Chapter 3

“Bonjour, Henri!”

The squeaky voice hacked at his concentration like a dull blade. Henri whirled around to see Alix, the apprentice with the countenance and frame of a titmouse. Henri had caught himself more than once checking to see if the boy’s pink tail had flopped loose of his tunic. Not yet.

“Alix, I can’t be bothered right now.”

“Oh, sorry!” Alix’s gaze wobbled to the piled angel wings, “They look…majestic!”

Blood rushed to Henri’s face, threatening to burst through his delicate skin.

Alix had called Henri’s angel wings “majestic.” His cookies were many things: distorted, pale, undercooked, almost sullen if a cookie could be so, but not majestic. And if this mousy little boy was too blind to see it, then perhaps he belonged…Henri opened his mouth, but Alix piped in before he could, “Henri, these cookies will be perfect with what I’m brewing for the chefs. Angel wings with a lavender infused cocoa!”