The little creature hissed his excitement. Alice blinked away the swarmer’s vision and got up from the woodpile, absently brushing dirt from her knees.

Now what? She could send the swarmers at the three of them. But the problem was Isaac – they already had him in hand, and it would be easy for them to hurt him before the swarmers could accomplish anything.

If I could start a fire, they might come running out . . . But she hadn’t brought matches, and the cottage was mostly made of stone. And it would take too long. She was already taking too long: they could already be tearing him to pieces.

There was only one thing that would distract them from their meal, she realized. Alice looked down at her hands and was pleased to find them shaking only slightly. No percentage in hanging about.

All three of the creatures were visible from the doorway. Mah-Li, the green one, had got Isaac’s coat off and was sniffing it with distaste, but to Alice’s relief they didn’t seem to have hurt him yet. Little Van-Si worried at one of his boots, carefully undoing the laces. When he noticed Alice, his spiny mane bristled, and he let out a warning hiss.

‘The other human!’ Mah-Li said, big eyes going wider. ‘Fascinating.’

‘I thought you said she ran away,’ Sah-To said.

‘I thought she had.’

‘Alice,’ Isaac said. His face was tight with pain; Mah-Li was still bending his arm behind him at an awkward angle. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Please.’ Alice tried to put a pleading, sobbing note into her voice. It was not something that came naturally to her, but she hoped the three creatures would not be familiar enough with human mannerisms to notice. ‘Please let him go.’

‘Let him go?’ Mah-Li said, sounding genuinely puzzled. ‘Whatever for?’

‘They’re not going to listen, Alice!’ Isaac said, then doubled over as Mah-Li twisted his arm even further. The green-skinned creature pushed him forward to sprawl on the floor and took a step towards Alice.

‘Take me instead,’ Alice said. ‘You don’t need both of us, surely. Let him go.’

Mah-Li flowed towards her, another step, like someone trying to approach a wild animal without startling it. Alice forced herself to look directly into his huge green eyes, ignoring the needle-filled mouth and the licking, snaky tongue.

‘I suppose,’ Mah-Li said, ‘we could make do with one human for tonight—’

He leaped forward, fast as a cobra, and grabbed Alice by both shoulders. For all their thin dexterity, his fingers were inhumanly strong.

‘—and save the other one for tomorrow.’ His horribly broad mouth curved up into a toothy grin.