Page 85 of Dancing for the Minotaur

That got her attention.

“My room has one too?”

“Yes.” He nodded.

“Well, why didn’t you say so? Let’s go!”

She took his hand and allowed him to pull her up. The living couch immediately reshaped itself behind her, smoothing until there was no sign anyone had been sitting there.

“That is so weird,” Terra murmured, watching it.

“It is efficient,” Taurex corrected her.

“You really love that word,” Terra remarked. It was one of the ways he praised her when they had an especially good day at work—he called her “efficient.”

“Because efficiency is admirable,” he said gravely.

“Spoken like a male whose Earth office looked like a recycling center exploded in it,” Terra said, laughing.

Taurex gave her a wounded look.

“That was before I hired you. It looks much better now.”

“Exactly. Because I’m efficient.”

“Yes, you are.” He gave her an admiring look. “Come—let me show you the food prep area of my domicile.”

Still holding hands, they moved into the next room, which turned out to be the kitchen or “food prep area” as he called it.

The kitchen fascinated Terra even more than the magically supportive living couch. There were no conventional appliances anywhere—no refrigerator, stove, microwave or dishwasher that she could see. Instead, the entire room seemed to consist of different living plants trained to perform specific functions.

A huge pale green pod grew from one wall, tall enough to reach Terra’s chest and wide enough that she could probably have climbed inside if she wanted to. Taurex touched the side of it and the pod unfolded into several overlapping sections, revealing a cool interior filled with food.

Terra stared with interest.

“Is that the Monstrum version of a refrigerator?”

He nodded.

“It serves the same purpose. To keep food cold so it doesn’t spoil.”

She held one hand near the opening and cold air drifted over her fingers.

“How does it work?” she asked, since she loved knowing the “how” of everything.

“The plant absorbs heat from the chamber and transfers it into its roots,” Taurex explained. “There it generates energy and puts out cold air as a byproduct of its growth cycle.

“So it’s a refrigerator bush!” Terra exclaimed, delighted.

Taurex smiled.

“It is a kelthra cooling pod.”

“Refrigerator bush,” she insisted, grinning impishly at him.

He gave her a look and Terra laughed. Yes, she loved teasing her big Monstrum boss. And it seemed that Taurex liked playing along.

Near the refrigerator bush was another plant shaped like a broad bowl supported on several thick roots. Its inside surface was smooth and dark, almost like black stone.