Kelly bounced off of three separate branches before she managed to get a good grip on one and stop her descent. She clung tightly to the branch before swinging herself to a closer one that she could stand on. Once there she gripped the trunk of the tree and peeled her eyes away from the ground she almost got dashed upon and then up to the Harpy.

She scowled as the Harpy landed on a sturdier branch above her.

"Did you have to throw me?"

"Your mate is already searching for you. We must make this believable," the Harpy said cooly.

Yes, because it was totally normally to just be leaning backwards out of a window so a Harpy could grab her. Franklin wasn't stupid, he'd know she was pretty much in on this.

But she had to pick her battles and there was something that was more important.

"Franklin is not my mate!" she practically screeched. Except, other than the Harpy's feathers momentarily puffing out, she showed no other emotion. Kelly forced herself to take three very deep breaths to calm herself before starting again. "Look... I talked to your daughter today... well... Sammy did... if we're going to be technical..."

"Oh?" the Harpy asked clearly trying to sound disinterested. "Is she well?"

"Of course she is. They treat her great in town, I promise. She does miss you though." The Harpy had started to frown but she did smile when she heard her daughter missed her. "There is a small problem though."

And that was that smile gone.

"And what is this problem?"

"Well... your daughter likes school. She wants to continue to go."

"So she will continue to go. What is the problem?"

"Uh... well... I'm having issues..."

"You are having issues swaying your mate. He is not being receptive?"

"Yeah that's an understatement," she said with a roll of her eyes. "I uhm... I think I have a plan but we're going to need to do a trade..."

"I don't really have much to offer..."

"I was thinking your necklace."

The Harpy glanced down to the necklace around her neck and then up to her with narrowed eyes. "How will this help?"

"Trust me. The necklace is key... if I'm right about what it is." She had muttered that last bit because if she was wrong about this she'd be in trouble. "I just need you to be ready..."

There was the sharp crack of a gunshot that caused both of them to jump. The shot hit a branch in the tree next to them and Kelly swore.

No, no, he couldn't be there already, they weren't done talking about the plan.

"The necklace, I need it..." she tried to say but the Harpy flapped it's wings already getting lift off.

"Your mate. He comes."

"He is not my mate!" she hollered but she was ignored.

Instead the Harpy pushed her right out of the tree.