Their faces twisted, trying to decide if that was ridiculous or profound.
Alaric, bless him, rushed to back me up. "Yes! Exactly! Loki is indispensable. He—he guided me here, in fact. I'd be lost without him."
Jaw Boy frowned. "This club is for nobles only."
I lowered my voice, conspiratorial. "And what better mark of nobility than generosity? To turn away a loyal aide is to proclaim oneself weak. Tell me — is the Noble Etiquette Club weak?"
The silence stretched. Cane Boy's eyes flicked to his companion. They didn't want to admit they'd been cornered.
Finally, Jaw Boy scowled. "Fine. But if he so much as breathes wrong, you take the blame."
Alaric nearly sagged with relief. "Understood."
The doors swung open. Warm light spilled over us, gilding Alaric like a saint about to enter heaven. He gave me a nervous grin, whispered, "See? We made it!"
I grinned back, smug enough to power a small city. "Of course we did."
