Before going through, she looked around at the accumulated junk piled against the walls. Some of it was probably valuable, or magical, or both, but she couldn’t bring herself to paw through the hoard. She turned her back on it and stepped through, letting the path close behind her, arriving in the throne room mid-argument.

“—you’re hardly in good enough shape for that,” Isaac was saying. “And even if they have gone, it doesn’t mean that Torment has.”

“We cannot simply sit here and do nothing.” It was Dex’s voice, and Alice’s heart leaped. “Sister Alice is in danger, and we must go to her assistance.”

“She’s right,” Soranna agreed quietly. “She would come for us.”

“I know,” Isaac said. “I’ll go, but the two of you should stay here—”

“Um,” Alice said. “Hi.”

Isaac spun, coat flaring around him. “Alice?”

“Yeah,” Alice said. “I—”

She was caught unprepared as he ran right at her, wrapping his arms around her in a fierce hug. For a moment Alice stood ramrod-straight, not sure what to do. Then she softened, and brought her hands up tentatively to grip his shoulders.

“I thought . . .” Isaac’s voice was a whisper in her ear. “I thought you had died on me, too.”

“I’m okay.” It was all Alice could think to say. “Really. I’m okay.”

He stepped aside, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. But hugs were apparently the order of the day, and Dex was next in line. One half of her face was purpling into a monstrous bruise, and she walked with a limp, but otherwise her encounter with Torment seemed to have left her none the worse for wear. She put her arms around Alice, and Alice hugged her back, gently, not sure where Dex was hurt.

“I was worried about you,” Alice said. “After Torment cut through Spike so easily, when he hit you . . .”

“The caryatid protected me most excellently,” Dex said, pulling away. “I was just telling Brother Isaac that this expedition has been more successful than most in that respect.” She raised her arm, with the circular scar where it had been severed and reattached. “After all, I am still in one piece!”

Alice couldn’t help but smile.

Dex stepped back, revealing Soranna, standing awkwardly with her hands behind her back. She looked at Alice, uncertain, and Alice stepped forward to hug her as well.

“But what happened?” Isaac said, over Soranna’s shoulder. “Where’s Torment?”

“Gone,” Alice said. “Banished.”

“You—” He shook his head. “How did you do that?”

“It’s a long story,” Alice said. “And for now I think we’d better get out of here, or else we’re going to have a very long walk.”