Page 22 of Obsidian Prince

So, Liliana sat on the back side of the roof of Janice’s house, hidden under the sheltering shade of the big old oak that stretched its long limbs clear over the peak of the roof. The spider seer leaned against the chimney, watching as Janice’s children played in the backyard, the tree’s twigs screening her from their view.

Janice had five children, but the other three had gone to a sports game with their father. The eleven-year-old, Sam, opted to stay home with Janice and play with his baby brother. The sixth grader didn’t seem interested in sports, despite having boundless energy.

In North Carolina, basketball was the game most revered. Liliana imagined all the people staring, the all-important ball moving unpredictably, the constant need to focus attention when a thousand other things demanded it. She shuddered.

In Liliana’s opinion, Sam was the only Willoughby child with good sense. Playing basketball on a school team seemed worse than combat with a werelion.

While Liliana watched from her hidden perch, Sam ran around from the bottom of the playscape’s slide to the ladder repeatedly. He swung on the swings, climbed on the rope bridge, and swung from the monkey bars.

Janice’s youngest, the toddler, Kayden, circled the yard. His bright red tricycle following a trail worn into the grass.

Their shaggy golden retriever mix followed dutifully behind him.

Sam spotted a butterfly. He chased it from flowering bush to bush, trying to get it to land on his hand, panting from all the running and climbing he’d done. The fluttering painted lady didn’t seem interested in leaving the yard which was surrounded by lilac bushes just inside the privacy fence despite the determined little boy chasing it from flower to flower.

The Willoughby family had gone to a great deal of trouble with the eight-foot privacy fence and the bushes to make certain their back yard was concealed from outside eyes. The reason became obvious a moment later.

As little Kayden zoomed by on his well-worn circuit, followed by the dog, Sam shifted to rabbit form. He bounced up on the dog. His rabbit feet splayed over her furry back as he rested.

The dog seemed quite accustomed to the children becoming four-footed and furry. It bent its neck to the side until muzzle met rabbit paw, gave one quick sniff, and went back to trotting behind the tricycle. The three of them made a cute little parade.

Anyone outside the family seeing the children become lop-eared brown rabbits could be dangerous. Good that they were well-screened. But …

If Liliana peeked around the chimney, she could see Ben in the next yard over, sitting in the gazebo while he graded assignments from Sam’s science class.

If only he could see his student turn into a lop-eared bunny. That would convince him animal-kin were real in a non-threatening way. But not if they did it in front of him on purpose. Then, he’d think it was a stage magic trick, put on for his benefit.

Is there some way that Ben Harper could see into the Willoughby’s backyard at a crucial moment?

Liliana’s fourth eyes showed her a flicker of a possibility, an image of Ben peeking through a knothole in the fence, a tiny breach in the privacy armor that she hadn’t known existed until then. She sat up straight.

I need Janice’s help.

The spider seer scrambled down to the eaves of the house. She dropped her upper body over the edge, leaving her legs on the shingles. This angle made her long curly hair dangle a fair distance past her head. She had an urge to swing her head to feel her hair move.

Janice Willoughby was sitting on her back porch sipping an iced drink. She was absorbed in a scrolled out electronic book reader while her children played.

“Hello,” Liliana said, considering Janice from upside down.

Janice yelped in surprise and threw half her drink into the air.

For a moment, Liliana wondered why she was so startled.Oh.The spider-kin broke a social rule. She knew this one. “I’m sorry. I should have gone to the front door.”

Janice laughed as she stood, brushing liquid off the arm of her lawn chair. “That would be appreciated.” She shook her hand, flinging drops off of it.

“Okay,” Liliana got her full self back up on the roof.

“No, wait, not now,” Janice said. “Do that next time. Just tell me why you’re here now.”

Liliana dropped her upper body back over the lip of the roof, swinging her hair a little extra just for the interesting sensation. “I have an idea of how we can gently introduce Ben Harper to the hidden peoples.”

“Oh! That would be great. I’ve been sort of hinting around at things, but he just looks at me like I’m nuttier than a squirrel turd.”

“I saw Sam play with your dog while in full rabbit form. The dog doesn’t threaten them?”

“Never.” She patted her leg.

The shaggy golden dog lay down on the grass, unburdening itself of a half-grown rabbit that started nibbling on the lawn. Then the dog trotted over to Janice.

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