Nidra didn’t need telling twice and immediately began the climb down. Pari was about to follow when she caught a flash of red and green in the air, of something flying towards them. She took cover behind the forked tree and waited. The creature was small, a Lizardkin of some sort. Its wings beat heavily, and it fell as much as flew the final few feet to land on the amber containing the Corpseman. It sat there for a while, panting, then there was a subtle movement within and the Lizardkin shifted to match it, poking out its tongue to touch the surface, like two people pressing their hands on either side of a window.

Pari had spent many years honing her intuitions, trying to find ways to read the faces and bodies of her enemies. She was much better at it with humans than monsters, but she knew something was being passed between the two. That Lizardkin is talking to the Corpseman. I’m sure of it.

The moment only lasted for a few seconds, at which point the Lizardkin jerked straight, blinking at its surroundings in surprise.

Perplexed, Pari went after Nidra, catching up the other woman partway down the hill. Neither of them spoke. They’d nearly reached the bottom when she heard the trees begin to whisper as if stirred by a distant wind. A sound was carried from one leaf to another, a sharp unnatural sound. ‘If I didn’t know better,’ said Pari, ‘I’d say that was a bell.’

‘No!’ hissed Nidra.

‘No?’

But the other woman didn’t deign to explain, setting off in the direction of Sorn at speed, leaving Pari with little choice but to follow.

Over the course of his life, Sa-at had been given cause to flee many times. He was adept at navigating the Wild at speed, at knowing when to run and when to hide, and knew the shifting movements of the safe places, and where the nearest one would be.

Alone, it would be a simple matter for him to vanish, trackless. He looked across at Tal, his heavy-footed friend, and at Lord Rochant slung between them, and despaired.

He did not know the trees around Sorn, and the price for their protection would be high. Everything here hated the Deathless and it occurred to him that if he were to give Rochant to one of the greater demons, like Murderkind, he could ask for anything he wanted, he could even ask it to kill the Red Brothers for him.

Then I will be safe again.

As fast as he’d thought that, his heart replied: But I promised to keep him safe and safe from his enemies. Deathless are enemies of the Wild. Deathless are enemies of Murderkind. Does that mean they are my enemies too?