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“You shouldn’t have gone. I know what I did was harsh, but Arlo and you put us all in danger rushing off like that,” he says.

I push past him, wanting to check on Arlo, knowing someone will need to find herbs to treat his back, and I’m not even sure where to find them.

“Nothing could have stopped me,” I mutter. “Now move. I want to check on Arlo, and then I’m leaving. I need to find Sable.”

“Alessia.”

“I don’t need your permission, Crawly,” I snap. He’ll either let me go, or I will give him reason to get rid of me.

“She’s gone,” he says again. “And there’s nothing you can do.”

I spin to face him, fury boiling in my chest. “Maybe you can live with that. Perhaps you’re fine sleeping at night while children are ripped away from their families and dragged off to ships. But I’m not.”

“You’re looking at it all wrong. Your sister was sick, and if someone with more resources decides she’d be a good wife, she’ll have a much better life than what she had here.” He motions around at the barn.

“And if no one wants a sick child as a wife?” My eyes narrow, but he doesn’t respond.

With that, I march out of the barn, but Mr. Crawly follows. “Alessia, wait . . .” I grit my teeth and stop to face him.

“Gerald said you made a deal with Soren for me. Is that true?”

Mr. Crawly peers away. “Arlo’s big mouth has caused a lot of trouble for me with Claudia. He is lucky I let him live.”

“Did you make a deal with Soren?” I ask louder.

“Yes. He offered enough to cover the debt I owed at the time, but then he never returned for you. I thought he changed his mind. Guess now I know why he never came back.”

I look at him with disgust and shake my head. “And what, Sable and Angie were just stepping stones for you too?”

Without waiting for his next lie to smooth things over, I turn to go.

We are all replaceable to him. After all these years of slaving away on his farm, we are nothing more than possessions to barter with. He promised if we worked hard, he’d look out for us, but he’s only looking out for himself.

“What did you expect would happen if the King’s Guard came to foreclose on my land?” He’s keeping pace behind me, voice laced with irritation. “Your sister was sick. We needed more time to pay the king what we owe and fewer mouths to feed through the winter.”

Ignoring Crawly, I round the corner and stop dead in my tracks. Angie’s sobbing. Her mother’s face is hollow, like the feeling in my chest, and my eyes move to the tree where Arlo was tied, but he’s gone.

“Where is Arlo?”

“He had to go. He wasn’t safe to keep. A boy who thinks he’s above the rules—”

“I broke the rules. Marian broke the rules. No one gives a damn about your rules!” I cry.

“After what he did, he’s lucky I didn’t turn him into the King’s Guard myself.”

“What he did?” My voice breaks. “What about you, selling young girls to men like Soren? Shipping off children without their family? The things you made Marian do just to borrow a stupid truck? Beating anyone who—”

“That’s enough. My wife may have a soft spot for you, but you’ll be on the next truck to the flesh markets if you can’t shut your mouth and do as you’re told!”

“I’m going to get Sable back!” I shout. “If you don’t like it, you can sell me off too.” I storm back to the barn.

Crawly’s brittle voice follows me. “Alessia, you can’t leave. The city is on lockdown after an incident at the blood bank. No one without papers is allowed to step foot in town right now. If you are caught, I won’t protect you!”

I stop and peer back. “Like you protected Sable?”

He shakes his head, glaring at the other servants. “Why are you all still loitering? Get to work or bed!”

They all rush off, Angie dragging her weeping mother to their cabin at the back of the property, while others move toward their assigned quarters.