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Julia pressed closer to Robin. “Please don’t ask me again.”

He shut his mouth and stepped back, leaving her with Robin.

“Maisie would be happy to have you,” Kazan said. He looked from Julia to Robin. “We can make room.”

“Chloe and I can take someone too,” Lorkin offered.

“I’d rather we stayed together.” Robin’s voice was quieter than Julia’s, but it carried well enough. “If that’s possible.”

“We haven’t decided anything yet,” Nezara said. “Let’s find out what space we have before we start dividing everyone up.”

I could offer her my room and sleep in the fucking barn if that was what it took. She could have Robin and Julia beside her, Otho down the hall, anyone she wanted.

Zarcal stood apart from the others, saying nothing. He wasn’t looking at the open door or listening to Nezara. His attention was on Robin. She brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face, and he moved as if to go to her, then stopped.

I waited for him to offer his own home. He looked away instead, and I turned back to the argument.

“Kazan’s place isn’t in town either,” Korfas was saying. “If we keep everyone here, we can get help to them quickly.”

“You kept them here today,” I said.

He looked at me. “And I’m trying to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

“So am I.”

Teresa shifted beside me. I expected her to pull her hand free, but she only moved closer so a pair of males could get past us on the street. They slowed to stare into the dorm before Otho waved them on.

“Perhaps the clinic, for tonight,” Nezara suggested.

“I need those rooms for patients,” Otho said. “I’m not turning someone away because we’ve put beds in every corner.”

“I don’t need a bed,” Julia said. “I can sleep in a chair.”

“After yesterday?” Robin looked at her. “You need a proper bed.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“And what about tomorrow? You can’t keep doing that.”

Julia started to answer, but Kazan tried again to point out that he had room. Nezara spoke over him, telling Korfas she needed somewhere the women could stay for more than a night. Lorkin asked how many males he could spare to stand guard, and Korfas told him he didn’t know yet.

They were all talking, and none of them was getting a single woman off the street. Teresa was still beside me, looking through the doorway at what had been done to her home. I could feel her fingers getting cold in mine.

I didn’t want her sleeping on a chair in the clinic. I didn’t want her behind some other male’s door while I stood outside wondering whether she was all right.

Damn it.

“Enough!” I had to raise my voice to quiet everyone else. “We have space enough at the farm and men to guard them. The women will come with me.”

Julia went quiet. Nezara turned toward me, but it was Korfas I watched. I was ready for him to object to the distance, the men, me. If he started on the fucking Butchers now, I wasn’t sure how civil I could be.

He looked at the three women, then nodded. “That’s not a bad idea. I don’t like how close the farm is to the epicenter of everything, but your men can watch the women while mine investigate.”

“They’re not my men,” I muttered, but felt no one was listening.

I’d had half an argument ready, and now there was nowhere to put it. Korfas was talking to Nezara about getting the women inside long enough to collect their things.

I looked down at our hands again. Teresa’s fingers were still threaded through mine. I’d half expected her to let go when Korfas arrived, and I hated how relieved I was that she hadn’t.