“Don’t ask. Just help.” Romy spread out the cards and her list. “I need these names put in this exact order on the tables. Exactly.”

“Ooo, stern Ro. I likey.” Elara picked up the top cards and scrutinised the list.

With four of them it didn’t take long to get the names in position. It took Romy a further ten minutes to double check. She’d done what she could. Romy would have to hope the Griffins didn’t mind the Stewarts. Or whatever.

Elara came to her side. “It looks like your day was even worse than mine.”

Romy frowned at her friend. “What happened?”

She looked around and bowed her head. “I think the head engineer caught me checking out his nanopad.”

“Why were you looking at it in the first place?”

“I’m trying to understand the sentry rotations. It’s hard because I only work during the day, and they switch up the one we drive out to every shift.”

Her friend was freaking out.

“Ellie,” Romy said calmly, “we’ll figure it out. The main thing is laying low. Do you think the engineer is suspicious?”

Elara nodded. “He’s keeping an eye on me now.”

Poacher poop. This was bad. “You need to do everything right until he backs off. Don’t ask any more questions.”

Elara scrunched her delicate nose and rolled her eyes. “Well, duh.”

Freya stamped up to them. “Seriously. We have like twenty minutes to get ready.”

The girls ran to a homestead down the way, and Romy tried to draw Elara away from the worry that pinched her eyebrows and mouth.

Nancy’s abode was close to the garage where the knot had first awoken. And it was tiny. It looked like it was only one room.

“Don’t you live with your family?” Elara asked.

Nancy was digging through her closet, but Romy could see her body stiffen from where she sat on the unmade bed.

“They’re all dead,” she said shortly.

Elara’s mouth formed an O and she shot Romy a panicked look.

Romy spoke quietly. “That’s terrible, Nancy. I’m so sorry.”

Elara echoed her sentiments.

Freya barged in with an armful of clothing, Hannah trailing behind her. “There!” she declared proudly.

The five girls looked down at the pile of nondescript dresses.

“I dunno,” Nancy said dubiously.

Freya tossed her long silken hair. “Nancy, no offence, but your clothes suck kookaburra droppings.”

“Probably because I’m not trying to attract the whole settlement.”

“You act like you’re not interested, but you totally are.”

“Where do we start?” Elara asked loudly.

Romy exhaled, throwing her knot mate a thankful glance.

Freya tapped her bottom lip in thought, surveying the pile and the girls on either side of her. Suddenly she clapped her hands in glee.

“. . .I’ve got it.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Romy tugged down the dress as it rode up again.

Tight and white.

Her dress fit both bills.