‘She was there,’ Korlat replied. ‘She joined me as I rode forward in answer to Whiskeyjack’s summons. I will be honest, Mhybe. Something indeed did occur, before the clash between Brood and Kruppe. Your daughter has found ... protectors, but she will not extend that protection to you – for some reason she believes you are in danger, now. I do not know the source.’

Yet I do. Oh, Korlat, your friendship for me has blinded you. I am in danger indeed. From myself. ‘Protectors. Who? What?’

Korlat drew a deep breath, let it out slowly. ‘Silverfox asked that I say nothing to you of them. I could not understand why, yet I acquiesced. I realize now that to do so was wrong. Wrong to you, Mhybe. A conspiracy, and I shall not be party to it. Your daughter’s protectors were wolves. Ancient, giant beasts—’

Terror ripped through the Mhybe. Snarling, she flung a hand at Korlat’s face, felt her nails tear through skin. ‘My hunters!’ she screamed as the Tiste Andii flinched away. ‘They want to kill me! My daughter—’ My daughter! Plaguing my dreams! Spirits below, she wants to kill me!

Coll and Murillio had leapt onto the wagon, were shouting in alarm even as Korlat hissed at them to calm down, but the Mhybe ceased hearing them, ceased seeing anything of the world surrounding her at that moment. She continued thrashing, nails clawing the air, betrayal searing through her chest, turning her heart into ashes. My daughter! My daughter!

And my voice, it whimpers.

And my eyes, they plead.

And that knife is in her hands, and in her gaze there is naught but cold, cold intent.

Whiskeyjack’s half-smile vanished when he turned upon Korlat’s arrival, to see that her eyes were as white hot iron, to see as she stalked through the tent’s entrance four parallel slashes on her right cheek, wet with blood that had run down to the line of her jaw and now dripped onto the rushes covering the floor.

The Malazan almost stepped back as the Tiste Andii strode towards him. ‘Korlat, what has happened?’

‘Hear my words, lover,’ the woman grated in an icy voice. ‘Whatever secrets you have withheld from me – about Tattersail reborn, about those damned T’lan Ay, about what you’ve instructed those two marines guarding the child to say to the Mhybe – you will tell me. Now.’

He felt himself grow cold, felt his face twitch at the full thrust of her fury. ‘Instructions?’ he asked quietly. ‘I have given them no instructions. Not even to guard Silverfox. What they’ve done has been their own decision. What they might have said, that it should lead to this – well, I shall accept responsibility for that, for I am their commander. And I assure you, if punishment is required—’

‘Stop. A moment, please.’ Something had settled within her, and now she trembled.