Chapter 44

We are almost where we need to be, he says. For some reason, everything just looks familiar. I started to become nervous. Why do I know this place? As we got up from the hill, I saw the house. I then know exactly where I'm at.

I stopped dead in my tracks, and I looked at, “Axel, why are we here?”

“Your father wanted me to bring you home.”

“Zealand will find me here. I can't stay here.”

“Stella, your father has a plan we can't keep running. We need to rest. Why not hear what your father's plans are? Then we will go from there.”

“What if Zeeland comes? What are we going to do then.”

“He does not know that we are. We will hide, and if we need to, we will fight.”

I look at him with concern on my face. I'm not sure what to say to him. I want to run away from this place as far as I can get. I don't want to take any chance of Zealand finding me. I don't want to go back with him. My father never stopped him from taking me before. Why will this time be any different? I can't take the chance of