She nuzzled Cassie’s head with her face. “You smell like wet dog.”

Cassie laughed. “Not a lot, I hope.”

“Just a little.”

“Are you sure that isn’t Doon?” Rain asked.

“It’s me,” Cassie said, at the same time Chastity said, “it’s her.”

Saying the dog’s name had got its attention, and Doon rose from its sleeping spot at Cassie’s feet, going to Rain.

Just petting the dog seemed to lower Rain’s blood pressure, doing away with the distraction that Chastity herself provided. Cassie was just a naturally happy, calm person.

It soothed. Vicariously, she could take that peace and happiness, and—

She nodded off, her thoughts dipping into the incoherence that came with approaching sleep. Cassie adjusted, leaning in closer.

She was safe here, with her people. Not from the other people on the bus, or from attacks, or from anything of that sort. But from that nagging, horrible, hateful voice in her head.

⊙

Freshly showered, dressed up in a black blouse with a low-cut V-neck, embroidered black pants with a flower lace pattern, and a nice coat that was leaps and bounds different from the rugged coat she’d worn for scavenging. Her boots had raised heels.

Aunt Rachel’s wasn’t a place for nice clothes, but nice clothes did a lot to give that inner voice a little less ammunition. So did being showered, so did having her hair perfect. There were dogs milling around, the occasional dog barking, and signs of horses. There were people pulling together with unloading trucks and getting temporary shelter up.

It was funny, but Aunt Rachel’s had been one of the further-flung settlements, for a certain type of person with certain skills and tolerances. Now it was expanding. Thirty thousand people in all, and they were people content to stay on Gimel, to be cape-adjacent.

She navigated the winding path down the hill.

Rain was out there, talking to someone, and it didn’t look like he had backup. Beside him was the greenhouse they were building, using the glass they’d collected while scavenging.

She didn’t recognize the person Rain was talking to. He looked like a lawyer, old, wearing a suit with muddy doggie footprints on it, from an enthusiastic greeting.

She tensed as she saw the others. People in Patrol uniforms, geared up for a fight. Light power armor, laser rifles. They didn’t look like they were planning to shoot, so the situation wasn’t tense.

But it was still strangers, still weapons, still battle-readiness.

She was halfway to him, when she saw Cassie in the stable. Cassie beckoned.

She entered, and saw that Aunt Rachel was there too, as were Lily and Sabah.

“What’s going on?” she asked, her voice quiet.

Lily’s expression was sad. Cassie looked worried.

“He’s leaving?” Chastity asked.

Lily explained, “It’s someone from the legal system. They have a prison. They’re checking on some of the people who didn’t accept the sleeping death for humanity’s benefit—”

“What? But Rain—”