Behind me, Capricorn ventured out. He began drawing the motes. I watched how the younger of the two guys kept his eyes on Capricorn, then leaned forward a bit, floor creaking under him, as he tried to peer down at the orange lights and the outlined trails.

A narrow young woman with brown hair and a red bandanna at her neck ventured forward along the more intact portions of the floor. She hesitated, looking at the guy I presumed was her husband, a blond guy with peach fuzz facial hair and greasy, medium-length hair combed into a fauxhawk. He had tattoos at his neck and at the backs of his hands.

“Go on,” he said.

She ventured forward. The damaged floor creaked ominously, and she stopped.

I flew closer to her, one eye on the two men.

“I’ve got you,” I said, taking her wrists in my hands.

Her husband reached behind his back and drew a handgun as I focused on making sure I had a grip. I could have reacted, but I didn’t, focusing on the woman instead. He leveled the weapon at my head.

“I’m trying to help you and your family,” I said.

“You’re going to help us, yeah,” he said. “You’re going to stay with me, and your friend down there is going to do what I say.”

This wasn’t an auspicious start.

“You alright, Victoria?” Capricorn asked.

“I’m fine,” I said. I verified the wife wouldn’t fall if I let go, then released her wrists. She backed away.

The guy didn’t seem to like how unbothered I seemed. I was worried, I knew what might happen if he fired two bullets, and if he panicked, he might empty the gun at me. I’d had someone do that, once.

Downstairs, Capricorn picked his way across the shattered floorboards and bits of roof as he walked backward.

“You stay,” the guy with the fauxhawk and the gun said.

Capricorn looked off to his left.

He was looking at Sveta. That worked.

The wife with the red bandanna ushered the kids further into the room. She shut the door.

Just the two men, Capricorn and I.

And, faster than I’d expected, Sveta at an open window, past a door into another room upstairs.

“You’re going to go run off that way, armor boy, staying where I can see you until you’re a speck in the distance,” the man with the gun said. “Direction of the big house. It got trashed, but there should be people around there. I want you to report some things, starting with the fact we’re holed up here, and the attacking group went past us. We can get them from behind. Got it? Then you’re going to come back the same way and report—”

I met Sveta’s eyes and nodded.

“—to us. Why are you nodding, bitch?” the man asked.