He stares at me. “Mage things.”
“I imagine you’ll be a little rusty, though. Seeing as how you’ve been an owl for roughly seven years. Besides, you never graduated. You’re not even a real sorcerer yet.”
“I know what this is,” he says sharply. “You’ve gotten attached to me in this form. Well, stop it. I’m not going to be your pet forever. You can’t keep me once I’ve returned to a man.”
I study him, realizing I can’t imagine it. Rowan is a tiny owl. And picturing him as anything else seems absurd. “That’s a good point. Maybe I’ll just leave you this way.”
“Kit,” he says sharply.
I finally smile. “Let’s make a deal.”
“I don’t want to make another deal with you. We already have your family meetings and mutual respect.”
“I’ll donate magic so you can turn back into your regular self, and you’ll agree to help me with my tea shop until I’m allowed to sell it. Three years, you’ll work for me, and then…we’ll both leave Moss Hollow. Take it or leave it.”
“Where will I live?”
“We’ll clear out the apartment over the shop. What do you think?”
“What I think is I’m not comfortable with you ‘donating’ your magic,” he says sharply.
Ah, there it is—the real reason he’s upset. He wants to return to his normal self more than anything, but he’s not a horrible person, so this is bothering him.
“I want to help you.” I abandon the kettle and pull a dining chair in front of his perch so I can face him. “And I’m asking you to help me in return. This will benefit both of us. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m really not qualified to run a tea shop.”
“It’s no good.” He turns his head from side to side like he’s shaking it. “If we work that closely together, you’ll fall in love with me, and Ash will hate me more than he already does.”
I laugh, genuinely horrified at the idea. “No offense, but I think I’m safe. You’ll always be a bird to me.”
“I’ll help you,” he says, amused. “But on one condition.”
“You can certainly tell you and Ash are related.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he snaps.
“Never mind. What’s your condition?”
“If the siphoning process makes you sick, or uncomfortable, or uneasy, we’ll call the whole thing off.”
I study him, and then I stick out my hand. “Okay.”
He eyes me. “What am I supposed to do with that?”
“Just shake with your foot or something.”
He groans, a noise that sounds very much like a man and not an owl, and then clasps his tiny talons over two of my fingers.
“You are awfully cute as a bird,” I tease him. “Are you sure you want to change back?”
“I agreed tothreeyears with you?”
I laugh. “Yes, and there’s no taking it back now.”
Chapter 19
A Little Blackmarket Magic
The day is overcast, with low-lying clouds. It’s been raining on and off since I woke up this morning. Thankfully, I have nothing to do with it. I’m a little anxious about today’s errand, but the weather forecast predicted this, thank goodness. No one can blame me.
