“I mean, I may have omitted a small amount of information about this particular location.”
Raya looked up and down the street as if she expected a parade of demons to start at any moment. “What exactly is in this neighborhood, Phoenix?”
“A friend. Sort of.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What friend—”
“I wanted someone around to make sure you were safe if I wasn’t here.”
“You had someone spying on me?” Her voice increased in volume.
Phoenix winced. “No, not spying! Watching for any unusual magic. These gatherings attract all sorts—as you well know.”
“I think I can handle myself, Phoenix. After all, aren’t you the one in need of help right now? Maybe your friend should have been babysitting you, instead.”
“Look, you can beat me with a stick later, if you like. But for now, can we go talk to her?”
“Don’t think I’ll forget.”
“I know you won’t. I’ll even find you a stick.”
At the entrance to the neighborhood bakery, Phoenix held the door open and allowed Raya to precede him.
The baker had her back to them as they entered, her short, sand-colored hair just visible under her baker’s cap.
Phoenix cleared his throat. “Bonjour, madame.”
She stiffened, then turned slowly to face them. “You weren’t supposed to come here,” she said evenly. Her long fingers casually wrapped around a nearby rolling pin. “You have one chance to explain.”
Raya stared. “I thought you said you had a friend on this street … ”
The baker’s gaze shifted from Phoenix to Raya. “This wasn’t part of the deal.”
Phoenix raised his hands in a placating gesture. “I know, Justine. I know. But things have changed.”
Justine shifted the position of the rolling pin. “I did what you asked.”
This was not going well.
“You did—and I’m grateful—”
“I owed you a favor. I paid it. We were, as you put it, square.” Justine’s white clothing began to glow, highlighting her features with an otherworldly light. “And now you enter my place of business, a place from which you are forbidden, and you want to ‘talk’?”
This was really not going well.
A look of dawning comprehension passed over Raya’s face. “You’re not a baker—you’re an angel!”
Justine’s lips quirked in a sad half-smile. “To my eternal regret.”
Raya bounced up and down. “A real angel! This is awesome! Phoenix, you didn’t tell me there was an angel right here!”
“No one is supposed to know I’m here, child. I’m retired.”
“Really?” Raya leaned on the counter, fascinated. “But you were doing a favor for Phoenix?”
Justine shot Phoenix a look of un-angelic annoyance. “Unfortunately.”
Raya gestured to Phoenix with a casual thumb. “I could always tell he was a demon, but I couldn’t tell anything about you until you started to glow.”
