The petite Japanese American teenager grinned and zipped into the dry storage room. She had entirely too much energy for such a small shop, but her unique skills came in handy. A daughter of Hermes, she acted as a messenger between our other allies, in addition to doing food prep here. She also happened to be a decent fighter, if only because of how fast she moved. It was that particular ability that led Lexi to start calling her Zoomy.
Across the kitchen, Lexi was supervising another new recruit. Kameron was a freshman at UMass and a natural, but covenless, witch. He’d been drawn to the bakery since Lexi started and she’d been excited at the idea of having another witch around. Unfortunately, he was a quiet, shy kid, so having him up front didn’t work out so well. He brought a sense of calm to the kitchen that balanced Izumi’s constant energy.
I crossed the room, deftly dodging Izumi as she came barreling through to restock the cabinets, and headed toward the front.
“You really think you’re gonna breeze on through without saying hi to me?” Lexi purred in my ear. Heat licked up my arm as she grabbed and spun me to face her.
“You looked busy,” I replied. Kameron and Izumi watched not-so-discreetly from their peripheries. I raised an eyebrow in their direction and they quickly found something more interesting to do.
Lexi snorted a laugh. “Go easy on them. They’re doing a fantastic job here, andtheydon’t accidentally put magic in the food.”
“That was one of our biggest draws.” I planted a swift kiss on her lips, then spun her around toward her trainees. “Don’t let them blow up my kitchen.”
“I think you meanourkitchen,” she shot back over her shoulder, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. “Now shoo, I’ve got training to do.”
I shook my head and headed toward the front. “Like mother, like daughter.”
The front was packed full of people, every table full and a line out the door. Luckily, our new cashier came with experience and was charismatic enough that very few complained when I stepped into a slightly less visible role. Chloe smiled at me as I stepped around the counter to mingle with the customers.
One of Miranda’s coven members from Salem, Chloe was especially adept at healing. Her knowledge of plants and medicine made her a handy addition to the quick response team we were building in Boston. Demons were attacking with increasing frequency around the globe, so with help from our allies, we’d been working to establish these teams in or around important areas.
A red stone pendant hung around her neck, a sibling of the ones Izumi and Kameron wore. Miranda had created them at Lexi’s request so that we could employ people that wouldn’t get distracted by mine and Lexi’s inherent charm. Granted, the customers were still affected, but that was just good business. Even the Hell-forged amulets couldn’t contain the raw sexuality that had the woman in the corner of the dining room drooling openly, though Lexi had better luck with them on that front.
“Sam,” a male voice called.
I looked up to see a bulky young man squeezing between the customers lined up out the door. His blonde hair was cut in a military crew that was just a bit longer on top than the military liked it, and his shirt strained to keep his significant musculature contained. It was difficult to believe he was a child of the lithe and graceful Apollo, but demigods didn’t always turn out like their parents. Dionysos was proof enough, and that was only one of countless examples.
“Nathan.” I wasn’t particularly fond of the kid, personally, but he’d proven his usefulness these past weeks. Civility was the least I could do. “Head to my office in the back. I’ll be with you in a few minutes.”
He nodded once and strode past me into the kitchen. The bakery was packed, every one of the limited seats full. Chloe was doing better than I’d hoped for at handling the crowd, her people skills the perfect compliment to my bustling shop. Many of my regulars vied for my attention, so I started making my rounds.
I was the Devil, after all, and my sinful essence needed feeding.
As I was listening to Rebecca’s thrilling story about experimenting with her husband’s female secretary, Lexi’s laughter drew my attention to the kitchen entrance. Mine, and about half the patrons around me, a familiar dazed look washing across their expressions. It seemed strong bursts of emotion could still push her power through the amulet’s grip, so to speak.
Had Izumi been the one to make her laugh? The awkward and quiet Kameron?
Muscled superhero, Nathan?
My teeth ground together and I cleared my throat, forcing the thought away. Jealousy was just too human and very unbecoming. Protectiveness, I could work with, although Nathan had proven himself a friend and ally. I considered Miranda’s earlier words again, rolling another thought around in my head. There was a ton of work to be done if I was going to storm the iron gates, but…
But maybe he could stay close when I can’t be.
I both liked andreallyhated the idea. Nathan was a seer, an ability that had apparently taken Apollo by surprise since the Greek god had only historically given his priestesses at Delphi the gift. He’d tried to warn Lexi weeks before the fight I’d inadvertently gotten her dragged into, when one of the Fallen had attacked us in a park with a large contingent of demons.
Unfortunately, I’d questioned his motives at the time and hadn’t passed his poorly worded note along.
Rebecca had started chattering away again and I smiled politely. “I’m terribly sorry, but I’ve got urgent business waiting for me in the back. I do hope you’ll forgive me.”
She pursed her painted lips playfully. “This once, I suppose. You have my number if you’d like to join us one night. She’sverytalented.”
The offer didn’t tempt me anymore, not as it might have a few months ago. Lexi was a goddess in human skin, her very touch igniting me in a way no mortal had before, and the day I tired of her was a day I hoped would never come. Still, I winked as I turned away. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
In the kitchen, Kameron was pulling out a tray of fresh pizza puff pastries. Even though Lexi had gotten enough control over her magic to prevent spillage into the food, the smell was no less enticing. I plucked one from the tray as I passed, startling the poor kid, his bright blue eyes wide with shock.
“You know,” I said to Lexi, “I’m glad you added these. They really are quite good.”
She grinned over her shoulder at me, amber-brown eyes sparkling. “Zoomy made those.”
