Mozke shook off Rose’s offer of the last tea—which Rosalind was silently grateful for since she’d misplaced hers—scribbling furiously in their notebook. “Most of the noble?—”
Argeth coughed.
“—sixty-four percent of the noble houses are still uncertain and want to see how the fundraiser goes before they back a candidate.”
The fundraiser for all the Horns to petition for donations and convince the budgets to lean in their favor over another department.
The councilor let out a soft whine and spun toward the window, the cape of his diamond-patterned pink jacketbillowing behind him. “I should make another speech about the humans and what good we’ve done with them. Dedicate a bench in Midmost Dell, or… plant a shrubbery. One that looks nice, not too expensive…”
Rose grimaced. It’s not like she didn’t know most of his hospitality came with the ulterior motive of reelection, but to hear it so plainly and then be compared in importance to a shrubbery was…
A tap drew her attention to the left, where Mozke lifted their notebook so she could see their notes.
Not notes.
Help me.Along with a stick-figure rendition of Argeth planting a shrubbery.
Rosalind snorted into her tea, but that wasn’t the end of it. Mozke flipped the page, this time revealing a bunch of scribbles around the border and swirly, floral lettering in the middle that readI’m so fucking bored.
Argeth still had his back turned, mumbling about the fundraiser and a long list of things he still needed to confirm. All things that Rosalindcoulddo—wantedto do, because fetching tea and lunch while also having to scrounge up information on the other women because no one else would was getting exhausting. She could domore. She could behelpful, and she was getting restless being stuck with nothing meaningful.
Mozke flipped their notebook page once more, two names in less fanciful script popping out at her.
Brioni is fine. She talks toomuch, even for me.
Aofe, checked on, good health—do you think I could pull off a nose ring?
It was a small update, but one that Rosalind desperately needed. And knowing it was Mozke who had the information made her feel that restlessness ease a fraction.
The other humans were doing okay, but as soon as that thought settled, the louder one took over. The one that said it wasn’t enough, and she should demand to be heard instead of sent on useless errands. She should force them to sit down andlistento her, for once.
“Councilor,” Mozke called, sweeping out of their chair. “I need the human for the rest of the day. Out of the office.”
“Oh,” Argeth said, turning with a frown. “I was?—”
“Very important. Polling ideas. Investigation into shrubberies.” Mozke’s pale blue hand wrapped around Rosalind’s upper arm and tugged her out of her seat. “The human has excellent experience in shrubbery upkeep.”
“Wait, I do?”
Claws teased at her bicep. Friendly, but urging her to shut up.
“Yes, yes,” Rosalind blurted as she stumbled to follow Mozke’s tugging grip. “I love shrubberies. Maybe a two-level effect, with a little path running down the middle.”
The door closed behind them, but not before Rosalind saw Argeth’s interest piqued at her last offer. But Mozke didn’t stop at their desk, nor did they stop at all as they dragged Rose from the office.
“Are we really looking into shrubberies?” Rosalind whispered as she hurried to keep up.
“I already know a demon,” Mozke said with a dismissive flick of their wrist, and once they were under the daymoonlit sky, they spun Rose around in front of them and gripped her by the upper arms. “Gods, who is feeding you? These arms are like sticks.”
Rosalind wiggled out of their hold. “Hush. I’ll have you know I am the strongest in my family.”
“Then it’s the stress.”
She looked away.
“That’s what I thought. You work too hard, human. The others are fine.” And then Mozke was ushering her down the steps. “I don’t know how human hearts work, but if they’re like a demon’s, it cannot be healthy for yours to beat so fast all the time.”
Rosalind pressed a hand to her chest. Funny enough, this was almost normal for her. “I liked it better when I could get away with no one hearing that.”
