Page 52 of Daemon Master

Lockrod let out an agonized shriek. Adrian scuttled back, worried that the pain-frenzied daemon might attack. Thankfully, retribution seemed the last thing on its mind. Aether already pooling around its wound, Lockrod cast one last, wide-eyed glance at him and scampered off.

Heartrender radiated satisfaction through their bond.

“Yeah, yeah. Nice work,” Adrian said. “Now, let’s get out of here.”

Over the next couple days, Adrian kept catching glimpses of movement in the nearby underbrush. Lockrod was following them. He considered sending Heartrender to confront the daemon but decided to leave it be. So far, it had given him no reason to consider it a threat. If it wanted to approach him, it would do so when it was ready.

As he settled down to rest beside a small campfire one night, he spied Lockrod watching from a bush. Their eyes met, and though the daemon tensed, it didn’t immediately flee. Adrian allowed some of his aether to pool in his palm and held it out.

“Here you go, buddy. A gift for you.”

Daemons didn’t need to eat beyond absorbing ambient aether from their environment, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t appreciate a snack. Minutes passed, the two of them at a standstill. Just when Adrian was about to give up and lower his hand, Lockrod edged forward. Heartrender perked up in his lap, watching the daemon approach.

Adrian did his best not to move as Lockrod drew near. “That’s it. I won’t hurt you.”

Stretching out a tentative hand, Lockrod reached for the offered aether, ready to bolt at the first sign of danger. When it realized Adrian had no intention of stopping it, its confidence grew. Soon, it had lapped up the entire offering.

“See?” Adrian said encouragingly. “You’re safe here.”

Heartrender yipped her agreement.

Lockrod remained a moment longer, glancing between them before retreating to the safety of its bush. It stayed there the rest of the night until Adrian had doused the fire and settled into his sleeping roll. When he awoke the next morning, Lockrod had vanished. He thought that would be the last they saw of the daemon. To his surprise, however, it returned later that day, accepting another treat of aether more readily than the first.

Several days passed in like manner, Lockrod seeming to warm to their company. Heartrender took a liking to the little daemon as well, and Adrian couldn’t help but grin watching them play. It was almost enough to make him forget his current plight.

That night, with Heartrender and Lockrod curled up together nearby, he let his thoughts wander. Everyone in the League seemed to believe conflict with daemons inevitable. Yet, more and more, his skepticism grew. Were daemons truly the feral monsters Serenity Corp claimed…or had the mass enslavement of their brethren driven them to hatred and rage?

Perhaps it would have been better for someone else, someone stronger, to find Crastley’s journal. But there was no turning back the clock now. This washisburden to bear.

Watching the two resting daemons, a sort of calm stole over him for the first time since Blazewing’s attack. Did he really intend to spend the rest of his life running? Didn’t he owe it to everyone, humans and daemons alike, to at leasttryto right Serenity Corp’s wrongs?

He had no idea what the future held, but one thing was crystal clear—Kali wouldneverstop hunting them. Defeating her wouldn’t magically fix all his problems. He’d still be a fugitive from the League, bereft of allies and in way over his head. But it would be a start.

With Lockrod as silent witness, he established a rudimentary camp the next day and resumed practicing his aetheric control, honing the strategies Heartrender and he had used to win their third match against Seymour. Though they couldn’t easily anchor aMirror Imagedirectly to Kali or her daemons, some of their other tricks might still work. As he’d proved outside Hillvale, they only needed to catch her off-guard once in order to triumph.

To that end, he spent his evenings scouring Crastley’s journal for any potential edge. While he uncovered nothing new, his mind kept returning to the reverse Surge. The meld took on an almost talismanic quality—if he could master it, he’d be ready to face Kali.

Despite a week of attempts, however, he failed to complete a reverse Surge even once. Heartrender thought he lacked the required focus, though his head throbbed from the strain of concentrating. Whatever he was missing, his continued setbacks frustrated him. Nevertheless, he did his best to set aside his disappointment in favor of other, more promising preparations.

Lockrod became a permanent fixture around camp. The monkey-like daemon sipped on Adrian’s offered aether and occasionally even let him pet its smooth fur. One night, rather than retreating to its usual bush, the daemon plopped next to him and snuggled into his side.

Adrian froze, afraid of startling it away. Slowly, he lifted the hand he’d been using to stroke Heartrender in his lap and shifted it toward Lockrod. The daemon tensed when he hesitantly touched the top of its head, gently scratching behind its large, rounded ears. After a moment, Lockrod relaxed and let out a low growl Adrian took to be satisfaction.

He cleared his throat, continuing to scratch away as nerves fluttered in his belly.No time like the present.“Now that you’ve seen we mean you no harm, would you, ah, be interested in a, um…more permanent arrangement?”

Lockrod stared up at him with its saucer-like eyes, and Adrian sighed. Heartrender had been more than willing to bond from the start, and as painful as Trailseeker’s rejection had been, his former companion had at least grasped his intent. How was he supposed to broach the subject with an oblivious wild daemon?

A little help here?he sent to Heartrender.

She stirred from her slumber long enough to inform him that bonding daemons washisproblem, not hers, and that he already knew what to do.

He rolled his eyes.Fat lot of helpyouare!

Lockrod was still staring at him, so he did the only thing he could think to signify his intent—he channeled his aether to form the runic circle marking the true bond. As the symbols snapped into place across his hand, he scrutinized Lockrod for its reaction. The daemon perked up, eying the runes without shying away. A promising sign. But not quite good enough.

Taking a deep breath, he lowered his hand toward Lockrod’s skin. The runic circle buzzed with latent potential, the pent-upenergy seeking release. He gave Lockrod plenty of time to shirk away. Instead, it watched the magic approach with a curious tilt to its head.

Adrian paused, his fingers hovering a hair’s breadth from Lockrod’s slick skin. “I promise that, as your daemon master, I’d do everything in my power to keep you safe,” he said, his eyes locked on the daemon’s. “But this last step is up to you. Do you accept my bond?”