Actually, she thought as she sat up, it has definitely been a few hours. In her parched state, she’d guzzled quite a few pitchers of water during the meal. She caught Soranna’s eye as the girl began untying Dex’s bandages.

“Has this tent got . . .” Alice gestured vaguely, then, at Soranna’s obvious incomprehension, finished, “. . . a toilet? Or something?”

“Oh!”

Soranna covered her mouth with one hand and stifled a giggle. She pointed Alice to a discreet alcove, concealed behind a hanging fold of purple silk. By the time Alice emerged, much relieved, the girl had unwound Dex’s bandage to reveal a thin, puckered pink scar, vivid against her dusky brown skin. It looked painful, but from Dex’s face as she put her weight on the leg, Soranna’s magic had done its work well.

“You have my gratitude, Sister Soranna,” Dex said. “I don’t know that even the Most Favored could have put me back together so adeptly, and she has a great deal of experience at it.”

Soranna blushed, but she was obviously pleased. Alice grabbed a few leftover scraps of fruit from the table and gathered everyone by the tent flap. Their time in the pocket-world was nearly up, and everything was beginning to look a bit insubstantial, as though it was preparing to return to the mist out of which it had been formed.

“Remember,” Alice said, “stay as close together as you can. I’ll do my best to keep Torment from separating us, but he’s probably stronger than I am. Hold hands if you need to. Are you ready?”

“Ready,” Isaac said. Dex grinned, and Soranna gave a tiny nod.

Alice swept open the tent flap and ducked through, feeling the solid mist passing all around her. The tower room was just as she’d left it, with Ellen’s ruined barricade slumping against the wall by the door. The others appeared behind her, and the doorway of mist wavered for a moment and then collapsed.

“I’ll try to open a path to the keep,” Alice said. “My guess is that’s where Torment is keeping Jacob.”

“I’m not sure that will be necessary.” Isaac pointed to the doorway.

Looking outside, Alice could see that the view had changed. She was once again looking out on the broad avenue ending, far in the distance, at the domed keep’s front gate.

An invitation, the Dragon called it. Apparently now the others are included as well. She wasn’t sure if this was a positive development or not.

“I don’t like it,” Isaac said. “Why would he let us just walk up to his front door? It must be a trap.”

“It could be,” Alice admitted. “But if we’re not going to leave, what other choice do we have?”