Chapter 19 The Monster Attack Before the Chaos
THE MONSTER ATTACK BEFORE THE CHAOS
Rosalind
Rosalind was greeted with an envelope slapped atop her work, unable to read the contents with a pale blue hand spread across the surface.
“Oh great and brilliant Mozke,” the very demon began in a dramatic imitation of Rose’s voice. “However will I repay you, for I have been so morose despite receiving regular orgasms from two—”
“Oh my gods, close the door just once!” Rose scrambled out of her seat to close the meeting room door. She spun on her heel and glared at the demon. “And I have not been morose.”
Mozke rolled their eyes, but they were smirking. “You’ve also not been getting laid—”
“Give me that envelope.”
“Say something nice first.”
Rosalind pinched their shoulder as she slipped back into her chair. “Oh great and brilliant Mozke, to what do I owe the honor of your presence in my humble place of work?” Rosalind sat up straight. “Wait, is this the evidence?”
She whispered the word, even with the demons around the office much too distracted by their own work to care about their conversation behind a closed door.
“Not quite, but maybe something better.” They removed their hand so Rosalind could see the script across the front of the paper. “Your deed and all the proper signatures for the greenhouse in the art district.”
Rosalind squeaked and grabbed the envelope closer, holding it to her chest in pride. The one benefit of her early proposal to Argeth was his approval of a small amount of funds alongside Kizros’s purchase. A donation with the specific function of assisting the humans.
And a bench dedicated from their office. A much better use of funds than a shrubbery.
“I can’t believe it already went through,” Rose sighed, leafing through the papers just for her own reassurance. “I assume I have you to thank for that?”
Mozke grinned. “Maybe you’ll tell me what’s had you bummed out the last couple days?”
Rosalind slumped in her chair again. “Sorry, it’s…”
Personal? That wasn’t the right word, because it was only partially related to her.
The truth, which she couldn’t share with Mozke, was that despite Davarox coming clean about Temptation the other day, he hadn’t talked to Lazerath about the second secret he held.
That he was in love with his best friend.
It was a secret that weighed heavily on her heart, knowing that not only was Dav in pain, but also it was her introduction that had made things worse.
As much as she believed Lazerath wouldn’t let Dav’s confession change their dynamic, she knew it would change for Dav.
And she didn’t want to be the reason their friendship crumbled.
Davarox was trying. She knew. But he couldn’t hold onto it forever, and that was what broke her heart.
Rosalind shook her head. “It’s complicated.”
Mozke studied her, like they were reading into every pause and inflection, possibly even reading her mind, but then they nodded. “If they’re not treating you well, I will personally break into their bakery and rearrange one small thing daily until they think they’ve lost their minds.”
“That’s a very real threat.”
“I’m very threatening when I need to be.”
Rose was very grateful Mozke still liked her, but she made a mental note to bring home their favorites from Lovable Loaf to keep it that way.
Mozke waved a silver-adorned hand at her. “Back to those papers you’re holding like a disgustingly adorable, hornless newborn demon—”
“Newborns are hornless?”
“—I should also inform you Kizros is in the building right now. If you want to save yourself a trip and pick up some gossip, I hear he’s causing quite the stir in his father’s office.”
Rosalind glanced down at the envelope in her hands, pretty sure she had an idea as to why. Because here was hope. For Kiz, for Aofe, for the other humans.
Maybe even her.
She stood and pointed a finger at Mozke. “We’re coming back to the hornless newborn thing.”
“They’re also tailless, in case you were planning on popping out a few.”
Rosalind was about to tell Mozke that wasn’t happening for a long while when a boom rattled the building. She managed to steady herself, confusion momentarily silencing her brain.
She turned to find Mozke frowning. “I don’t like that look.”
“I don’t like that sound,” Mozke answered with a shiver. “Usually a monster attack.”
“Are you serious?” Fear twisted in her stomach.
“The guard will handle it.”
“But the other women might not know that! Oh my gods, Aofe’s alone right now.”
“Go catch Kiz before he leaves,” Mozke urged, then shouted at her back, “And don’t leave the building until the all clear!”
Rose was sprinting, thankful only a single hallway separated her from Karroth Kosteri’s office because she caught Kizros’s tail fast enough.
“Kizros! Wait!” Fucking demons and their long legs, but she managed to catch up to him and pass off the envelope.
He tucked it away, already retreating and building momentum to run again. “I’m so sorry, I’d love to stay and talk—”
“Go,” Rose said with a wave. “Make sure she’s okay.”
“Thank you.”
“Just invite us over when you get it set up! You know our deal, but I get first dibs!”
The only request she’d made of the green demon—that she got to see how they fixed up the greenhouse first. She’d never loved sunshine, but after weeks without it, she could admit that maybe she’d not appreciated it fully before.
Despite the urgency and fear, Rosalind smiled as the demon turned and left her to return to his home.
