“He can and he is,” Taiga said flatly. At leasthewas still focused on his task.
“I can’t believe I ever wanted this job,” Porthos wailed dramatically.
“Hear, hear,” agreed Kade. “Now, shut up and keep working.”
Taiga laughed and tapped Porthos on the back of the head with a scroll as he walked by to collect a box of empty vials. “Hokda may push us hard, but he’s the best teacher we could’ve asked for.”
“He’s the best teacher we could’ve asked for,” Porthos mocked. “You’re such a kiss ass, Taiga.”
“It’s called having respect. You should try it sometime,” Taiga shot back. He began ladling the purple liquid into individual doses. “It’s why he likes me more than you.”
“Sure.That’sthe reason.” Porthos clicked his tongue. “Hedoesn’t like anyone.” Then, “But at least he’ll never hate me as much as he hates Kade.”
Taiga snorted.
Kade sighed. “It’s hard being me.”
“He’s gotten better though,” said Taiga. “Laid off a lot.”
“It’s because we’ve been helping with your studies, eh?” Porthos smiled.
Kade blinked at him. “Su-re.”
Porthos pursed his lips and Taiga laughed.
Conversation lulled as they got a new wave of focus that lasted all of two seconds.
Taiga trilled happily and flounced towards the door as he announced he wasdone done doneand would be going to bed.
“Aren’t you going to help us finish?” asked Porthos.
“No fucking chance.” And then, Taiga was gone.
The two left over despaired at the departure of their third. Porthos pouted his way through grinding more herbs, and stayed pouting until they added the last ingredient and had to settle in to let it stew.
Kade’s moment of rest was quickly interrupted by the tap, tap, tapping of Porthos’ fingers against his station. Kade’s eye twitched. He braced himself for the crazy that was about to come out of Porthos’ mouth. The elf could never just be.
“Do you think Fyar has a favorite flower?”
Oh, lord. “What?”
“He has to have one. He curated agiganticgarden, he has to have a favorite. Or do you think it’s more one of each category, type of situation? A favorite flower. A favorite tree.”
Kade took a deep breath. “It has to be one of each category. Who has justonefavorite?”
Porthos hummed. “That’s what Taiga thinks, too.” So Kade wasn’t the only one Porthos had asked this nonsense. “I think his favorite flowers are Fire Lillies.”
“Oh.” It was too late for this. “He has good taste.”
“Yeah. They’re around the lake, right? Next to the pavilion and the statues.”
“No.” Kade shook his head, trying to conjure an image in his mind of where the Fire Lillies were. “They’re in the back corner, next to fruit trees.”
Silence.
Too late, Kade realized his mistake. Heart pumping, all traces of drowsiness were gone in an instant. He was dead. He wassodead.
Porthos was grinning. Smug. “I knew it. I knew it! Youhavebeen inside.”
