Page 13 of Sinner
“How is Demitrious holding up?” Franz asked. “It was his son who took the bullet. Has he recovered?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Kori rolled her eyes. “He was just shot the other day.”
“Medical advancements are a wonder in this day and age.”
Lake let them gossip for a bit. It wouldn’t hurt to allow them to remind each other why Hendrix sucked, though he wanted to be sure the other threat didn’t fall through the cracks.
“Demitrious couldn’t care less about what happens to his son,” Lake answered, voice filled with ire. He wanted them to know how he truly felt. It was time to plant the seed. In the future he envisioned, there was no seat at the table for Demitrious.
Atanytable.
“He’s paid particular care toward you, however,” Franz pointed out.
Zabs grunted. “Surely no one here is naive enough to believe that wasn't purely out of self-interest?”
“Taking in an orphan is hardly his style,” Kild joined in. “Of course he only did it because it was Lake who needed a home. You were still at an impressionable age as well.”
“It didn’t take,” Lake drawled, and the tension in the room went up.
His seat in the club was well known. As soon as his foothold there was established, he’d have full control over the planet in its entirety. Ruling both the crown and Essential. He’d be unstoppable, and no one would be able to hurt his people ever again.
Not even whoever stood behind Juri.
They knew there was more to the story than that, but Lake was willing to let it die, the same way Juri and Dew had died.
The same way Hendrix would the second he got his hands on him.
Yejun didn't agree. He thought they should keep searching, that the truth was too important to let go. He worried that whoever had taken out the last emperor would try for Lake, and the only way to prevent that was to discover their identity.
But Nix…Lake didn't want him close to this anymore. According to West, he was taking Juri’s betrayal to heart. While it was unlikely the person behind all of this was also someone Nix had befriended, it wasn’t impossible.
Though… the list was rather small now, as far as Lake knew.
And he did know. He knew everything about Nix Monroe, including those he’d talked to at Foxglove.
“What about Beck?” Kori asked suddenly.
“What about him?” Lake drawled. Beck’s father shooting a Demon had automatically removed Hendrix from the line, but his son… “There are no blood ties with the late emperor.”
“I wasn’t suggesting what you think. I believe I can speak for everyone here when I say you have the full support of the council. Your claim won’t be challenged moving forward. I only mean, as is typical with most regimes once they’ve changed hands, it sounds like you have a plan to clean house.”
“It would be best to remove the whole bloodline, if you ask me,” Kild answered before Lake could.“It’s as you’ve stated. Their ties are through marriage. They should never have been allowed a place here to begin with. Let them stick to the Club. The seedy underbelly is where they belong.”
Beck wasn't a part of the picture, but Lake had to acknowledge his cousin had been helpful, and West and Yejun also weren’t as impartial toward him as Lake was. Getting rid of him would be unnecessary, but that didn't mean he was comfortable with leaving a potential threat unattended.
“We’ll see,” he said, his cool tone putting an end to the conversation before anyone could run off with it. He wouldn’t be pressured into anything. “Friday.”
“What?” Franz frowned.
“That’s when you’ll send the official paperwork to the Intergalactic Conference. Friday.”
“That’s two days from now…”
Lake pushed his hair back and stood with a flourish. “I’m glad we’re on the same page.”
There was still a state of mourning on the planet, one that couldn’t be overlooked, despite everything else going on. Since they were a part of the Intergalactic Conference, a protective organization that worked to instill peace and order throughout the known universe, there was no fear of attack from outside forces during this stagnant time.
Without a ruler in place, operations had gone to default, with things like important trade and dealings continuing based on the late emperor’s orders. This would continue until Lake took the throne at the end of the mourning period, which wasn’t for a couple more months.
