Page 40 of Martyr

“I came to find you,” Juri said. “I wanted to talk.”

“About my Songbird?”

“About Nix,” he corrected, only to have Yejun snort derisively at him. He ignored him either out of fear, or because he didn’t yet know the sway the others held over the guy he’dcome here to advocate for. “I wanted to ask you to let him go. He’s a nice guy. He doesn’t deserve—”

“He’s mine,” Lake cut him off. “And I’m warning you to watch what you say, to me, and to him. In fact, don’t speak with him at all. If I see you two together, you won’t like the consequences.”

“I don’t want to fight.”

“The only reason I haven’t ordered you dragged out of your dorm and beaten in the quad is because Nix referred to you as his friend. I don’t want to do anything unnecessary that’ll upset him.” His look hardened. “But I will.”

“If you bit him, you already have,” Juri argued. “He’s terrified of you, all of you.” He finally acknowledged Yejun, though not for long. “I understand you need a sacrifice. I’m here to volunteer in his place.”

Yejun took a step forward but Lake stopped him by blocking him with his arm.

“You gave up your rights already,” he reminded. “What makes you think the Order would take you back?”

“They want me in the Club,” Juri sounded confident. “They already lost my brother. I’m the last link to my family line. They’ll accept me as the sacrifice, especially if you’re the one who’s telling them to.”

“And why would I agree to that?”

Juri wanted to punch him, it was written plainly on his face, though his voice came out clipped yet even-toned. “He doesn’t want you, but more than that, he doesn’t want this life. If you care about him, even a little, you won’t force it on him. We all know how dangerous the Club is, Lake. Why would you put an innocent person through that? He came here looking for—”

“Quiet.” Lake couldn’t allow him to spill that particular secret to Yejun. “He thinks the Songbird doesn’t want us, June.”

“I heard,” he snorted. “I don’t think the Club is looking to recruit idiots.”

“He told me himself,” Juri insisted.

“You’re going through a lot of trouble for someone you hardly know,” Yejun said.

“He’s—”

“Nice,” he sneered. “Yeah, I heard you say that too.”

Lake noted the possessiveness Yejun was displaying and recalled the direction of their conversation before they’d been so boldly interrupted. There was still a line that he hadn’t crossed because he knew it would most likely be unforgivable. Maybe even more so than giving Nix a claiming mark.

But…perhaps that was just what he needed to soothe the burn between them.

“Care to come to the Roost with us,” Lake suggested, allowing a dark smirk to twist his lips when the others both looked at him questioningly.

“Why?” Juri asked, suspicious.

“So we can settle it once and for all. Let’s go and find out which of us knows Nix best.”

“He won’t tell you the truth,” Juri said. “He’s afraid—”

“You’ve already lost,” Yejun laughed. “And you’re too dumb to realize. Or, is it a hero complex? Is that what this is? Gotta admit, it’s preferable to thinking you’re trying to take what’s ours.”

“Nix isn’t a thing, he’s a person.”

“He’s our person,” Lake stated. “If you’re valiant enough to come with us, I’m more than willing to put it to the test.”

Juri shifted on his feet. “And if it turns out I’m right?”

“Then I’ll come back here immediately and name you our sacrifice.”

When Yejun didn’t argue, Juri’s unease seemed to grow, but there was still too much determination for him to back down. “Fine. You have a deal.”

---