Page 29 of Daemon Master

Spirits below.“Okay. Um… Let’s start by getting you out of there.” He held out a hand so Seymour could snag it. “What happened?”

Seymour hissed in pain, scrabbling feebly at the stone for leverage as Adrian strained to pull him up. In the dim light,he could make out the paleness of the watcher’s face and the battered state of his typically pristine armor. That, more than anything, drove home their dire situation.

“The beast snuck up on me,” the watcher said through gritted teeth. “I was following a hunt that brought me this way and decided to investigate the aetheric disturbance like a spirit-cursed fool. Before I knew it, my reserve was half-drained. I barely reached this outcropping in time.”

Adrian dug his heels into the ground, dragging Seymour another hand’s breadth higher. “You know, youcoulddo more to help me here.”

Seymour glared at him, half-in and half-out of the hole. “My apologies for not assisting enough with your heroic rescue. By now, you’d think I’d be used to your incompetence.”

Flushing, Adrian tugged with every ounce of strength he could muster. “A little gratitude wouldn’t hurt seeing as howI’mthe one currently saving your hide.”

Seymour flopped onto his belly and shimmied the last bit out of the hole. Rolling onto his back, he winced and closed his eyes. “That remains to be seen. What now, oh glorious hero?”

Adrian eyed the bedraggled watcher. With his armor on, Seymour had to weigh easily twice what he did, if not more. No way he’d be able to carry him all the way back to camp. Maybe if he had Trailseeker loop around to help?

“I’m surprised you’re in this bad of shape,” he said as he considered the dilemma. “Icetusk was a nasty piece of work, but its aura seemed comparable to your own.”

Seymour cracked an emerald eye. “Icetusk? You mean that boar you scared off? Itwouldn’thave been an issue if I wasn’t already so drained. It’s the other one that got the drop on me.”

Adrian paused, stomach sinking. “Otherone?”

A rough, crinkling noise echoed from the clearing’s edge. Adrian whirled just in time to see withered branches crumble tothe ground as the trunks that had supported them split apart. Releasing its grip on the desiccated trees, a daemon as tall as two men lumbered into the clearing. Its body was all jutting angles, like triangles haphazardly stacked together, and its angular head bore a toothless maw. Its name sent a shiver down his spine:Souleater.

Perhaps Seymour had been right to hold his applause.Some heroic rescue.

Souleater paused a few steps into the clearing, its azure flesh giving off enough light to illuminate the area. Though it must have shrouded its aether during its approach, it was close enough now for the weight of its aura to press against him. It tipped its pyramid-like head back, its strangely angular body shuddering as it sucked at the air.

Grimacing at the slurping noise, Adrian glanced down at Seymour. “I get the distinct impression this thing feeds on aether. Make sure you’re shrouded.”

The watcher attempted a sneer, though his eyes remained fixed on the lumbering daemon as it took another step toward them. “Don’t lecturemeon proper battlefield etiquette when you’re the one who abandoned your training long before reaching that point.” His sneer morphed into a pained grimace. “Besides, I’ve barely got a drop of aether left to sense.”

Slurp. Slurp.

Adrian could practicallyfeelthe aether draining from his body into Souleater’s open maw. He studied the horrific creature, searching for a weakness they might exploit. “It doesn’t have any eyes. Or ears, for that matter. Maybe it won’t realize we’re here.”

Seymour cocked an eyebrow. “It didn’t have any trouble finding me earlier.”

As if on cue, Souleater stepped toward them. Adrian’s first instinct was to flee, but that might only inspire the daemon to quicken its gait. Besides, he couldn’t abandon Seymour.

He rolled his shoulders. “Get to the trees as fast as you can. Crawl if you have to.”

“What are you doing? Adrian, don’t be anidiot!”

Seymour’s cry followed him as he dashed away from the rocky outcrop, waving his hands in the air. “Hey, over here you ugly brute!”

Souleater paused, drawing in a deep breath.That’s it. See how tasty I am?The daemon remained still a moment longer. Then, it resumed its inexorable march toward the clearing’s center. Adrian’s heart plummeted. If he couldn’t give Seymour time to escape, the watcher didn’t stand a chance.

A thought from Heartrender flared in the back of his mind, and he slapped his forehead. Of course! He’d forgotten the most important part. Bracing himself, he dropped his shroud and unveiled his aura.

Souleater’s head snapped to face him, and it let out a low, high-pitched keen. He barely had time to gulp before the daemon charged. Its bulk shook the earth, dead branches snapping and cracking underfoot.

For such a large creature, Souleater moved with astonishing speed. It took everything Adrian had to stay one step ahead of the daemon’s grasping hands. If it could drain his aether through proximity alone, he didn’t want to learn what it could do with a touch. He couldn’t even spare a glance to see if he’d bought Seymour enough time to escape.

He threw himself to the side, narrowly evading a blow, and his foot caught on something, sending him sprawling to the ground. Souleater loomed over him in a heartbeat. The pull on his aether intensified as the daemon stretched a spindly claw toward him. He crawled back, eyes widening with panic.

Something thumped against Souleater’s back. The daemon jerked its head around before blessedly pulling away. Adrianreleased a shaky breath and peered past the creature’s legs to see Seymour standing there, a broken piece of stone in one hand.

Adrian swore softly to himself. “I thought I told you to run!”