Wintercraft: Blackwatch by Jenna Burtenshaw Page A

ants. They will put up no significant resistance. I want to know the moment we have those gathering points.’
     
    ‘Yes, sir. There are birds in flight as we speak. We are expecting fresh reports very soon.’
     
    ‘Good work,’ said Bandermain. ‘Keep me informed.’
     
    The situation was worse than Silas had realised. The Blackwatch were not just interested in acquiring Kate. Her capture was simply the first stage of a much larger plan. An invasion. He had to act. If he could do nothing else, he could at least try to slow them down.
     
    ‘You. Outside,’ he said loudly.
     
    The cellar door opened and two Blackwatch officers who had been standing guard came in.
     
    ‘Bring Bandermain in here,’ he said. ‘Tell him I am ready to talk.’
     
    Bandermain took his time answering the summons and when he finally returned he came alone. ‘I am here,’ he said. ‘So talk.’
     
    ‘How does it feel?’ asked Silas. ‘To be the one who captured me? Think of the glory that will be yours when you present me to your leaders.’
     
    A flicker of pride crossed Bandermain’s face. There it was, thought Silas. There was the adversary he knew so well.
     
    ‘You and I both know that our leaders are more concerned with outdoing one another than with bringing an end to this war,’ said Bandermain. ‘I have no interest in earning the praise of fools any longer. There are greater battles to fight, and you are far more valuable to me than you could ever be to them. They would parade you through our towns in an iron cage and invite children to spit at you through the bars. You would be the freak of Albion, captured and weak. I have more respect for you than that.’
     
    ‘I can see that,’ said Silas. ‘Not many people have enough respect to crush me with a bridge. Perhaps I will return that “respect” to you one day.’
     
    Bandermain smiled. ‘In normal circumstances, I doubt even a bridge would have been enough to stop you,’ he said. ‘I have learned that you are unusually weakened here. The veil does not favour my country as powerfully as it does your own. While you are here, you are disconnected from it, and whatever abilities you have acquired clearly rely upon the veil for their strength. You have left your home at a dangerous time, Silas. Albion’s connection to the veil is not what it once was. The veil is falling. The link your country has enjoyed for so long is decaying as we speak. You may not be able to hear your little spirit voices here, on my land, but imagine what will happen when the whole of Albion is plunged into the half-life. Your people will no longer be able to tell the difference between the living and the dead. Spirits will walk the land for every living soul to see. There will be chaos. Your people will fall into madness and turn upon each other. Albion will die, and the Blackwatch will be there watching while your country’s arrogance brings about its destruction.’
     
    ‘You know nothing about the half-life,’ said Silas.
     
    ‘You would be surprised,’ said Bandermain. ‘It is interesting what you learn when you have the right friends. If you have knowledge that can be of use to me, I suggest you share it with me now, while my patience lasts.’
     
    Silas considered his options. Bandermain had always been sceptical of the veil. He had called those who believed in it ‘fools’ and ‘witches’, but now he was talking about the veil’s falling as some kind of inevitable event rather than an irrational fear or a fantasy. He had to know more. He had to earn Bandermain’s trust, and to do that he had to give him what he wanted. He had to make a sacrifice. ‘I know where Kate Winters is,’ he said.
     
    ‘Where?’
     
    ‘Somewhere your men will never find her. At least not on their own. If you want her, you will tell me exactly what is going on here. No lies.’ Silas sat back in his chair, sending a stab of pain needling along his spine. ‘Now, are we going to