Page 65 of Rock Giant

“If it’s faeries, can’t they do summat useful like tidy the empties away, or fumigate the bog?”Balin asked.

“Yeah, that’d be cool,” Lee echoed.

“Clearly you’ve pissed them off.”Paul knew his faerie lore.“Basically, means you’re screwed until you make amends for the slight.”

“Need a slash.”Jez jerked awake and onto his feet.He stumbled over multiple sets of legs towards the nearest door and got redirected by Alle towards the actual bathroom.Paul took the opportunity to slide into the space he’d vacated alongside Jodi.

“Can I have one of those?”he asked, referring to the sweets in her hands.

“Um, sure.”She offered him the packet.“I’m not really sure where they came from.”Course not, his Castle was an object magnet.Things she passed magically stuck to her like in one of those running games that had been popular a few years back.Paul opened the love hearts packet and claimed the first one.He offered her the next.“Show me,” he insisted, turning his sweet to her so she could see the message printed on his, which read, ‘YOURS’.

“Not sure I should.”

“Why not?”

She gave her fiancé a sidelong glance.“Not interested in causing ructions.”

“It’s a good ’un, then.”

Cagily, she showed him.It read, “IT’S TRUE.”

“Deffo,” he agreed, chuckling.“Love Hearts never lie.Ask Ronnie, he’ll tell you how prophetic they are.Aren’t they Ronnie?”

Ronnie nodded, “Way better than an eight ball.Are they mine?”

“Jodi’s,” Paul replied, before she had a chance to say otherwise.She looked down, fighting a smile.He passed Ronnie a single sweet.

“Let us have one,” Nash stuck out a hand.Paul dutifully gave him one.

“Well, that’s shit.I never get the good ones.HARD LUCK.What did you get, Jo?”

Jodi popped her first selection in her mouth and chose another.“YES, DEAR.”

“Game time,” Spook announced, entering the living area from one of the side-rooms, arms full of socks.

“Are they mine?”Luthor asked.

“You don’t mind, do you, Luthor?”

“As long as I get them back undamaged.”

“So, who’s in?”

“What’s the game?”Balin asked, eye cocked at the mound of sockage.

Ash roused from the sofa.“More importantly, what’s the prize?”

Spook pointed at him.“Ah, interesting that you asked.That would be this here beautiful, ‘Get Out of Jail Free Card.’”He showed them all the ancient orange Monopoly card.“Obviously, it won’t get you out of actual jail, but it can be used in a range of circumstances to do-over, or defuse a situation, or simply to defenestrate your opposition.”

Xane gave him a clap.

“Thank you.”Spook gave a bow.“Now, who’s in?It’s a simple game.A very simple game.No complicated rules… Suitable for all ages and flexibility levels.”

“I’m not playing Twister,” Ash said.

“It’s not Twister.”

“I think we need to hear the actual rules.”Lee was turning his head, looking at each of them, clearly trying to get a handle on what was likely to happen.“Is this an every man for himself game or a—”