Page 98 of Villain
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.