chute。 Invisible forces lifted me to my feet。 Light bathed me。
Cherubael hovered before me。
'Gregor；' it said。 'You've come so far。 I knew you had it in you。'
I held the runestaff in front of me。 The green marble scroll of daemonic protection that Ravenor had sent had already been reduced to
a shattered remnant by the force of Cherubael's opening attack。
'I've waited for this moment for such a long time；' said the daemonhost。 'Remember on Eechan I said you'd have to make things up to
me？ Well； this is the time。 Now。 This is the moment that everything's been about。 The one I have seen coming since our paths first
crossed。 Destinies… our destinies； intertwined； remember that？'
'How could I forget？' I spat。 'You claim to have been using me all along！ Guiding me！ Even protecting me！ I watched you kill Lyko on
Eechan！ So that I would live… for this moment？ Why？'
Cherubael smiled。 'When the warp is in you as it is in me； you see time from all angles。 You see what will be and what will come；
what someone here now will do in a century or two； what someone there has done a thousand years in the past。 You see the
possibilities。'
'Riddles！ That's all you ever speak！'
'No more riddles； Eisenhorn。 From the moment I first met you； I saw you were the only one； the only one with the tenacity； the skill
and the opportunity to give me what I want。 What I want most of all。 I saw that if I kept you safe； you would come and give me that
most precious thing here； on this world； at this hour。'
'I would never help a daemon like you！'
Cherubael grinned； blank…eyed and utterly serious。 'Then destroy me； if you can。'
It lunged。 I raised the runestaff and channelled my will down through the psi…conductive pole into the lodestone。 The carved fragment
of the Lith blazed with blue light。
PONTIUS GLAW KNEW a thing or two about daemonhosts。 Their greatest weakness was the strength of the will that had bound them as
slaves。 The runestaff； so carefully prepared and constructed； so painstakingly etched with the ancient symbols of control； was a lever
to topple that binding will by amplifying my own to levels that would overwhelm it。
For a brief moment； I felt how it must feel to be an alpha…plus psyker。
The scintillating spear of energy that shot from the lode…stone struck Cherubael in the chest。
The daemonhost smiled for a second； and then its flesh…vessel ruptured open； billowing a storm of Chaos…fire in all directions。 I had
cast it out of its binding and banished it back into the warp。
And in the moment as my amplified mind overmastered his； I saw the years of enslavement it had endured af Quixos's hands； the
torments of its binding； the great； forbidden text of the Malus Codicium whose arcane knowledge Quixos had used to create his
daemonhosts。
And I realised that I had given Cherubael exactly what it wanted after all。
Freedom。
I STUMBLED BACK into the main chamber。 By then； Voke； whose resistance to Prophaniti had been astonishing； was dead。
I remembered Voke's words after the atrocity on Thracian： 'I will make amends。 I will not rest until every one of these wretches is
destroyed； and order restored。 And then I will not rest until I find who and what was behind it。'
He could rest now。 That work was done。
The daemonhost was casting the valiant old man's empty husk of a body aside and gliding towards Endor and Inshabel； who were both
already on their knees in agony。 Cyan flames washed from Prophaniti's fingertips and wrapped my two friends in tight； burning
psychic shackles。 They were trapped morsels for it to feed off at its leisure。
Prophaniti froze when I appeared； instinctively knowing I posed a more serious threat。 The Lith…stone was still smoking with bloodred
light。
The daemonhost surged through the air at me； teeth bared； arms spread； incandescent with light； baying my name。 It was like facing
the attack run of a supersonic warcraft firing all guns。 I know so。 It is my misfortune to have experienced that too。
Prophaniti whooped with glee。
'At Kasr Geth； you told me to make my weapons sounder next time； monster！' I howled； and impaled its charging form on the steel
pole of the runestaff。 'Is this sound enough？'
Prophaniti screamed and exploded； blowing me off my feet。 I don't think I banished it。 I think I obliterated its essence forever。
The runestaff was； miraculously； unscathed； and lay amid the rubble。 But Prophaniti's dissipating being had made it white hot from
base to cap； and I could not pick it up again。
I ran across to Titus Endor and Inshabel； both of whom lolled weakly on the floor。
