Secret War: Warhammer 40,000 by Ben Agar (reading eggs books TXT) 📖

I reposted and slashed out my sword in a decapitating cut, which she had no way to dodge or parry, but I stopped, less than a hair's breadth from her neck. Just then, recalling the promise, I'd given to Estella.

I wouldn't have killed her out of spite or vengeance, just reflex; I had the seemingly indestructible Glaitis at my mercy. How empowering.

A millisecond later, Glaitis realised this and flinched back, looking at me with wide, surprised eyes. I met her gaze and kept my sword near her neck.

"What the hell are you doing?" She hissed.

My response was a disgusted sneer.

Enough! said a voice in my mind that drummed through my ears so hard it hurt—making me cry out and flinch with everyone else.

+That is enough! We must stop this nonsensical farce now!+

Immediately, I recognised the voice.

"Karmen!" I cried. "It's good to hear from you!"

She laughed. +Likewise, Attelus! Likewise! I am sorry I was not able to help you stop the daemonic incursion.+

I just said nothing and frowned.

"What? What the hell?" stammered Arlathan, who I'd forgotten was still in the room.

+If someone has neglected to inform you, Arlathan, I am a psyker. I was under Taryst's employ.+

"Unsanctioned, I suppose," said Brutis with a grimace.

+No, I was sanctioned when I was discovered seven years ago. I am on your side, Inquisitor. I can control my powers; I have been taught in great detail how.+

Brutis Bones just frowned and folded his arms across his chest.

+I was the one responsible for Attelus Kaltos fast recovery,+ she said. +I used my psychic strength to heal him while he was unconscious. As I am sure you are aware psychic powers can be used to fix as much as they can be used to destroy.+

Brutis glared at me, and I struggled to keep myself neutral; yet again, Karmen was saving my arse.

"It does make sense," Brutis said hesitantly. "Why?"

+I-I care for him,+ she said, which made me smile.

"Do you know about this?" asked Brutis.

I just shook my head, wide-eyed.

Brutis grimaced and sighed through clenched teeth. "Alright, alright, I'll believe you. You, Attelus Kaltos, are extraordinarily lucky, not just that so many seem so happy to put their lives on the line for your pathetic arse but also that I am not more puritan. Many Inquisitors would have you executed just for being so close to a daemonic artefact. Hell, many would've ordered Exterminatus on this world, seeing it already irreversibly tainted, which it may well be."

+Also, another thing,+ said, Karmen. +I have located Inquisitor Edracian's location.+

 

 

Chapter 19

 "What? Really?" said Arlathan as he looked at me, his brow furrowed in disbelief.

I met his look, pursed my lips and shrugged; why was he looking at me?

+Yes, really,+ said Karmen. +I encountered another psyker in out of body form near to where the conduit was. We fought all over the hive, but I managed to get the upper hand and make the other psyker retreat. I was able to track it back to its source.+

"Did you get an identification of the psyker?" asked Brutis.

+No, but it was exceptionally powerful. One of the most powerful human psykers I've ever encountered.+

"Where was the source?" asked Wesley.

+I was able to find a location; he has set up shop in a large abandoned mansion complex, on the upper hive forty-five kilometres north-east of here. It is well but subtly fortified and crawling with mercenaries.+

Wesley sighed and facepalmed. "If we weren't so busy with our own war, we would've been able to stop him earlier."

"That I think he was counting on," said Brutis. "Now, let's just hang on a second here, Karmen. How can we trust you? How do we know that you're not just leading us into another trap? Like the one we just went through?"

I folded my arms over my chest and frowned, finding I couldn't help but agree.

+You, do not,+ said Karmen. +But I swear to you I am not lying, but as of now, there is nothing else you can follow. So you have very little choice in the matter. We need to take this risk if we are ever to stop Edracian.+

"This time, we will be ready," said Castella.

I looked to Glaitis; she was now visibly brooding and glaring around the room at no one in particular.

A cold shiver crawled up my spine. I knew that expression; it reminded me disturbingly of my mother when she was having...problems. Had Glaitis finally snapped? She did just try to stab her longest-serving employee in the back, so perhaps so.

I decided to keep an eye on her; who knows what the hell she would do.

Suddenly her attention snapped to me, and I barely fought the urge to flinch away. Her cold blue eyes met mine; then again, she was back glancing around the room.

I shuddered out a sigh, realising then how utterly terrified I'd been.

+Indeed,+ said Karmen. +Now we know of Inquisitor Edracian's capabilities; we should be.+

I don't know about that, I thought.

Brutis and Wesley shared a look.

"Hmm," growled Wesley, stroking his chin. "I will concede your point. I do feel we have very little choice in the matter."

"Still smells like a fething trap to me," said Brutis.

Wesley nodded. "I think at times a trap needs to be sprung to find anything. Look at what happened in the Underhive? Also, I have something else I should tell you. I sent out another communique. To another friend of mine, another Inquisitor, one who was also an Interrogator under Edracian. A woman named Jelcine Enandra of the Ordo Hereticus, I told her almost everything."

