Chapter 27

Lake took a drink of water and eyed his teammate, Smith, as the other guy approached the dugout where he was standing. According to the others, Smith had been a shoo-in for the captain position before the announcement that Lake would be returning. He was still trying to gauge how pissed he was about that, but Smith was surprisingly good at keeping his thoughts close to his chest.

If Smith had tiered higher than Knight on the Enigma app, Lake would have considered offering him Favors to move up the ranks. He'd make a good addition to the club with a poker face like that.

"Good match," Smith said, coming up to Lake's side and stopping to reach for his own water bottle.

They'd just finished their morning practice, and coach had them split into two teams playing against each other. They'd been on opposing sides and Lake's had—unsurprisingly—beaten Smith's by several points.

He hummed in agreement but didn't share anything else. They'd been teammates since freshman year, but had always been more like friendly rivals than actual friends, and since that wasn't something Lake was currently in the market for anyway…

His multi-slate with its distinctive chime went off in his gym bag and he took it out, smiling slightly to himself when he saw the familiar name flash across the screen. Since this wasn't Vitality, he didn't bother removing the earpiece, clicking the accept button and letting the call go straight to speaker.

"Want to hear something funny?" Kelevra's voice came through, a hint of humor in his tone.

"Sure," Lake replied.

"Ledger only just realized you were gone."

He chuckled. "Of course he did. I'm surprised he realized it at all."

The school period on Tulniri happened at a different time of the year than it did on Vitality. He'd been present for their first semester of their senior year, and now they were starting their second, whereas classes at Foxglove were only just beginning.

"How's being back?" Kelevra asked, and Lake paused, sipping at his water momentarily.

"How uncharacteristically curious of you."

"Rin says I need to work on being a better friend, whatever the hell that means."

Lake doubted Rin had even meant it at all, was mostly likely just egging Kel on for fun, but the Imperial was so hooked on his Royal Consort he wouldn't notice right away. "Things are relatively the same as when I left."

"Really? Pretty sure I heard word that you're about to be crowned."

Lake glanced at Smith, but the other guy was doing a great job pretending not to listen in on them. It was an act, because it would be impossible for him not to hear with Lake standing so close, but the show of respect was noted.

Perhaps Lake could use him after all…Maybe he'd speak to the boys about finding a way to get him on the potential membership list.

"Why? Jealous?" he teased, knowing that Kelevra couldn't give two shits about becoming an emperor. The guy's oldest sister held that position on Vitality, and that was the way Kel had always preferred it.

Sure enough, Kel grunted. "I also heard you and your crew are called Demons there. That's a step down from Devil, don't you think?"

"I don't know," he drawled. "For my coronation, why don't you bring Madden with you and we'll pit him against West? Or, better yet, see if you can borrow Kazimir?"

"And suffer the entire space flight over?" Kelevra clicked his tongue. "Pass."

He and Kazimir Ambrose, the underboss of the Brumal mafia, were like oil and water.

"Well, my point is, West can beat any of yours," Lake concluded.

"I'll consider it," Kelevra said. "Where are you? Don't you have classes at that fancy school of yours?"

"I just got done with practice."

"Oh, right. Waif? I've never played."

He'd mentioned that before, when he and Lake had first been introduced. Waifs were a creature native to Tulniri, so it made sense that a Vital wouldn't have learned the sport. Most of the creatures bonded with their riders at a young age as well, so it was a difficult game to get involved with later on in life.

Lake's waif, Raz, had been with him since he was six, a gift from his late mother, the last big one she'd given him before her death. His gaze cut across the field to the other side, where Raz was currently being washed down by one of the assistants. That was typically a job Lake preferred to do himself, but since he'd been eager for practice to end so he could return to the Roost and check on Nix, he'd outsourced the task this once.

"Giant lizard horses and fragile golden balls sound like an absurd combination to me still," Kelevra told him. "If I do come for your crowning, you have to promise to take me to a game."

"Deal." Lake would never admit this to anyone, not even the Imperial, but he missed Kelevra and the others. He didn't regret returning home and was relieved to be back with West and Yejun, but that didn't make the melancholy, almost wistful feeling he got now and again when thinking about his life on Vitality any less intense.

The sound of a door slamming shut in the background came through the line a second before Kel said, "Someone's pissed off my Royal Consort again it seems. I'll talk to you later, Lake."

"No problem," he chuckled and hung up, already picturing all the ways Kelevra no doubt planned on putting Rin in a better mood. Sex was useful in that sense. Useful in many others as well.

Perhaps he should rethink waiting to take Nix. There was no telling how long West would put it off. His best friend was a dick like that. He'd go out of his way to come without penetrating just so Lake couldn't either.

