Page 8 of Daemon Master

“You know,” he grunted, “youcouldhelp. That beast will come for you once it’s done with me.”

He’d grown used to talking to Trailseeker’s empty stare and hadn’t expected a response. To his shock, Heartrender gave a high-pitched trill that might have signified agreement. Then, it turned and vanished into the high grass.

He stared after the daemon, confusion warring with disappointment. “Thanks for all your hard work,” he grumbled.

Before he could resume his futile assault on the bridge, roiling aether poured into him. His breath caught. Trailseeker had doneits best, but it had fallen before Shadowlash’s assault, its body dissolving into aether. Until it recovered enough to reconstitute itself, he was on his own.

Shadowlash stalked to the far end of the bridge. Adrian resisted the impulse to cower before its terrifying aura. He might never be the heroes his parents had been, but he could at least face his death with the same courage they had.

The enemy daemon stepped onto the creaking planks and paused, letting out a low growl. It took Adrian a moment to spot the source of its consternation. Heartrender crouched silently in the middle of the bridge, its barbed tail flicking.

Spirits above, what is it doing?

Watching the way Shadowlash appraised Heartrender, Adrian suddenly realized why the daemon’s actions seemed so off. There was something too deliberate about its movements—toohuman. No matter how implausible, he felt certain that a daemon master held its leash.

Unease rippled through him at the implications. That meant Shadowlash’s master was either melded within it or else lurked close enough to monitor the action through their daemon’s eyes. Either way, they were coldly contemplating Adrian’s murder at this very moment.

Without warning, Shadowlash lunged. Two dark tentacles swept the air ahead of it, crashing into Heartrender and…passing straight through to pummel the bridge with a mightycrack. Heartrender flickered like a disturbed reflection in water.

An illusion.

Adrian released a pent-up breath. Heartrender’s technique must allow it to shape projections out of aether. That explained its apparent willingness to sacrifice itself. He admired the deception, even if he didn’t see the point. The trick had slowed Shadowlash, but not for long. Already, it had resumed its march across the bridge. Except…

Boards groaned and snapped, the entire bridge shuddering as it buckled in the middle. Adrian’s eyes widened. Shadowlash’s tentacles had accomplished what he himself could not.

With an echoingcrash, the bridge collapsed—not just a single section of planks this time but the entire shoddy structure. Debris ricocheted through Shadowlash’s insubstantial form, but that wasn’t the real danger. As the bridge plummeted into the water, the daemon fell with it in a spray of splintered wood. It hit the rapids, the current sweeping it under and dragging it away.

Adrian wasn’t sure how long he stood there staring before his brain finally caught up, his tensed muscles easing. His relief, however, proved fleeting. A surging river wouldn’t be enough to kill a daemon that powerful. Even if it somehow did, Shadowlash would simply return to its master to recover if Adrian’s hunch proved correct. Spirits below, if he was right about Shadowlash being bonded, who knew how the daemon’s master might react to this setback?

Someone tried to murder me.

He could hardly wrap his head around the notion. What had an insignificant daemon catcher like him ever done to warrant such a violent reaction? He could think of only one possible answer.

Heartrender—therealHeartrender—ambled out from its hiding spot in the tall grass. It plopped down next to him, giving him a look he interpreted as smug.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Maybe I judged you too hastily. You did great out there. Not that you…”

He trailed off as the daemon trilled happily.Not that you can understand me, he’d been about to say. All at once, he was no longer certain that was true.

Heartrender was unlike any daemon he’d ever encountered. Instead of behaving like either a savage monster or a passive slave, it had devised and executed a plan to trick Shadowlashinto destroying the bridge. That wasn’t the act of a mindless beast.

He fingered the bondstones in his satchel. Now that he wasn’t in imminent danger of death, his duty was clear. Heartrender was a stray. It was his responsibility to capture and submit it to Serenity Corp for processing. Yet, the daemon had saved his life. Rewarding that favor with a cage felt like the worst sort of betrayal.

Sighing, he removed his hand from his pouch and considered the daemon critically. Even if he didn’t want to capture it, he couldn’t let it walk free. His professional duty aside, he had to assume that Old Man Crastley lay at the root of this mess. Until he figured out what was going on, neither the worn journal tucked in his bag nor the daemon that had been with it were leaving his sight.

He cleared his throat. “Well, come along then.” Turning, he took a few experimental steps.It can’t possibly be this easy, can it?

Heartrender followed without hesitation.

Adrian shook his head wonderingly and continued toward Hillvale. There was definitely something off with Crastley, this daemon, and the whole spirit-cursed business. First, he’d return to town and the begrudging protection of the Watcher Division. Then, he’d get some answers.

three

Secrets

Adrian spent the entirereturn journey anticipating an ambush. The rolling hills and waving grass that had seemed so peaceful during his walk out now struck him as the perfect terrain to mask an approach or lay in wait. By the time he reached Hillvale, the dregs of his adrenaline had him on the brink of collapse. Trailseeker siphoning his aether to recover only made it worse.

Fewer citizens walked the streets now that morning had transitioned to afternoon, but for once, it felt good to be among those that remained, even if they ignored him like usual. No one seemed to notice his sweat-soaked clothes or the small daemon padding along at his side. At least, Heartrender was behaving itself. Spirits knew why it continued to willingly follow him.