plan and promised to keep an eye on Briant for the next couple of days. This way, if anyone tried to go directly to him instead of coming for Nix, they’d be prepared.

They were so close though. So close to finally flushing out the people who’d pulled Branwen into this, and Nix wasn’t willing to back down at the final hour.

“Hey,” Khloe was the first to greet him when he settled in the empty chair on her left. She rested a hand on his arm, “How are you?”

“Yeah, we heard…” Grady cleared his throat uncomfortably and glanced around at all the obvious eavesdroppers. “Never mind.”

“No.” Nix picked up a seasoning packet and shook it loudly. “It’s fine. We can talk about it.”

“So you really did it?!” Dew planted his palms to the table and leaned closer, eyes wide. “You cheated on the Demons?!”

“Dude, shut the hell up,” Grady growled, but Nix merely laughed and shook his head like it were no big deal despite all the gasps from nearby tables.

“Of course not,” he replied, making sure to keep his voice steady, but high enough to be overheard. “Why would I do something like that?”

“But people saw—”

“That was my cousin they saw,” he interrupted. “And the fight was just a misunderstanding. He thought I was being used like his sister had been.”

Dew blinked at him as he and the rest of the listeners became confused. “Huh?”

“I’m sure you’ve heard about the secret task the Demons were given by the Order,” Nix said.

“I mean, it’s supposed to be a secret,” Grady drawled, then nodded for them, “but yeah. Something about tracking down an idiot who tried to infiltrate the Club House, right?”

“Yeah.”

This was why Club Essential had never been considered a secret society and was instead referred to as an exclusive club with protected membership. Stuff like this always seemed to leak. Granted, it was lower-level information, not something that necessarily needed to be kept hush-hush, but it was still interesting that the entire student body knew about the Demons’ task. Nix had even heard people talking in the halls about it randomly before.

Had one of the Demons spread the news themselves? West hadn’t been surprised or upset to learn about it when Nix had brought it up and formulated this plan with him.

“Well, they’re close to finding the people responsible,” Nix said, popping a morsel of food into his mouth casually. “They might have identified them already while I was busy with classes. My cousin is helping.”

“People?” Dew asked.

“There’s two of them.” He was certain he was gathering more than enough attention for this news to spread like wildfire throughout campus before the end of the day.

“How did involving your cousin make a difference?” Khloe tipped her head. “Who is he?”

“You haven’t secretly been a member of the Club all this time, have you?” Dew gave him a suspicious look, and when Nix laughed again, he actually meant it.

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