Lord of the Night

She was dressed and sprinting towards her master's suite within instants, and with every footfall she blotted out the horror of what had happened inside the dream. Her tutors at the scholastia would have been revolted by her foolishness, scrying so close and so unguarded to a creature of Chaos — little wonder she'd fallen prey to the predators of the warp! She should no more hunt sharks by painting herself in fresh blood than she should use her warpsight to spy upon agents of the ruinous powers, and as she berated herself Kaustus's unkind words came back to her with razor-like clarity:

'You lack experience. You are unqualified in the ways of Chaos.'

He'd been right. The bastard.

Still, she lived yet. She'd escaped — though barely. And now she had news for the inquisitor that could not wait.

'My lord!' she howled, bursting past the sentries at his doorway, 'I know where he is! I know where the trai—'

And stopped.

Kaustus was not in his chambers.

A semicircle of amused stares greeted her abrupt silence, the retinue taking its leisure en masse. Priests glanced up from mumbled prayers, scholars raised horned brows from ancient manuscripts, warriors paused in games of dice, and on every hooded face a demeaning smile played.

'Looks like someone finally woke up,' said one.

Mita blanched. 'I... What? What do you mean?'

'The inquisitor said you were taking a break.' A chuckle rolled across the room.

Indignity burst like a ripe boil in Mita's mind.

'I was drugged, warpspit and piss! What do you expect?'

'Yeah... He said you'd been suffering from paranoia, too.'

More titters circulated. Mita took a breath and rose above it.

'Where is he?' she demanded. 'I haven't time for this. It's important.'

'He isn't to be disturbed.'

'Tell me! I order you to tell me!'

She knew it was a mistake as soon as she'd said it. The temperature seemed to drop.

'Is that so?' one of them said.

Several figures — blocky shapes with the roiling movements of warriors — slouched to their feet, drawing close with languid menace, lips twisted in scowls.

'I don't think,' one growled, 'that we're in the mood to be taking orders from you.'

'You know I outrank you,' she said, almost keeping the quaver from her voice. The largest of the thugs was all but touching her now, and it was only the psychic pall of amusement from the others that prevented her from staggering away. She refused to give them the satisfaction of another humiliation.

'And you know,' the brute grunted, stabbing a finger against her chest, 'that we could snap you like a twig.'

Prodding her, on reflection, was a mistake.

'I won't tolerate this disrespect any more,' she whispered, as much to herself as to the man, and without warning she raised her knee as hard and fast as she could—

—directly into his crotch.

There was a noise not unlike a damp crunch.

He went down with a gurgle, and that might have been enough to end the matter, perhaps even to gain her a modicum of esteem from the shrieking fool's comrades — had she been finished with him. She was not.

She knelt on his chest and pushed a hand against his forehead, ignoring his cries. She dispensed with subtlety, plunged a dagger of psychic thought into his moronic brain, and needled about until the information she sought rose to the fore. She swam through simple thoughts, hunted down her target, and left with a vindictive kick.

The warrior died with a gasp.

'He's with the governor, then,' Mita said, examining the information she'd extracted. The retinue stared agog mouths hanging open.

'Thanks,' she nodded to the smoking corpse. 'Don't get up.'

Kaustus was waiting for her outside the governor's quarters: successfully taking the indignant wind out of her sails. He'd been forewarned of what she'd done — one of the other retinue members calling ahead, clearly — and hers was not the only foul temper.

'Diota Vasquillius,' he hissed, eyes flashing behind his mask, 'has served me for nine years. I once saw him kill a tyranid carnifex on Saliius-Dictai, loading and firing a lascannon without assistance. I've seen him strangle orks with his bare hands. I've seen him kill genest—'

'My lord,' she interrupted, ignoring his bulging eyes. 'I suspect he never faced a witch in a bad mood.'

Kaustus glared at her for long seconds.

'Correct,' he said, finally, and again she felt that strange sense of respect, as though the line between impressing and insulting her master was fine indeed.

'I have news,' she said, pressing her advantage. 'I... I have slept. I have seen where the Traitor Marine i—'

'Interrogator, we have discussed this. I assured you it was being dealt with.'

'There was an attack, my lord! U-upon the spaceport! I saw it! It may still be under way!'

Kaustus eyed her suspiciously, absorbing her words.

'An attack?' he said, and for the first time Mita felt that finally he was taking her seriously.

'Yes! I watched it all! Hundreds died!'