The living room disappeared beneath a mountain of cushions, quilts and stolen mattresses, stacked into a lopsided fortress. Loccy stood guarding the entrance flap with her arms folded, Ash perched on her shoulders, Nyra peeking out.
"Halt," she said gravely, "nobody enters the fort until they have heard the rules."
"Rule one, no swords!" Ash screamed, kicking his heels against her collarbone.
"Rule two, no shoes," she added, nodding like a magistrate.
From inside the fort, Juna growled, "Rule three, no scheming, that means you, Idiot."
"What if I scheme a little?" Hajin asked.
"Pillow," Ash said darkly.
Nyra pinned the flap open with one bandaged hand, "In," she rasped, the word as stern as a general's order.
He toed off his shoes at the flap, surrendered the Lever to Ferra's waiting palm, and crawled inside. Aria rode his shoulder and the Chain stayed on his wrist, since Ferra ruled it counted as jewellery.
"Jewellery," Ferra repeated firmly, daring anyone to disagree.
