“This land was originally owned by the Galanis family,” the girl said. “My family is one of many that works the land, tends to the crops. I was hired by Lady Galanis as an attendant in her home. And a few years ago, Lady Galanis turned over the deed to our land to us, so it would be our own. But a few months ago, she got sick, and her grandson, Dracon, took over. He refused to make good on the deal, told all the families that the land belonged to him and always would. There were rumblings of revolt across the farms, but then Pallas returned, and the valley was flooded with Witnesses. Dracon saw it as an opportunity to get all of us serfs in line.”

“Let me guess,” Khepri said. “He’s giving the Witnesses the names of the families that oppose him?”

The girl nodded, and Ephyra glanced at Khepri in surprise. She seemed to be speaking from experience.

“He’s threatened to turn over anyone who doesn’t comply with his demands,” the girl said. “His demands are … We have no money to give, and he’s been taking so much of our crop that we can barely feed ourselves. And my sister … she’s … I’ve seen him looking at her. He wants her to—” She broke off. “She’ll do it. She’d do anything to protect me.”

Anger coiled in Ephyra’s gut as she took in the fear in the girl’s voice, how skinny she looked. How weary.

But when she spoke again, her voice was hard, her spine straight with steel. “I decided to run away, so that my family doesn’t have to protect me. I was planning on stealing a boat and heading downriver, but I saw a Witness patrol and hid in here instead.”

“What’s your name, kid?” Ephyra asked.

The girl eyed her, and for a moment Ephyra thought she might not answer. But finally she said, “Nephele.”

Khepri took Ephyra’s arm. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

Ephyra followed her out from the hay bales and toward the other end of the barn.

“We have to do something,” Ephyra said, before Khepri could speak. “This girl—”

“I agree with you,” Khepri replied. “But we can’t do anything to draw attention to ourselves. It sounds like this Galanis person has contacts with the Witnesses, maybe even with the Hierophant. If he sees us, they’ll know exactly where we are.”

“What then?” Ephyra asked. “Sneak her out of here? Take her with us?”

Khepri didn’t argue, just frowned a little, like she was thinking. “We take her back to camp with us for the night. And then we figure out what to do in the morning.”

“Fine,” Ephyra agreed. “But first let’s grab a chicken.”