Trickster s Girl - By Hilari Bell Page 0,24

they went into the service center. Raven, Kelsa was interested to note, headed straight for the bathroom. So he did have some human weaknesses.

She needed to go too, but she could wait for a few more minutes. She didn't want him interrupting this.

She chose her backdrop carefully. A rack of zine flimsies and small bags of candy and nuts. Enough like an airport that no one would be suspicious.

She'd hoped her mother wouldn't be home, that she could leave a message, but her mother's face appeared in the pod's small screen seconds after the first chime.

"Kelsa! Are you in Chicago?"

"Landed safe and sound," Kelsa confirmed. "Aunt Sarabeth wanted to hit the bathroom before we leave for her place, but she said to say hi, and I thought I might as well check in now."

"That's great. Are you - " The oven buzzed, and her mother's head turned toward it.

"I'll let you go," Kelsa said swiftly. "I'll see you in a couple of weeks, anyway. Bye!"

She cut the connection and headed for the ladies' room. In a few hours she'd have to change her com pod's ID to match her aunt's, and text her mom a message that Kelsa had arrived and that Sarabeth had lots of plans to keep her busy. Her aunt often communicated by text, so it wouldn't arouse suspicion.

Then, after she'd taken care of Raven's first nexus, whatever that entailed, Kelsa would have the better part of two weeks all to herself. The ache in her soul eased a bit at the thought.

***

The sun was setting as they approached Honeyville, and Kelsa stopped at a commercial campground. She winced at the fee - fifty dollars for one night.

Between her own meager balance and the refunded round-trip ticket, she had more than six hundred dollars in her account, but after the charge, dinner, and tonight's camping, she'd spent over eighty dollars in her first day on the road. Of course, camping in the national monument would be cheaper, and this campground included a slow charge port as part of the site services, so she'd save a bit there.

She resolved to ask Raven if he had any money, but by the time she got out of the office he had vanished.

Kelsa snorted. He wouldn't get out of it that easily.

***

"Do you have any money?" Kelsa demanded when he sauntered up to her camp next morning. Her tent had just deflated, and she smoothed the rest of the air out of its ribs as she folded it into a compact bundle to stow on the bike.

"I can get some if you need it," he said. "But it won't last long. Why?"

Get some? It wouldn't last long? And how had he been getting food and clothing without it?

"Not yet." Kelsa would be rid of him in a few more days. She didn't need to know. Especially if knowing made her an accessory after the fact. "We'll reach the Idaho border before lunchtime. Earlier if we don't waste any more time getting on the road. You've got your PID card ready to show at the border, right?"

The curious expression that was becoming all too familiar swept over his face. "Pee-idy card?"

"Personal identification card," Kelsa told him grimly. She should have known. "They'll check it at the border and at any hotel we stay at. If the police stop us - and they'd better not! - they'll also check our DNA against the card strip and our record to be certain the cards are really ours."

Raven's mystified expression deepened. "What does all of that mean?"

"It means you're flying across the border," Kelsa told him. "I'll stop and let you off several miles before we get there."

***

She had to pull off on a back road that led into the low hills to find privacy for him to change without being seen - by her, as well as the traffic.

He made his way into the low scrubby pines till he couldn't be seen.

"Where can we meet?" Kelsa asked.

"I'll find you." His helmet came flying over the brush. "I've got a clear enough feel for Atahalne's magic by now. I could probably sense it anywhere within fifty miles. More if I concentrate." The bushes rustled and his jeans and shirt followed the helmet.

"Is that how you found the pouch in the museum?" Kelsa asked. "By sensing its magic?"

"Sort of." Shoes, with socks and briefs rolled neatly inside, sailed out of the bushes. "Before I knew what I was looking for it was a lot harder."

Then he