Jenks clattered his wings as if in apology, and the captain glanced at him as if he ought to have known better before turning his disapproving attention back to me. “Would you be more comfortable running my department from my chair, Rachel?” he said, and I shifted forward to take a coffee just to have something between him and me. “What did you think you were doing, arresting Kalamack at his own wedding?” he added, and I sat down, the focus between my feet.

As if this were good news, Jenks brightened, flying up to land closer to the FIB captain to look satisfied and relieved. I thought it totally unfair that though Jenks and I were partners, I’d be the only one to suffer for any trouble we got into. Pixies were never held accountable for their actions. But then they usually didn’t involve themselves this deep in “big people” affairs.

“If I arrested him anywhere else, he would have buried me,” I said, singeing my finger and spilling some coffee when I removed the lid. Disgusted with myself, I sopped up the rivulet with my worn shoulder bag before it could drip to my dress. Jeez, I felt like one of those wackos haunting Fountain Square, with my ratty bag, my wrapped gift holding the focus, and wearing a gown that cost more than a semester of tuition.

“You being dead would make my life easier.” Edden’s face was tight when he leaned to get his coffee. “Listen to that!” he exclaimed, gesturing at the unseen lobby. “My people don’t know how to handle this. That’s why the I.S. exists! And you bring them all here? To me?”

“I thought you knew what I was doing,” I said. “Glenn—”

My words cut off when Edden lifted a hand. His anger slid away, replaced with a rueful pride for his adopted son. “No,” he muttered, his eyes dropping to the desk. “He slipped the paperwork in with the requisitions for the company picnic. You’re invited, by the way.”

“Thanks,” I said, wondering if I’d live that long. Depressed, I took a sip of coffee, glad the FIB had their priorities in order and bought the good stuff.

Edden frowned, his pride at Glenn’s bucking the system to further justice now fading back to anger. “Kalamack left the species box blank on his statement,” he said. “You know what that means?” I took a breath to answer, but he had rushed ahead with, “It means he’s not saying if he’s Inderland or human and is accepting FIB jurisdiction. I have to deal with this. Me. And you want me to pay you for dumping this crap on me?”

My jaw clenched. “He broke the law,” I said hotly.

The unusually enlightened human sighed, his entire body moving. “Yes, he did.”