Chapter
* ONE *

Della Walton sighed as she sat next to her mom in the busy Valencia airport.

“Cheer up, honey,” her mom said. “I’m sure our luggage will turn up. Your dad’s gone to find someone who can help to track it down.”

“I know. But it’s not just that,” Della said dejectedly, thinking about Chloe, who was originally supposed to come with them on their trip to Spain. But at the last minute, Della’s younger cousin had decided that she’d miss her parents too much and was staying at home. Della was certain that the vacation wasn’t going to be half as much fun without Chloe to play with.

“I know you’re disappointed about your cousin, but I’m sure you’ll meet some new friends,” her mom said.

Della hoped so. She tried to smile, for her mom’s sake, but she couldn’t make herself cheer up. It felt like a big black cloud was hanging over her head.

She saw her dad weaving toward them through the crowds of people. “Well, that was a waste of time,” he said, irritated. “A whole lot of luggage has gone missing, and no one has any idea where it is. We’re supposed to go on to the villa, and the airport staff will get in touch when our things turn up. I’ve left them our contact information.”

“Oh, dear. Well, I suppose we’d better pick up the car and get going,” Mrs. Walton said in her calm, practical way. “It’s a good thing we’ve got our money and all the important stuff.”

Della trudged after her mom and dad as they stepped outside the airport terminal. Bright sunshine shone down on beds of palm trees and giant cacti.

They picked up their car and soon joined the busy traffic on the highway.

Della stared gloomily out of the window at the towns they passed, baking in the sun, and the lines of cars and huge trucks. After about twenty minutes, the traffic thinned out, and the scenery was replaced by shady groves of olive and orange trees and green fields with low farmhouses.

Overhead, the sky was a clear, bright bl

ue. Despite herself, Della gradually felt her spirits starting to lift a bit. She was about to ask if they were there yet when they turned on to a narrow road that snaked up the side of a hill.

“There’s our villa!” Mrs. Walton said, pointing.

Della caught a glimpse of white walls and a red-tiled roof through the trees. Maybe things would get better once they got there. She began looking forward to a long, cool drink as she relaxed and splashed around in the pool.

But as their car drew to a halt outside the villa, Della caught her breath. Metal shutters covered all the windows, the lawn was long and straggly, and the pool was a sludgy greenish color.

“You must have made a mistake, Dad! This is the wrong place!” she exclaimed. There was no way she was swimming in that pool!

Scratching his head, her dad checked the address. “No. This is it, all right. I don’t understand what’s gone wrong. The owner lives on a farm just down the road.” He turned to his wife. “Why don’t you and Della relax in the shade while I go and have a word with her?”

Mrs. Walton nodded. “Good idea.” She got out of the car and then sank onto a wooden bench beneath a tree.

I’m going to have a look around, Della decided, wandering off down a winding path past some flower beds. “First I’m left with no one to play with and now the villa’s a dump. This vacation’s one giant disaster,” she grumbled, starting to wish that she’d stayed at home, too. At least then she and Chloe could have had fun together.

She had just reached some palm trees when a dazzling flash lit up the white garden wall.

“Oh!” Della blinked, blinded for a moment. She looked up, expecting to see dark clouds gathering after what she thought was a flash of lightning. But the sky was still calm and sunny.

Feeling puzzled, Della looked back at the trees and saw a tiny cute puppy with ginger-and-black fur, a pointed face, and huge midnight blue eyes. Hundreds of tiny sparkles, like miniature fireflies, gleamed in its fluffy coat.

She frowned. What was a puppy doing here with the villa closed up and deserted? Maybe its owners had left it behind when they left. “You poor little thing. Are you all alone?” she murmured.

The puppy stood up and shook itself. “Yes, I am. I have come from far away. Can you help me?” it woofed.