I grabbed the comm Torran had given me and shoved it in my other pocket. I hadn’t had time to set it up yet, but I’d figure it out if I needed it.

Torran held a finger to his lips and then we slipped from the room. The dim hallway lights provided just enough visibility so that I didn’t run into anything. We slid from the house into a chilly night. Unfamiliar insects filled the night with soft sounds.

We took a path toward the back of the property and the building I’d seen when we’d walked the perimeter earlier. The door opened at our approach and we eased inside. Torran pulled a slim light stick from his pocket and the interior of the building became a little clearer.

Torran had called it a workshop, but it was more a workshop-garage combo. A line of small vehicles glinted in the light. Torran headed for the smallest, a two-seat lev cycle that was vaguely ovoid—as if someone had squished an upright egg mostly flat without cracking it.

The outer shell protected passengers from the elements, but that was about it. It was molded around the lower half of the vehicle, which included the engine and skid plates. Torran opened the hatch and pulled out a set of Valovian armor.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

“This was the shortest set I could find,” he said. “It may still be a little tall for you, but we should be able to make it work.”

“Are we going somewhere where I’m going to need armor?”

“Hopefully not. But it’ll disguise your identity in addition to offering protection.”

I stripped off my outer layers and worked my way into the armor. It was a snug fit, because I had more curves than it was designed for, but overall, it was far more lightweight and flexible than I’d expected.

I tucked both comms into a hidden compartment against my ribs, but I couldn’t figure out how to attach my blade and pistol.

“Leave them,” Torran said.

“Easy for you to say,” I grumbled. “You can just smush people without lifting a finger. Some of us need a little help.”

Torran hadn’t donned his helmet yet, so I caught the tiniest hint of a smile before his expression turned serious. “I will protect you. You have my word.”

“Thank you, but that won’t help me if someone smushes you.”

His grimace had a wry twist. “If I go down, then you should already be running,” he said quietly, “because neither of your weapons will help.”

I sighed and left the pistol and blade with the stack of my clothes. I felt naked without a weapon, but Torran was right. If he couldn’t protect me, then escape would be my best chance of survival.