Right. Alice cast about for a moment, not sure how to get the labyrinthine’s attention. She spotted Soranna, who had been hiding among the statues but was now creeping out toward Torment. All she had was her spear, but she obviously meant to try to attack the giant wolf, suicidal as that might seem. She’s braver than she gives herself credit for.

“Soranna!” Alice hissed. The girl looked around, and Alice held up her hand. “Throw me the spear!”

Soranna complied, and Alice snatched the spear of moon-stuff out of the air. It was almost weightless, with a point like a needle. Alice wrapped herself in Spike’s supernatural strength, lifted the weapon, and sent it flying into Torment’s flank. It flashed through the air, a shaft of solid moonlight, and buried itself a foot deep in the labyrinthine’s ebony fur.

Torment staggered under the blow, and his head snapped around. Alice waited a moment until she was certain she had his full attention. Then she looked him in the eye, stuck out her tongue, and ran for it.

She sprinted down a narrow alley between the statues, ducking under the stone warriors’ outstretched arms and unsheathed weapons. Wolves tried to come at her from the sides, but Alice outpaced them, dodging snapping jaws. One beast emerged in her path, and Alice lowered her shoulder and slammed into it with her best footballer’s tackle. With Spike’s strength behind her, the wolf went flying.

Risking a look over her shoulder, she saw Torment in pursuit, shouldering the statues aside or snapping them to pieces in his jaws. Alice wrapped the Swarm thread around herself, to protect her skin from flying splinters, and ducked out past the last rank of statues and through the doorway.

The corridor outside was deserted, but not for long. Three wolves were hard on her heels, and she could hear more furry feet padding after her. That’s good. The more that follow me, the fewer the others have to deal with. As long as Torment himself kept coming, Isaac could probably handle any wolves that were left behind. And Dex, if she’s . . . if she’s okay. Alice desperately hoped the caryatid’s armor had provided enough protection to blunt Torment’s claws.

Doorways came up on both sides. Alice took the first turn, hearing the claws of the wolves scrabbling on the slick stone, and pounded down another corridor. She was just looking over her shoulder when she caught a flash of movement from a doorway to one side.