Page 35 of Daemon Master

Tremorfist eyed him as he approached, but to his relief, made no move to attack. Heartrender yipped encouragingly from beside him. Tremorfist growled in response.

Can they understand one another?

Shoving the errant thought aside, he showed Seymour how to properly sculpt his aether. Soon enough, the watcher held out his hand, a runic circle cupped in his palm. As Heartrender’s had for Adrian, Tremorfist’s aether resonated in sync with Seymour’s. The accepted bond sank into its azure flesh, and the daemon shuddered, aether cascading wildly around it.

Seymour made as if to step forward, but Adrian motioned him back. “Don’t worry, this is normal. I think.”

“Not comforting,” Seymour muttered.

A moment later, the storm around Tremorfist calmed. Seymour let out an astonished breath. “I can sense his thoughts! You’ve talked before about how different the true bond feels, but I never expected…” The watcher trailed off, his eyes widening. Then, he chuckled and shook his head. “Spirits above, this is going to take some getting used to. I think Tremorfist just chided me on my rusty battle stances.”

Adrian mustered a faint smile as he tried to tamp down his own disappointment. “Yeah, it’s weird at first having another voice in your head. I can only imagine how it would feel having two true-bonded daemons both jockeying for attention.”

Heartrender sent a pulse of disapproval, and he reached down to rub behind her ears. “Worth it, though,” he added hastily. “Iwouldn’t trade our companionship for anything.” His thoughts returned to Trailseeker, and he suppressed a sigh.

“Adrian,” Seymour said.

Catching the tension in the watcher’s voice, Adrian turned to see a rustling patch of nearby brush. An instant later, a sleek shape padded into the clearing. “Trailseeker?” he gasped.

As if conjured from his memories, his former daemon crept forward. Ignoring Seymour and Tremorfist, it focused all its attention on Adrian. For the first time, he saw keen intelligence reflected in its cerulean eyes rather than a blank stare.

Trailseeker paused a dozen paces away. Adrian stretched out a hand. “It’s okay, buddy. It’s me. You don’t have to be afraid.”

Trailseeker examined him for a long moment. Then, it bared its fangs in a low growl. Aether flared around its legs as it lunged forward. Adrian stared at Trailseeker’s charging form, struggling to process the sight. The daemon had been his stalwart companion for years. It couldn’t actually mean to hurt him…could it?

“Adrian!”

Seymour’s warning pierced his haze of confusion, and he braced himself as Trailseeker crashed into him, its weight driving him to the dirt. Dried leaves crackled beneath him as he tried in vain to buck the creature off. Trailseeker’s eyes blazed, more alive than he’d ever seen them.

With a quick snap of its neck, the daemon clamped its jaws around his right forearm. Adrian flashed back to Trailseeker rescuing him from that rickety bridge near Crastley’s cabin. This time, the daemon was far less gentle. Its fangs tore into his flesh, and he howled in pain.

“Please,” he whimpered, staring up at Trailseeker. “Don’t do this.”

The daemon gave him a disdainful look, aether igniting around its jaws. Panic squeezed Adrian’s chest. Enhanced by itsBolster Body, Trailseeker could rip his arm clean off.

A small blue blur suddenly launched itself onto Trailseeker’s back, accompanied by a surge of resolve in the back of his mind.Heartrender. Though she was less than half Trailseeker’s size, that didn’t stop her from burying her own fangs into the larger daemon’s neck.

Trailseeker released his arm to snap at Heartrender. Adrian took advantage of the distraction to shove at the daemon’s legs while bucking to the side. A few months ago, he probably would’ve lacked the required strength. As it was, his honed muscles and enhanced aether proved just enough to twist himself free. Trailseeker’s paws thumped to the ground.

Still prone, Adrian tried to scramble to his feet, only for Trailseeker to slam into his legs and topple him back over. In the same motion, the daemon shook its body from side to side and sent Heartrender flying.

“I’m sorry!” Adrian cried as his former daemon loomed over him. He raised his arms to shield his neck and face, cringing in anticipation of a killing strike.

Trailseeker hesitated, fixing him with an unreadable stare. Hope stirred in his chest. Perhaps he could still salvage this disaster after all.

Then, Tremorfist crashed into Trailseeker, tossing the daemon aside. Trailseeker hit the ground hard, rolling and springing spryly to its feet. Falling into a crouch, its eyes flicked between Heartrender, Adrian, and Tremorfist as it let out a low growl.

Adrian stretched an imploring hand toward Seymour. “Don’t hurt it!”

The watcher’s brows rose. “You must be joking. That beast wouldn’t hesitate to hurtyou!”

“It’s not Trailseeker’s fault! It doesn’t know what it—”

He cut off as Trailseeker sprang forward, weaving between the other two daemons directly toward him. His breath caught. Did his former ally despise himthatmuch?

Before Trailseeker could reach him, Tremorfist released aStunning Howl. Adrian winced and covered his ears, but the technique hadn’t been directed against him. Trailseeker’s muscles seized, halting its charge a few paces ahead.

Seymour jogged to Adrian’s side, eying Trailseeker as the paralyzed daemon struggled to regain control of its body. “You know what must be done.”