Chapter One

She ran as fast as she could, but Diego's legs were longer and she could not keep up. Her arm hurt, burning at the shoulder as he dragged her along the dark alley. They passed behind the place where men got haircuts, the nice store that sold books, and the saloon where dirty men spit and said bad words. As they cleared the last building, the open space to the livery stable provided no protection. Behind them, the big, angry man raced faster, his boots thudding hard and heavy on the packed earth.

The man grabbed her long braid, jerking her back. Her hand pulled free of Diego's and she fell to her knees.

"Run! Run fast!" Diego yelled at her. "Hide!"

The big man stumbled, and then chased after Diego. She jumped up, whirled about, and scurried up the alley. Back doors opened, people looked out, and the golden glow of lanterns lit the ground, creating scary patterns, wavering over barrels and crates and piles of garbage.

Under the small back porch of the bookshop, a small space waited for her. She dropped to her knees and crawled under, into the hidey-hole Diego had scraped out, just big enough for her to curl into a ball and rest her head on her arm. She shivered with fear. Would Diego come back to take her home?

After some time, a soft, small hand reached in, and the sweet sound of a woman's voice said, "Here, child, take my hand. Don't be afraid. Come with me, now."

She crawled out. The pretty woman knelt in front of her and held her arms.

A man said, "Who is she, Beatrice?"

"The little urchin, Edward. The one who follows her brother around in the alley. She can't be much more than four years old."

"Ask her name," he said.

"What is your name, sweetheart?"

As Diego had taught her, she whispered, "Angel."