Alice had forgotten how awful it was on the other side of the portal, hot as an oven with the air full of noxious smoke. She ran for the shelves as fast as she could, her boots leaving little patches of burned rubber on the rocks behind her. When she reached cleaner air, she took a deep breath, then slid between the great stone monoliths that guarded the edge. As she wriggled through, space twisted around her, and stone became wood. She popped out from a crack between two bookshelves, back in the library, and breathed the familiar scent of ancient paper and dust.

Ashes was waiting for her, sitting with his paws together and his ears flat. Behind him, Ending’s yellow eyes glowed.

“Alice,” Ashes said. “You’re okay?”

“Did you retrieve the book?” Ending rumbled.

“I got it.” Alice patted her pack triumphantly, but neither of them seemed to share in her cheer. “What’s wrong?”

“Geryon returned this morning,” Ending said. “One day early.”

Alice’s hand went into her pocket, gripping the silver watch tight.

“He asked to see you,” Ashes said miserably. “As soon as you returned.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CARDS ON THE TABLE

ALICE’S MIND FELT like a car tire in deep mud, spinning madly with no traction.

“He got back . . . early?” she said. All she could think was, That’s not fair.

“I assume it was his intention from the start,” Ending said. “He must already have been suspicious of us.”

“He sounded angry when Mr. Wurms told him you were off in the library,” Ashes said. “He’s had me waiting here for you ever since.”

“But . . . what are we going to do now?” Alice looked from Ashes to Ending and back again, then shook her head, trying to collect her scattered thoughts. “We can’t just give up. There has to be something we can do.”

“I see two options,” Ending said. “The first option, most likely to succeed, is that you blame me for everything. Say this endeavor was my idea from the first. I think he will believe you, and while you may be punished, it will not be severe.”

“But if we do that,” Alice said, “he’ll think you’re rebelling like Torment, trying to get me to murder him. He’ll—” Alice stopped. She didn’t know what the Readers would do to a rogue labyrinthine, but it couldn’t be good.

“He’ll bind me away,” Ending said. “Like the Dragon. An ironic fate, given our history.”

“Mother,” Ashes hissed, “you can’t be serious.”

“I am only facing the truth as I see it,” Ending said. “If Alice wishes to do this, I cannot stop her.”

“What’s the second option?” Alice said.

“Ashes,” Ending said. “Perhaps you could keep watch on Mr. Wurms for us?”