Sydney Ashcroft had to drive her daughter to ballet classes, but first she had to take a stack of translated papers to Dr. Cahill. It wasn't a paying gig, but Syd had a sentimental attachment to the old professor. He had been one of her first history professors when she entered college and had taken an immediate liking to the man. He had discovered her linguistic talents and had recruited her help in a number of projects and continued to do so to this day.

A woman suddenly appearing on the side of the road wasn't too unusual, but it was unusual enough to cause her to pull over to see if she could offer any assistance.

"Do you need some help?" she asked out the window.

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Marlow blinked at the woman, probably glowering but it wasn't directed at her. The snickering was getting getting louder.

"Where am I? Is it still Earth at least?" Because all this traffic could mean she was in a Smog Dimension.

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Syd smiled. Totally not unusual for LA. "It's Earth. You're in Los Angeles. Need a ride somewhere?"

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The snickering grew to a deafening roar, then abruptly cut off.

Silence.

"Los Angeles. Did I or did I not say Savage Land? Not a savage land, but the Savage Land." The urge to kick something was sharply reined in. Don't abuse the locals, unless they start it. That was the rule. Clea put it in a different way, but that's what it translated to in Marlow's book. "You wouldn't happen to know if there's a witch or a mage nearby, would you?"

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"Can't say I personally know any," she said after some thought. "Sorry. The most I can do is give you a lift somewhere."

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She had to get away from the traffic and find some place to spend the night. Someplace quiet. Rework the spell in her head and get back to the Dark Dimension. "Is the ocean nearby?"

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"It's not far," Syd answered.

"Mom! Dance class!" Zoey chimed in from the back seat.

"I know, Zoey. But this lady needs help."

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"If you'll just point me in that direction, I can handle it from here." Marlow tried a smile. Smiles didn't come easy to her.

Another idea to bubbled up in her head but it would take some preparation. "I won't keep you any longer."

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"I don't mind giving you a ride," she said. "Let me give you a ride. I'd feel horrible leaving you here by yourself."

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Her head nodded, but Marlow was sure it wasn't her doing it. Maybe she was supposed to be with this woman and her kid a little longer.

"Okay. Thanks. The name's Marlow. I'm not a serial killer."

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Sydney smiled. "I'm Sydney Ashcroft."

"I'm Zoey!" came a small voice from the back. The child was not shy about talking to strangers.

"It's nice to meet you, Marlow," Syd said. "Any place in particular you'd like to go?"

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"Hi Zoey," Marlow said, giving the back of the car a small wave. She could see Sydney's point about where in particular. She wasn't exactly dressed for the beach in black cargo pants, containing bits and pieces of things that might come in handy, and combat boots. Her snug black tee shirt and leather jacket were comfortable to her, but not beachwear. At least her hair wasn't flying all over the place.

A puff of air blew in her face and her hair...flew all over. Karma or the passing vehicles? Didn't really matter at this point.

"Water helps me think," she explained. "Just somewhere near the beach." Water was also an excellent scrying medium. If she could locate a magical source, she could spell herself there and get some help.

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"There's a beach not too far from here," she explained as she eased the car back onto the road. "It's one of our favorites."

"Yay! The beach!" Zoey practically bounced in the backseat.

Syd sighed. The kid loved the beach and water and now it looked like they were going to spend some time there. So much for ballet classes.

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