Chapter 30
“Lake.”
At the sound of his name, Lake came to a stop, taking his time to turn toward the man currently heading toward him. “Demitrious. I wasn’t aware you were planning on partaking in the Haunt this year.”
Demitrious flashed him a smile and patted him on the back once he’d reached him. “A night where wronged spirits get their revenge? I wouldn’t miss it.”
Internally, Lake bristled, but outwardly, he gave no reaction.
“What brings you to Hunters Cross?” he asked. There was literally no reason for Demitrious to be here, of all places. Which meant he’d come with a purpose. “Who are you looking for? Perhaps I can help you find them.”
“It’s you, actually. I came to clear the air.”
“Oh?” Lake hadn’t bothered to put his mask back on after his time with Nix, so his disbelief was obvious, but Demitrious continued anyway, acting as though he couldn’t tell.
“Yes.” He waved an arm down the hall. “This is the way to Yejun’s studio, isn’t it? Is that where you were heading? How about I come with you, and we can talk?”
Lake considered it, but he couldn’t think of any reason to say no. If Demitrious was up to something, it made more sense to play along and see where this was leading. At least this way, Lake could be prepared and keep his eyes peeled. “Sure.”
They started walking, falling into an easy, unhurried pace.
Lake assumed Yejun was long gone by now anyway, chasing after Nix somewhere.
He’d get Demitrious alone and pretend to hear him out, the same way he’d pretended they were on the same side all these years.
A placated Corleone was safer than a disgruntled one, after all.
“I know I’ve overstepped on a few occasions,” Demitrious began. “You aren’t a kid anymore, and I’ve struggled to remember that, especially since you were still so young when you left for Vitality.”
A part of Demitrious had always hated that the Emperor had sent Lake away, because it’d meant losing control over him while he was off planet.
Perhaps that was a part of the reason she’d done it in the first place. While he’d never been close with his great aunt, she’d never been cruel to him. At her funeral, he’d been genuinely sad for her. It was pity, not grief, but it was something.
“Still. If you were upset with me, we should be able to talk it out. Coming for my career? You know how hard I’ve worked to build the life I have. The life your friend benefits from.” Demitrious was trying to sound hurt, but he wasn’t quite hitting the mark.
Lake didn’t bother replying, and sure enough, unable to bear the silence for long, the old man opened his mouth to deliver another nugget of absolute bullshit.
A gunshot cut him off.
“Did that come from—” Demitrious didn’t get to finish that sentence either.
Lake reached the door to Yejun’s studio and yanked it open, stepping to the side with it just in case. When there weren’t any more shots, he risked poking his head around the corner, heaving out the breath he’d been holding when his eyes locked with Yejun’s.
Demitrious finally made it, but Lake ignored him, entering the room to take in the scene.
There was a dead body on the ground, a few feet from the dais where Lake and Yejun had been fooling around only an hour or so ago. Blood smeared across the edge and the floor, but it wasn’t all from the dead guy.
“You’re hurt.” Lake stared at the deep wound in Yejun’s right thigh where crimson was trickling out, soaking the material of his once-white pants. “Anywhere else?”
“Isn’t this the student you fought in the cafeteria last year?” Demitrious pointed at the body.
“Rase,” Yejun said. “Yeah. It’s him.”
Lake glanced at the weapon. “Did he bring that?”
“Yes.”
There was a single bullet wound at the center of Rase’s chest. Yejun must have gotten the gun and shot him at point-blank range. June was notoriously the worst shot amongst them.
“We don’t have time for this,” his friend suddenly said, stumbling slightly on his wounded leg. “Nix is in danger.”
“What do you mean?” He’d only left him twenty or so minutes ago.
“Rase isn’t alone. He told me Hendrix is here, and he plans on harming Nix.”
Lake was already halfway through the door when he remembered Yejun was bleeding out. With a curse, he spun back, and his reaction must have surprised Demitrious, because his brow shot up.
“Go,” Demitrious told him. “I’ll stay and patch him up.”
He hesitated.
“It’s okay,” Yejun gave him a reassuring smile. “It’s not serious. I’ll be fine. It’s not like Demitrious is going to let me bleed out or anything. Hurry. Before Nix is hurt.”
Lake hated having to make a choice between June and Nix but…
Each and every one of them would choose Nix every time.
With a nod to Yejun, he hurried out, planning on heading back to where he’d separated from Nix.
He missed the way Yejun stumbled, or how Demitrious caught him.
And took the weapon right out of his hand.