largest a gaping hole in his side； and his armour was peppered with splinters that protruded from his
armoured plates like bizarre decorations。
The icon bearer staggered up the ramp； and Marduk stepped aside to let him pass。
“One minute more and we would have left；” barked Kol Badar； snapping off shots with his
combi…bolter。
The daemon left Burias； his natural form returning； and he slumped forward unconscious；
sprawling face first out on the deck； blood running freely from his wounds。
“Somebody see to him；” barked Marduk。
The engines roared as the plasma core came into full power； and the ramp began to close。
Splinters spat up at the trio standing guard atop the ramp； and Sabtec and Marduk ducked back to
avoid the deadly projectiles。 A line of the fine shards struck Marduk across the side of his helmet；
their tips just penetrating far enough to graze his cheek。 He ripped his helmet off and tossed it into
the shuttle’s interior。 Kol Badar merely endured the barrage of fire； for the splinters had not the
power to penetrate his thick Terminator armour。
The eldar wyches made a last charge； leaping lightly onto the ramp as it rose past horizontal。 Kol
Badar killed three of them； firing his combi…bolter on full auto； and Sabtec took down another two；
his bolter ripping the slender warriors in half。 Marduk’s chainsword killed another； the toothed blade
ripping it from groin to heart。
Behind them was another wych； the tall； elegant and sneering female with flowing hair that
Marduk had seen take down at least three of his warriors； and as Kol Badar and Sabtec gunned
down her companions； her sinuous； serpent…like whip lashed out； its barbed tips whipping around
Marduk’s throat。
Debilitating energy coursed through the length of the whip； rendering Marduk’s enhanced
physiology all put paralysed； and his muscles twitched spasmodically。 Fighting the energy coursing
through him； Marduk dropped his chainsword and reached up to the strangling whip wrapped
around his neck； trying to pry it loose。 With a powerful wrench； the eldar warrior hauled Marduk
towards her。
Sabtec cried out and reached for the First Acolyte； but Marduk was already falling。 Kol Badar’s
combi…bolter roared； but the wych back…flipped from the ramp that was now more vertical than
horizontal； and the bolts missed their mark。 Marduk was dragged from the ramp behind the wych。
Kol Badar’s power talons lashed out； grabbing Marduk around the wrist as he fell。 The
Coryphaus leant his shoulder against the closing ramp； and its motors strained against him as he
held it open。
Debilitating energy was coursing through Marduk’s body from the whip lashed around his neck；
but he looked up at Kol Badar with fiery eyes。
“Don’t… let… go；” he hissed。
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Kol Badar stared into the First Acolyte’s eyes； his entire body straining to hold the shuttle’s
ramp open。
Then the Coryphaus’s talons opened； and Marduk fell to the ground below。
“No！” gasped Sabtec as the ramp slammed closed and the shuttle lifted from the ice。 “We must
go back！”
“Be silent；” barked Kol Badar。 “He’s gone。”
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BOOK THREE：
SHE WHO THIRSTS
“And so from decadence； wantonness and depravity a new power was birthed into the darkness。 In
darkness it resides and in darkness it hungers； now and for all time。”
—Ravings of the Shalleigha； Flagellantaie Diabolicus
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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Marduk opened his right eye groggily as he regained consciousness。 His left daemonic eye was
lidless； but he could see nothing with it。 Perhaps it had been ripped from his socket while he was
unconscious； he thought； before he remembered the needle that had been pushed into the eye。 He
tried to move his limbs； but they were held fast； and he gritted his sharpened teeth as pain coursed
through his body。
With the pain； his memories came flooding back to him。 Again； he felt the paralysing length of
the whip wrapped around his neck and the jolt as he hit the ice。 He felt the Coryphaus’s grip on him
slip； and saw again the blue engines of the Idolater as it roared up into the heavens away from him。
Rage had blossomed as he had realised that it was not turning back。
He had been bound with manacles that coursed with energy； sending shooting pain through his
nervous system； and had endured the humiliation of being bundled from the battlefield； hovering a
metre above the ground； held aloft by the vile sorceries of the eldar。 He had been raised to the back
of one of the eldar skiffs； and he saw that other warrior brothers had been captured。 They were
prodded and kicked into low cages beneath the deck of the skiff； while the hateful xenos laughed。
Marduk had stared hatefully at the female wych that had disabled him； her long； fiery hair
flowing down her back。 She sneered at him and slammed the solid cage door closed。
The vehicle had reached incredible speed； and at some point Marduk had felt a subtle change in
the air； as if the skiff had been transported somewhere else entirely； and its speed increased tenfold。
At some point he had passed out； and he had come to again only when the skiff screamed to a
smooth halt。 Once again； the air tasted subtly different； more cloying and close。
Marduk and the other captives had been dragged from the hold beneath the deck of the skiffs；
and had looked around them angrily。 They were inside a cavernous； expansive dome； with bladed
ribs arching up above them； and Marduk saw scores of alien skiffs and jetbikes lined up around its
sides； hovering at rest above the floor； lined up one above another。 Hundreds of eldar soldiers