"What's so funny?" Beck called suddenly, drawing Lake's attention up to the bleachers that swirled around the octagonal field. He was standing on the nearest level, elbows propped on the metal bar.

Though there was no blood relation between them, the two had often been told they were similar in visuals. Beck was around the same height with the same sharp jawline, though his green eyes were a shade deeper and his hair wasn't nearly as platinum as it was golden—sort of like Nix's but way less appealing.

"I haven't seen you smile like that in a long time, cousin," Beck continued when Lake didn't greet him. He glanced over his shoulder toward the field. "How was practice?"

"I dominated as per usual," Lake replied, a bit on edge. Like with Smith, he wasn't sure how to approach Beck. The two of them had never had any problems in the past, and West and he were actually really close, but… "Are you here because you've heard something about your father's antics?"

"Unfortunately," he sighed, "no. My father doesn't treat me as a confidant."

Lake was well aware. That was one of the reasons why he'd never felt any true animosity toward Beck. He knew what it was like to have family he couldn't stand.

It was no great loss to him that the emperor had passed.

"There's a meeting tonight," Beck said. "I was just informed and figured you'd yet to check your messages."

Lake tilted his head. "You came all the way to the stadium for that?"

"No," he chuckled, "I had to see your coach already about another student."

"It's only two weeks into school. Don't tell me someone is already at risk of flunking your class?"

"I wish I could." He straightened, brow dipping into a deep furrow. Beck was like that. He cared about his students. When he'd announced during a rare family get-together with the Emperor and Royal Consort a few years ago that he planned on becoming a professor, his father blew a gasket. He'd wanted Beck to follow in his footsteps, but his son had adamantly refused.

Though he'd never taken one of his classes, Lake had only heard good things from others who had. His cousin was apparently great at his job, passionate and caring toward his pupils. He most likely would have made a good leader if only he'd been higher up the ladder and had actual blood relations with the Emperor.

"When's your first official match?" Beck asked. "I'd like to come and show my support."

"Your support, while appreciated, would be better placed elsewhere."

Beck started walking toward the stairs alongside Lake when he moved toward the opening of the stadium that was attached to the stables. They both went silent until he'd reached them and came down, falling into step at Lake's side.

"You know that's already done," Beck said. "Of course I support you, cousin."

"Even though your father is openly against it?"

"My father," disdain practically oozed from his lips, "wants the crown for himself, but he doesn't deserve it."

"And I do?"

"Much more so than he does," Beck smiled at him. "The meeting tonight is with the High Council. They'll discuss moving forward now that the mourning period is coming to an end. My father will no doubt try to argue you're incompetent, so it's best if you bring your friends along with you for the added verbal support."

The High Council, like the Order, appreciated a strong stance, and the fact that the Demons were best friends would go a long way in showing them Lake was prepared to take on such an important position. With the backing of two other members who would one day fill leading roles on the planet, he was the better choice.

And when considering he was the only remaining blood relative in the Imperial family?

Lake was the only choice.

"We'll be there," he replied as the two of them passed through the stables. He tugged off his riding gloves and slipped them into the back pockets of his tight black pants, already lost in thought.

If the meeting was scheduled this last minute, it must mean someone had something up their sleeves. As long as it wasn't his uncle, he'd be fine, but if it was…There was lots to plan for. Lake needed to go into this on the defensive, which meant rounding up the boys now so they could discuss all of the possibilities.

Sounds of penned waifs, their hooves clapping against the hard ground, their grunts and hisses, filled the stables, but as they passed by one of the stalls, Lake thought he caught a whimper.

He paused.

"What's the matter?" Beck asked, stopping at his side.

"Did you hear that?"

Before his cousin could reply, the sniffle came again, followed by a cautious voice to his right.

"Lake?" came through the wooden door of a closed stall, but was audible enough Lake immediately recognized it. "Is that you?"

He burst into motion, mind reeling as he undid the latch and practically yanked the door off its hinges to get it open. His breath caught in his throat the second he processed Nix, huddled in the middle of the dirty floor, his arms wrapped tightly around his knees.

Lake grabbed him under the arms and hoisted him up, eyes already scanning him from head to toe, searching for injury. When there didn't appear to be anything wrong, he took his hands, scowling when he saw his Songbird's palms were rubbed raw. "What the hell happened?!"

"Someone locked me in," he said, voice still low and weak. When he cleared it, it became obvious that it was probably because he'd been in here screaming for help for a while.

A tightness coiled within Lake, the anger raw and demanding, and his grip tightened before he could think better of it, causing Nix to wince and cry out. He loosened his hold and pulled Nix from the confined space, not letting him go even once they were back in the main area.

