A moment later, a wave of frigid air rolled across her. The steam condensed, droplets forming all over Alice, on the shelves, and in little rivulets on the floor. Alice mouthed a silent apology to the books, which had first been blasted by Ellen’s light and were now getting soaked.

“Once again,” Ashes said, coming around the corner, “your plan involves me getting wet. You do this on purpose.” He stepped carefully to a dry patch of floor and began licking himself clean of the droplets that had formed on his fur.

“They’re gone?” Isaac said, his jacket shedding its own harvest of moisture.

Alice nodded. “I’ve got them split up and wandering.”

“You could leave them to wander,” Isaac said. “I’m just saying.”

She shook her head. “Even if I was okay with doing that to Dex and the others, it won’t work forever. Once the labyrinthine have Ending pinned down, they’ll notice what I’m doing and block me off as well. We don’t have a lot of time.”

“What did they mean about something being released?” Isaac said.

“I have no idea,” Alice said. “Maybe that’s the story their masters told them? They may not want to admit an apprentice tricked an old Reader.”

“If something had gotten loose in the library, Mother would have known about it long ago,” Ashes said.

Isaac frowned. “You still think you can talk them into cooperating with you?”

“I don’t have a choice,” Alice said.

“Garret didn’t seem terribly inclined to help,” Isaac said.

Alice sighed. “I know.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

NEGOTIATIONS

ALICE FOLDED PEEPHOLES to spy on the apprentices’ progress. Dex was on her own, while Michael and Jennifer had stuck together, as had Ellen and Garret. Alice left the two pairs to wander, and made herself a passage to an aisle near Dex.

“Stay out of sight,” she told Isaac. “I don’t want anyone to know you’re here yet.”

He nodded. Ashes, who had taken up a position on Isaac’s shoulder, was still too busy licking his paws to reply. Alice, holding the Swarm thread, went around the corner and found Dex sitting with her legs crossed at the base of a bookshelf. Her eyes were closed.

“What are you doing?” Alice said.

“Attempting to consult the auguries,” Dex said. “With some difficulty, since I lack the proper equipment. When I discovered I was lost, it was easy to guess that you retained your control over the labyrinth.”

“You’re not wearing your armor.”

Dex opened her eyes and tipped her head toward Alice. “I have decided to stop lying to myself. I will not fight you, Alice. Not after what we have been through.”

“I don’t want to fight you either.” Alice’s eyes stung with tears, and she blinked them away.