The leader did not。 He stepped forward。 I could suddenly smell a cold； metallic scent； one that was not new to me。
A warning that came too late。
The leader slowly drew back his cowl。 His angular； cruel head was hairless and a cold blue light shone out through his skin。
Sharpened； steel…tipped horns sprouted from his brow。 His eyes were white slits。
A daemonhost！
'Cherubael？' I said； foolishly； stupidly。
'Your witless ally is not here； Eisenhorn；' said the being； baring his teeth and gleaming with light。
'My name is Prophaniti。'
FIFTEEN
ROSE THORN。
WHAT CADIANS ARE BORN FOR。
THE LAST THING I EXPECTED。
THERE WERE TWO ways for this to go。 The first was for me to continue talking； and still be talking when the daemonhost killed me and
tossed my smoking corpse on the piled bodies of my comrades。 The second was for me to say ''Rose thorn'' and place my trust in the
mettle of my supporters and the ever…vigilant gaze of the holy God…Emperor。
I said； 'Rose thorn。'
The thing； Prophaniti； was stepping towards me。 I shot at it with my storm…gun； watching in horrid fascination as it caught the white
hot bolt rounds out of the air in its outstretched hands； like a man idly catching slow…tossed racquet balls。
The bolts dulled to an ember…red in its palms； and it tossed them aside。
But its entire attention was on me。
Its mistake。
Husmaan's first hot…shot round cracked into the side of its head； and snapped its skull around。 As it was reeling； its robes were ripped
across by double laspistol fire from Inshabel。 Then Fischig's riot…gun roared and knocked it down in the brittle bracken。 Fischig liked
to spend his free time hand…moulding the shot for his riot…gun's cartridges。 Every pellet was silver； and stamped with a sacred sigil of
warding that I had taught him long ago。
Prophaniti writhed in agony； the blessed buck…shot burning into its flesh。 It started to rise； wrathful and frenzied； but a grinding whir
rose from my left； a sound like a circular saw running up to speed。
Nayl's cycling drum…cannon raked the daemonhost and the earth around it； doing hideous damage。 The blizzard of shots twisted it；
ripping off one of its legs at the knee and the fingers off its left hand。
Eldritch power； white…cold like frost； spurted from its wounds like lava； and burned the soil。
The other cultists were moving now； pulling weapons and firing wildly into the night。 The place lit up with shooting。
Las…fire came from behind us； startlingly close； whipping past our elbows and shoulders。 Two of the cultists crumpled； one of them
smashing over some of the erected floodlights。
Echbar and his Kasrkin charged in past us to engage。
In truth； I may say now that they were somehow more terrifying than the daemonhost。 For Prophaniti was a supernatural thing； and
one expected it to be horrifying。
The Kasrkin were just men。 It made their actions all the more astonishing。 Six white blurs； they fell upon the cultists； lasguns barking
at close range。 They wasted no shots。 One shot； one kill。 A cultist fled past me； and a Kasrkin swung to bring him down。 His weapon
refused to fire as its sight…auspex detected my bio…spoor in the range…field。 A second later； I was no longer blocking the shot and the
weapon spat。
The fleeing cultist tumbled over headlong in the brush。
More cultists had emerged from the other side of the pylon； and I could hear rapid exchanges of gunfire in that direction。 Nayl's
combat…cannon was making its distinctive metallic whir between bursts of fire。 Inshabel's las…cracks overlapped themselves。
'Fischig！' I yelled。 'Lead off round the back of the pylon。 See what you can find。 Maybe take a damn prisoner before the Kasrkin slay
them all！'
I turned back to deal with the ruined daemonhost。 We had punished it badly； but I had no illusions as to its resilience。
Or rather… I had thought I hadn't。
Prophaniti was already gone； the ground still smoking and congealing where it had lain。
'Damn！ Damn！'
Neve limped down the slope to me。 'Eisenhorn？'
'The daemonhost！ Did you see it？'
She shook her head。 A loud explosion rolled from the far side of the pylon。
'You killed it； didn't you？'
'Not even slightly；' I replied。
'Gregor！' Bequin shrieked。
Prophaniti was behind me； hanging in the air； incandescent with power。 It was naked； and wore the terrible wounds we had inflicted
like medals。 The right leg； frayed at the knee； dribbled glowing white ichor。 Entry wounds and burns bubbled and smoked across its
chest。 Its head hung slack on a neck broken by Husmaan's hot…shot。 It spread its arms and a hand that was just a thumb and a mangled
palm sprayed lightning into the midnight grass。
'Nice… try…' the slack head gurgled。
With its robe gone； I could see its body was strung with chains； padlocks and bindings。 Stitching needles and other iron awls were
pierced into its luminous flesh。 Various amulets hung from the chains； or from the barbed wire looped around its neck。
'Run；' I said to Neve and Bequin。 'Run！'
Neve raised her silver cane and triggered the launcher。
The grenade hit Prophaniti in the lower torso and blew it back a few metres with a flash of fyceline。
It rushed back towards us； moaning and chattering in a warp…cursed language。
Bequin grabbed both me and Neve。 Her untouchable quality was our only defence now； and she knew it。
Prophaniti stopped short of us； just a metre or so away； hovering in the air and shining like a star。 I could smell the rank stench of
eternal murder about it。
Its broken neck made a sound like snapping twigs as it slowly turned its lolling head to look at us。 The light of dead suns billowed
from its eyes and mouth。
