Chapter 6

Sadie glanced around her new prison. The iron bars of the rusted cage were stained with dark, reddish streaks, impossible to discern whether it was rust or dried blood. The air hung heavy with the stench of mildew, sweat, and a faint trace of iron—blood, perhaps. Moldy straw and filthy scraps of cloth littered the damp floor. Women huddled in the corners, their hollow gazes resembling lifeless dolls. But as Sadie was shoved inside, dozens of eyes snapped to her face all at once. Those sunken,...