Chapter 17 Yes, Love is a Real Ingredient
YES, LOVE IS A REAL INGREDIENT
Lazerath
“Dav, Dav, Dav,” Lazerath panted, using his tail for balance as he propelled himself around the corner and into the kitchen. He smacked into the gray demon who nearly dropped the stack of boxes in his hands.
“Fuck, Laz, slow down,” Davarox warned, tilting his head around his load. “What is it?”
Laz held up a finger, more out of breath than he’d planned after sprinting into the back. “Hold—hold on.”
He bent over, bracing himself on his knees as he tried to get enough air. “I saw—saw Ozirax.”
There was a groan, then Dav set the boxes aside. Moments later, a glass of water was shoved at Lazerath. “Drink.”
He chugged the water, thankful that it eased the burning in his throat. When he glanced back at his friend, Davarox had a tiny smile twitching at the corner of his mouth.
Laz felt a little proud at that gesture considering Dav had been so stressed the last few days—even more than what catering this fundraiser would have produced. Maybe it had something to do with making sure they did a good job so Rosalind would be praised for her work as well.
Laz didn’t quite understand the fear. He was confident in Lovable Loaf, in Dav, and especially in Rose. This night couldn’t have been anywhere close to successful without them. Laz hadn’t even knocked over a table of scones or wine once.
“Were you going to tell me something about Ozirax? He didn’t spike someone again, did he?”
“Oh, no. But get this,” Lazerath said, dangling the words like a little treat. Davarox, however, didn’t bite like other demons might have. Rose would have given him a good reaction. “I saw him hiding under a table.”
That got the reaction Lazerath wanted.
Dav frowned. Cocked his head. Opened and closed his mouth a few times before muttering, “Under?”
Laz snapped his fingers. “Yup. Tucked up under the tablecloth. Whole tray of bronzeberry scones. I was putting another plate down and saw his tail.”
“Fuck, and he didn’t spike you?”
It was really sweet that Dav actually looked concerned, checking him over for injury.
“No, but I think his glare promised death to myself and my firstborn if I told anyone about it. I pretended I didn’t see anything.”
“But you immediately told me?”
“Sure. I can’t tell Sev until he finally shows his face at the bakery. You know—”
“Because of his face,” Dav finished, waving his hand like that might hurry up this conversation. “So you just wanted to tell me Ozirax was hiding under a table? The warrior who would rather die than—”
“Than be at this event, but especially be found doing something incredibly embarrassing like hiding under a table eating our scones?” Lazerath grinned, because it really was fun being so in tune with his best friend.
Especially when Dav was now incredibly invested in Laz’s story.
“Exactly. I knew he was done for when I ran into him out front before this.”
“You saw him before, too?”
“Oh, yeah. And guess what I just put together?”
His friend raised a brow and waited.
“He’s totally in love with the scary human warrior.”
Dav scoffed, rolling his eyes like the story had lost its excitement. “Absolutely not. No way.”
“Explain this, then.”
Laz grabbed Dav’s wrist, dragging him out of the kitchen and toward a small balcony overlooking the event. The room was packed, but it was easy to spot the giant, colorless human at the center of the room.
Ozirax held her closer than Lazerath had ever seen the demon hold another. Curiously enough, his spikes were still raised, but the human? She wasn’t frightened. In fact, it almost looked like her fingers were caressing those very weapons.
With a dreamy sigh, Lazerath propped his chin on his hands and stared at them. “They’re in love.”
“I’m still not convinced.”
“Look at those eyes!”
Davarox grunted. “At best, they’re fuck me eyes. That’s a look promising violence.”
“Aww, murder couple. So cute.”
He could feel Dav’s gaze on the side of his face.
“Are you… you really want them to be in love?”
Laz twisted his head so he could look at Davarox. “Well, duh. Don’t you? I mean, we all deserve love, don’t we? Is it so wrong for that to be with a human?”
The corner of Davarox’s eyes twitched as he turned away. “This has nothing to do with her being human.”
“Dav, think about it,” Lazerath pressed, unsure where Dav’s hesitancy had come from. “We wanted to court Rose. The whole point of courtship is love, marriage, soulbonding. Then we see the two most affection-averse individuals in the middle of that dance floor showing everyone that it’s possible.”
“The only thing they’re showing is that, without security, they’ve snuck half a tray of bronzeberry scones without getting caught.”