Bequin's fingers bit into my arm。 The three of us looked up at it； hair ruffled by the warp…winds it generated。
'Tenacious；' it said。 'No wonder Cherubael likes you。 He said you employed untouchables。 A wise move。 You can't hurt me with your
guns； but with her around； I can't touch you with my mind。'
'Fortunately； I don't have to；' it added。
It lashed out suddenly with its maimed hand。 Neve shrieked as she was hurled aside。 There was blood on Prophaniti's thumb talon。
Alizebeth's psychic deadness blocked its psychic rage。 But not its physical assault。
It lashed out again； and I leapt back； dragging Bequin。
Prophaniti cackled。
'Alizebeth！' I yelled； and grabbed her by the hand。 'Stay with me！'
I drew my hanger。 The short curved blade shone in Prophaniti's glare。 The runes inscribed on the blade by the Ministorum glittered。
I swung hard； skillessly and frantic； the blade of the hunting sword biting into its rib…meat。 It howled and flew back； smoke issuing
from the gash。
I circled； hanger in my right hand； Bequin clinging to my left。
'You've done your homework。 Pentagrammatic runes on your blade。 A nice touch。 They hurt！'
It lunged at me。
'But nothing like the hurt you will feel！'
Alizebeth screamed。 She fell； and I struggled to hold on to her hand。 If our contact broke； I would feel the full force of the
daemonhost's power。
I blocked with my falcate blade； shredding the flesh off the left part of its chest； exposing the ribs。
Its talons ripped into my left shoulder and down my flank； ripping my body…armour into tatters。
Blood cascaded down inside my clothes。
I swung again； trying for an uin ulsar。 It gripped my blade fast； in its one good hand。 Smoke rose from the clamping fist around the
blade。
It clenched its teeth in pain。 'The wards… hurt… but they are no… stronger… than the weapon… you should learn to… make your
weapons sounder… next time…'
'Not that there will be… a next time…。' it added。 The hanger had become so hot； I let it go with a howl。 Prophaniti tossed the buckled；
molten steel aside。 It had burned its hand terribly； but it didn't seem to notice。
'Now comes death；' it said； reaching for me。
THE NEXT FEW seconds are burned in my memory。 I will never see such heroism again； I am sure。 Captain Echbar and two of his
Kasrkin troopers assaulted Prophaniti from the rear。 Their lasguns wouldn't fire because Bequin and I were in their range…field。
Echbar body…tackled the daemonhost； smashing it away from us。 Prophaniti hurled him aside； and then incinerated the second Kasrkin
mid…leap with its eyes。 The third jammed his Cadian bayonet up to the hilt in Prophaniti's breastbone。 Fire exploded back from the
wound； down the trooper's arm and engulfed him。
He fell back screaming as Echbar came in again； a ragged hole in his cheek and throat。 His knife； clenched double…handed； split
Prophaniti open down the back bone。 The warp…energies that boiled out blew Echbar apart。
Screaming； Prophaniti writhed away through the air。
I knew it wasn't dead。 I knew it couldn't really die。
But the Cadian elite had given me an opening by sacrificing their lives。 They had fallen in the service of the God…Emperor； which is
what every Cadian is born to do。
'Aegis！ By scarlet inferno！ Thorn redux！'
I screamed the words into my vox； clinging on to Bequin's hand。
Prophaniti came hurtling towards us。
Lights blazing； the gun…cutter surged in overhead in a killing run。 The downdraft blasted the icy bracken flat and threw us over。 Medea
was low； so low…
The gun…servitors trained wing and chin turrets on the charging daemonhost。
When they opened up； their firepower was so monumental； they vapourised it。
The light went out。
I pulled Bequin to me as the drizzle of liquidised host…form rained on us out of the cold night。
I could hear Fischig calling my name。
'Help her；' I said to Fischig as I rose； and he scooped Bequin up。
I looked around。 The place was littered with dead； most of them cultists。 Inshabel had found Neve； lacerated but alive； twenty metres
up the slope； and was calling for a medic。
The aft thrusters of the gun…cutter winked hot…white in the night sky as Medea banked around out of her ran to come down again。
Nayl； who had taken a flesh wound to the arm； leaned against the pylon and shut off his whirring cannon…drum。
'We… we need to regroup；' I said。
'Agreed；' said Fischig。
'You have no idea what you're up against； do you？' asked Husmaan。
We all turned。 The old skin…hunter from Windhover was stalking down the moor slope towards us； his long…las slung over one crooked
arm。 Fierce graupel had begun to fleck down from the clouding sky。
'Do you？' he hissed again。 I felt Bequin tense。
It wasn't Husmaan。
Husmaan looked at me。 White light shone from his eyes。 His voice was Prophaniti's。
'Not the slightest clue；' he said。 'You can destroy my physical host； but you cannot break the links to the master。'
'Husmaan！' Inshabel cried。
'Not here any more。 He was the most open mind； so I took him。 He will serve for a while。'
I took a step forward。 Husmaan raised a hand。 'Don't bother； Eisenhorn；' said Prophaniti。 'I could kill you all here； now… but what's
about to happen is far more interesting。'
Husmaan； his arms held out from his body and his head back； suddenly rose into the air； dropping his prized long…las。 Steadily； he
floated away into the sky until he had vanished over the moors into the dawn's counter glow。
'What did he mean？' asked Bequin。
'I don't—'
Floodlights mobbed over the rise and we suddenly heard the clank of armoured tracks。
Twenty Cadian APCs crested the brow； their floods beaming down at us。 Cadian shock