Esau gestured sharply, and the flock of creatures around him soared upward toward the other Reader. More lightning flashed out to intercept them. Behind the cage of brilliant white bolts, Geryon raised his hands, and the storm cloud beside him formed itself into an enormous fanged maw, with crackling slivers of liquid electricity for teeth. It opened wide, as though taking a deep breath, and then exhaled a plume of silver-white flame that reached out toward Esau.

Esau fought back. More creatures popped into being, stranger and stranger things, winging or crawling or stalking their way through the air toward Geryon. Bolts of lightning answered them, blasts of fire, gusts of wind as sharp as razors, beams of utter darkness that disintegrated everything they touched.

It was like a battle between gods from an ancient legend, magic on a scale beyond Alice’s comprehension.

But her eyes were drawn to something else.

Down below, ignored by both combatants, the Gideon was burning.

“My master was forced to withdraw,” Torment said. “A temporary setback, he called it. Afterward, Geryon claimed you. To the victors go the spoils, I suppose.” The labyrinthine gave another wet chuckle. “Esau was angry. He sent Vespidian to try to—”

“I know that part,” Alice snapped.

She understood, suddenly, why so many people—Ending, Ashes, Mr. Black, even Torment himself—were so bitter toward the Readers. They’re like . . . like children, scuffling on top of an anthill. They don’t care who gets crushed underfoot. They don’t even think about it!

He is a Reader, Ending had told her. His magic is based on cruelty and death.

“Enough.” The Dragon’s voice, almost gentle, in spite of its depth and power. “Good-bye, brother.”

“Wait!” Alice shouted as Torment squirmed helplessly under the Dragon’s claw. “You can’t—”

There was a crunch of breaking bone, and the point of the Dragon’s talon drove itself through the wolf’s throat, releasing a gush of thick black blood. After a moment, Torment began to evaporate, blood and all, into a pall of noxious smoke. Within a few seconds, he was gone.

Long seconds passed as Alice strove to master herself. Finally, she said, “You killed him? Your own brother?”

“No,” the Dragon said. “It takes more than that to destroy a labyrinthine for good. But let us say . . . we will not see him for some time.”

“Oh.”

Alice walked to the mirror. Its surface had gone silver again, and she put out one hand, feeling the cool glass under her fingers. She stood there for a long time, eyes closed.

Chapter Twenty-seven: Reunion

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

REUNION

AFTER A WHILE, she felt the warm, dry weight of the tip of the Dragon’s tail curling around her shoulders.

“Alice,” the Dragon said. “I am sorry.”

“Thank you for helping me,” Alice said. “I thought . . .” She shook her head and wrapped her arms tight across her chest. “I thought I was going to die.”