Page 67 of Cookbooks and Demons

Abruptly, he stood and went toward her door. “I need to cook something.”

Helena exhaled in a huff of defeat and dropped her pleading hand to the bed. “Dammit,” she muttered and then clambered up to go after him.

Going into her kitchen wasn’t great. The whole place had a fresh batch of that weird burning tire/pumpkin spice smell to it, but to her surprise, Rafferty tossed the carpet she had purchased back over the smoking lines of the circle. She watched as she expected it to catch fire, but it didn’t. It even seemed to curb the smoking. Rafferty certainly didn’t seem worried, and he walked back and forth over it like it was any other rug.

Helena hovered near the door. “What are you goingto make?”

“I don’t know yet,” he said as he stared into her refrigerator, taking stock of what was in there before shutting it and going for the cupboards. After a while, he turned back to her, then cocked his head at her hovering by the door. “You can come in. It’s safe,” he said.

“Oh, okay,” she said, crossing the threshold and letting the swinging door shut behind her. “So, I won’t get sucked down into hell oranything?”

“No, you’ll be fine. You’re going to have to clean again, but the way is shut,” he said, “How do you feel about apot pie?”

“Uh, that sounds surprisingly normal for you,” she quipped.

“Don’t worry. The way I make it, it’ll be life changing,” he said and started pulling ingredients to assemble on thecounter.

“I’m never worried when you’re around,” she lied, but it was one she wanted tobelieve.

Chapter 35

Then Scarlet

Confessed

The leftovers were just as good the next day. Rafferty had decorated the crust with leaves and vines, making it almost too pretty to eat. Almost. Somehow bringing the container with her to work made her feel more reassured as she marched toward what could very easily be her last day at Scarlet Promotions.

The tension in the main office could have been cut with a knife. Even the water wall wasn’t running that morning, a guy in blue coveralls cranking on the pipes through a hidden panel at the side. Helena could hear everyone whispering, which immediately ceased the second she came aroundthe wall.

Oh, crap. It’s worse than I realized,shethought.

Before she could make up her mind about whether she wanted to try to engage with everyone or not, Yosef appeared beside her. He looked less than his usual put together self, but his face was as stoically neutralas ever.

“Scarlet would like to speak to you,” he said softly.

Helena nodded. What else could she do? The second she turned her back, the office started to whisper again.

At least packing up my desk will be quick,Helena thought.

It was almost a relief to step into Scarlet’s office until Yosef made to take her coat and her lunch box, being the courteous assistant again like he could be before her promotion.

She didn’t know what kind of sign to take that as, so she just focused onScarlet.

But the boss wasn’t there.

“Where…” Helena started to ask, but Yosef was already indicating the side conference room connected to their office by a side door that had been made double wide to accommodate Scarlet’s wheelchair comfortably.

Bracing herself again, Helena headed throughthe door.

Scarlet sat in her wheelchair on the window side of the room, gazing out over her beloved city. She didn’t turn when Helena shutthe door.

“Come sit, Helena,” she said instead, indicating an already pulled out chair waiting for her.

The trepidatious younger woman complied as expected, though she sat on the edge of the chair, prepared to pop up the second she was fired to book it outof there.

Yet, once she was seated, she noticed that Scarlet was smiling wickedly at her.

“So the only real question is whether you want to stay or not?” Scarlet asked.

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