Page 30 of Daemon Master

“And I ignored you.” Seymour hefted the chunk of rubble and hurled it at the daemon. His years of watcher training paid off, the stone striking Souleater’s forehead with a solidthunk.

The daemon’s mouth stretched wider than seemed physically possible. Its inhuman wail echoed through the clearing, rattling what few leaves remained on the withered trees. Adrian winced and covered his ears. As the terrible sound faded, Souleater stepped toward Seymour. It opened and closed its mouth, tasting the air.

Adrian took advantage of the distraction to search the surrounding ground. His eyes fell on the stone outcrop where Seymour had hidden. That must’ve been what had caught his foot. He’d been so focused on evading Souleater, he hadn’t realized they’d circled to the clearing’s center.

Apparently deciding Seymour wasn’t worth the effort, Souleater turned back to Adrian. Terror gripped him, and he did the only thing he could think of, scrabbling into the narrow crevice. The monstrous daemon eclipsed the opening as he pressed himself as far back as he could. Souleater’s claw grazed the air in front of him, its arm too large to get a good angle.

Adrian let out a shaky breath. Maybe Seymour would be able to slip away and return once he’d recovered. Yet, at the rate Adrian was losing aether, he doubted he’d survive that long. Picturing the blackened trees, he shuddered at the thought of suffering the same fate.

Heartrender’s soothing presence pulsed within him, and he nodded to himself. She had a point—he didn’t need to solve this problem on his own. He reached out to Trailseeker through their bond and found his other daemon so distant now he could barely sense it. It must have taken Icetusk on a merry chase.

Come back, buddy,he ordered. If Trailseeker led Icetusk here, maybe they could give Souleater something else to feast on. All he had to do was hold out long enough for—

Souleater suddenly withdrew its hand and retreated from the opening. Adrian frowned. Trailseeker and Icetusk were still a ways off. Had it given up on him so easily?

Then, he heard something ricochet off the daemon’s skin, and his stomach sank. “Are youtryingto get yourself killed?” he shouted.

Seymour’s voice echoed from across the clearing. “I willnotlet you outdo me!” Souleater vanished from Adrian’s line of sight. “Though, I wouldn’t say no to a better plan.”

Adrian checked on Trailseeker’s progress. Even sprinting with itsBolster Body, his daemon wouldn’t reach them in time. He closed his eyes and struggled to recall Trailseeker’s aether, but it was too far to initiate a meld. That left only one option to return the daemon swiftly.

I’m so sorry, buddy.

Wincing, he commanded Trailseeker to halt. A moment later, his daemon’s disjointed aether flowed back into him. He bowed his head, trying not to imagine all the gruesome ways Icetusk might have struck the killing blow. No time to dwell on his remorse. Now that he didn’t have an active daemon, he manifested Heartrender by the pit’s opening and scrambled out to join her.

Souleater crouched a dozen paces away, its mouth agape as it sucked at the air. Seymour lay unmoving at its feet. Adrian shouted, trying to get the daemon’s attention, but it didn’t react. He sent a desperate command to Heartrender. A moment later, her aether surged into him until his body churned with a whirlwind of energy. If he hadn’t spent the last couple weeks training to control such power, it might’ve ripped him apart.

Wisps of blue light leaked from his mouth and the cuts on his skin as he dashed forward. “Let him go!”

This time, the monster reacted to his presence, fixing him with its eyeless gaze. Its mouth gulped hungrily at the air as it lunged for him. He danced away from its grasp and spared a glance for Seymour. The watcher’s body lay limp, his eyes closed and lips faintly parted.

Do what you can for him, he sent to Heartrender. Then, he veered to the right and bolted for the ring of dead trees.

He sensed Souleater at his heels, sapping his aether. Maybe he could lose the daemon in the forest and loop back for Seymour. It wasn’t a brilliant plan…but it was all he had.

Heartrender’s borrowed aether drained away, and he stumbled as his muscles flagged. Spirits below, had Souleater already consumed it all? He risked a glance back and found Souleater veering across the clearing toward…

Adrian blinked, then broke out in a wide grin. A copy of him stood on the opposite end of the field. Heartrender must’ve taken back her aether so she could pour it into her technique. The illusion shimmered with an overabundance of raw energy.

For a daemon like Souleater, the bait proved irresistible.

Souleater pounced on theMirror Image, plunging its hands through the illusory doppelganger’s chest. The illusion wavered but didn’t break as the daemon stretched its mouth wide, guzzling aether like water. When the image finally lost its cohesion and shattered, a fresh copy immediately replaced it.

Nice work,Adrian cheered through their bond. Heartrender sent a tired affirmation in response, along with a gentle nudge. Right—she couldn’t keep this up forever.

Indicating he understood, he ran over to kneel beside Seymour’s prone body. The watcher’s pulse was faint but still there. Wrapping his arms around Seymour, Adrian struggled tolift the larger man. After a few strained moments, he groaned and let the watcher drop. It was no use.

He eyed the watcher’s golden armor and swallowed. Seymour wouldkillhim for this when he woke up. Then again, if it meant hewouldwake up, Adrian counted that as a win.

While Heartrender conjured a succession of illusions to satiate Souleater, Adrian unfastened Seymour’s armor piece by piece, discarding them on the ground. Extracted from his gleaming carapace, Seymour’s athletic body appeared surprisingly frail, reminding Adrian of the lanky boy he’d once been.

Adrian tried again to lift the watcher and managed to sling him over his shoulder. He paused to gently pat Heartrender before rising. “You’ve done all you can, girl. We need to go.”

Heartrender trilled, the sound exhausted but laced with determination.

Adrian frowned as he parsed the sensations she sent through their bond. Then, he nodded. “You’re right. We need to keep the daemon occupied long enough for us to escape. And no!” he added, sensing the thought forming in her mind. “Youdon’tcount as acceptable bait.”

He channeled his remaining aether to bolster Heartrender’s technique. With both their wills invested in the effort, Heartrender manifested one lastMirror Image. She didn’t bother shaping this illusion, leaving the formless mass of energy to roil in the clearing’s center. Keening hungrily, Souleater plunged into the aether cloud.