Page 109 of Daemon Master

Perhaps Ghosttear recognized Adrian’s intentions, or maybe he reacted instinctively to Adrian’s soothing touch. Either way, the daemon’s roiling aether gradually began to still. Adrianreleased a pent-up breath as the eruptions of power rocking the room followed suit. The whirling maelstrom slowly dissipated until all that remained was a faint haze of aether imprinted upon the air. After so much chaotic activity, the sudden peace was unnerving.

Ghosttear settled back onto the floor of his cage. With one last look at Adrian that was almost friendly, he closed his eyes to rest.

Jasper lay on the ground nearby, unmoving.

His heart pounding, Adrian cautiously approached the seeker. Smoke rose from his flesh in thin trails. A quick check revealed him to be alive but unconscious. Where before his tattoos had glowed, now they appeared faded, barely visible without the bright blue light that had previously suffused them. Ghosttear had drained the daemoforgings dry.

A weary relief spread through Adrian, lighting him up from head to toe. “So much for your methods,” he said softly, staring down at his defeated foe. “I guess the true bond wins after all.”

Epilogue

Adrian stood on theopen deck of the airship as it soared through the heavens. A cold wind ruffled his hair, and a clean, crisp scent filled his nose. Though he couldn’t see it beneath the gentle banks of clouds, he knew that, somewhere far below, lay Overlin Forest.

Thinking of everything that had happened there conjured a confusing mix of emotions. He’d broken past his aetheric blockage within those woods. Unlocked the secrets of daemon mastery and aetherforging. Made his first genuine friends since his parents died.

Yet the ancient trees had also witnessed some of the darkest times in his life. He’d faced bitter defeat. Failed to protect those he cared about. Been forced to fight again and again for a future he didn’t know if he had the strength or courage to seize.

He tightened his grip on the balustrade. “Hard to believe we made it out in one piece.”

Leaning against the wooden railing beside him, Seymour grunted. “Who’d have thought a scrawny whelp like you had what it took to best not one buttwoSerenity Corp operatives? Our little Adrian is all grown up.”

A flush reddened his cheeks. “No need to be patronizing about it.”

“I wasn’t.” Adrian gave him a look, and Seymour chuckled, nudging his shoulder. “All right, maybe a little. But seriously, Adrian—it’s astonishing what you’ve accomplished. I know I haven’t always been the most supportive, nor the most optimistic of our chances to confront Serenity Corp. But after everything that’s happened…well, you’ve given me hope.”

Adrian blinked back the sudden moisture in his eyes, squinting out at the vast open sky. His next words came out shaky. “You said before that you thought my parents would be proud of me. Did…did you…”

The watcher rested his hand on Adrian’s where it clutched the railing. Adrian glanced over to find Seymour’s emerald eyes intent on him, their buried flecks of gold scintillating in the sun.

“I meant every word of it. I only wish they were here to tell you themselves.”

Adrian held the watcher’s gaze for a long, fraught moment before finally looking away. He cleared his throat, grateful for Seymour’s touch without allowing himself to dwell too hard on what it might mean. On what hewantedit to mean.

“Me too.”

Like so many others, his parents had been casualties of the ceaseless conflict between humans and daemons. No matter what Jasper claimed about the circumstances surrounding their deaths, they’d died fighting for what they believed in. Was Adrian prepared to do the same?

A light brush upon his cheek jerked Adrian from his thoughts, and his heartbeat quickened when he realized Seymour hadshifted closer. Seymour’s hand, still resting atop his on the railing, squeezed gently, their fingers intertwining. His other hand reached up to cradle the side of Adrian’s face. Although Seymour’s palm was coarse with callouses, Adrian barely noticed, so captivated was he by Seymour’s vivid green eyes.

“What—” Adrian had time to murmur before Seymour closed the remaining distance between them and pressed their lips together.

Adrian would’ve expected the watcher to approach kissing as aggressively as he did everything else, but the kiss was surprisingly gentle. Seymour’s lips felt as soft as the faintest caress of aether and left just as much tingling in their wake as they mapped the contours of Adrian’s mouth. Adrian’s eyes drifted shut on a quiet moan, his own free hand reaching up to trace the muscled lines of Seymour’s side through his tunic.

They parted on a delicate exhalation. Seymour maintained his grip on Adrian’s hand atop the rail, his expression uncharacteristically vulnerable as he licked his reddened lips.

“I’ve wanted to do that since we were kids,” he admitted, his voice as rough as his battle-worn hands. A slight flush colored his angular cheeks.

Before Adrian could muster a response, footsteps echoed on the deck. Seymour quickly withdrew his hand and subtly moved away, creating some distance between them. Turning his head, Adrian saw Freya emerging from the staircase leading below.

“He’s awake,” she said, her voice tight. “The daemonsbane seems to be doing its job for now, but I left Metamire guarding him just in case.”

Adrian wanted to ask how she was doing, but he thought he knew the answer. Her losses remained too fresh, too vivid, for her to be okay. It took time for wounds like hers to mend.

Seymour glanced at Adrian, his previous vulnerability buried once more. “It’s time.”

Swallowing, Adrian nodded. He struggled to prepare himself for what was about to happen as they followed Freya belowdecks, grim determination replacing the pleasant heat of Seymour’s lips from just a few moments earlier. He might not be able to undo the tragedy Jasper had wrought, but he could at least make sure he was there for Freya when she needed it…and do his part to ensure no more innocents suffered in the seeker’s name.

Jasper looked up at them when they reached the empty room where they’d stashed their prisoner. His bespectacled eyes were as keen as ever despite the daemonsbane dulling what little aether he had left after Ghosttear’s stunt. Just to be certain, Adrian checked with his aethersense and verified that the seeker’s tattoos remained inert. Without the sacrifice of fresh daemons to recharge them, they should be next to useless, and the daemonsbane ensured Jasper couldn’t utilize his own reserve for any last tricks he might have up his sleeve. Even still, Adrian and the others halted beside Metamire in the room’s entrance, keeping their distance from where they’d tied Jasper’s hands and chained him to a pipe running along the room’s far wall.