“So another animal mage?”

“Yes.” She put the wrapper in the garbage bag, but she kept glancing over. “Are you going to be okay?”

I forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood. “Sounds like a party.” Dread filled my gut, but I made sure Lou didn’t feel any of it.

Lou laughed, but I don’t think either of us was fooling the other.

The tribunal wasn’t held in Briar Creek, but was instead up north—still in the county, but not in a familiar neighborhood. Lou said the area was less Uncanny and more human. I’d have to take her word for it.

The building was larger than I’d anticipated. It held several mundane civic branches—police, fire, government, and a library, all under the same roof. The Uncanny Tribunal Commission was housed in the same lot, though in a separate building, which didn’t surprise me. Humans liked to keep magic close so they could use it and keep an eye on it, but they wouldn’t necessarily want to share more than a parking spot with a person who could control fire, like Trick, or someone who could turn into a predator, like me.

Both buildings were new, the stained wood and paint still fresh. Long tinted windows let in light, giving the whole place a sort of Northwest forest lodge look. I parked and got out, walking with Lou until we hit the sidewalk in front of the building.

We both stared at it with trepidation. Now that I was here, I was getting a little shaky. I’d been looking at Seattle as a fresh start. No one except Trick really knew my past, and even he wasn’t privy to all of it. If I went before the Tribunal, I might have to share to help keep Lou out of trouble. We’d come a long way since my initial bad impression. I didn’t want to look in her eyes now and see pity.

Or horror.

Lou stood next to me, chin up as she took the building in, her hands fisted in her dress, I think to stop herself from reaching for me.

I’d never seen Lou in a dress, and I hated that this awful hearing was the reason. The cream looked good against her skin, somehow bringing out the red in her hair. The skirt flirted with her knees, and for a brief moment, I was envious of fabric. She looked sweet as hell in it and I had a sudden urge to put her back in the car and drive hell for leather away from this horrible place.

Instead I reached out, grabbed her fist, and gently loosened her fingers. Then I laced them with mine. “It’s just a building.” It was a good reminder for both of us.

“I never said I’m sorry, you know? For saying you weren’t family.” Lou turned her face up to mine. “I didn’t mean it and it’s not true.” She squeezed my hand. “Are the mages going to be a problem?”