She felt the heat rise in her face. ‘That’s not what I meant.’ Her finger pressed on his lips to stop him from getting any closer. ‘Before we do anything … more, I need to tell you something.’ He sat back and looked at her. ‘We were wrong to hope, Varg. I’ve been sentenced to death.’

His eyes widened in horror. ‘What?’

‘I’ve been told to go into the Wild and sacrifice myself.’

‘Kill yourself? Alone?’

‘It’s an honour, actually.’ Somehow, telling Varg, it didn’t seem like such an honour any more. She dipped her eyes, feeling oddly ashamed. ‘Nobody will know, you see. So I’ll be remembered well. In his wisdom, Lord Rochant has saved me from a traitor’s death.’

‘He sounds like a fucking monster to me.’

‘Well …’ Some part of her started to automatically leap to his defence, but she suddenly felt too tired to argue. Varg didn’t seem tired at all.

‘Yeah, a right fucking monster. And after all you did for him! They’re all the same, these Deathless. They use us like a pair of fucking boots. Trample us into the shit and muck and then throw us away when we wear out. Well I say, fuck him. Why don’t you come and live with me? He’ll never know.’

‘But … I’d know.’

‘Fine. Then I’ll take you to the Wild myself.’

‘I can’t ask you to do that.’

‘You don’t have to.’

‘Varg, I …’

‘Come on, Glider, let’s go.’ Glider gave a sad bark and the wagon began to rumble forward again, the wheels thudding over the slats on the bridge. ‘We’re with you all the way, Chand.’

‘Even to the end?’

He put an arm around her and pulled her close. ‘Yeah.’

She nestled in. It felt safe and warm, and she could hear his heart thudding merrily in his chest. I’m happy, she thought, for the first time in so long, I’m happy. There were tears running down Varg’s cheeks. Hers too, she realized. It was very un-Sapphire, and it didn’t matter, not one little bit.

Sa-at ran through the forest, his coat of feathers rippling at his back, and Crowflies gliding at his shoulder. He brushed the trees as he passed them, tagging leaves with his hands, tapping trunks, leaving a swirl of noise in his wake.

Each knock echoed in the canopy, passed from one tree to another, each footfall rippled outwards. Sa-at knew that somewhere nearby, Crunch would hear those sounds, and would come for him.

He was counting on it.

He held on to what Rochant had told him. I am faster than him. I have eyes. I have friends. But it was hard. He couldn’t help think other things too: I am weaker. I am scared. I—