With all four apprentices in one place, watching each other’s backs, the wolves had no way to sneak around. They kept trying, but one after another was sent flying by Spike, torched by the salamander, or slashed by Dex’s glittering blades. Even Soranna, with her spear of sharpened moonlight, drove them back with vigorous thrusts. After a few minutes, with many of their number lying dead or bleeding, the wolves backed off, circling round and round but not daring to approach. Alice sent the Swarm at them again, and felt a fierce joy as a whole section of the pack broke and fled rather than face the onslaught of tiny needles. She grinned, baring her teeth, and turned to face the dais.

“Well?” she asked the black wolf. “Is this the best you can do?”

Chapter Twenty-four: The Hunt Begins

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

THE HUNT BEGINS

TORMENT’S TONGUE, HUGE and red, licked Jacob’s blood from around his muzzle. He padded forward, stepping from dais to floor without breaking stride. Muscles slid and rippled under his furry flanks like liquid darkness.

“No,” he growled. “It is not.”

He came on at a walk, stepping across the bodies of fallen wolves, huge eyes never leaving his prey.

Alice nudged Isaac and nodded at Torment. “Together?”

“Together,” Isaac agreed, with gritted teeth.

The salamander spun, heading for Torment from the right side, while Spike charged from the left, his stubby legs working furiously. They arrived almost simultaneously. Torment ignored Spike, and the little dinosaur slammed into him at full tilt, all four horns driving deep into the black wolf’s side. A moment later, the salamander reached down and touched Torment’s shoulder, and leaping flames ran across his back. His ice-blue eyes, still on Alice, were framed in crimson and orange fire.

His lips parted, slowly, and he gave his wet, nasty chuckle.

“Is that,” he said, “the best you can do?”

Torment’s forepaw swept around, taking the salamander’s legs out from underneath it. More flame blazed along the labyrinthine’s fur where he touched the fire-creature, but he seemed unconcerned. He opened his jaws wide, wider than any wolf had a right to, until he looked like a snake about to swallow an egg. With a mighty snap, they closed on the oval twist of flame the salamander had in place of a head. All the fires went out at once, like a snuffed candle, and wisps of acrid black smoke rose from Torment’s scorched fur.