She’d gathered early on in their conversations that Kizros was the best of the best, especially for someone as brilliant and kind as Aofe. Seeing how obviously he cared for her… hells, how obviously he loved her, it was easy to feel hope in his presence.
That in itself was terrifying, and as she stood in the hallway with demons so casually returning to their offices and work despite the knowledge there was a fucking monster out there attacking Heck, she finally understood her own feelings and the root of her fear.
“Rose?”
What perfect and confusing timing that Lazerath was suddenly standing in front of her. His shirt was a little rumpled, worry etched into his features as he looked her over.
“Beautiful, are you okay?”
Rosalind blinked. “Yeah, I’m… Why are you here?” Her voice came out rougher than intended, but then all the worst-case scenarios to why Laz was standing in front of her flooded her mind. “Oh my gods, is Dav okay? Are you? What about—”
“Hey, hey, we’re good. We’re safe,” he said, pulling her into his body. Arms and tail wrapped around her, a comforting blanket she suddenly needed more than air. “I was on my way to surprise you by bringing lunch.”
Rosalind peeled herself away enough to look him up and down. “You aren’t holding anything.”
“I sort of dropped it in a rush to find you. I wasn’t sure if anyone would be around to explain that this is normal.”
“Monster attacks are not normal, Laz.”
He pursed his lips. “Okay, well, not normal. I mean, it doesn’t happen that often, but sometimes a monster slips past a rune into the Veilwood.”
“I should check on Bri and Kat. What if they were out in the streets? Oh my gods, I knew Kalypso took out a monster in the Dreadmoor, but what if she’s in the middle of this?
” She groaned and pressed her forehead against Laz’s chest. “How did you not lose your mind when your brother was out fighting these dangers?”
Lazerath snorted. “Who said I didn’t?” He patted her back. “Come on. I know a break room to get you some tea while we wait for it to be dealt with.”
Sure enough, he took her to a room that looked like it was maintained but barely frequented.
He sat her on a small couch, produced a blanket out of who the hells knew where, and proceeded to dig around the shelves until he’d set out a feast of crackers, cheese, and two cups of tea that he’d heated with his own magic.
“You never really get used to it, if I’m being honest,” Laz said, tugging her legs over his lap before sipping his tea. “But you do get better at managing the worry. Hiding that fear.”
“I’ve never been good at hiding anything,” she muttered, then realized the slip when Lazerath tensed underneath her. “Fuck, Laz, I didn’t mean—”
He squeezed her knee, giving her a soft but genuine smile. “No, no. That’s not… I’m not upset you didn’t say anything about finding Dav there.”
Rosalind leaned against the arm of the couch, studying him for signs of discomfort. “Have you talked to him about it?”
“I want to, maybe, but I also feel like I won’t really understand it until I’m there, you know?” He let out a long sigh. “If anything, I’m grateful for the time to sort out some other things.”
She frowned, cradling the warm tea in her hands. “What do you mean?”
It took him a moment to answer, his gaze distant as he found the words. “I know Dav had his own reasons, but I feel like I failed as a friend because he couldn’t tell me about what he was doing. Money for the business aside, I just worry that…”
With a frustrated grunt, he tucked a leg under him and twisted to face her. “I don’t want to breach trust, but could you tell me, reassure me… it wasn’t because he thought I would judge him for working there, right? Like, for the actual—”
“No,” Rosalind said, curling her hand over his arm. “In no world did Davarox ever think you’d care about that.”
Lazerath softened enough that Rose could see how much worry had been eating at him. But there was still an unfamiliar tenseness in his shoulders and in the set of his jaw.
“Hey,” she said softly, rubbing her thumb over his wrist. “Is there something else bothering you?”
His brow crinkled further, the very opposite of reassuring. “I don’t… I don’t know.”
As much as she wanted to press, she kept quiet but maintained their touch. Letting him know silently that, whether he needed to talk it out or wasn’t quite ready, she would be here.
“I think maybe,” he began before shaking his head with a laugh. “I don’t think I’ve ever sorted through my thoughts before. It’s very messy in there.”
Rose smiled. “I can understand that.” She took a drink then set her tea aside. “But can I ask if one of those thoughts you’re chasing is about what he might have planned for us when we go to Temptation?”
That snapped Laz out of his sads. “The anticipation is killing me, beautiful.”
“He’s so bossy in those settings, though. That’s at least got to give us some direction.”
“Terrifyingly attentive, too. Still have no idea what he might do.”
“Have you ever been there?”
Laz’s cheeks darkened. “Once. I wasn’t too fond of the illusions.”
She shifted her legs in reassurance. “It’s okay. I prefer that layer of connection, too. But now we know it’s going to be us, and that feels safe.”
Lazerath turned away, not in dismissal, but like he’d followed a thought, caught it, and needed to sit with it to let it settle.
“Yeah,” he finally said, possibly more to himself than her. “Us.”