A pity Arden couldn't offer the assurance of that not actually being true, by virtue of her own partial immunity to compulsion, but even if she and Ellie had put all their nonhuman cards on the table, it was an ability she didn't even know she had.

"I'm pretty sure that's only true if Kams comes over in the mood for a coffee," she said instead. "So long as she stays strong with Squishies, I think we're safe."