moved through the lair； and Marduk glowered at them hatefully。
A gateway of crackling darkness hung in mid…air in the centre of the dome； enclosed by elegant
bladed arches。 Even as he watched； Marduk had seen a skiff emerge from the portal； appearing from
the wafer…thin； vertical pool of darkness and gliding effortlessly several metres above the ground；
the warriors upon its decks leaping to the floor。
Then searing pain exploded through Marduk’s body； his every nerve ending on fire as needles
stabbed into his flesh。 He resisted it as long as he was able； and a further set of needles stabbed into
him。 Still； he fought his captors； struggling and roaring his anger。 A third set of needles plunged into
his neck； and at last he was overcome； and everything had gone black。
Glancing down； Marduk saw that his arms and legs were spread…eagled out to either side。 His
blessed armour had been stripped from his upper body； and his pallid skin was puckered with tens of
thousands of tiny pinpricks of dried blood。 His armour had been slowly fusing to his body； and the
inside of their plates were covered with thousands of tiny barbs that were growing into his flesh。
Removing the armour plating was a painful and oddly distressing procedure； for it was as much a
part of him as his limbs； and he had only twice removed his breastplate since the blessed Warmaster
had perished。
That was an age ago； a lifetime in the past。 Once his armour had been granite grey； as had the
armour of all the warriors of the XVII Legion； the colour they had worn since the Legion’s
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inception； but he had long ago stained it the deep red adopted by all of his brethren at Lorgar’s
decree。
Marduk gazed blearily down upon his naked torso for the first time in untold millennia。 It looked
like the body of a stranger。 His pectorals were thick and slablike； and the muscles of his abdomen
rippled as he strained against his restraints。 Dozens of scars marred his perfect form and blue veins
could be seen clearly through his translucent； pale flesh。
Marduk turned his head groggily to the side； looking along the length of his outstretched arms。
His powerful limbs had been stripped of his power armour； exposing passages from the Book of
Lorgar that ran in spirals of tiny script around his forearms； lust looking upon the tiny； archaic script
gave him comfort； even though his eyes still could not focus on the individual words and characters。
Casting his gaze further along his arms； Marduk saw what was constricting his movements。 A
slender； tapering blade had pierced his wrists； passing through his flesh and between his bones；
protruding a metre out the other side。
Marduk pulled against the restraints； trying to slide his limbs off the impaling blades； but jolting
pain accompanied his efforts； making his body shudder and contort in agony。 He could feel the
needles； the long shards of metal that had been inserted between his vertebrae； piercing his central
nervous system。 They ran from the base of his spine to his skull； a slender needle inserted into every
gap between the bones。 Marduk ceased his struggles； and the pain instantly receded。
He was suspended； upright and hanging upon the blades piercing his wrists and lower legs。 The
blades shifted slightly； angling upwards； and Marduk hissed in pain as he slid further back along
their lengths； the spikes grinding against bone。
As his vision cleared； Marduk took in the details of the room。 It was circular in shape； and the
ceiling was low。 It was dim； the only light coming from the featureless floor and low roof； fading in
and out in rhythmic pulses。 There was a single exit from the room； semi…transparent strips of plaslike
material blocking his vision of the room beyond。
Marduk registered the presence of another being in the centre of the room。 He had thought he
was alone； but his vision focused on the back of a tall； unearthly thin individual。 Marduk glared at
the creature hatefully； remembering its touch。
Its emaciated upper body was garbed in a tight…fitting； glossy black bodysuit； and its legs were
concealed beneath an apron of similar material。 The figure was leaning over something； a body
perhaps； and appeared engrossed in its work。 Dozens of blades； hooks and other less easily
recognisable implements hung from its waist； and its hairless head was strangely elongated； its skull
extending back further than was normal。 Dozens of needles and tubes entered the flesh of its skull；
flowing backwards like a mockery of hair。
Hovering above the table on which the death…like eldar worked was an immense spider； a dozen
slim limbs extending from its body。 The long； multi…jointed limbs were akin to the blades that
pierced his own body； their surface black and reflective； and he wondered if it was a similar creature
that held him。 Its legs moved with swift； precise movements； each one easily four metres long and
elongated to sharp points。 Marduk decided that his first impression had been wrong。 This was not a
living creature at all。 It was a machine。
As the machine spider rotated slightly in the air； its long legs moving rapidly and independent of
each other； Marduk saw that his assumption was not quite correct。 The thing was alive； or at least
part of it was。 In the dull light that pulsed from the ceiling and floor； he could see that there was an
eldar figure at the heart of the spider…machine； or at least what must have once been one of the
decadent xenos beings。 Its face was obscured beneath a shiny black； featureless mask； and the
spider…like limbs were attached to its torso； protruding from its spine。 The eldar’s humanoid upper
arms merged into another pair of long spider