Page 75 of Garden of Poisoned Delights

Iason snorted softly, his mouth twisting into the slight grimace of his smile, but he hid it quickly in his own mug of tea and said nothing.

“I—yes, I know, I’m sorry,” Lazaros said.

Levi tilted his head, studying him in the unblinking, still way that heforgot was disconcerting to humans. “Why are you sorry? That I’m dressed?”

“Dragon,” Iason murmured. “Behave.”

Levi waved off that absurd suggestion and kept his focus on Lazaros. “Is everything all right?” He assumed it was, or else he’d feel it through the bond, especially if it had something to do with Sophie.

“She’s fine,” Iason said. “This is about something else.”

Levi gave his companion an arch look, because he knew Sophie was fine, he could sense her through their bond, alive and happy and enjoying herself. “Are you staying for dinner?” Levi asked, instead. “We have enough to give you, if you want.”

Lazaros, who was taking a sip of his tea, choked on it.

Iason coughed, which Levi knew was his way of covering up a laugh even if Lazaros didn’t, and he patted Lazaros on the back. A flare of magic lit up the kitchen, and Lazaros’ coughing stopped immediately.

“Thanks,” he said weakly. Iason only nodded.

Levi stared between the two of them, waiting patiently to be told what was happening.

“There’s an artifact,” Lazaros began, fingers curled around the mug, as if seeking its warmth. “I’m not sure what it is, but there’s a significant radius of power affecting the local population. There’s an underground cave sealed off with magic, and until recently, no one lived close enough to notice. But now they do, and it’s…um...”

“It’s making people want to fuck,” Iason said. Unlike Lazaros, he was not blushing.

Levi considered this. “And that’s a problem?”

Iason’s smile twisted over his features, his eyes bright, fond. “It is when they don’t want to do anything else, like sleep or eat.”

Levi considered it again. He shrugged. “Still doesn’t seem that bad to me.”

“Because you’re immortal, both of you. That’s why I’m here.”

“He wants us to go look at it, since we’re not…likely to be damaged by the spell.” Iason sipped his own tea.

Levi glanced at his companion, then back at Lazaros. His eyes narrowed. “There’s something you’re not telling me,” he said, pleased at noticing, because sometimes the intricacies of human interactions went right over his head. “What is it?”

“The ritual to unbind the magic requires sex,” Iason said.

“Okay, sure,” Levi said. “Why’s that making the mage blush?”

“Because,” Lazaros said, speaking up at last, “the mage has to be there, too.”

Levi blinked. “Come again?”

Iason snorted into his teacup.

“The ritual requires a human,” Lazaros said.

“But you said the sex magic makes the humans fuck too much,” Levi reminded him. “You said you needed us, but now you’re saying you need to be there, so which is it?” He still didn’t know why that would make Lazaros turn so red and mumble and not be able to meet their eyes.

The quiet was almost deafening, and it was several long, poignant moments before he spoke. “Forgive him, Lazaros. As unfettered as he is, sometimes he misses the obvious.”

“Misses the–”

“We have to fuck him, dragon. That’s what he’s saying.”

“Asking,” Lazaros said, quickly. “That’s what I’m asking.”

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