Good thing ordinary Parisians couldn’t see him. He was putting on quite the air show.
He surged higher and angled toward a more disreputable neighborhood, leaving the Seine and the boat full of witches behind him. If Raya wouldn’t help him, he could at least drown his sorrows at Cosmo’s bar.
A tiny voice in the back of his mind told him he wasn’t making the best decisions at the moment, but he ignored the voice and plunged ahead.
This time, he didn’t need to take the stairs up. He aimed for a window on the second floor and dove through it at full speed, passing through the glass like it was only fog. He skidded to a stop in the middle of the bar as the wind of his landing blasted through the room.
George cradled a fruity drink in both hands and shot him an aggrieved look. “You nearly knocked over my beverage.”
“Sorry, mate.” Phoenix ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head as if to clear it. “I’m a little off my game.”
George carefully set his glass down on the table. “What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you were passing the time with that witch—the one who’s not so bad—what’s her name?”
“Raya. Apparently, she is that bad. She told me to go away.”
George snorted. “What’d you do to her?”
“Do to her? Nothing. I just told her I was lonely.” Something sounded wrong about that. Why had he told her he was lonely?
Why in Lucifer’s name had he touched her cheek like that?
Cosmo came around the bar and sat next to George at the small round table. “You told someone you were lonely?”
Phoenix rubbed his eyes. “It seemed like the right thing to do. I’ve never felt so—strongly—about anything.”
Cosmo and George looked at each other, then at Phoenix.
“That’s not like you,” said Cosmo.
George shook his monstrous head, a look of concern on his face.
Phoenix dropped into a chair. “I need a drink.”
Cosmo assessed him with a glance. “Maybe the last thing you need is a drink.”
“Cosmo, don’t be difficult.”
She shrugged and went to the bar.
Phoenix rested his head on his arms. “Is this how humans feel all the time?”
George raised an eyebrow like a furry caterpillar. “I wouldn’t know.”
Cosmo placed a bottle of champagne and a glass in front of Phoenix.
He sat up. “Oh, goody. Little bubbles to make the feelings go away.” He filled the glass to the brim and drank it all in one shot.
Cosmo and George exchanged another look.
“Did something happen to you, Phoenix?” Cosmo tried to slide the bottle out of reach.
Phoenix pulled the bottle back and hiccupped. “Nothing happened to me. I watched some cartoons, I ate some macarons, I followed Raya onto a boat full of witches and told her I was lonely.”
No, that still didn’t sound right at all.
“And some smug little bastard called me Raya’s pet demon. Me! A pet.” He refilled his glass and slammed the bottle on the table. He tossed the drink back.
Anger felt so much better than loneliness.
