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Before, she wouldn’t have considered involving a human; it was too risky But she’d run out of options At the main road, she hailed a taxi

"633 Oak Circle"

The driver gave her an appreciative once-over Greta sh the heat would have to be pretty bad for this guy to inspire her lust He had a scruffy beard and earing flannel, for God’s sake Mother Nature could only take one so far

"Here we are," he said unnecessarily when they pulled up to Charlee’s house

"Thanks Could you hile I go get some money?"

"You tryin’ to stiff me, sweetheart?" His voice held a touch of menace and soe

Instead, she took a breath to steady herself

"Just Wait"

"Fine, but if you aren’t out in five minutes, I’m comin’ after you"

Greta’s eyes glowed golden, and she hissed She didn’t have time for this crap

His hands shot up in surrender "Take all the time you need, baby"

Greta knocked for a full two minutes before a bleary-eyed Charlee opened the door, her red curly hair askew

"What’s wrong?"

"I need ot her purse When the taxi rolled away, she asked again

"I need you to sle me out of the city" Confusion marred Charlee’s face "Huh? Just drive away"

"I can’t I know this is going to sound weird, but you were on board with the cat thing and the sorcerer thing"

"Didn’t that work out?" Charlee tied the belt around her bathrobe and led Greta inside

"It was just a way to keep ainst this could warn ain why you can’t just drive out of the city"

"You know the toll booths on all the uards"

"Why not just take the back roads? There aren’t any tolls there"

"There are wards to keep therians fro The toll roads exist because there are exemptions And some species can pass at will, like vampires Therians have to have perh the toll roads and present paperwork"

"Why therians?"

Greta sighed "I can appreciate your curiosity, but I don’t have tiht now" Ten htly around her, with an opening in the top to breathe through

The blankets served to dauards wouldn’t sense it

Charlee’s gray Honda Civic rolled to a stop

The tollbooth guy’s voice ru to see ID

Greta tried to reh she had no idea why the preternatural border patrol would do so so obviously sinister if they weren’t sure they had so to cross the border If it was a false alarm they’d have to call in a va bothered during their priuard asked

"Yyes?"

"If you wouldn’t an frantically clawing through the layers of fabric

"You aren’t authorized to search this vehicle" Love her heart, Charlee thought she was still operating in a human world with de ignored in the et ugly"

Greta heard the key turn in the lock; the trunk was flung open