‘His only mistake has been to be too generous. Threats to our way of life come from more than just the demons in the Wild. He needs to be harder on those above, be they servant, soldier, Cutter-crafter, yes, even Deathless. Two betrayals cannot be allowed to become three.’

Even as he spoke, he felt his words falling flat. The Bringers are not pleased. One of them looked past him, at someone outside the circle, and then nodded slowly, though Satyendra thought that this gesture also communicated displeasure.

‘Lord Rochant Sapphire is welcome.’

‘Welcome,’ agreed the others, stepping forward and undoing the straps.

As the Bringers filed out, someone began to clap. It sounded like two glasses being rung together repeatedly, immediately setting his teeth on edge.

‘Well said, my friend.’ Yadavendra’s voice came from the far side of the chamber. ‘Well said.’

Now that the immediate threat of death had passed, he became even more aware of how cold he was. He started to sit up. ‘High Lord—’

‘No,’ Yadavendra cut him off, crossing the space between them in three great strides. In the dark his armour glowed like a star in the night sky, his Sky-legs turning him into a giant. Satyendra hissed as a gauntleted hand pushed him back onto the slab. ‘You must rest, my friend. There will be a great feast tonight, to celebrate your return. And then, we must talk, you and I.’

Yadavendra seemed jubilant, but there was a brittleness there too, a need in his bloodshot eyes.

‘Yes,’ agreed Satyendra, thinking about his mother, and Nose, and all of the little grudges he’d nurtured over the years. ‘There is a lot to do.’

With so many Deathless in attendance, Chandni would normally be rushed off her feet seeing to their needs. However, today was the day of the rebirth ceremony, and tradition dictated that an Honoured Mother be spared any other duties so she could make peace with the vessel’s soul leaving the world. This put Chandni in an impossible position. On the one hand, she loved tradition. It gave a sense of stability and connection to something larger than oneself. On the other, she hated the thought of relinquishing control. Her staff were well trained, but she knew their foibles better than anyone, how best to motivate them. In short, this was a very important time for House Sapphire, and it galled her to have to sit back and be idle when there was so much that needed doing.

By tradition, she was supposed to take this time to reflect. The minutes stretched before her, the sound of her water clock tapping out the minutes drip after drip, while a stranger stared back at her from the mirror. Why aren’t you crying? Why don’t you feel anything?