Page 66 of Saint

Medical advancements on Tulniri were crazy good, but even Nix was surprised when he was informed about the recovery time.

“Lake is probably bragging to June about it right now.” West tilted his head. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Does it feel…weird?” Nix eyed the spot on West’s side where he’d been shot, though he couldn’t see anything beneath the loose hospital gown. The doctors had given West a new nanite treatment, and apparently thousands of microscopic robots were working hard to repair his tissues at that very moment.

“Why? Want me to ask them to treat your neck?”

He shook his head. “It’s practically healed already.”

“Relax, Nixie. We already beat the Order’s stupid task by catching the hacker.” West shrugged and winked when Nix gave him a sharp look at that. “What they don’t know can’t hurt them. My point is, we passed their little test, and well before Demons Passing. There’s nothing they can do to stop Lake now.”

“But he can’t even take the throne for another three months at least.” The period of mourning for the late Emperor and Royal Consort would come to an end then. “What if the Order tries something before then?”

“The reason they wanted us to do this before Demons Passing is because it’s a celebrated holiday on the entire planet,” West said. “The High Council, those who worked closely with the last emperor, will make an official planetary-wide announcement naming Lake as the next in line. This official statement will also be sent to the Intergalactic Conference. They’ll add his name to the records on Demeter Station and that’ll be that.”

The Intergalactic Conference was the governing force of many of the galaxies within the universe. Their mission statement was universal peace, and all of the planets that had signed their treaty were offered benefits and protections. The I.P.F.—or, the Intergalactic Police Force—was also run by them.

The I.C. had strict rules about interfering with the way planets were individually governed, but they required data on current and predetermined leaders to be submitted so they could add that information to their database, known as Demeter Station. This station was accessible to all active agents, which made their jobs easier whenever a crime was committed.

Until the High Council made that official announcement, they were in charge of running the planet, though in a very small capacity. They were allowed to keep things going, but no one person had more power on the board than any of the others. Their real job was to carry on the work the late Emperor had left behind during the period of mourning. Once that period ended, they would submit reports on everything they did to whoever was newly crowned. The new emperor would then decide whether or not to continue with what their predecessor wanted or not.

Nix only had a basic understanding of how all of this worked. He’d never been interested in history or politics and had actually had to brush up on his knowledge once he’d realized he was in bed with the Demons and a man in the line of succession.

That’s probably why he hadn’t fully comprehended the importance of Demons Passing.

“That’s two days from now,” he pointed out, rolling his eyes when West merely hummed. “You’ve just been shot and I just pissed off not one, but two Order members! If they do plan on retaliating by trying to mess with Lake, they’ll have to act fast.”

“Sure,” West agreed, “but fast is messy. They’ve got nothing, Nixie, and even if they do try, they’ll make mistakes. We’ll be able to handle anything Hendrix throws our way, and my dad is all talk. He’d never give up on Lake. He’s invested too much into him.”

Right, Lake and he had discussed something about trade routes or some shit. But…

“What about the poisoner?” That was another hidden threat they needed to be on their toes for. “If this person is still after you, they’re going to have to act within the next forty-eight hours or they’ll miss their chance.”

“They could always just attempt to assassinate Lake once he’s on the throne,” West corrected, “the same way they took out the last emperor.”

Nix glared at him.

“I’m taking this seriously, babe, I promise, it’s just what do you expect us to do? We still don’t have any clues about who this poisoner is other than maybe Hendrix. And we just made that guy public enemy number one. He’s got bigger things to worry about right now.”

Despite West’s setup at the Roost, Nix hadn’t been able to locate Hendrix, aside from glimpses here and there that he wasn’t able to connect.

“He’s been a member of Club Essential his entire life,” Nix said. “Is he really going to be punished just for shooting you?”

“Hell yeah he will. I’m a Legacy, also a born-in member, and the son of another man at the Order table. I’m also an up-and-coming sports star. Once I’ve graduated and can go pro galactically, I’ll be sent all over the galaxy for events and matches. Basically, the club will use me to help spread the word and attract potential business partners. I’m important and young. Hendrix is old and could die any day.”

Nix snorted. “He’s got at least forty years left.”

“If he lives the average lifespan.” West’s gaze darkened. “Not many do.”

He’d had enough talk of murder for one day, thanks, so he changed the subject. “What are Lake and Yejun on their way to do right now anyway?”

“June is meeting with his parents to ensure they still have our backs and vote to have Hendrix punished to the maximum sentence. Lake is at waif practice.”

Nix blinked at him. “He’s what?”

West chuckled. “While I appreciate that you’re upset on my behalf, don’t be. Lake has the same deal as I do. He’s a famous athlete. Sure, as the emperor, he won’t be able to take his career pro, but he’ll be invited all over for private and pro matches as a celebrity guest, so to speak. Also, keeping up appearances by having him go about his daily life looks good for us.”

Nix crossed his arms. “So, you were all thinking about the poisoner already.”

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