“A couple that thieves together, stays together.”
“You’re such a romantic.” Dav shook his head as he turned back to the kitchen.
“Tell me that wasn’t worth it. Tell me you’re now wondering if the other humans are finding demon soulbonded.”
His friend grumbled, but he was absolutely smothering a smirk as he picked up a box and shoved it at Laz. “Let’s go. We’ve still got a few hours left before we can call it a night.”
That was already a win for Lazerath so he grabbed a tray and got back to work. No, really, he would have made Dav proud for only getting distracted that one time with Ozirax and had been incredibly productive.
Because events like this? They were his specialty. The rooms brimming with social energy, the bodies and conversations he could weave between, the mix of joy and work and a lot of alcohol? This was where he thrived.
The only thing Lazerath didn’t love was that he wasn’t in the middle of it. He kept to the walls, ordering the borrowed staff from Culture’s offices around, but he wasn’t part of the main action.
He wanted to be. Maybe not with these snobby demons who wouldn’t have given Davarox a second look if his friend wasn’t already keeping invisible like the staff. But Laz wouldn’t mind going to parties like this, dressing up, weaving from conversation to conversation.
Only if he had Rose on his arm, and Dav holding her other.
He’d spend the first ten minutes of every conversation bragging about his human. He’d walk her to the dance floor and spin her around for everyone to see. Make sure there was no doubt in anyone’s minds that she was the most spectacular mind and beauty Heck had ever seen.
Because how could one look at her and not see that? After the few glimpses he’d gotten of her tonight, he could already tell she was meant to be here. Meant to be petitioning for her causes. Meant to change Heck.
One day. One day he’d take her to all the fancy outings. He’d be in nice clothes, no longer a caterer, just catering to her. Anything she wanted, he’d do it.
“There’s just a few more tables left, but we’re mostly cleared out,” Lazerath said, stack of trays balanced on one arm with a wine-soaked towel in the other.
One noble had gotten a little too stumbly, but at least the only casualty had been the male’s shirt and that towel.
“Still a few demons who refuse to move their conversation outside—”
Laz pulled up short as he turned, finding Davarox standing stiffly and another demon in the room with him.
“Argeth.” Laz darted another glance at his friend. “Is there a problem?”
The orange demon, wearing leather straps and a sheer top that Lazerath could never hope to pull off, gave him a practiced smile. “Of course. I was simply waiting for both Lovable Loaf owners to be present before offering my appreciation for tonight.”
The first part was obviously a lie. Laz had no doubt that Davarox’s discomfort had everything to do with the Horn doing or saying something before Laz’s arrival. But the latter…
“I was in quite a bind,” Argeth said, palms up as he spread his arms wide. “And you came in and didn’t miss a step. Enough food and drink, quick refreshments of empty tables, and a flow that made this one of the most successful fundraisers we’ve—”
“That was Rosalind,” Lazerath said, noting that Argeth had mostly kept eye contact with him and not his partner. “And Davarox. Logistics were all them, so if you’d like to thank someone—”
“Laz,” Davarox hissed.
“No, no. I’m going to finish since we’ve already been paid.
” Laz waved off his friend as he set his armload aside and stepped closer to the Horn of Culture.
“Yes, our food is delicious. It’s baked with love, and yes, that’s a real ingredient.
But the success that brought your department and every other council member money?
That’s all because of my friend there and the human under your employ. ”
Argeth’s eyes had gone wide, and Laz belatedly realized his claws had extended. He managed to squeeze his hands into fists, though there wasn’t much to be done about the fangs he could feel against his lip.
“All of this is possible because of the work she did, all while having no previous knowledge about demons or our culture. She learned it, respected it, and managed to put together this fundraiser while researching and preparing her proposal for an art district that this government decided wasn’t worth their time.
But a human, who we have been taught are vicious and evil, came in and decided that, with absolutely no resources, she was going to care for the demons that our own kind left behind.
Demons that her kind were told to fear.”
Laz was breathing hard, unsure where the adrenaline had come from. Probably all the cookies he’d eaten.
He rolled his shoulders back, fixing his uniform. “Anyway, Rosalind is brilliant, and you would be wise to listen to her about all things. And make one of your other assistants get tea for the office, for fuck’s sake. We have two arms and a tail for carrying shit.”
