“I will admit, I envy you that, just a little bit,” sighed Jillian. “I was on my way to my very first international assignment in Chile when I got re-assigned here at the last minute. I mean, I love my life here, but I was looking forward to seeing a bit of the world, you know?” Jillian poured hot water over the tea bags in her colorful mugs. “So, if you’ve been traveling, I’m assuming you’re not familiar with the political nightmare-scape that is the League’s office in DC?”

Dani snickered. She had intentionally written her contracts so she never had to visit the DC offices. Oh, sure, on paper, the International League for Interspecies Cooperation was a benevolent collective that was founded centuries before by a particularly open-minded group of shifters and humans, striving to promote understanding and peace between all creatures. It was a lovely party line.

The League wanted to show humans that there was nothing to fear from the otherworldly. That shifters and fae and other creatures had lived among them for centuries and for the most part, humans had been unscathed. But somehow, the hippie genes from Dani’s father just wouldn’t allow her to trust a shadow government organization with seemingly unlimited resources and influence.

Dani didn’t mind working for them, when she thought the project was an appropriate use of her skills and unlikely to do any harm. That didn’t mean she wanted to be under their permanent control. She was approaching this job with the cautious optimism she applied to all of her League jobs, while carefully keeping her eye on the exits.

Dani had done her research on Jillian, just like she’d done her research on Mystic Bayou and its history. Jillian Ramsay was a new voice in the field of paranormal anthropology, but that voice was bright and strong. She trusted Jillian. She could practically feel the good intentions rolling off the good doctor in waves, along with some “other-ness” that she couldn’t quite name. From her background reading, Dani knew Jillian was born human, to humans. But somewhere along the way, her very being had been changed into something more . . . and never thought to mention it in her work. Dani respected that. She was a fan of boundaries and personal integrity.

“No, I have been very careful to avoid the DC office,” Dani said.

“That just proves how smart you are. All I can say is that as long as you can do your job without pissing off the higher-ups, you’ll be better off. I’ll help you there, wherever I can. I don’t like the in-fighting and position-jockeying, particularly when it distracts from the point, which is the work we’re supposed to be doing. Keep your head down and your job done, and you’ll be fine. Do you have questions for me?” Jillian asked.

“Oh, just a few dozen.”