Inshabel was dazed but intact。 Endor had daemon gashes across his chest and neck。 He looked up at me blearily。
'You got them both； Gregor…'
'I pray there are no more；' I replied； trying to staunch his bleeding。 His rosette slid out of his coat pocket and I leaned to pick it up。
The inquisitorial symbol was decorated with the ornate crest of the Ordo Malleus。
'Malleus？' I hissed。
'No…'
'When did you transfer； Endor？ Damn you； when did you change ordos？'
'They forced me…' he wheezed； 'Osma forced me！ When he had me on Messina… there were certain matters from a case a few years
ago。 He'd got his hands on them somehow… He… he promised I would burn if I didn't help him get to you。'
'What matters？'
'Nothing！ Nothing； Gregor； I swear！ But he had Bezier's backing！ He could have made anything look heretical！ I transferred orders to
stop him breaking me。 He said I would be rewarded； advanced。 He said Ordo Malleus was a better prospect for me。'
'But you were to keep an eye on me？'
'I told him nothing！ I never sold you out。 I did just enough to keep Osma satisfied。'
'Like coming here。 No wonder you hid your rosette。 He wanted you to take me down； didn't he？'
Endor was silent。 Inshabel looked on in stark disbelief。
'I… I was to go along with this operation； in the hope that it might be successful。 Orsini's under no illusions that Quixos is a menace；
and this was an expedient way； perhaps； of eliminating him。 If you were still… alive at the end of it； I was told to arrest you on the
carta charges。 Or； if you resisted…'
'Get him up to ground level；' I told Inshabel quietly。 'Find him a medic。 Don't let him out of your sight。'
'Yes sir！'
'Gregor！' Endor gasped as Inshabel lifted him。 'By the God…Emperor； I never meant—'
'Get him out of here！' I growled。
THE ASSAULT ON Ferell Sidor was three hours old when Grumman； Ricci and I entered the undervault of the excavation pit。
Madorthene's forces were still locked in a monumental struggle with the renegade's warriors throughout the warren of tunnels and
chambers in the table mountain。
Ricci was weak from a blade wound； and all of his bodyguards were dead。 Grumman had just two Kasrkin left with him； both of them
armed with lasrifles。
The vast undervault was an excavated pit almost a kilometre deep； open to the sky。 The serebite copy of the Radian pylon rested in the
base of it； surrounded by adamantite scaffolding。 Gibbet cages； hundreds of them； hung from the scaffolding on chains。 In each one；
trapped and helpless； was a human body。
They were Quixos's carefully collected arsenal of rogue psykers； secretly acquired from all over the Imperium。 It must have taken him
decades to accumulate so many。 One of them； I had no doubt； was Esarhaddon
'What is he doing？' Ricci asked； a touch of awe in his voice。
'Something we have to stop；' said Grumman； with a direct simplicity I appreciated。 It was the only answer any of us needed。
We had been living at our nerve ends since the assault began； and were wired with combat sharpness。 Even so； despite our combined
experience and skill； what happened next took us all totally by surprise。
One moment there was nothing。 The next； a robed； armoured form was in amongst us； moving so fast it was simply a blur。
So fast。 So accursedly fast。
Instantly； Ricci was split open down the length of his spine。 As he was still in the process of falling on his face； choking on his own
blood； one of the Kasrkin was severed at the waist； and toppled in halves； his gun firing spasmodically。 The other Kasrkin folded up
around the impaling thrust of a long； dark blade； spontaneously combusting from the belly out。
Grumman pushed me out of the way as the devastating blur turned again； and fired his laspistol at it three times。 Snapping round faster
than my eyes could follow； the long； dark blade the blur was wielding deflected each crackling shot。
Grumman's head left his shoulders。
Quixos； the arch…heretic； the renegade； the unforgivable radical； whirled on me before Grumman's butchered body had even started to
slump。
I had one fleeting glimpse of the long daemonsword； Kharnagar。 It was gnarled and knotted and thick with abominable runes and
irregular clawlike serrations。
That's all I saw as it came whistling towards my face。
TWENTY…THREE
THE HERETIC。
AFTERWARDS。
A BARE HAND'S BREADTH from my head； the blood…red blade came to a dead stop； blocked by the gleaming steel of Barbarisater。
Time seemed to stand still for a heartbeat。 We faced each other； our blades locked together。 Quixos had been a speed…distorted
phantom until our swords had struck。 Now he was frozen； glaring between the crossed blades at me。
The ren