Autumn
Autumn could have sworn there was someone watching her as she"d talked with her dad. And she didn"t mean Rylan. He might do her dad"s bidding, but had the foresight to disappear when necessary. Not that it mattered. He was probably fully aware of what her dad wanted her to do. He had a choice. Unlike her.
"Hello?" she called. It might not work, but it was worth trying just in case. The chances of someone who wasn"t friendly getting past all her family"s defences was unlikely.
A rustling came from the right, and she turned in that direction, surprised to find a small golden snake clinging to one of the branches of her willow tree. Surprise fluttered through her. She"d seen snakes around before, but none of them had ever looked like this.
"Hello," she repeated, softer this time, a
