Page 70 of Daemon Master

“Concerns? Oh, I have plenty ofconcerns!” Leda pointed a trembling finger at them. “They are a threat to our very way of life, and I willnotstand idly by while—”

“Enough, dear sister. As I said, you and everyone else will have a chance to make your case.” Elana met and held Adrian’s gaze. “But so will they. That much, at least, we can grant them.”

Leda huffed and glared at Adrian as though this were all his fault—which, in her mind, he supposed it was. Slowly, she sank back into her seat.

Elana glanced around the amphitheater. “The same goes for all of you,” she said, raising her voice. “Spirits know we’ve settled enough disputes here to remember the process.”

A polite murmur of laughter rippled through the courtyard, quickly dying away. Adrian tried to collect his thoughts as Elana turned back toward him. “Please, continue.”

Nodding, he forced himself to survey the hostile crowd, trying his best to convey a calm confidence he didn’t feel. “A few months ago, I uncovered evidence that Serenity Corp knew how to bond daemonswithoutbondstones. They sent agents tosilence us, so Seymour and I fled into Overlin Forest to escape. That’s why we’re here—to seek refuge, just as you once did.”

“Who cares how you bonded your daemons?” someone shouted. “Chains are chains!”

Adrian shook his head. “The true bond is a partnership between equals.” Amid snorts of disbelief, he added, “Such a bond can only be forged with awillingdaemon.”

Elana had to bang her staff several times before the outraged cries of the audience dimmed enough for her to be heard. “You say you come in peace and that your bonds differ from those we know. But words alone are not enough. What proof can you offer of their veracity?”

An expectant silence fell, all eyes on Adrian.This is it. Time to lay it all on the line. He only hoped it would be enough. “Nothing I come up with will convince you.” Seymour clenched his jaw beside him at the general clamor of agreement. “So instead, I wantyouto do it.”

Taking advantage of the crowd’s momentary confusion, he stepped away from Seymour, instantly missing the watcher’s closeness. Heartrender and Lockrod dutifully followed. He stopped a few paces before Elana’s bench, surveying the belligerent faces around her. His gaze lingered on Leda’s, her only response a scowl.

“Allow me to demonstrate how to form the true bond,” he continued. “Then, you can perform it for yourselves and know for certain that we are telling the truth.”

A general outcry reverberated through the courtyard. Adrian’s stomach sank as Elana fought to restore order. He’d expected pushback, especially from those like Leda. But he’d hoped at least one person there would take the bait, out of mere curiosity if nothing else.

“I’m afraid that is out of the question,” Elana said, half-shouting to be heard over the remaining din. “As I told youbefore, everyone here has sworn an oath to never bond a daemon. Our shared freedom is the single greatest tenet upon which our society rests. We won’t forsake that vow on your word alone—not without a compelling reason.”

Adrian struggled to shove down his frustration, urging restraint upon Lockrod when the daemon offered to bludgeon some sense into the crowd with anUnbendable Rod.It was an infuriating dilemma. How was he supposed to convince these people of the veracity of his claims when they refused to consider his evidence unless they’d already been convinced? The best way to demonstrate the true bond’s existence was to experience it for yourself.

Movement in the front row caught his eye. He looked over to see a girl there standing up. Perhaps a few years younger than him and Seymour, she kept her copper hair trimmed short, her face alight with curiosity rather than open disdain. Unlike most of the others here, her aether visibly churned, suggesting she’d spent time honing it. Something in her features struck him as familiar, though he was certain they’d never met.

“Do you have any way to prove your daemon can still think and act for itself?” she asked.

Sensing an opportunity, he seized it. “Of course! Ask her anything you like and see for yourself.” If he couldn’t convince these people to witness the true bond directly, he could at least highlight its impact via his daemons.

The girl knitted her brow. “But how are we supposed to tell if your daemon’s acting independently or just obeying your mental command?”

“Good question,” he conceded. “But there are plenty of limits to bondstones over the true bond. Go ahead,” he said when the girl continued to eye him. “Give it your best shot.”

The girl nodded, pursing her lips. Then, she surprised Adrian by issuing a string of orders in quick succession.

“Stand on your hind legs. Sit. Roll over. Run to the left. To the right. Back to the left. Further to the left! Jump. Jump. Jump forward. Jump back.”

Heartrender executed the commands flawlessly.

When the girl paused for breath, Adrian raised an eyebrow. “Satisfied?”

She chewed on her bottom lip. “Not by a long shot. Thatcouldprove your daemon understands me well enough to respond on its own. Or it could simply mean you both have good reaction times. Let’s try something more complex.”

The girl studied Heartrender, tapping a finger against her chin. Adrian felt a surge of annoyance through his bond. Heartrender didn’t appreciate being asked to put on a show. He tried to soothe her as the girl barked out a new set of orders.

“Do laps around the square. Then, when I call stop, I want you to find someone who matches the description I give. Understand?”

Heartrender yipped and bobbed her head.

The girl’s eyes widened slightly, and disbelieving whispers filled the square. Adrian suppressed a grin.

“Okay,” the girl said, recovering. “Start!”