Page 84 of Villain

“I know what you’re thinking,” Nix cut into his thoughts, “but you’re only partially right.”

“Enlighten me, Songbird.” He wanted to warn him to make it convincing, but that wouldn’t be fair to the others. Just because Lake wanted to be lied to at the moment so he had an excuse to hold onto Nix, that didn’t make it the right call.

“I did come here to find out who hurt my cousin,” he said. “But I had no idea about any of you before I arrived. I know she was speaking to one of the Kings, but…That could be anyone.”

“Anyone?”

“Not you,” he corrected. “The timeline doesn’t add up. I don’t think it was Yejun either since he was busy with—”

“He told you about that?” Lake was surprised. Yejun typically didn’t share personal things. The fact that he’d let Nix in like that must mean he liked him more than he’d let on before. “He doesn’t have many real friends. When he found out she was helping the hacker get to us and using him…”

Lake had tried getting on the first spaceship back home once he’d found out, but he’d been ordered by the Emperor not to return. He’d been furious and would have gone against her if Yejun hadn’t gotten wind of his intentions and called to tell him not to.

When it came to the throne, it wasn’t just him on his own who’d been fighting for it all of this time. West and Yejun had been there with him every step of the way. Inciting the Emperor’s ire meant throwing all their efforts down the drain. That, and the knowledge that West was there and would take care of Yejun were the only reasons Lake had held off.

“How did you guys find out that she was sent by the hacker?” Nix asked.

“Another time, Songbird,” he stated. “We’re still talking about you.”

“I don’t know about West.”

“It wasn’t West.”

“How can you be sure?”

“He doesn’t do girls.” Lake shrugged. “Neither of us do. Yejun is pansexual—if he’s attracted to them, he’ll fuck them. West and I are both gay, and the only people he has any interest in getting to know are those who’ve joined the school’s fight club or frequent the gym.”

Nix rubbed at his forehead again. “She wasn’t into either of those things.”

“Then it wasn’t West.” He pulled open the desk drawer on the left and took out a bottle of painkillers, shaking a single pill into his palm. He leaned forward and held it out to Nix, picking up the water to present that as well.

“I’m fine.”

“Take the medicine, Songbird.” He’d force it down his throat if he had to, but he’d rather not.

Grumbling something under his breath that Lake couldn’t catch, he snatched the pill and popped it into his mouth, then took the water and gulped down half of the glass’s contents. “Good?”

“Golden.”

Nix blew out a breath. “Are you mad?”

“That you suspected us?” He shook his head. “No. I would have as well.”

“You’re mad.”

Lake frowned. “I’m not.”

“Whatever you say.” Nix clearly didn’t believe him, but he moved on. “That’s it. That’s the real reason I broke into your app.”

“You’re looking for a King.” He steepled his fingers. “That’s why you were curious about the others.”

“If there are seven of them, and we make up four, that leaves three. Any one of them could be who I’m looking for.”

The way he so casually lumped them together like that did something odd to Lake’s chest, but he carefully kept his composure so as not to let on.

“You said this took place last year?” he asked. “That means it could also be any of the Kings who graduated. Once they do, they’re removed from the top tier to make way for active students.”

“So how many Kings were there last year?”

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