A short time later, a small group consisting of Remy, Jim, Ainsel, the Admin, Steel, Nabi, and the Sarge stood at the boundary of Bone Station. They looked at the ragged giant dragonfly that still buzzed in the sky beyond.

“I admit I’m curious how you triggered two Guardians,” said the Admin. “One per non-human world-shifter, that’s what the system was coded for. And this one is very strong.”

“I can’t go out there,” Ainsel said. The same fear as before crawled up her back. That winged monstrosity would devour her and she’d become part of it. It knew exactly how to find her, and it would never rest. She was astonished she’d been able to cook within the fortress, knowing this thing was still out here.

“Don’t look at it,” said Steel. “Fear is one of the greatest weapons mastered by the Thunder Kings and they instilled it into their defensive engines.”

Ainsel heard Steel but she couldn’t tear her eyes away. Even within the glittering shield around Bone Station, she felt like looking away would make her vulnerable.

“Hey,” said Remy. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as he interposed himself in her line of sight. “Look at me instead.”

Ainsel blinked and refocused. She almost looked around Remy, but the silver-blue of his eyes caught her. He had such an attractive face. She enjoyed looking at him much more than looking at the dragonfly. He smiled at her, and that was nice too.

Steel snorted. “I suppose that works.”

It did, Ainsel realized. When she wasn’t looking at the dragonfly guardian it was a lot less terrifying.

The Admin gazed up at the sky. “Hmm. About half its life left, between the time it’s been out and the station shield. It’s ticked over into conservation mode, which means if we just hide the girl from it, we can travel without annoyance.”

Steel said, “And how would you do that?”

In response, the Admin shrugged out of the long dark coat he’d donned before leaving the audience chamber and draped it around Ainsel’s shoulders.

The coat was heavy, and what had been mid-calf on the Admin dragged on the ground for Ainsel. It enveloped her with tingling warmth, and it smelled like no fabric Ainsel had encountered: like metal and ozone and cloves.

“Galbaric!” said Steel, shocked. “You’d put your coat on her?”

The Admin stretched, his talon-like nails flashing in the rising sun. “I just did. Tend to the station, Steel. I’ll be back this evening.” Fearlessly, he stepped across the sparking barrier, which vanished when he touched it.

Sarge and Nabi both had one of the lightning guns, but they held them leaned over their shoulders, not as if they expected a fight. Remy turned the collar up on Ainsel’s oversized coat. “I don’t really understand, but they trust him, even Nabi, who was ready to replace him with you.”

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“Bad idea, bad idea,” muttered Ainsel. She still felt tingly where the coat touched her, and even though she focused on Remy, not what flew overhead, she couldn’t make herself take that first step over the line where the shield had been. “Judge Steel, how is this coat supposed to stop the guardian from seeing me?”

Steel hesitated. “I think his idea is that to the guardians you now appear to be a Thunder King. Their coats are powerful artifacts.” Then he clamped his mouth shut, as if he’d said too much.

“Will… will that work?”

He glanced up at the sky. “Try it and see. If you do make it to the ruins, give the coat back to him. It won’t help you with the guardians there, anyhow. Good luck.” He turned away, then turned back. “Oh. Do not even consider trying to take the coat back to your own world. It would be bad.” With a little wave, he strode away, back to the fortress.

Jim took a little step over the silver line in the ground and glanced at the sky. Then he ran to catch up with Galbaric and the two soldiers, leaving only Remy and Ainsel still behind the line.

“The shield’s down,” said Remy softly. “The coat’s working. You can do this.” He stepped backward over the line and held out his hands to Ainsel.

Ainsel looked up at the dragonfly again. The urge to do so was irresistible. Fear swept over her. It would find her. She had to get away. But if she stayed in Bone Station, the monster would always be there, above her. The only way to truly escape it was to defeat it—impossible—or to leave this whole ruined world behind.

“Yes,” she said. “I can do that.” She tore her gaze away from the dragonfly and stepped forward to take Remy’s hands. As she put her foot down, she stepped on the edge of the too-long coat and tripped herself. The coat pulled off her shoulders.

The dragonfly dived.

Ainsel tripped and fell to her knees, the Admin’s coat puddling around her. Only Remy’s grip on her hands saved her from a complete faceplant. Her dragonfly nemesis plummeted toward her. Instinctively she tightened her grip on Remy’s hands. The back of her neck prickled. Any second the guardian would snatch her away.

Instead, Remy knocked her further to the ground with his knee, wrenching his hands away and stepping protectively over her prone body. “Get the coat.”

Ainsel rolled over, scrabbling wildly for the edges of the coat. The dragonfly was huge behind Remy’s head. Squirming, she managed to roll herself up in the coat, huddling under it. She wanted to spring to her feet and run, not hide. She was good at running. Run, run, run: a litany in her head matching the hammering in her chest. Except if she ran, Remy would be hurt or killed. Each time she ran, somebody else suffered. She hid in the coat instead.

His voice muffled by the coat, Remy said, “Can you wiggle your way into wearing the coat again? The thing pulled up, but it’s curious now. We should get moving before it has any bright ideas.”

Cold all over despite the heavy coat tented over her, Ainsel felt her way to the arms of the coat. It was awkward donning the coat again, but she managed it, very slowly lifting her head above the collar.

Remy stood with his arms crossed and his legs braced. A smile played over his mouth. “You look like a turtle. Can you walk without tripping?”

“I’ll figure it out,” she whispered. “Thank you.” She found voluminous pockets and by sliding her hands within was able to hold the front edges of the coat away from her feet. The dragonfly buzzed overhead, much closer to the ground than before, but not descending further. Ainsel alternated flashing hot and cold as fear and shame warred to rule her thoughts. She was so busy trying to manage her feelings and watch her feet that she didn’t notice that they’d caught up with Galbaric and the others until the Admin spoke.

“I thought your kind was supposed to be excessively graceful. Do I need to carry you?” The acid in Galbaric’s voice replaced Ainsel’s shame with annoyance.

“It has nothing to do with me. Your coat is too long. And if you could manage your own land’s monsters this wouldn’t be necessary at all. Why do you make giant monsters to attack people from other worlds anyhow? That’s really unwelcoming!”

“Peace is always temporary.” Galbaric surveyed her, then stalked away again. Nabi gave Ainsel a sympathetic look before following him.