Smiling despite my mood, I find a plastic bag to put it in and then shove it into my purse. “Thank you.” My eyes get misty. “I’m really glad you’re both here.”
Mom pulls me in for a hug. “We’re glad we’re here, too.”
“Even though you miss Washington?”
She rubs her hands up and down my arms, smiling. “I could never miss Washington as much as I missed you. Home is where my family is.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Dad smiles from the table, looking happy.
I walk into the rain, bolstered by my parents’ magic, deciding everything is going to be okay.
The clinic doesn’t openuntil eight, which means I can’t casually drop in and check on Rowan. I stand outside, staring at the time stamped in black letters on the glass door, wet and miserable.
Dejected, I roll my bike back onto the street and continue the short ride to the tea shop. I turn onto Main Street, glancing at the tourists already huddled under the cafe’s awning as they wait for tables.
Lights are on in River’s bookshop, telling me he’s there early today. The rock shop is still dark, of course. Ansel won’t be up for hours.
Muriel from the hat and shoe store waves as I go by, but the rabbit shifter has been a little cool lately, probably because she’s had a crush on Rowan since she was a kid, and I ended up accidentally forming a mate-bond with him. It was only a matter of time until she found out.
How long will it take for the news of our severed magic to spread throughout town? With Rowan ending up in the clinic, I predict it won’t be long.
I coast when I’m near the tea shop, realizing there’s a man waiting under the awning. He’s about forty, not very tall, with brown hair that’s cut short. He’s wearing a pair of jeans and a plaid shirt, and though I’m nearly positive he’s some type of pixie, I’ve never seen him before.
He watches me as I place Laverna’s old bike into the nearby rack, his eyes drifting over my soggy appearance with a hint of pity.
I must look like a drowned rat.
“Here for a cup of tea?” he says when I join him. “I’m afraid the shop isn’t open.”
I reveal my key. “I’m actually the owner. It’s not time to open yet, but I don’t mind letting you order early. You’ll have to excuse my appearance, though. Bikes and rain don’t go well together.”
“You might consider getting a raincoat,” he suggests, following me inside.
“I think I’ll have to. What can I make for you?”
“I’m not here for tea. My name is Keith, and I’m an inspector from the Fae Preservation Society. I’m here to look at your gnomes.”
My spirits fall a little further, hitting rock bottom.
“You’ll need to go into the back garden,” I tell him. “I’ll let you out there. It’s chilly this morning. Do you want a cup of tea first?”
“We have a strict policy of not accepting bribes.”
Startled, I look back at him. “I didn’t mean it like that. Please know I’m not feeling terribly charitable to you people right now and will gladly charge you.”
The inspector cracks a smile, and I feel a wisp of his autumn magic. Definitely a pixie.
“Perhaps another time.”
I open the back door for him. “The garden is through here.”
“Thank you. I’ll let you know when I’m finished.”
I head upstairs to the apartment to get a towel from the extra bathroom to dry my hair.
