Page 71 of Sinner
They’d been at this all day, and it was well into the night now. Tomorrow, the festival Lake had just mentioned would happen, and Nix doubted they wanted to be exhausted for that. It seemed like something the Demons had been looking forward to, and he didn’t want to be the one dragging them down into his melancholy.
“We know what really happened now,” he announced. “That’s what we wanted, right? According to Beck, he regrets threatening you, West. If you want us to tell him to back off for you, we can. Otherwise, I agree with June. We should wait until after the coronation.”
Nix could put his jealousy aside until then. He trusted West, and Beck had sounded sincere in the library. But it really came down to how West felt.
“I’m okay with that,” the boxer drawled, staring at him closely, “but are you sure?”
“I mean, I’d prefer if you weren’t, like, alone with him for the time being.”
“Yeah, that won’t be a problem. I don’t have any intentions of speaking to him at all if it can be avoided.” He smiled at him reassuringly. “Let’s just put this to the side and enjoy the party tomorrow. At least now we know we’re safe. Hendrix has been spotted, and—”
“He was arrested six hours ago, actually,” Lake interrupted. He shrugged when they frowned at him. “I didn’t really get the chance to say, what with all of this going on.”
“Where is he now?”
“They’re bringing him to the palace prison to await trial.”
“Which will be?” Yejun tilted his head.
“After the coronation.”
On the one hand, Nix didn’t like having to wait, but on the other, he got the appeal of it happening once Lake wore the crown. They’d have more control over his punishment that way. Maybe they’d even be able to find out where the poison had been concocted and ensure the team who’d been in charge of it were also dealt with.
“So, we really can sit back and relax.” Yejun dropped down onto West’s bed and stared up at the ceiling with a sigh of relief. “What a long and arduous process that has been.”
“Don’t get too comfortable just yet,” Lake warned, though he was smirking as well. “There’s still enough time between the coronation and now for things to go wrong.”
He waved him off. “As long as Beck keeps his word and doesn’t make the moves on West, I think we’ll be fine. And ifhe doesn’t? The worst that can happen is Nix loses it and kills him in a jealous rage.” Yejun sat up suddenly, and at the same moment, West cocked his head as if picturing it.
Neither of them seemed to hate the idea.
“Actually…”
Nix shoved him backward and then shook his head at West. “Put those weird bloody fantasies away. I’m not going to murder Beck.”
“Even if he—”
“Don’t,” he held up a finger, “finish that sentence.” He spun on Yejun. “And, dude, seriously. What is up with the shoes?” It’d been a burning question for eons, and he couldn’t believe he was only now finally getting around to asking about it.
“Those?” June shrugged like it was perfectly normal. “My sister wanted to do a sculpture for one of the charity events our mother was hosting last year, but she wasn’t willing to use her own shoes, so I said I’d help her out. That’s all.”
“…One of Branwen’s shoes was there.”
“Yeah, because she came into my room one day and opened my closet right in front of me. She pretended it was her first time seeing them, but she asked me about it and gave me one from a pair she didn’t want anymore after.”
“That’s…” Boring.
West laughed. “Don’t sound so disappointed, Nixie. He’ll take it the wrong way.”
“He’ll take it to mean we’re going to have to spend the next couple of hours spicing things up,” Lake added.
Ignoring them, Nix held out his hand to Yejun. “Show me a picture of the sculpture.”
“Obviously she didn’t end up using any of the shoes.” June tapped on his multi-slate, looking for something.
“Obviously.” Duh, because they wouldn’t have been in his closet still if she had.
“Here.” He held the device out, and Nix leaned in to see an image of a throne made of doll heads.
