There was only one thing crossing through my mind as Norma cheerfully tugged me down the road. How I would make it a point to never, ever, teach my children to be so happy. I would have rather died instead of raising monsters with such high pitched voices and useless babbling. Then again, if I told them to be like that, I could drop them off at Sis' place and have them torment the hell out of her. Suddenly the idea didn't seem too bad.

"Hey, Lexy!" My head bobbed side to side when Norma shook me violently. "This is it! This is the inn!"

"Yes... yes I know it is." 'I took the guy's money already, remember?' Suddenly I froze. That's right. I stole from that place. I couldn't go near it. "Uh... Um... you know what? I think I'll just crash with Moses."

Norma stared at me with huge eyes. "Ew! You'd rather sleep outside in a tent then in a nice, warm, comfy bed where food is brought to you whenever you want?!"

Hell no. But I wouldn't tell her that. "Yep." I even threw in a fake smile with that lie.

She smacked the side of my head. Holding the place I was just hit I growled deep in the back of my throat. 'That little son of a bit—' "You have got to be kidding me?! I'm totally not going to allow that!" She yelled, waving her arms around. I was reminded of an angry banana. "C'mon, you're staying with me."

"N-no, it's fine. Really, I sleep outside all the time. I mean, I'm a beast tamer and—"

For the first time in my life I was actually scared of a woman. She whirled around so fast and her eyes were burning with such anger I took a step back to make a little more space between us. "I said you're staying with me, dammit!"

"Y-yes... yes, ma'am." I could practically hear the sound of a dog whimpering in the background.

That fierce expression was gone as fast as it came and her usual smiling one replaced it. That was the moment I learned just how manipulative Norma Beatty, first-class treasure hunter, really was.

We entered the inn with our heads held high. Okay, she did. In fact I could see a little bounce in her step as she sauntered over to the desk, a cocky smirk stretching her lips. I hung back, eyes flittering everywhere but the manager's face. Great. It was the same guy as before.

"Good afternoon, my dear sir!" Norma smiled.

The manager raised his head up from the stack of papers he'd been working on with a smile. "Good afternoon ma'am—Oh." His face fell upon seeing who it was. "Norma."

If she caught the lack of emotion he used in saying her name she didn't notice. Flicking back a chunk of hair from her face, Norma leaned on the desktop. "I happened to notice you have an empty room beside mine. Am I right?"

"W-well... yes, we do... why?" He leered suspiciously at her.

Her smile stretched. I wondered how it could fit on her face. "Because I have a friend here who would love to use it! She'll pay full price too!"

The manager's eyes lightened up at that. "Full price?" he repeated. "Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent!"

"Where is she?" He asked, eyes beginning to scan the crowd of people in the room. There was only a handful and a half and I was the only one standing.

I swore. "Dammit." I was busted. I knew it. Before Norma even pointed at me the man had those beady eyes on me and he was frothing. I clicked my tongue, signalling to Norma and she glanced over. I raised my hand to tell her I was leaving with it but the manager was faster than that. He lunged over the top of his desk, screaming; "THIEF!! THIEF!!" at the top of his lungs while charging straight at me.

I blinked and the instinct to dodge reacted faster than I could process the fact I was being chased. By the time the realization dawned on me I was halfway across the room running for my life, calling over my shoulder to Norma, "I told you I could have stayed with Moses!"

She shrugged, not seeming to care about the practically rabid man trying to grab me. "Well how was I supposed to know that? You could've just told me the real reason."

I rolled my eyes and side hopped hitting a plant. That guy wasn't letting up. I frantically looked around, trying to see if there was a window I could escape through without damaging anything or a back door I could get through. The front door took too much time to open. I'd get snatched up if I attempted to run through there.

Then I saw it. The beam above holding a ceiling fan. I grasped the bar under my left hand, readying myself. The height wasn't as big as it looked and as I trailed my gaze I saw an opened window at the end of it. Smirking, I pulled back my arm. "Norma!"

She raised her eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"I'll meet you guys later, alright?"

"What do you mean 'later'—"

I moved faster than she talked. I pressed the switch on the bar and threw my arm forwards. Rocketing forth from its sheath, a clawed hand cut through the air like a hot knife in butter. My aim never being perfectly accurate but close enough, it went a little higher than the beam and instantly wrapped around it. The chain attached to it tensed and I lifted my feet off the ground, grasping the bar in my hand again to press the button that reeled me in.

As I swung up towards the ceiling I narrowly missed being hit by the fan (thank god it wasn't on) and grabbed the beam with my right hand. I easily lifted myself up and let the chain relax, wrapping it up and placing the claw in its sheath again.

I looked down. Everyone there was staring with huge eyes and gaping mouths. Even Norma, who had gone through a hell of a lot in the past year and a bit, couldn't contain her shock.

I waved at her and without any difficulties shimmied across the beam and slipped through the open window. Behind me the manager shrieked and grabbed at his hair, screaming about telling Will and making sure I got my proper punishment. All Norma did was continue to stare.