to compensate for his dressing down. Loken thought he saw a gleam of amusement in Mortar-ion's eyes as he left with Garro and his Terminators in tow.
Horus turned to Abaddon and said, 'Have a stormbird prepared to convey me to the Conqueror. Angron must be illuminated as to the proper conВduct of this endeavour,’
Horus turned and made his way from the Luper-cal's court with Abaddon and Aximand following behind him without so much as a backwards glance at Loken and Torgaddon.
That was educational,’ said Torgaddon when they were alone.
Loken smiled wearily. 'I could feel you willing Angron to strike Eidolon,’
Torgaddon laughed, remembering when he and Eidolon had almost come to blows when they had first met on the surface of Murder.
'If only we could join the Warmaster on the ConВqueror! said Torgaddon. 'Now that would be something worth seeing. Horus illuminating Angron. What would they talk about?' What indeed?' agreed Loken. There was so much Loken didn't know, but as he pondered his unhappy ignorance, he remembered the last thing Kyril Sindermann had shouted to him as he was led away by Maloghurst's soldiers.
Tarik, we have a battle to prepare for, so I want you to get everyone ready. It's going to be a hard fight on Isstvan III,’
'I know,' said Torgaddon. The Sirenhold. What a bloody shambles. This is what happens when you give people a god to believe in.'
'Get Vipus up to speed as well. If we're attacking the Sirenhold, I want Locasta with us.'
'Of course,’ nodded Torgaddon. 'Sometimes I think you and Nero are the only people I can trust any more. What are you going to be doing?'
'I have some reading to catch up on,' said Loken.
FOUR
Sacrifice
A single moment
Keep her safe
Wherever Erebus walked, shadows followed in his wake. Flickering whisperers were his constant comВpanions, invisible creatures that lurked just beyond sight and ghosted in his shadow. The whisperers flitted from Erebus and gathered in the shadowed corners of the chamber, a stone-walled lodge built in the image of the temple room of the Delphos where Akshub had cut his throat.
Deep in the heart of the Vengeful Spirit, the lodge temple was low, close and hot, lit by a crackling fire that burned in a pit in the middle of the room. Flames threw leaping shapes across the walls. 'My Warmaster,' said Erebus. 'We are prepared.' 'Good,' replied the Warmaster. 'It has cost us a great deal to reach this point, Erebus. For all our sakes it had better be worth it, but mostly for yours.'
'It will be, Warmaster,’ assured Erebus, paying no heed to the threat. 'Our allies are keen to finally speak to you directly'
Erebus stooped to stare into the fire, the flames reflecting from his shaven, tattooed head and in his armour, recently painted in the deep scarlet colours now adopted by the Word Bearers Legion. As confiВdent as he sounded, he allowed himself a moment of pause. Dealing with creatures from the warp was never straightforward, and should he fail to meet the Warmaster's expectations then his life would be forfeit.
The Warmaster's presence filled the lodge, armoured as he was in a magnificent suit of obsidВian Terminator armour gifted to him by the Fabricator General himself. Sent from Mars to cement the alliance between Horns and the Mechanicum of Mars, the armour echoed the colours of the elite Justaerin, but it far surpassed them in ornamentation and power. The amber eye upon the breastplate stared from the armour's torso and shoulder plates, and on one hand Horns sported a monstrous gauntlet with deadly blades for fingers.
Erebus lifted a book from beside the fire and rose to his feet, reverently turning the ancient pages until he came to a complex illustration of interВlocking symbols.
"We are ready. I can begin once the sacrifice is made.'
Horus nodded and said, 'Adept, join us,’
Moments later, the bent and robed form of Adept Regulus entered the warrior lodge. The representaВtive of the Mechanicum was almost completely mechanised, as was common among the higher echelons of his order. Beneath his robes his body was fashioned from gleaming bronze, steel and cables. Only his face showed, if it could be called a face, with large augmetic eyepieces and a vocabula-tor unit that allowed the adept to communicate.
Regulus led the ghostly figure of Ing Mae Sing, her steps fearful and her hands flitting, as if swatВting at a swarm of flies.
This is unorthodox,' said Regulus, his voice like steel wire on the nerves.
'Adept,’ said the Warmaster. 'You are here as the representative of the Mechanicum. The priests of Mars are essential to the Crusade and they must be a part of the new order. You have already pledged your strength to me and now it is time you witВnessed the price of that bargain,’
'Warmaster,’ began Regulus, 'I am yours to comВmand,’
Horus nodded and said, 'Erebus, continue,’ Erebus stepped past the Warmaster and directed his gaze towards Ing Mae Sing. Though the astropath was blind, she recoiled as she felt his eyes roaming across her flesh. She backed against one wall, trying to shrink away from him, but he grasped her arm in a crushing grip and dragged her towards the fire. 'She is powerful,’ said Erebus. 'I can taste her,’
'She is my best,’ said Horus.
That is why it has to be her,’ said Erebus. The symbolism is as important as the power. A sacrifice is not a sacrifice if it is not valued by the giver,’
'No, please,’ cried Ing Mae Sing, twisting in his grip as she realised the import of the Word Bearer's statement.
Horus stepped forwards and tenderly took hold of the astropath's chin, halting her struggles and tilting her head upwards so that she would have looked upon his face had she but eyes to see.
'You betrayed me, Mistress Sing,’ said Horus.
Ing Mae Sing whimpered, nonsensical protests spilling from her terrified lips. She tried to shake her head, but Horus held her firm and said, There is no point in denying it. I already know everything. After you told me of Euphrati Keeler, you sent a warning to someone, didn't you? Tell me who it was and I will let you live. Try to resist and your deatb will be more agonising than you can possibly imagine,’
'No,’ whispered Ing Mae Sing. 'I am already dead. I know this, so kill me and have done with it,’ 'You will not tell me what I wish to know?' There is no point,’ gasped Ing Mae Sing. You will kill me whether I tell you or not. You may have the power to conceal your lies, but your serpent does not.' Erebus watched as Horus nodded slowly to himВself, as if reluctandy reaching a decision.
Then we have no more to say to one another,’ said Horus sadly, drawing back his arm.
He rammed his clawed gauntlet through her chest, the blades tearing through her heart and lungs and ripping from her back in a spray of red. Erebus nodded towards the fire and the Warmas-ter held the corpse above the pit, letting Ing Mae Sing's blood drizzle into the flames.
The emotions of her death flooded the lodge as the blood hissed in the fire, hot, raw and powerfuclass="underline" fear, pain and the horror of betrayal.
Erebus knelt and scratched designs on the floor, copying them exactly from the diagrams in the book: a star with eight points that was orbited by three circles, a stylised skull and the cuneiform runes of Colchis. You have done this before,’ said Horus. 'Many times,’ said Erebus, nodding towards the fire. 'I speak here with my primarch's voice, and it is a voice our allies respect,’
They are not allies yet,’ said Horus, lowering his arm and letting the body of Ing Mae Sing slide from the claws of his gauntlet.
Erebus shrugged and began chanting words from the Book ofLorgar, his voice dark and guttural as he called upon the gods of the warp to send their emissary.