Page 106 of Baking and Angels

Vassago’s jaw shifted, considering it. It was advice Vassago had given Rafferty at one time in a similar circumstance, though he had been more of an assabout it.

Then the jaw locked, the decision made, and Rafferty’s heart sank as he realized it.

This would have been the best way forward for everyone, but it wasn’t in Vassago’s nature to do that. Otherwise, the demon wouldn’t even be in this position now.

“Give me… the deal,” Vassago ground out between his too-sharp teeth.

Rafferty looked him straight in the eye. It would be so much easier to just relent, take the deal, and walk away. A boon from a demon, free and clear, would be extremely beneficial.

He could justwalk away.

“No. Enough is enough, Vassago. I’m done dealingwith you.”

He finally said it.

Despite the physical threat around him, Rafferty ducked under Vassago’s too-long arm and out of the ring ofhis aura.

And the demon couldn’t do a thing to stop him. Not with the original deal in place. The boundary would hold.

“Your new mistress is just going to have to win the old-fashioned way,” Rafferty said as he moved to the door. Gripping the handle to hide the shaking of his hand, he turned back to the demon, who had rage-filled, swirling eyes. “She’s going to have tobeat me.”

“There are other ways to destroy you!” Vassago hissed.

Rafferty nodded. “Yeah.Probably.”

And he left the room, and his past, behind.

Chapter 40

Rising

Stakes

His body felt like it had been slammed by a wave. As the door shut Vassago and his past behind him, there she was, walking past, talking into her phone, oblivious to hispresence.

Helena had dressed in a smart scarlet suit. Her red-gold hair was twisted up and pinned in a beautiful bun, taming her waves. She wore flats that clicked as she jetted throughthe space.

Yet he couldn’t remember how to do anything but look at her.

He was right back in that moment… that moment when he had first laid eyes on her, standing there in the wreck of her kitchen, her eyes wide and watering from the residuals of the summoning circle. His heart ached then, and now, at the sight of her. Her eyes then had been so wide and frightened, but the entire time, she treated him with courtesy and politeness. Not something he had known much of. She had been desperate to get out of the situation. And he had let her offthe hook.

Following her, like his heart was tied to a string that was attached to hers, she led him back to the staging area, which was now empty, and through another set of double doors to an enormous set.

It was in the same ballroom as before, but this time, the snowfield decorations were long gone. Up on the stage at the far end was a judge’s platform with fashionably dressed people talking to each other over microphones and into cameras focused on their faces.

More cameras were set up throughout, in a dozen or so little clusters. In the center of each of those clusters were two tables set up at an angle to each other with mini–kitchen setups lined up behind. Just like every other competition, equipment was arranged, waiting to be used, on the counters, but this time there were little cards in front of them, all denoting which culinary company donated what and what website to go to find the exact ones displayed. The other chefs were setting up at their assigned places, checking equipment and ingredients, talking to each other about their game plans. The racing drivers’ analogy was in full force here, with different colored chef’s coats and symbols embroidered over their breast sides.

Rafferty ran his hand over where his emblem would be, his fingers finding threads. Looking down, he saw an image drawn in scarlet thread with the words “Scarlet Promotions” written beneath.

He was wearing his lady’s colors.

Into that joyous chaos, Helena beelined through, encountering others from her office, all working to get this show on the road. A couple of times, her glance went to an empty station, and Rafferty knew that one was his, by, if nothing else, the deeply sad expression onher face.

Maybe he was being a coward, but he didn’t want to distract her from her work. Now that he had seen her, he knew the sight of him would cause her pain. And he suddenly wasn’t ready.

When she turned away, he went over to the station. He wasn’t surprised at all to see it was oppositeEleanor’s.

“So did you and Vassago get things squared away?” she asked, as if that were a normal thing to say.

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