Page 63 of Daemon Master

Seymour nodded, much to Adrian’s relief. He hadn’t been looking forward to arguing the point if Seymour refused to accompany him.

“Another march, then,” the watcher said. “It took Xander and me about four days to reach the Enclave, though that was while carrying you. Once our aether returns, we should be able to double that pace.”

Adrian prayed he was right…and that Heartrender remained unharmed in the meantime.

True to what Leda had told him, it took almost a full day for the tea to wear off. When it finally did, Adrian marveled at the renewed strength coursing through his body. He wasted no time extending his aethersense and snapping a mental shroud into place. Even if Arbiter Janice had long since given up trying to contact him, that didn’t mean others wouldn’t attempt similar tricks.

To his relief, Lockrod was fine, albeit a touch agitated by his temporary isolation. Seymour seemed unimpressed with the tiny, monkey-like daemon until Adrian demonstrated Lockrod’s ability to generate a weapon on the fly.Thatcertainly got the watcher’s attention. While Seymour didn’t display much outward emotion during his own reunion with Tremorfist, Adrian could tell by his softened demeanor that he appreciated having his daemon at his side once more.

As Seymour had predicted, they made great time once they’d recovered their aether, alternating between full Fusions to ride within their daemons and reverse Enhancements to bolster their own endurance. Along the way, Adrian regaled Seymour with his defeat of Kali.

When he’d finished, Seymour shook his head. “I never would’ve thought you had it in you. Of course, you might’ve saved yourself a massive headache if you’d focused Blazewing first.”

Adrian furrowed his brow. “I thought if I took Kali down quick, I could avoid engaging her daemons altogether. It’s how I beatyou.”

“That was a draw at best,” Seymour snapped. “Regardless, that sort of tactic never would have worked here. I only had one daemon, but you knew Kali had both of hers, and you’d alreadywitnessed the strength of Blazewing’s attacks. If you’d focused your initial assault on it, that would have left you much better positioned to take on Kali and Shadowlash in melee. Then, of course, there was that blunder you made when you…”

The watcher proceeded to outline in exacting detail every tactical error Adrian had made. Tremorfist grunted and nodded along in agreement. By the end of it, Adrian was flushed with embarrassment and scowling at the ground.Did I really miss this spirit-cursed man’s company?

Seymour clapped him on the back. “Not that you didn’t do an adequate job. Your strategy worked, after all, and that’s the most important thing. We’ll have plenty of time to refine your tactics when we resume your training.”

Adrian stumbled, looking up in surprise. Seymour must’ve misinterpreted his expression because he sighed and scratched at the nape of his neck in an uncharacteristic show of uncertainty.

“Look,” he began. “I…I know I said some pretty harsh things after Blazewing attacked our camp. I’m sorry. I was a spirit-cursed fool for running off on you. If we’d stuck together, you wouldn’t have almost died, and we could’ve set a much more effective trap for Kali.”

They locked eyes, and Adrian’s remaining anger evaporated at the genuine remorse he caught in Seymour’s emerald gaze. If he didn’t know better, he might’ve called the watcher’s expression almost…tender.

Swallowing, he looked away. “I’m sorry, too. But I’m not sure your presence would’ve made much of a difference. The only reason I even stood a chance was that Kali kept underestimating me. If she’d really wanted to win, she could’ve attacked me all-out from the beginning.”

Seymour nodded, his face regaining its typical sternness. “A valuable lesson to never give your enemy an opening. Always,alwaysfight with your all.”

Adrian fell silent as he digested those words. He wasn’t sure he entirely agreed—mercy was important too, wasn’t it? An image of Kali flashed through his mind, and he grimaced. At least, when you could afford the gesture.

Thinking of his last stand reminded him of another lingering question he had. “Elana and Leda both said I reached out to you after the battle, but they either wouldn’t or couldn’t tell me how. Do you know what they meant?”

The watcher frowned at the surrounding trees. “It was the strangest thing. That kid and I had been searching for you for days when I suddenly heard your voice in my head.”

“What did I say?”

Seymour smirked. “A bunch of jumbled nonsense, but that’s hardly unusual. I tried to get you to explain, but you were out of it. I only caught enough to know that Kali was involved and that you were in trouble. I traced the signal with my aethersense. By the time it cut out, we were close enough to find you the old-fashioned way. You don’t know how you did it?”

Adrian shook his head. What Seymour was describing sounded like a daemonic sending technique, but neither of his daemons possessed such abilities.

Seymour grunted and picked up his pace. “Maybe we’ll find the answer once we get there.”

I hope so.

Dogged by thoughts of mysterious cries for help and his fears for Heartrender’s safety, Adrian lengthened his own strides to keep up while Lockrod hopped along merrily by his feet. Answers couldn’t come soon enough.

fifteen

Battlefield

Adrian stared out atthe trampled expanse where he’d fought Kali. Charred trees served as evidence of their furious battle, and his skin tingled from expended aether lingering in the air.

Seymour let out a low whistle. “Spirits below, you sure did a number on this place.”

Unable to summon his voice, Adrian nodded mutely.