Trickster s Girl - By Hilari Bell Page 0,40

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Kelsa took a deep breath and let it out. "OK. So how do I protect myself between here and Alaska?"
CHAPTER 7
"THAT DEPENDS," SAID RAVEN SLOWLY, "on what those bikers are capable of."

"Anything." Kelsa tried to suppress a shudder and failed.

"No, I mean ... There aren't many humans like them, which is good! If all humans were like that I'd be working with my enemies. Would it be possible for the others to convince those bikers to chase you? Or would that be unthinkable, something they'd never do?"

"Not unthinkable. The biker gangs ... When security in the cities became intense, when the camera net was finally connected, it became pretty much impossible to deal in illegal drugs anywhere on the grid. And in cities and towns, that's everywhere. So the gangs who made their living that way moved into the countryside. They have regular routes, and fight with rival gangs when someone tries to cut into their trade. And they're big on both revenge and pride. I don't think it would be hard to convince them that I'd dissed them and they have to punish me."

Terror rose again at the thought. She'd have welcomed his embrace now, but he merely nodded. "If the bikers are that apt for their purpose, the others aren't likely to abandon them. But that means they'll have to work through those bikers. They'll be limited by what the bikers themselves can do, in this world, when it comes to tracking you. I think some scouting is in order."

He stood and began unbuttoning his shirt.

"You're going to leave me here? Alone?"

"If they're anywhere near, I'll come back at once. But we need to know what they're doing if we're going to elude them."

"What happens if they find me before you get back?" At this point, she didn't have much faith in his airy assurances. "Wait a minute. If your enemies can control people, can they control animals too?"

This was bear country.

"No. Well, to a limited extent. You can sometimes convince an animal that you're not a threat to it, for a short time. Some other things like that. But it's harder to confuse a simple mind than a complex one. Animals have no expectations, so they see what's really there. And if they're under any stress instinct takes over, and they do what they'd usually do. Which is run, for the most part."

"But couldn't they ... I don't know, use birds to spy on me or something?"

Raven snorted. "Birds, the smaller ones, can't tell one human from another. And their attention span is about two minutes. The larger ones are a bit brighter, but you don't have to worry about that. Really."

She averted her eyes as he shucked off his pants, and kept them firmly averted till the sound of flapping wings told her it was safe to look as he back-winged out of the trees and swooped away.

Leaving his partner to have hysterics, all by herself. Kelsa had noticed before that he didn't pay much attention to human emotions, but still!

On the other hand, if his enemies could only work through their human accomplices she should be safe here.

That knowledge did nothing to stop the spurt of tears.

***

Raven was gone long enough that she'd gotten past the crying jag and reached a state of near calm - though the thought of ever setting eyes on those bikers again made her heart pound.

It was hard even to remember being angry with Raven that morning. Being rescued from death, or other horrible fates, made the fact that he'd told a few lies look amazingly trivial. And it seemed he'd been telling the truth about his enemies.

Her enemies, now.

Kelsa shuddered. It didn't matter if he'd lied or not. If she was going to go on, to try to heal the rest of the leys, she needed his protection as well as his guidance.

When Raven finally returned, Kelsa watched him land on the bike's handlebars with undeniable fascination. His wingspan had to be over four feet; the wind from his landing fanned her face, even though she was seated on a rock several yards away. What other shapes could he assume? Could he become even larger? Turn into a mouse? Surely the laws of physics had to apply somehow.

She tried to watch him change, but her nerves were still unsteady and her gaze slid aside.

"If you went across the border into Canada without anyone knowing, with no official record of it, would the bikers know that too? And keep