Silently seeming to melt out of the air, standing round him in a circle bristling with sharp bronze spears and swords, the Samdhya appeared.

Tom knew that if he moved he would be killed. He could not see Tanenwod anywhere, but in front of him was Rohenga. He wore a circlet of red feathers on his head, and a long earring which looked like a tooth.

The Samdhya seemed, though their mouths were not moving, to be talking amongst themselves, in a whispering, discordant buzzing.

Rohenga said nothing, but stepped forwards so that he was within a pace or two of Tom, and slowly unsheathed the jewelled dagger from his belt. He ran his finger along the edge, and then brought the point of it to Tom’s gut.

‘I have used this before on you.’

‘I have the mark still. You did not cut me deep.’

‘It was a warning. You did not heed it.’ His voice was full of rough, harsh sounds, half hissing.

‘You’re afraid of me.’ Tom did not know what he was saying. He had nothing to lose. ‘You’re afraid I’ll become like him. That I’ll keep your companion prisoner for eternity. You know Jack won’t last for ever, and you know I could be like him. I could be worse than him.’

‘You are a boy.’

‘Jack was a boy once too.’

Rohenga scowled. ‘I used to watch him in the woods. He gathered darkness even then. He was born with darkness in his heart. I saw him take a fawn and break its skull when he was a stripling. You are different. You have softness within you. I saw it near the school. I see it now. You shine like a beacon.’

‘How do you know? How do you know I won’t just go back to him, go back to the farm and help him defeat you? We have the Captive still. And you would not let anything happen to her.’

Rohenga, still snarling, stood aside and said, ‘Tanenwod.’

Two Samdhya brought her, carrying her between them. She was not chained, but she seemed unable to move. Her eyes, deep and bright, stared at Tom. He had never seen such sadness.

‘We are preparing her for her death.’

‘How can you kill one of your own?’

‘When the situation demands it, then it is necessary. We are the Holding Together. We are the Storm, the Deep and the Wildmark. Your kin, James Swinton, disturbs the joins. He is a dark force, tearing into the gaps, breaking things apart. Tanenwod became Samdhya. She was not born one of us.’ Rohenga took a step nearer towards Tom.

‘How is that different? She is like you.’

‘She has no Samdhya blood. I turned her, I gave her my life force. When she dies, it will be part of me that goes.’

‘But she will go too.’ Tom spoke with as much conviction as he could muster.