Chapter 20 Until There’s Nothing Left
UNTIL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT
Rosalind
Rosalind had just finished her third set of knocks, wondering if maybe she should have given up after the first, when the door opened.
“Oh.”
Davarox stood there, shirtless, linen pants slung low on his hips as his tail dragged behind him lazily. Hair loose and tangled, he scrubbed at one half of his face as he squinted at her through his other eye.
“You were asleep,” Rose said guiltily. “I’m sorry, I thought you’d be up by now. I shouldn’t have—”
Dav grabbed her wrist before she could leave, tugging her into his apartment and closing the door behind her. By the time she’d been spun around, all sleep was gone from his face. “What’s wrong, baby?”
“No, I don’t want to burden you if you just woke up.”
“Rosalind.” Oh, that was his serious voice. “You show up to my apartment when you should be at work, or fucking resting before tonight, and as beautiful as you always are, you look like you’re seconds away from a panic attack.”
“Maybe?”
His hands clasped her cheeks, lowering himself to tap his nose against hers. “Start explaining while I’ll make tea.”
Rosalind nodded as she followed him into the kitchen, and the moment she was seated at the counter, she launched into her morning.
It had really started the day before. After Lazerath had left, she’d gone from a relatively calm hour into the most chaotic sequence of events she’d ever experienced.
Which was saying something when she’d literally been stolen from her office on the human side of the Achreos Barrens and woke up in the demon realm after nearly being sold as a slave.
The first thing she’d had to deal with was an emergency meeting of the councilors after Kalypso and her squad dragged an unconscious and bleeding Dolgeraus into city hall. Apparently the monsters hadn’t just slipped past the Veilwood runes, they’d been summoned.
Rosalind had butted her way into the mess, if only to prevent Kalypso from using her very pretty swords on some of the nobles who thought to speak over her statement when they hadn’t left their comfy offices to check on any citizens.
Finally, when the scouts were debriefed and Dolgeraus was heading to a cell in the barracks, Rosalind had breathed for all of five minutes before a report came in about an incident at Kizros’s apothecary.
Rose had hurried there in a panic, confirming Aofe was okay and sitting with her and her adorable six-eyed fox while the guard took statements.
By the time the moon had set, Rose was trudging back to Karroth Kosteri’s office in city hall. They’d come up with a plan to adjust the human contracts that would prevent something like Aofe’s situation happening to anyone else.
It was pure luck that Rosalind had finished in time to freshen up and make it to the council’s meeting about Dolgeraus.
“They’re saying he was responsible for the missing money!
” Her anger was lessened by the fruit tart she was chewing, though she hadn’t remembered when Davarox placed it in front of her, or if the plate had been this empty before.
“Not just money that went to Culture, but the other offices. So it’s not an isolated event. ”
She shook her head, flexing her fingers in both anger and an attempt to restrain herself from reaching for another tart.
“Tarzul claimed he was so blindsided by his nephew, acted so distraught when he brought those documents forward to implicate Dolgeraus, everyone believed him. But those documents? They aren’t the same ones that Elliran got for me. They have to be forgeries.”
Davarox set down his tea with a frown. “What did Elliran say about it?”
“I don’t know, she wasn’t there. And when I asked around, no one has heard from her for a while.”
The crease between Dav’s eyes grew tighter.
“But everyone in the council believes Tarzul. Thinks Dolgeraus is behind it all, but it’s not adding up.”
“Did you say something?”
Rosalind’s shoulders sank. “No. Mozke wouldn’t let me—”
“Good. Listen to them,” Dav said, voice low. Before Rose could argue, he held up a finger. “Do not piss him off, Rose. I’m serious.”
She leaned back, offended. “You’re telling me to stop looking into this?”
“Not at all. I’m telling you not to be loud about it.” At her glare, he added, “Yet.”
