She pulled tighter to him. ‘It’s a vast, cold world,’ she said. ‘It’s a vast, cold galaxy. We don’t matter. We’ll be gone soon, just a speck in the dark. But, for now, just here, I have you, you have me. It’s what I hold on to.’

He looked into her brown eyes. ‘I couldn’t lose you.’

‘You won’t have to.’

They listened to one another breathe, in and out.

‘I want to protect you,’ he said.

‘And I’ll protect you. With knives. If you just lost a bit of weight.’

‘That’s a deal.’

‘You’ve said it before.’

‘I meant it before.’

‘Then we’re all good.’

Outside, the rain kept coming down.

‘I love you, Lija,’ he said.

‘I love you too. Now go to sleep.’

About the Author

About the Author

Chris Wraight is the author of the Horus Heresy novels Scars and The Path of Heaven, the Primarchs novels Leman Russ: The Great Wolf and Jaghatai Khan: Warhawk of Chogoris, the novellas Brotherhood of the Storm, Wolf King and Valdor: Birth of the Imperium, and the audio drama The Sigillite. For Warhammer 40,000 he has written The Lords of Silence, Vaults of Terra: The Carrion Throne, Vaults of Terra: The Hollow Mountain, Watchers of the Throne: The Emperor’s Legion, Watchers of the Throne: The Regent’s Shadow, the Space Wolves novels Blood of Asaheim and Stormcaller, and many more. Additionally, he has many Warhammer novels to his name, including the Warhammer Chronicles novel Master of Dragons, which forms part of the War of Vengeance series. Chris lives and works in Bradford-on-Avon, in south-west England.

Art

Glossary

Glossary

BULWARK, Enforcer armoured wagon

CASTELLAN, Bastion commander

COTIN, Mild recreational narcotic, administered in injectors against the mouth, puffs produce pale smoke

CHAKSHIA, Criminal cartel

DATASLUG, Portable data storage (cf. Reel-slug)

DATAVEIL, System of city-wide comms/archive files, accessible to anyone with an iris augmetic

DIURNUS-SHIFT, Day-shift (cf. Noctis-shift)

DORM, DORM-CHAMBER, Bedroom

GILDED, Slang for the aristocratic class

GHAAN CODE, Underworld code of conduct, used by organised crime cartels

GRAPPIA, Corporation: groundcar manufacturer

HABCLAVE, Urban district

HAB-UNIT, DOMICILE, Apartment, in a hab-tower/spire

HYGIENE-CHAMBER, Bathroom

IRIS, Implant comms/data-retrieval mechanism, linked to the dataveil

JEJEN, Junk food. Fried meat, wrapped in flatbread and doused in pepper sauce

JENEZA, Heavy, dark malt beer

LUTYA, Electronic musical instrument

LUXER, Shiiv groundcar model (mid-range, powerful)

MORPHOLOX, Medical sedative

NOCTIS-SHIFT, Night-shift (cf. Diurnus-shift)

NOXUS, Grappia groundcar model (basic, cheap)

OPALWINE, Alcoholic beverage

PANTHERA, Bastion-U’s elite tactical enforcer squad

PARAJA, Junk food. Meat-based pastry rolls

PLASTEK, plasteel, Plastic-like materials

PLASWEAVE, Cheap fabric for clothing

PROBATOR, Detective rank

REEL-SLUG, Portable music storage (cf. Dataslug)

REFEC, REFEC-CHAMBER, Kitchen/kitchen-diner

REGENA, Corporation: groundcar manufacturer

REZI, Citrus-flavoured alcoholic beverage

SHIIV, Corporation: groundcar manufacturer

SLATOV, Alcoholic beverage

SLEEPER, Narcotic

SPIATREE, SPIAWOOD, Native tree/timber. When burned, gives off incense-like aroma

SYNTHWOOL, SYNTHLEATHER, Cheap synthetic materials

TICKLER, Sanctioner slang for shock-maul

TOPAZ, Narcotic stimulant

TZARINA, Service autopistol, used by probators