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Her hand stalled as she sat up Fine-tuning her hearing, she waited for another sound, so to let her know Seth had returned

The quiet was interrupted by an odd, faint scratching Flipping her legs over the edge of the bed, she scanned the roo one boot on the floor

She was halfway across the room when she noticed the other boot, still atop the trunk, wobble She took another step, but froze as a tiny head popped up over the top Her heart jolted, throbbed against her rib cage, and then the snake noticed her Or she realized it was a snake Either way, it hissed and she screamed

In a single bound she was back on top of the bed, screa the only name her mind knew “Seth! Seth!”

Shrugging out of his coat, having just walked into the house, Seth left the garment in his wake as he flew up the stairs The terror-filled screah his veins

He shot down the hall, and rounding the corner into her rooainst the wall near the headboard The la her thin nightgown gossa a shape beneath that stole his breath away

Another screa ar toward the far side of the roo one from the size of it They all had bad attitudes, and this one was no different Reared up, for across the top of the trunk He was thankful such awas the cause of the coined one of Per-Cuh aThe oat early on in the

He crossed the room, snatched up the critter by the back of the neck and tossed it out the openA brave would have needed a ladder to enter her , and none were left lying around Turning back to assure her all was fine, he felt his heart jolt again Not only was her gown see-through, her face was colorless

“Shhh,” he whispered “It’s gone”

Still cowering near the wall, she shook her head

“It’s gone,” he repeated, walking slowly to the side of the bed and holding out a hand “Come here”

Her head didn’t move, but her eyes did “Seth?”