Argeth’s wide-eyed shock had narrowed into something scrutinizing, but there was also a hint of respect. He turned to Dav expectantly, but the gray demon only shrugged.
With a delicate huff through his nose, Argeth shifted his body so that both Laz and Dav were included. “Your comments are noted.” Then, to Davarox, “Thank you. I think the chocolate tart was my favorite.”
Lazerath didn’t know how Argeth had identified one of Davarox’s recipes, but a smirk pulled on Dav’s lips as the gray demon said, “And if you seek to use any of this against Rosalind or her proposal, I’ll make sure you can never taste anything ever again.”
Well, that was certainly the Davarox he’d grown up with.
Instead of cowering or running away, Argeth’s lips stretched into a satisfied grin. “I see why she likes you.” His eyes flicked between them. “Both of you. Have a nice evening, and I do hope there’s a chance for my office to work with you again in the future.”
Argeth dipped his chin, turned with a flourish, and practically floated from the kitchen.
The moment the demon’s tail disappeared, Davarox let out a long groan and scrubbed his hand down his face. “I need a drink.” His body sagged as he pulled out a stool, sat, and slumped over the counter. “Don’t let anyone else catch me like this.”
Lazerath pulled out another stool and wrapped an arm around Dav’s shoulders. “Who cares? Tonight was a success! Do you know how many conversations I overheard talking about our food?”
The gray demon shifted his head out of his arms, a few loose hairs falling over his eye. “Really?”
Laz shook him. “Yes, really. We come out with a huge profit and I’m betting we’ll see a crowd tomorrow.”
“We’re closed tomorrow.”
He stuck his hand up and tried to count the days on his fingers, then gave up. “Whatever. I remembered what profit was, you should be proud of me.”
Davarox chuckled. “I’m very proud.”
“See, I know how to read things. I want to ease some of your stress about being the responsible one all the time.”
“Are you still bothered by those contracts?”
Lazerath shrugged. “Yes. No. Maybe, but I also want to try to be better at learning all that stuff since it’s important for the business.
Plus, you and Rose are so smart, and I want to be able to, I don’t know, understand some of what you guys talk about.
I’ve been going over our ledger for practice. ”
Emotion flickered in Dav’s eyes as he straightened, and Laz could have sworn he spotted a little bit of concern there before his friend’s arms were wrapping around him. “It’s so boring, right?”
“Dav, it’s so fucking boring. I don’t know how you can sit and stare at numbers like that. My brain is soup.”
“Soup sounds so good right now.”
“Are we getting soup?”
They both jerked back at the new voice, finding the most stunning creature standing in the doorway.
Rosalind’s hair was tied in a knot at the top of her head, heeled shoes dangling from her fingers even as her whole body sagged from exhaustion. But she was grinning, and Laz couldn’t help himself. He draped himself over the counter, hands wiggling her direction in invitation.
“Beautiful, I missed you so much.”
“It’s only been a few hours.” She tossed her shoes into the corner before letting him lean back and pull her onto his lap. “The last few demons are trickling out. What else do you have to do tonight?”
“Nothing that can’t be done tomorrow.” Davarox pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You’ve got a pretty smile on, baby. Good night?”
Rose wiggled in Lazerath’s lap, twisting so she could see them both. “Really good. Had a very enlightening conversation with the Horn of Finance about my proposal.”
Laz sat up straighter. “He approved?”
“Oh, the opposite. Vehemently.”
Davarox’s brows pinched. “And this is a… good thing?”
“It is, because he said something strange before dismissing me. Remember that missing money? I think I might know who’s involved.”
“Fuck.”
“Just a theory,” she said with a shrug, as if she wasn’t a few documents away from exposing a corrupt government official. “But I managed to convince Elliran to drop off some books tomorrow to compare. We’ll see if I can’t at least get a little bit closer to an answer.”
Lazerath squeezed her, resting his cheek on her shoulder. “You’re so fucking smart, Rose.”
“And so fucking hungry,” she added.
“Soup?” Dav suggested.
“Lots of bread, too.”
Laz tapped the tip of her nose. “Done.”
After catching a restaurant just before closing, they found themselves flopped on Laz’s apartment floor, stealing bites of each other’s soup and laughing over stories from the evening.
When Rose fell asleep against Dav’s shoulder, her legs draped over Laz’s lap and Dav snoring softly, he knew that this was how it was always meant to be. The three of them.
This was love.