The representative glares at the owl for several seconds before he pulls his attention back to me. “Fae business owners are expected to make themselves familiar with the laws that pertain to them. Therefore, we will be reporting this offense. However, if you cooperate, your penalty might be lessened.”
“What’s the penalty?” I ask, though I don’t want to know. I really don’t.
“For business owners, the minimum is fifty thousand dollars for failure to report, but it can go as high as one hundred thousand and/or imprisonment if you’re charged with reckless endangerment.”
“Fiftythousanddollars? Are you serious?”
He stares at me, quite obviously not joking. Maybe not even capable of joking.
“Okay,” I say, trying not to hyperventilate. “What can?—”
A sharp knock at the door cuts me off. Before I can answer it, Ash lets himself in.
“What are you doing here?” I ask the councilman, almost sick with relief.
“Ryder called me.”
Bless the elf.
Frustrated, Elias says, “I’m sorry, you cannot be here. This is an official matter that?—”
“My name is Ash Neilfellow. I’m Miss Merriweather’s lawyer,” Ash says, his tone curt with haughty authority. “She has every right to request my presence.”
Annoyed, Elias looks at me, raising a brow.
“I want him,” I confirm. But when Ash smirks, I quickly amend that by saying, “I want himhere.”
“Very well,” the representative sighs. “Let’s continue.”
It’s beenthirty exhausting minutes, and I feel numb as Ash and Elias bicker. They’re keeping it professional, but the discussion is heated. Occasionally, Rowan screeches, desperate to add his thoughts but trapped behind the cage of his shifter form.
Shifter form. All this time, Rowan’s been a shifter. Well, part-shifter. Butstill.
What does that mean for our bond?
“The law states you cannot demand a business close until an official declaration has been made,” Ash says. “And you can’t make a declaration until you have inspectors examine the gnome habitat.”
Elias presses his fingertips to his forehead, vexed. “I’m an inspector, I looked at the garden, and I’m telling you,Miss Merriweather must close her shop immediately.”
“Code 56.A states that at least two inspectors must submit individual statements so that the magistrate may make an informed, official ruling. No matter how much you might like to, you cannot expedite the process.”
This is exhausting.
After yet another twenty minutes, Elias leaves the tea shop—and he’s not happy. Ash won this round, but I’m not so confident about the next.
I slump against one of the storage shelves, feeling like the weight of the entire world is crushing me. “You studied up on this, didn’t you?”
“The same day you mentioned the gnomes. I had a gut feeling we might end up dealing with the society.” He massages his temples. “I wish I hadn’t been right.”
“Can they really close the tea shop?” I ask Ash, knowing very well they can. That’s why I wanted to deal with this before they got involved.
But Ash doesn’t answer. Instead, he gestures to Rowan. “What is that?”
“Exactly what you think. Rowan accidentally turned himself into an owl again.”
“Accidentally?” Ash demands.
“It’s a long story.”
