Page 77 of Baking and Angels

“No,” he said shaking his head. “He is a sad fool. He’s suffering in a hell of his own making. But if he comes for me again, I will.”

“Fine, fine. Don’t need a whole speech about it,” the agent dismissed, tucking away the notebook she had used to take down the basics of what happened. “Call me or Agent Sophia if you should be contacted by the demon, or any demon for that matter, or if anything else unusual happens. Which you are sure you haven’t seen?”

Rafferty felt the hairs on the back of his neck bristle, but it was Helena who answered. “You mean like the demon I told you I saw at the agency, but you didn’t believe me?” she snapped, which was quite uncharacteristic of her.

Agent Archon’s eyes widened a moment, then narrowed. She said nothing more but headed over to talk to the police, presumably to talk to Chris and his brother.

“I think that is it, let’s go inside,” Helena said softly, and he nodded. His eye still throbbed, and the ice pack Cindy had given him had long gone warm. When they passed the doctor on the stairs, she took in a sharp breath coming back from her long stare. Then silently collected her bag andfollowed.

When they filed back into the house, they found Charlie sitting at her dining room table, his head inhis hands.

“Should we make some dinner?” Helena asked, looking from Charlie to Cindy who deposited her bag onto Helena’s couch.

“We brought food from Charlie’s kitchen,” Cindy said, shifting back to the door where their suitcases and a couple boxes of food Rafferty hadn’t noticed earlier sat.

“I can do it,” Rafferty volunteered, and went to pluck up one of the boxes, with Cindy doing the same withthe other.

Helena nodded and went to sit down next to Charlie, but he got up to follow into the kitchen, so she did as well.

“So they fixed the floor?” Cindy asked as she set her box on a counter. Tapping a foot onto the tile where the lines used to be.

“I guess,” Helena said, letting the door fall shut behind her. “I guess in case we get tempted to open the circle again.”

“But it was a real demonic circle, right?” Cindy asked, crouching down to touch the nonexistent lines.

“Not officially, I guess,” Helenaanswered.

“What did you say to Chris?” Charlie cut in before Rafferty could think of a suitable lie aboutthe floor.

“I made a deal with him,” Helena said.

Chapter 30

Tasted of

Honey

“Adeal?” Charlie choked out.

Rafferty’s heart pounded hard in his chest.“Youdid what?”

She straightened, looking her friend directly in the eye, holding his shoulders. “And it’s one I think you should consider making as well. He has agreed to go totherapy.”

Immediately, Charlie’s head shook. “No, no. I can’t. I can’t forgive him and just carry on like nothing happened. I can’t even look at him again.”

“I’m not saying you have to,” Helena said. And Cindy chorused, “She’s not saying that.”

Cindy came up on his side, joining her hand with Helena’s. “I see it all the time. I have a colleague who’s a family therapist. They said that often people will go to see them not just to save their relationships—though it’s what she hopes for—but sometimes it’s also so that they can do the work to part well.”

“I know you, Charlie. You don’t want things to end like this right?” Helena asked, her voice heavy and hypnotic. She was doingit again.

“Helena! Stop it!” Rafferty hissed, but she only glanced at him before Charlie spoke.

His voice came out slow and thick as molasses. “Yes, you’re right. This isn’t what I want. Even if we don’t end up together…”

Cindy pinched her eyebrows together in worry, but Helena only nodded. “Yes, exactly. You’re going to rest here tonight; I’ve got my guest bedroom and everything. I can also make up the couch—”

“No, that’s fine,” Cindy said. “We’ve shared a bed before on more than enough road trips.”

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