“I’m scared. I don’t know what to do.”
The leaves on the tree next to the porch started waving on the branches as a calming breeze gently blew through them.
“Stay. Grow stronger. I’ll tell you when to run.”
Alanna didn’t blink at the wind talking to her. It was just as normal as Mrs. Fields talking to her or anyone else. It was her imaginary friend who had always been there when she had needed him.
“I don’t know …”
“Don’t I always tell you where to hide? Haven’t I always protected you?”
“Yes … but I’m scared of Kate and Owen.”
“I know you are. I’ll be there with you.”
Alanna used her foot to make the swing start rocking. “Yeah … but you’re not real. It’s not like you’re a prince or anything and you’re going to come and save me.”
“I’ve told you before; you have to come and find me.”
“That’s hard to do when you won’t tell me where you are.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“You have to find me.”
Alanna gave a tired sigh. “Are you very far away?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer. This was the same conversation she’d had with her invisible friend many times before. “I’ll never be able to find you. You’re invisible.”
“You will.” The wind promised. “You will find me when the time is right. All princesses have to wait for their princes.”
“Are you a prince?”
“No, but I know who your prince is, and he’s waiting for you, too.”
“He is? What’s he waiting for?” Alanna hurriedly asked, hearing Mrs. Fields and her caseworker opening the back door.
“What do you want me to tell her?”
Matthew stared at Silas as his brother talked to the girl who was destined for him, trying to come up with an answer that wouldn’t change the path set ahead for them.
“For you to call out my name.”
“How am I supposed to know his name?” Silas repeated what the young girl had said.
“You will know without me ever having to tell you.”
“What am I supposed to do until then?”
Matthew stared at Silas in agony, not wanting to give the answer he had no choice to give.
His brother stared back at him in understanding, well aware of the turmoil he was going through.
“We wait.”
Chapter One
Alanna was jerked awake by the light being turned on in the corridor outside of her jail cell. Groggily raising herself up onto an elbow, she looked to see why the lights had been turned on in the middle of the night. If the deputy who was usually on duty had come to annoy her in the middle of the night, she was going to file a formal complaint for cruel and unusual punishment.