Chapter 10

The Crying Cat Bakery, Roya Lane, London, England, United Kingdom

Thankfully Gen didn't need the mobile device to find The Crying Cat Bakery since it was on Roya Lane and she was somewhat familiar with the magical lane. Hell, she'd broken the dirt on this place when she and the Founders of the House of Fourteen created the area in London. They knew then that they'd need a secret location for magical shops to set up and sell their wares. It was more than heartwarming to know that what she and the other founding families started all those centuries ago was still going strong.

When Gen entered the magical bakery, her senses were once again assaulted with confusion, just like when she stepped into the Fantastical Armory earlier. This time, the sound of metal on metal made Gen reflexively straighten. Then the sights around the enchanting bakery stole her focus. And the smells of sweet, baked goods drew her forward with their delicious warmth.

Gen had never seen anything like the place that she stepped into. Little fairies of every color flew through the air, throwing flour like it was pixie dust and giggling. Others polished the glass on the display case that was filled to the brim with oversized pastries that were oozing with different concoctions that Gen didn't recognize as anything but mouth-watering.

The Crying Cat Bakery was both untidy with pans lying all around and dough hanging off the ceiling and then also mesmerizingly cozy with the many cakes all standing on the countertops. It felt like a place that was perfectly chaotic, which made sense for a bakery that would also be bustling with the process of creating.

Gen waved at the tiny fairies zooming overhead, but they didn't pay her any notice, seeming to be having a food fight of sorts, tossing flour at each other. Striding forward, in the direction of the banging of metal on metal, Gen peered over the bakery counter. That's when she saw a woman with short blonde hair hunched over a wooden table and using a hammer to flatten a sword. Strangely, the lady was wearing both an apron and had a shield slung over her back.

Gen cleared her throat, thinking that was the best way to get the woman's attention. Reflexively, the baker of sorts, straightened, stopping her banging. She dropped the hammer on the ground with a thump and then turned her chin over her shoulder and glanced sideways at Gen.

"Who is that? I don't recognize you," the lady said with a tone of skepticism in her voice. "And you move about as stealthily as a ninja, which I really don't like. I should have heard your entrance."

"I'm Genevieve Beaufont, but call me Gen and thanks. I'm known for my stealth."

The woman turned to face her directly. "I'm going to call you dead if you sneak up on me like that ever again. And where did another Beaufont come from?"

Gen grinned. "The 15th century. I'm new here."

The woman studied her with a scrutinizing expression. "By the looks of it, you're new to everything. You're totally medieval."

Gen nodded. "That I am. I came through a time gate and now I'm here for good. I work for the Rogue Riders or at least I want to."

The baker narrowed her eyes, continuing to measure Gen up. Finally, she nodded. "I'm Lee. You can call me…well, I'd prefer if you didn't."

"Okay," Gen said, pointing at the sword, lying on the workstation. "What are you doing there? I thought this was a bakery."

Lee glanced back at the sword and grabbed it at once. She also reached for a bowl and put the sword in there. "That's how I make the dough. I stir it with swords. It makes it…really elastic."

"Right," Gen said, seeing the lie written all over the woman's face. "And the hammer? Is that for helping you with baked goods too?"

Lee nodded. "Absolutely."

Another lie, Gen spotted.

She decided to ignore this since Mama Jamba had insisted that she come to this bakery. There had to be a reason, besides getting a cookie, which Gen would definitely be doing.

Looking around at the food-fighting fairies Gen smiled. "This bakery is pretty different."

"How would you know?" Lee questioned. "You're from the dark ages."

"Well, that's true, but I've been hanging out in Los Angeles since I was dropped in this time period and I haven't seen anything like this."

Lee grimaced with disgust. "Los Angeles has been keeping me busy lately. The bad cops there are out of control."

Gen arched an eyebrow at the woman. "Why would bad police officers keep a magical baker busy?"

Lee cut her eyes to the side, like searching for an answer to this pointed question. Just then, one of the fairies zoomed over carrying what appeared to be a pair of manacles strung together by a thick chain. She went to hand it to Lee whose eyes widened at the sight. Lee took them and tossed them behind the bakery table, out of sight.

"Were those manacles?" Gen asked.

"Handcuffs," Lee corrected. "And I use them as cupcake molds. Yeah, that's right."

That was a lie, Gen knew. However, she also sensed that Lee was good, although in a weird way.

"Right, so this problem with the police," Gen began. "What's going on?"

Lee gave her a look of uncertainty, seeming to try to decide whether to answer her. She sighed and nodded after a moment. "I don't know exactly. All I know is that the city is suddenly overwhelmed with sketchy self-serving cops, making it a worse place, increasing crime, making my job busier."

"As a baker?" Gen questioned.

Lee nodded. "Yeah, that's right. As a baker."

Gen ignored the bold-faced lie. "Why do you think there's an influx of bad police?"

"I don't know," Lee said, shaking her head, looking particularly put off by the confusion. "I mean, just like with every profession, there's the good, the bad and the medium. Just like any city, Los Angeles has had bad cops. But suddenly, like overnight, there are only corrupt cops. I don't know where the good ones went. Hell, I can't even find one of the middle-of-the-road cops, eating donuts and napping in their cruisers. It just doesn't make sense."

"And why does that make you busier?" Gen asked, no accusation in her tone.

Lee considered her, maybe wondering if she could pass another lie off on her. Then apparently, deciding that she couldn't, the baker gave her a look of surrender. "Because I clean up the trash. Usually that's the guy who gets away from the good cops. I ensure that they don't escape. But a lot more are slipping through since a lot more cops aren't doing their jobs."

"And how do you do this?" Gen asked, glancing at the sword lying in the metal mixing bowl.

Lee's gaze darted to it too. "Would you believe with sweets?"

Gen laughed. "Sure."

"Let me be straight with you," Lee said, brushing her hands back and forth, flour dusting into the air. "I like the Beaufonts. All of them, with no exceptions. I suspect I'll like you. But I won't act it. And we have a deal, me and the Beaufonts. They don't get in my way, interfering with my business and I will return the favor for them."

"How's that?" Gen asked. "How do you return a favor of turning a blind eye to taking matters into your own dusty hands?"

Lee grinned slightly. "I'll have your back no matter what, no questions asked any time. If a Beaufont needs me, I will lay down my life gladly to save yours."

"Why would you do that?" Gen asked.

"Because the only people who care more about justice than me are the Beaufonts."

Gen held out her hand, offering it to Lee. "Well, then I think we're going to get along."

Lee glanced at the extended hand and shook her head. "My hands are dirty. I'm going to have to decline a handshake."

"Oh, I don't mind a bit of flour," Gen replied.

Lee gave her a mischievous look. "It's a bit more than just flour."

"Right," Gen said, pointing to the bakery case. "Mama Jamba sent me in here for a chocolate chip cookie. Could I have one, please?"

"Oh, did she?" Lee laughed, striding over to the case. "I should have known that crafty woman arranged this. She probably had some ulterior motive besides just getting you a sweet treat."

"Like what?" Gen asked when Lee handed her a large cookie filled with huge morsels of chocolate.

"Who knows," Lee stated. "Just think about all you've learned since entering that door. There will be some lesson that she intended for you to have. That's how she works. If she sends you somewhere then you go without question and pay close attention because it's for a damn good reason."

Gen nodded, turning for the door, wondering what she'd find at the Spellbound Pages Bookshop. She guessed it would be a lot more than books on moral philosophy.