Nessa's return fiber went slack around her elbow, and the four house strips jerked toward Ty before the loose end touched the lane.
Across the lane, his left shin broke away at the knee and struck the first doorstep; two ribs slid beneath another door while the third house took his right hand through the gap left by Sela's number strip.
With both remaining arms around the freight frame, Ty kept his skull, spine, and chained rib together.
Daro Pell drew air through the space Ty's sickle had opened, but the wooden frame folded closer around him. The four gravity nails had lost Meren as a place to spend their weight.
Nessa pulled on her cutter. Its edge came halfway out of the stone and stopped when the nearest house settled another inch.
"The return anchor is gone, so every loose load stays here with us."
Jade lay on her left side beside the cart. Her white hand had released Ty's belt, though the open right eye still faced the erased nail holes.