"Who?" he asked.

"I didn't get a good look at them," Nix replied. "They were wearing something, like a cloak or a big jacket. I don't know. It happened too fast."

"If they were walking around in disguise," Beck stated, reminding Lake that he was still there, "it sounds like they planned this."

Nix stared at him, and even though he didn't seem particularly uncomfortable in his cousin's presence, Lake still found himself slipping his hand into Nix's, careful not to apply too much pressure to his injuries this time.

Beck's gaze trailed down to it, and something unreadable passed over his expression, gone before Lake could decipher it and replaced by a small smile. He nodded his head at Nix. "Hello, I'm Professor Beck, Lake's cousin."

"Where are West and Yejun?" Lake demanded. "Why are you here alone?"

"I…" Nix's voice trailed off and he glanced between him and his cousin, but it was hard to tell if he simply didn't want to say in Beck's presence, or if he was stalling.

His Songbird was good at adapting, which meant he was also more than capable of hiding things. Case in point, the fact that Lake had only just managed to pry the truth of why he was really here out of him last night.

Whatever. It didn't matter right now. Lake's friends were going to hear from him later. He'd told them not to leave Nix alone; he understood he was more invested in this than they were, that neither of them felt the same connection he did with Nix, but he'd given them an order, and they should have fucking taken it seriously.

"Is there anyone you can think of who might want to do this to you?" Beck asked Nix. He turned to Lake before he could answer and added, "You three have thrust him into the limelight. Perhaps it's one of your fans?"

Lake scowled.

"Don't give me that look. Half the student body is obsessed with you and the other is terrified," Beck said. "This seems like a fairly childish prank, even if they did plan to do something to Nix ahead of time. A student is the likely guess."

"Are you saying this is my fault, cousin?" Lake's eyes narrowed. It wasn't like Beck wasn't well aware of the reason Nix had been brought in—or, at least the reason Lake had given the Order and the rest of the club.

"I'm saying you should have anticipated some type of blowback from your peers," he corrected. "Naming a fourth isn't unheard of, but to announce a brand new student as one and—"

"A what?" Nix frowned.

Forget finding who'd done this. Lake could strangle his cousin.

"We'll discuss this later," he said, but that only irritated his Songbird.

Nix shook his hand off of him and took a deliberate step back, stubborn, even as he was still clearly shaken up about being locked in the stall. "No, you'll tell me now. What does he mean by that?"

Beck set his hands on his hips and had the audacity to give Lake a stern look. "You didn't explain things properly to him when you chose him?"

"He understands enough," Lake argued, but neither of them seemed to agree.

"What's a fourth?" Nix shook his head before Lake could speak. "Don't try and feed me any more bullshit. I'm at the end of my rope here. Tell me the truth. Now."

"Legacies are given the title Demons when they enter Foxglove Grove," Beck started to explain. "It's a rite of passage that only those with families high in Club Essential are allowed to partake in. You're aware of this at least, yes?"

Nix nodded his head in the affirmative. "Which actually has me wondering, what's the point of anonymity if everyone knows whose families are involved the second their kids enroll?"

"There's a point to that as well," Beck said, "but that's not the purpose of this talk. I just want to be sure you know exactly what it is you agreed to. My cousin can be rather…blunt."

"That's one way of putting it," Nix mumbled, pretending not to notice when Lake glared.

"In their final year, Demons are given another luxury," Beck continued. "They're allowed to bring in one other person. The catch is, all of the current Demons need to be in agreement, and only one can be selected. For this reason, it's rare for this to actually occur. They're named by number since the gender and identity of the chosen person can differ. Because there are already three Demons this year, your signifier is the fourth when you're spoken of amongst club members."

"I told you to pretend to be our boyfriend," Lake stated. "It's the same concept."

Beck quirked a brow. "Hardly."

"How so?" Nix's shoulders tensed.

"There's nothing pretend about being named their fourth, for starters," Beck began, but Lake had had enough.

He grabbed Nix's hand once more and began dragging him toward the exit.

"Let go!" Nix struggled, but his heart wasn't really into it. Lake could tell because, typically, his strength was better than what he was currently exerting.

Or maybe he'd merely used all his energy up while trapped.

He did not like that idea.

"We're going to find out who did this to you," he announced, pleased when that at least ceased the Songbird's squawking.

Nix allowed him to tug him along the rest of the way without fuss, quiet until they entered the attached building to the right. "And then?"

"Then?" Lake caught that anger and held it close to his chest. "Did they push you with both hands?"

Nix frowned. "I…think so?"

"Then I'll cut them both off at the wrists."

And watch as the culprit bled out on the ground.