“I don’t understand. You believe me but don’t want me to call him out? I’m right there, I know it’s him. I just need one slip—”
“And he already warned you at the fundraiser not to snoop,” Dav reminded her. “Elliran tried to help you and now she’s not showing up to work.”
Horror gripped Rosalind’s chest. “Oh my gods, do you think he did something to her?”
“I don’t know, but it’s convenient timing, don’t you think? I’m not in council business, but even I know Elliran doesn’t miss work for much. She’s always coming into Lovable Loaf to say hello, but you’re right. I haven’t seen her in a bit.”
Rosalind put her face in her hands and sank to the counter. “Oh my gods, this is my fault.”
“No, no,” Dav said, scooting closer to rub a soothing hand over her shoulders.
“This is only Tarzul’s fault, but…” Rose turned out of her arms to find him scrubbing a hand down his face.
“Act like you believe him, just like everyone else. If he’s responsible for more than the money going missing, we already know he’ll try to intimidate you out of looking closer at his affairs.
I don’t trust the bastard, so don’t go anywhere without Mozke or me. I’m sure Laz said the same thing.”
“He might, I guess, once I tell him.”
Surprise flickered in Dav’s gaze. “You haven’t told him?”
“Well, not yet.”
“His place was closer.”
Rosalind didn’t quite understand Dav lingering on the topic. “And he’d probably give me good advice, too, but I…” She scratched at the back of her head. “My first thought was to come here.”
Davarox stared at her so long she probably would have started squirming if she hadn’t seen the vulnerability in his frown. If she hadn’t tried so damn hard to figure out what it meant. But the longer he looked, the more she wondered…
Maybe he was just as good as seeing her as she was at seeing him.
Dav broke the silence first, reaching out to tap her cup of tea. “You should finish that before it gets cold, and then you’re going to take a three-hour nap.”
“Three hour—”
“Minimum,” he growled. “Non-negotiable.”
“Davarox,” she sighed, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. “I have so much to do. Those contracts are still filtering through the councilors. I’ve got my proposal. I need to check with Kalypso after the fucking monster attack. I have… a list back at the office.”
“I don’t care. You should have slept last night, especially considering our plans tonight, which I’m tempted to cancel—”
“Don’t.” Rosalind’s hand snapped out to grip his wrist. His skin was warm under her touch, muscle tight. “Don’t cancel tonight.”
His gaze narrowed, but then his entire body softened, slipping his hand down to hold hers.
“Rose.” He closed his eyes and leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers.
“You have such a beautiful heart, but you keep giving and giving, and others keep taking and taking until there’s nothing left for you.
” His head shook against hers. “Fuck, your heart is so loud.”
Her eyes began to burn. “You sound like my mother.”
“Smart woman,” Davarox hummed.
“I miss her. I miss my family.” Rosalind sniffed, trying to hold the tears back. “I feel like the moment I slow down or stop, I won’t be able to get up again. And every time I’m close to breaking, when I crave the safety I used to have, I come here.”
The heat from his breath against her cheek stilled.
And she wanted to say everything on her mind.
How she was sorry that she didn’t know how to slow down, but that when it became too much, her heart only wanted to find him.
How he was the thing she feared losing the most. How Laz was a spark and a comfort, but Dav was her protection, even from herself.
Together, they were her home.
But she held the words behind her gritted teeth. Swallowed them past the lump in her throat for a time when he might be ready to hear it. When the last secret between best friends stopped keeping him from happiness.
Rosalind tried not to let the concern show when Davarox shifted and pressed a kiss to her forehead in favor of answering. “Nap, baby. I’ll send word to Mozke where you are. We’ll decide on the evening when you’ve rested.”
Somewhere between crawling under the covers in Dav’s bed and the moonlight shifting across the chamber, she could have sworn she dreamed of Dav’s gentle finger brushing some hair from her forehead.
Could have sworn she dreamed of his other hand flexing over his heart and tried not to let it haunt her that, instead of a smile, he was frowning.