They entered his tent carefully and, from his hidden vantage point, Thalric saw the brief glint of steel as they pushed aside the flap.

There was a moment’s pause and then he stepped up behind them, startling the two soldiers Daklan and Haroc had brought with them. ‘Were you looking for me?’ Thalric asked.

Daklan and Haroc came back out of his tent quickly. They had come quietly and without armour to catch him asleep. He thought it possible they might regret that.

‘Ah, Major Thalric,’ Daklan began.

‘You had a message for me, at this hour?’ Thalric prompted.

‘Of sorts. I have received orders from Capitas, Major, which concern you.’

Thalric nodded. It was no more than he had anticipated. ‘Perhaps you want to reveal them, Major Daklan?’

Daklan glanced at the Vekken tents all around them. ‘I think we may have some grounds for argument shortly, Major, and I would hate for our allies to see officers of the Empire in disagreement. Perhaps we should step off beyond the sentries.’

‘Into the dark, you mean?’ Thalric clarified.

‘There’s a moon. Or are you frightened of the dark, Major Thalric?’

He smiled at that, watching the two soldiers stand uncertainly to one side, and Haroc and Daklan step apart a little, anticipating his move.

But of course they were right. A brawl between Wasp officers would damage the Empire’s reputation with the Vekken, and Collegium had not fallen yet.

He felt suddenly very cold, as though his life was already bleeding away.

‘My loyalty is always to the Empire,’ he said softly. ‘If the Empire truly requires this, then who am I to put my own interests before those of my Emperor?’

‘Very patriotic,’ said Daklan, who did not believe him, but without another word Thalric turned and headed towards the outer edge of the Vekken camp, leaving them to follow.

He stopped only when they were barely still in sight of the camp lanterns. There was enough moon to see the shapes of Daklan and Haroc, who held a sword in his hand now instead of a scroll. The two soldiers trailed behind, obviously trying not to hear anything that might prove bad for them.

‘I admire your resolution, Thalric,’ Daklan said, tensely, expecting a trick. Thalric saw clearly that, had his name been on the death-list, Daklan would not go so quietly.

‘I have served the Empire all my life,’ Thalric said. ‘In its service I have done deeds that, if I had done them in my own name, would have driven me mad. Only by knowing they were for the greater good could I drive myself to accomplish them.’ He fixed Daklan with a stare that made the man shift uncomfortably. ‘I have burned books and executed friends, tortured women and killed children, all in the Empire’s name. What would I be if, when my own life came before that same judge, I was to reject the Empire’s will and obey it no longer?’

Daklan shifted uncomfortably. ‘This isn’t personal, Major. I won’t pretend that I’m fond of you, but orders are orders.’

‘Of course they are.’

‘You are to leave the service of the Rekef, and as suddenly as possible – their exact wording. You know what that means,’ Daklan said. Thalric saw his teeth white in the moonlight as he grinned.

‘Can I ask why?’ Thalric said. ‘If you know.’

‘I know well enough. The orders are from General Maxin. That’s a name you must recognize.’

‘He’s your patron?’

‘I plan to do well by him,’ Daklan confirmed. ‘There are changes happening in the Rekef, changes at the top, but the ripples come down to lowly soldiers like us. It’s known that you’re General Reiner’s man.’

‘I am the Emperor’s man.’

‘The Emperor doesn’t give a curse, Thalric. You’re Reiner’s man, and Maxin is having a little cull of Reiner’s people just now. You’re a major, so you’re important enough to get noticed, in all the wrong ways.’

‘I don’t think General Reiner has any love for me,’ stated Thalric sadly.

‘Obviously not, or he’d have protected you,’ Daklan agreed. ‘You’re big enough to make the list, but small enough to be sacrificed. Bad luck, Major Thalric. Now, I’ve got sleep to catch up on, so let’s put you out of your misery.’

Daklan was tense again, expecting an explosion of anger or desperation, but Thalric carefully lowered himself to his knees.

I have always served the Empire, so let this be my last service. And yet even as he thought this, even as Haroc stepped over with hand raised, something began turning deep inside him. This was the will of the Empire? Simply because some distant general was grabbing for power? Because the Rekef was tearing at itself? The Emperor would never condone this if he knew.

He heard the crunch of Haroc’s sandals on the ground right behind him.

How does this serve the Empire? But, above and beyond this plaintive call, he heard a voice he had almost forgotten cry out How does this serve me?

Cut off, run out, left hanging, abandoned to the butchers – and something stirred within him that had been fettered for decades.

I want to live.

He twisted, so that Haroc’s sting scorched the side of his face rather than caving in the back of his head. Almost distantly, he felt his own hand flare with fiery energy, and saw one of the soldiers immediately arch backwards. Daklan was running forward with drawn blade, furious at being fooled. Thalric staggered upright, smashing Haroc across the face with his elbow. The man moved with the blow, though, and then his sword lashed across Thalric’s side, grating against the copperweave mail beneath his tunic that once again saved his life.

Thalric let his wings flare open, lifting him up, intending only to get away from here. Haroc was on him, grappling with him in the air, and a moment later the two of them crashed to earth with Haroc on top.

‘Kill him!’ Daklan was shouting now, heedless of the Ants within earshot. ‘Kill the bastard!’

Thalric struck Haroc still harder across the side of the head, but the lean man ignored it, slamming his own fist into the seared skin of Thalric’s face, and then getting a hand on his throat, the other hand raised with palm open.

‘Goodbye, Major,’ he grunted – and then Daklan screamed in pain and Haroc’s head whipped round.

Thalric was bringing his own hand up already, while Haroc’s palm was now pointing back the way they came. Energy spat from it and Thalric heard a woman cry out.

He loosed his own sting, and Haroc was already twisting to avoid it, but the blast caught him across the shoulder and chest, throwing him off Thalric, who now staggered to his feet.

The last soldier was running for him, casting a bolt of energy that sizzled over his head. With sick regret Thalric shot him directly in the chest, then watched him pitch over, roll once and lie still.

Daklan was down, trying to prop himself up with one hand, the other one reaching round for the knife buried in his back. Beside him, Lorica the halfbreed lay curled up into a ball, after Haroc had blasted her in the stomach.

Thalric was about to turn back to finish Haroc, but Daklan was suddenly on his feet, making a jagged, staggering run with sword extended. Thalric swayed to one side, reaching for the sword and letting Daklan’s momentum spin him round. Then he saw Haroc standing, hand extended, and Thalric let go of Daklan to launch a desperate shot at him. Haroc loosed his sting at the same time.

Haroc’s head snapped back, his face a blasted ruin. His own bolt passed between Daklan and Thalric, burning them both, and then Daklan’s sword pierced the copper-weave and sliced into Thalric’s side.

He gasped in agony and dropped to his knees. This was bad. He had suffered enough wounds to know this was a bad one. If Daklan had drawn the sword from his flesh then there would be more blood than he could have stanched, but Daklan was now stumbling away, loose-handed, then falling. Thalric saw a shudder overtake him before Lorica’s knife-blow finally did its work.