people must live in the wagons, he realized. No wonder the wagons are so large.
They climbed the three steps that led to the wagon, and the stranger pounded on the door with his free hand.
“Is that you, Tomas?” a voice rumbled from behind the door. “You’re back early.”
The door opened, and a boy no higher than Jesse’s waist stood there. Not, Jesse guessed, the one who owned the rumbling voice they had heard. His eyes went wide. “Who are these people?”
“Just let me past,” Tomas said, pushing by him. “And the rest of you come in too. No sudden moves.”
“They’re not gonna fit,” the boy warned him.
He was almost right. They all fit, but barely. Silas had to stoop slightly, so he wouldn’t graze the ceiling.
Inside the wagon, the furnishings were sparse—just a few blanket rolls and a small table with two thick candles. A large dark-haired man was sitting on a bench that looked like it would crack under his weight.
When he saw his guests, a flicker of surprise registered on his face, but it was gone in the next second. “Now, son, you know that stealing brides is something the Kin gave up many generations ago,” the man said. His voice was stern, but there was a warm twinkle in his eyes.
Jesse had to laugh at the horrified look on Rae’s face. “I am not—” she began.
“Don’t worry. He knows,” Tomas said. He didn’t look amused at his father’s joke either. He released Rae and pressed himself against the door—to block any escape, Jesse assumed.
“Which one gave you that?” the boy said, pointing to Tomas’ black eye.
“Nothing you need to know,” Tomas snapped.
“I did,” Rae said, squaring her shoulders proudly, “and there will be more coming unless you release us!”
“What’s all the noise about?” A woman’s voice came from beyond a curtain that separated the wagon into two rooms. “Did one of you bring in another snake?”
“Yes,” Tomas said, glancing at Rae. She sniffed haughtily at him.
There were footsteps as the mother of the house ducked through the curtain. “Zacchai, I believe we already discussed—” She stopped short when she saw the Youth Guard members. “Oh my.”
Jesse could tell that Tomas had gotten his looks from her. Instead of looking greasy, though, her hair was a mass of sleek, loose waves, falling most of the way down her back. She held a baby against her hip, who took one look at all the people and started to cry.
“Shh,” the woman said, cradling the baby while giving the visitors a quick glance. She turned to her husband, alarm in her eyes. “It’s them, isn’t it?”
“Margo, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the husband said, yawning loudly.
“Of course not, Ravvi,” Margo said, shaking her head. “You didn’t join the Kin assembly yesterday when the messengers from the king came. And when I tried to tell you—”
“There was wood to split!” he protested. “Besides, I care as much for the king’s men as I do for the manure heap.” He spit on the floorboards to prove his point.
The baby was still crying. Rae looked about ready to jump forward and strangle it.
Margo looked straight at her son, pleadingly. “Why did you bring them here, Tomas? Why couldn’t you have left them alone?”
“I did what I thought was best,” Tomas said, folding his arms over his chest. “We can bring them to the meeting of the elders tonight.”
“You know what they would do to them,” Margo said, jostling the baby, who cried louder. Rae growled under her breath.
Jesse stepped over Zacchai, the boy sitting on the floor, and reached for the baby. “May I?” he asked. He was an only child, but the children in the village always seemed drawn to him.
Margo gave him a hard, searching look. A mother’s look, Jesse thought. Then something in her face softened, and she passed the baby to him.
“The elders will turn them in to the Patrol captain,” Margo finished, turning back to Tomas. “They’ll put the money in the Kin treasury.”
“Where it will do much good,” Tomas countered.
“Not blood money,” Margo said. “Blood money never brings good. Only evil.”
Jesse knew “blood money” was the term used to describe money gotten from betrayal, but the phrase still sounded eerie. He remembered another story about blood money—where Judas, a follower of Jesus, turned Him over to the men who killed Him.
But they won’t do that to us…will they?
Jesse rocked the baby back and forth. She—Jesse guessed the baby was a she because of the wooden flower on a bracelet around her wrist—seemed confused at first by the new face looking down at her. But she stopped crying at least.
“It’s a large amount of money, Mama,” Tomas said. “More than we could dream of, no matter how many performances we give. We could have the life we’ve always wanted.”
“Then I do not want that life anymore,” Margo said firmly. “Not at that cost.”
“If I may—” Parvel began.
“No, you may not,” Tomas said.
“Son,” Ravvi said in a warning tone. “No need to be rude.”
“He’s threatening to sell them to their death, and you’re concerned about his tone of voice?” Margo scoffed at her husband.
Jesse made a face at the baby. She giggled. “Shh,” Jesse whispered. “This isn’t funny.” He couldn’t help but smile, though.
“This is none of our concern,” Ravvi said. “What the outsiders do, the laws they have or break…none of that has any place here. We of the Kin should only concern ourselves with Kin matters.”
“That doesn’t seem to be an option,” Parvel said. “We are in your world now. You have to concern yourselves with us.”
He said it like a challenge, and Jesse realized he was right. Any chance they had of survival was with this family.
“There’s no going back now,” Tomas said. “So, Papa, Mama, what do we do with them?”
No answer. Parvel seemed to be staring Ravvi down, but Ravvi wouldn’t look at him.
“What’s her name?” Jesse asked in the pause.
Jesse saw Rae roll her eyes.
“Sofia,” Margo said.
“Right.” Jesse turned back to little Sofia. “Your life is a lot easier than ours, isn’t it?” he whispered as the argument went
