The wolves leaped all at once, but Alice was ready. She had Spike’s thread wrapped around her, and as the first beast came close, she repeated the maneuver she had used on the ant-thing, grabbing it by the forepaw and swinging it around like she was in the park playing crack-the-whip. She spun on her heel and let go, and Spike’s strength, added to the wolf’s momentum, sent the creature cartwheeling head over haunches to collide with the statues ranked on the other side of the room.

Another wolf lunged past her, heading for Isaac, and she grabbed it by the tail and yanked hard, pulling it off its feet and leaving it spread-eagled on the floor. She vaulted over it, planting a foot heavily on its head in passing, and went for Isaac herself. There were three wolves between him and the throne, and another closing in from behind, but he had eyes only for Torment and Jacob.

“Isaac!” Alice shouted. He didn’t look around. The wolf behind him was closing in. Alice grabbed one of its back legs and pulled, sending it skidding across the marble tiles.

The three beasts in front of him got ready to leap. Alice yanked harder on Spike’s thread, pulling him into the world, and the dinosaur popped into being between Isaac and the wolves. When they jumped, he interposed himself, catching one of the creatures in the belly with his horns. The wolf toppled, whimpering in pain, but the other two fell on Spike, jaws snapping.

Alice reached Isaac and grabbed him by the collar. She could still feel the bitter cold from the iceling thread he held, but he didn’t seem to be doing anything with it. She jerked him around to face her, and found his eyes staring and unfocused.

“Isaac!” Wolves snapped and growled all around them. “Isaac!”

When this failed to produce a response, she shook him as hard as she could. He blinked, and his eyes focused on her, but all at once they filled with tears.

“He’s . . . he . . .” Isaac said.

“I know,” Alice said. “And you’re going to be dead too, if you don’t do something.”

“I—” Isaac began, but Alice had already let go of him and spun back to the fight. Where Soranna and Dex had been standing, there was a cluster of tangled, angry wolves, and at first Alice thought the two girls were somewhere underneath. Then she saw them stepping through the beasts, Soranna’s hand gripping Dex’s, her face tight with strain. Once they were clear, Soranna staggered, gasping, and Dex spun away, silver blades materializing in her hand. She cut down the first wolf to leap at her, and the others paused, milling behind the body.