Page 33 of Baking and Angels

Helena nibbled at her lower lip as she regarded them all. Her own desk lived in Scarlet’s office, now forbidden to her while the nameless man worked. The head of the organization had gone to a meeting with her lawyers and the Bureau of Demonic Investigation.

“Come on,” Helena said, tugging him again toward a side room. The lights came on automatically as they entered a kitchenette. Like the rest of the office, this room housed hanging plants in the corners and had a large window letting in sunshine from outside. A long, granite counter lined the wall to the right with cabinets above. Two refrigerators sat side by side to the left of the bay window, now unnecessary for so few people.

“There should be some leftover food in the fridges. We were bringing in catering every day leading up to the ball,” Helena said as she went to the first refrigerator.

While she did that, Rafferty went to the counter. A few machines lined the back edge of it including a microwave, a panini press, a toaster oven, an electric griddle, and a standing mixer. Opening one of the upper cabinets he found several bags of bread products, including bagels, andcrackers.

“Here, sandwich meat.” Helena set a plastic tray partially covered with folds of sliced meat. From a glance, Rafferty guessed it was the standard turkey, ham, and beef. Still, he slipped the clear plastic cover off and selected one of each, taking a tiny biteper slice.

“They are still good,” heaffirmed.

“Well, yeah, it’s only been a couple of days.” Helena returned with another smaller tray, which included several kinds of cheese. At a glance, he recognized Swiss, cheddar jack, and straight cheddar. The other two white cheeses he confirmed as Havarti and provolone after he tasted them.

“Is there butter?” he asked, a plan forming in his mind. It appeared beside him. He mulled over his options, not satisfied with the simple sandwich he would make out of what was available. Still, his stomach growled with even this much before him.

He was hungry. Actually hungry!

The excitement of satisfying that hunger took him over. He went to the refrigerator to look inside.

“There is also some lettuce, but the other toppings are a bit picked over and not looking so good anyway,” Helena added from the other fridge, pulling out a very sad-looking plastic plate with a few scraps of wilted lettuce on it.

“Are there eggs?” Rafferty asked, instead of commenting on the patheticgreenery.

“Eggs?” Helena glanced back into her fridge. “No. Why would there be eggs in an office?”

“I suppose no milk either?”

“Oh, that we have.” She pulled out a carton, exchanging the greenery plate for it. She popped it open to smell it. On the side, he saw a name written in Sharpie along with the words, “Don’tdrink!!!”

Helena passed it to Rafferty who took his own whiff. “Henry doesn’t work here anymore. He left with the first wave.”

“Was he the sort to drink directly from his carton?” Rafferty asked, taking the okay-smelling find to the counter.

“No, definitely not,” she assured, following him to all his finds. “So what masterpiece are youplanning?”

He sighed. “With what is here, something very functional and boring. I’m only just now realizing the limitations of my new existence.”

“What do you mean?” Helena slid over one of the chairs so she could sit in it sidewaysto watch.

“As a demon, any missing ingredients I needed for what I wanted to make, I could simply create from my store of power. Without it, I’m stuck with what I have.”

“And you want eggs?”she asked.

“I was thinking of making those savory French Toast sandwiches that you liked so much,” he said, opening another cupboard and finding a hodgepodge of spices and salts. He pulled down a salt shaker and pepper inside a plastic grinder. “I have everything else.”

“Okay, then here you go. One miracle,” Helena said, slapping her handstogether.

Energy flowed between them before Rafferty could object, and then there she was, holding a carton of eggs.

“Oh!” she breathed. “I think I get it. It’s like you use your energy to rewrite one… piece, I guess, of reality.” She held it out to him proudly.

“No! You shouldn’t have done that!” Rafferty cried, seizing the eggs from her as if they could hurt her now.

“What? It’s no different than what you used to do,” Helena said, surprised by hisreaction.

“That is the point! Everything has a cost! You’re the only one paying it.”

“But look, I’m fine. I’m alright.” She held out her hands in proof. “I didn’t even break a sweat. It’s just a small thing. It’s just eggs.” Then she thought for a second. “Or are you worried about my intentions? Right? When you make something this way, you imbue it with intentional magic.”

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