Page 98 of Daemon Master

Burying his dismay, Adrian forced a nod. “So, you must know a lot about aetherforging, then?” He winced internally at his ham-fisted query. So much for disguising what he was after.

“That would be fair to say, yes. Prior to Project Paragon, I worked on improving the design of watcher armor.” He gave Adrian a curious look. “Why? Are you interested in the art?”

Adrian shrugged and tried not to look too eager. “A little, after seeing the wonders Kali had.”

Jasper chuckled, clearly appreciating the not-too-subtle compliment. “Understandable. Of course, I can’t divulge sensitive information that might compromise Serenity Corp’s operations.”

Adrian’s heart sank. “But you said you’d answer any questions I asked.”

A line of displeasure creased the seeker’s brow. “I told you I wouldn’t lie, which is hardly the same thing. Still, I’m happy to reveal what I can. What would you like to know?”

Adrian told him, and for the better part of an hour, Jasper obliged him with a crash course in aetherforging. Much of what the seeker said corroborated what Freya had already shown him—align your aether to an object’s natural channels until it stuck.

Yet, Jasper delved into more advanced topics as well. He talked about aetheric resonance and how aether respondeddifferently depending on your mood, the object, and the environment. He showed Adrian tricks to better control his flow of aether and reduce the energy required.

On daemoforging, however, Jasper remained frustratingly tight-lipped. What little hedidsay focused on theory rather than practical applications. He must’ve feared giving away more of their operations than he already had.

By the time the seeker departed, Adrian’s head felt stuffed full of new knowledge. He wasn’t sure how useful it would prove for his own efforts, but he’d take whatever expertise he could get. Anything to increase his odds of completing his aetherforgings before the airship arrived.

Their discussions persisted over the next week. While Jasper continued his education on aetherforging, Adrian reluctantly answered the seeker’s own questions about the true bond. He described how it had felt when the runes formed a link with a willing daemon and extolled the benefits of the true bond compared to bondstones.

He was pretty sure Jasper already knew most of what he said from Crastley’s journal and was careful not to give away more than he had to. Still, he disliked the avid glint he sometimes caught in Jasper’s eye or the way he’d stare at Heartrender as if measuring the daemon’s worth.

It started to feel like a game—learn as much from the seeker as he could while revealing as little as possible in the process. No doubt Jasper was playing him equally hard. Adrian just had to hope that whatever secrets he unwittingly gave away didn’t return to haunt him.

When Ghosttear came up in conversation during their latest session, Jasper sighed wistfully. He leaned back in the chair he’d taken to dragging into the stone cell during his visits.

“Such a shame,” he said with a mournful shake of his head. “Ghosttear was among our most promising specimens…next toHeartrender, of course.” He gestured to the daemon curled up beside Adrian. “She alone remains our sole true success thanks to the purity of her aether.”

Heartrender pointedly ignored the man, having decided some time ago that was the best way to show her disdain. Lockrod let out a low, threatening growl.

“Where is Ghosttear now?” Adrian asked, sending his daemons soothing thoughts. He hated speaking with Jasper as much as they did, but it was a necessary evil.

“We brought him from the Enclave when we recovered you. Seemed only fitting, even if his aetherisutterly unsuitable for daemoforging.”

“Why do you always call daemons by their proper gender?” Adrian blurted. The question had been gnawing at his curiosity since their first encounter.

Jasper frowned. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Most people think of daemons as monsters. The only people I’ve heard acknowledge their genders are those who care about their wellbeing…or those who possess the true bond.”

The seeker’s brows shot up. “If you’re implyingImight have a true bond, I’m afraid you’re mistaken. I simply dislike imprecision. It is an observable fact that daemons possess intelligence and personalities. There’s little point pretending otherwise.”

In some ways, the admission made Adrian despise the seeker even more. It meant he recognized daemons as real creatures with real feelings…but butchered and abused them regardless.

He forced aside his disgust at the reminder of Jasper’s monstrousness to focus on the topic at hand. “What makes Ghosttear unsuitable for your work?”

“His inherently unstable aether, of course.” Jasper’s fingers skittered restlessly against the arm of his chair. “Most of our specimens manifest it, but few as bad as him. Any relic forgedfrom his essence would be at risk of collapse whenever it was activated. Still, he has his uses.”

Adrian found the seeker’s slight smile unsettling. “Such as?”

Jasper raised an eyebrow. “I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out yet. From your encounter with Kali and what Leda told me of your time at the Enclave, you should possess all the clues you need to piece it together.”

What in the name of the spirits did Kali or Leda have to do with anything? Was Jasper referring to the containment device Kali had used on Ghosttear? Which…whyhadshe brought along such a volatile test subject? Knowing what he did now about Ghosttear and Project Paragon, it made even less sense than it had before. Unless…

“That’s how you tracked us in Overlin Forest, isn’t it?”

Jasper’s smile broadened. “Very good. Yes, that’s how we found you. All our specimens share an inherent link. Ghosttear’s unusual resilience despite his unstable aether, as well as his uselessness for daemoforging, made him the perfect candidate. We simply accessed the link between him and Heartrender and followed it to its source.”