“Noted, but I can’t do anything about it,” Jillian told her.

Before Charlotte could respond, there was a commotion by the pie stand. A tall man with coltishly long limbs tripped, almost falling face-first into the tower of pastries. Suddenly, the burly mayor, Zed, was behind him, catching him by the elbows, stopping his momentum so effectively that he only bumped the stand a little bit. Sonja ran over and steadied the tower and adjusted the few pies that had been jostled, back into place.

As Zed set the man back on his feet, Charlotte felt a zing of awareness up her spine. Somewhere nearby, the consequences of fairy magic were rippling over the air.

Zed curved an enormous hand around the poor man’s shoulder. “Leonard, buddy, I like you, but don’t endanger the pie.”

Leonard sighed, “Thanks, man.”

Charlotte took a closer look at “Leonard.” At first glance, the man didn’t have the magnetic pull of smoldering Zed or elegant Bael, but he had a kind face. Warm brown eyes and sandy hair, square jaw, a narrow, well-formed nose, and a sensitive mouth. But there was something … off about him. He radiated a chaotic energy that was mismatched with his body. She paused, watching him. Was this poor man cursed?

Charlotte made a mental note to ask about this later. Today was not a day for fairy business. It was for making good impressions and getting some of that pie.

“Poor Leonard,” Jillian sighed. “I told him not to get so wound up about making sure the buffet was timed right. People don’t starve here in Mystic Bayou. The mamas wouldn’t allow it.”

Alex patted Charlotte’s arm. “Speaking of which, I’m sure you’re hungry after all that time on the road, Charlotte. How about I get you a plate?”

“Oh, I couldn’t.” Charlotte’s brows lifted. Was this how her boss treated all new hires? Fetching them pie? If they put that sort of thing on the brochure, there would be no recruitment problems at the League. If the League did recruitment brochures, which they did not.

“You spend a lot of time telling me what you ‘couldn’t’ do. I hope that’s not a sign of what us working together will be like,” Alex said, winking at her. “It’s nonsense. You’ve been driving all day. I don’t mind. Any allergies I should know about?”

“Pushy supervisors?” she suggested.

“I’m giving you the spicy gumbo, just for that,” he told her, turning towards a long table set with what looked like hundreds of dishes.

“Welcome to the Bayou!” a voice boomed to Charlotte’s left, making her jump. She turned to find Zed standing behind her, offering her a plate of some strange chocolate and fruit concoction. The thick chocolate filling oozed with pink chunks of … celery?

“That there is chocolate rhubarb pie, a local specialty,” Zed informed her, smiling broadly.