"You sound most upset about that," said Castella.

Wesley sighed and scratched his head. "A few years ago, we had a falling out with her, and that is one of the reasons, I think, why my master has lost his sanity. We found out she was a radical, one of the Seculos Attendous philosophy."

I raised an eyebrow that sounded a bit like my name. I also had no bloody idea what it meant.

Wesley saw me and shook his head. "Seculos Attendous is a new and upcoming ideal within the Inquisition of the Calixis conclave. They believe that the holy Ecclesiarchy is a blight upon humanity and the Imperium. Believe we need to get rid of it entirely. She and my master almost came to blows over this, and we haven't been in contact with her since. He is a very religious man and despite being in the Ordo Malleus has deep ties within the Ecclesiarchy."

I hid a smile; I liked the sound of this Seculos Attendous philosophy.

"Until now," said Arlathan.

"Indeed," said Wesley. "I am that desperate, I hope; I pray she will be able to get her to help in time. Even if she's still alive."

Castella nodded. "I understand, but at least now we know we've got someone, somewhere willing to help."

Wesley nodded as well but still looked unconvinced.

"So, what now?" I asked.

"I'd say it's obvious," said Brutis. "We attack Edracian's base as soon as we can."

He looked over at the Mimic as It was only just now climbing to its feet, trying to shake away its dazed state.

"Finally, you're up," said Brutis. "We need to get moving; we'll need your mercenaries."

"Yeah, I heard," It growled, giving me fixing me with enraged eyes.

I just smiled back.

"Good!" Growled Brutis. "Hurry it up and get them organised then."

With a sigh, the Olinthre-thing deactivated the shield, activated his comm-link and began barking orders.

"So this is it," I said. "This could finally be the end to this farce."

Wesley looked at me wearily and said, "I think you were right before. This isn't the end, kid; we're far from that. Edracian, I doubt, has done this alone. I think this is just the beginning."

Wesley, Arlathan and The Mimic were the first to emerge from the curtains, all three yelling orders at their respective underlings. The rest of us followed them in silence; I was smoking one of my last Lhos as I'd donated many of them to Castella, Hayden, Arlathan and even Darrance. We were all a bit spooked and needed something to help our nerves.

Glaitis had glared at me balefully as I'd given them out by the Emperor; I wished she'd go back to her old self.

Glaitis, Castella, Hayden, Darrance and I were the first in the elevator, and we began our descent toward the bottom floor.

"Mamzel Glaitis?" said Darrance uncertainly. "What are we to do?"

Glaitis didn't answer, she clenched her jaw and balled her hands into fists, and I instinctively reached for my sword.

"Mamzel?"

"I heard you, Darrance!" she snapped suddenly. "Damn it; I am not deaf!"

"My apologies, mamzel," said Darrance.

"Your apology means nothing!" she snarled. "You disobeyed my direct order! I told you to stand down!"

"And we did," stated Hayden calmly. "Once the situation was defused. We couldn't stand idly by while one of us was being threatened."

Glaitis turned her attention to me, her eyes wide with anger.

"One of us? One of us? Because of this foolish boy's decisions, this world may end! He is a fool and a coward who deserves to be threatened!"

My attention fell to the floor, unable to disagree with her on that.

"Yes," agreed Castella, which hurt me more than It should've. "Yes, he was, and yes, he did, but I think after what he just did, he hasn't earned our forgiveness. He has earned our respect. He deserved to be stood up for, and I'd do it again without any hesitation. Despite all the foolish mistakes he's made."

Glaitis showed her teeth and shook her head. "I will have you punished for such insolence; how dare you! I am your-!"

"You know you cannot do that," said Hayden. "Do not threaten when you have nothing to back it up with."

Glaitis growled in rage and reached for her sword but found all three of them already had her covered with their own. Hayden using his autopistol sidearm and Castella her sword.

"See what I mean," said Hayden. "And you tried to stab me in the back if it wasn't for Attelus. You would've killed me. Thank you, by the way, Attelus."

All I could manage was a wide-eyed nod.

"We disobeyed your order, sure," said Hayden, then his expression darkened. "But I am not sure that your orders deserve to be followed anymore."

She glared at him witheringly.

"This is just conjecture, but I know you, Glaitis," he said. "And I bet you knew exactly what we were going into."

"I did not," she said, now icily calm. "That, I swear."

Hayden smiled and shook his head. "I doubt that you have made plans that are impeccable; you seem to know things before they happen. You've guided us with this foreknowledge. How do we know that this was any different? How can we tell you're telling the truth?"

"I didn't," she said, sounding more urgent now. "I didn't know."

"I have worked for you for decades, Glaitis," said Hayden. "Never had I had such loyalty to a superior before, but over that time, my loyalty has been stretched thin. We just went through the last straw; how do we know you will perform another stunt like this, huh? Before you almost stabbed me in the back? Literally!"

"You disobeyed me!" she snarled; she then looked to Darrance with wide eyes.

"Saderth!" she said, and it took me a second to realise that must've been Darrance's first name; never had I heard it before. "Saderth, help