Page 118 of Baking and Angels

“What?! Why?” Eleanor asked, crossing her arms defensively.

“You attracted attention, little dear. The BDI is watching Ms. Kovacs and your, frankly, dramatics with Lares on the competition floor have… well, it’s simply not surprising. I thought you would have been smarter than this.”

Eleanor’s growl echoed in the open space.

Vassago had her right where he wanted her.

“Do something about it!” she shouted.

“I’m trying to, dear. Now, don’t yell at me,” he chided, opening his palms to her. “We just need to cancel this current deal and make another one.”

“Eleanor! No, don’t!” a beautiful, familiar voice echoed in the space. Both Vassago and Eleanor turned to another set of doors closest to their right, just out of Rafferty’s view. Of course, there was another setof doors.

Helena appeared, and she glowed with her own light. She was struggling to keep her other visage from manifesting, the wings on her back and horns on her head flickering in and out of existence. Startled, Eleanor stepped back from her cousin, while Vassago slid easily between the other perceived competition forhis prey.

“Oh, old soul, you aren’t looking so good. Ooo, you have a tail. Did you have a tail before?” he said, drawling his words out mockingly with a Southern accent that Rafferty had never heard him use before. It was offsettingand wrong.

He’s infusing his aura into his voice,Rafferty thought.

Helena ignored him, keeping her focus on Eleanor. “You have to stop, please,” she begged. “You’re going to lose everything if you keep going like this. Any deals with him are going to destroy you. There is no winning…” Then Helena groaned in pain, curling around herself.

Dropping to her knees, she failed her fight to hold back her true form. The wings splayed out on either side of her as her skin paled to milky white edged with gold, casting light everywhere around her as bright as the full moon. Energy spun round and round the linking of her horns around her head until it seemed like one glowing circlet or halo.

“Helena?” Eleanor exclaimed, struggling to comprehend what she was seeing.

Vassago laughed cruelly. “You are being called home,my dear.”

His laughter cut short as Rafferty skidded to a halt, dropping down beside Helena. He had crossed the space from the door faster than any conscious thought that he wasdoing so.

“Helena!I’m here!”

Chapter 44

Saving

an Angel

“Rafferty?” Helena asked. Her voice came out small as she lifted her head. The eerie feeling he had known before washed over him, but this time, it didn’t set his teeth on edge or make his skin crawl. It was warm and welcoming like the lapping waves of a summer ocean.

“You’re too weak, you’re giving too much of yourself,” he said, reaching out to hold her, but she pulled away.

“No, don’t touch me,” she said sharply.

His fingers flexed just inches from her, but he respected her command.

A breath later, she looked up at him, her golden eyes asking a thousand questions.Where have you been? How could you leave me? How can you look at me now? Do you hate me?She didn’t need her to say them for him tohear them.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered to her, heedless of Vassago’s sniggering over hisshoulder.

“Aww, this is so cute. You could be a Lifetime movie,” the demon crowed.

Rafferty peered deep into Helena’s eyes, not flinching at their intensity. How could he have ever thought her terrifying or overwhelming? “Helena, I’mso sorry—”

“Oh, for hell’s sake, I’m bored now,” Vassago interrupted, before turning back to Eleanor. “You want to win or not?”

“Yes…” Eleanor answered automatically, confused and stunned by what she was witnessing.

“No matter what you do, demon, you’re not going to get what you want!” Helena snapped, her eyes flashing golden fire as she struggled to her feet. She was still unsteady but didn’t notice as Rafferty reacted, reaching for her waist to help her up. She braced her hands against his shoulders so that she could meet the demon eye to eye. “Any deal you make you will not gether soul.”

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