Page 99 of Daemon Master

The same link Adrian had used to soothe Ghosttear during his meltdown—not quite a bond, but a similar entwining of aether. One that, apparently, extended even across vast distances.

Where did such a connection come from?He considered asking but doubted he’d receive a straight answer. Jasper got cagey when it came to anything related to the daemons’ creation.

Then, another question occurred to him. “If you had a compass to Heartrender, why did it take you several months to reach us? And why didn’t you capture Callumyearsago?”

Jasper shifted in his seat. “Perhaps I am underselling Ghosttear’s value. He may be flawed, but next to Heartrender, he’s still the best we’ve managed…and the first specimen we’ve produced with a strong enough connection to track Heartrenderdown since Callum stole her six years ago. Even then, however, the link is far from perfect. Kali struggled to find where Callum had hidden her before you interfered, and once you fled into Overlin Forest, the aetheric interference of so many other wild daemons made it even tricker. It wasn’t until we felt the echo of a particularly large expenditure of aether along the link that we managed to pinpoint your precise location.”

A shiver ran down Adrian’s spine.Our second battle against Souleater.That must be what Jasper was referring to. Spirits below, they’d been in even greater danger than they’d realized. Had they not chosen to shelter in Overlin Forest, they’d have been hunted down long before he was ready to face Kali. And had Kali not been so overconfident, she could’ve ambushed them with an army of watchers whenever she pleased.

Jasper jarred him from his thoughts by leaning forward, resting his hands on his knees. His fervent gaze bored into Heartrender. “Without her and her pristine aether, thereisno Project Paragon. That is why we were willing to risk our only other promising specimen, why I myself led the operation to retrieve her…and why Serenity Corp will stop atnothingto get her back.”

On the eve before the airship’s arrival, Adrian worked feverishly to put the finishing touches on a finalMirror Imagecharm. His head ached from his tenuous grip on a reverse Surge with Heartrender, but for now, the connection held. Just a bit more aether and…

Done!

Letting out a relieved breath, he broke his reverse Surge. Beads of sweat stood out on his forehead. Even without using a technique, he struggled to hold the meld for more than afew minutes at a time. Still, his earlier hypothesis had proved correct—while not strictly necessary, the reverse Surge made it far easier to guide Heartrender’s aether into the needed configuration.

He eyed the trinkets arrayed across the foot of his cot. Three bracelets made from torn bedding—one each to disguise Seymour, Freya, and him as the armored guards that delivered his meals. The illusions would be rough without Seymour or Freya here for Heartrender to refine the anchor points, but Adrian hoped the bulky armor would help hide any imperfections.

Next to the bracelets sat three ceramic shards of slightly different shapes and coloring, including the one he’d just finished. He’d managed to snag them when ‘accidentally’ shattering a bowl of soup. Two of these would help cover their escape. His gaze flicked to the shard in the center, larger and rounder than the others so he could easily tell it apart. That was his contingency plan. He had no idea if it would work, and, spirits willing, wouldn’t need to find out.

After nervously checking the relics for any obvious flaws, he carefully concealed them in his clothing. It wouldn’t stop the guards from discovering them if they looked, but at least they wouldn’t stand out at a glance. Besides, Jasper had let him keep his daemons and aether—what were the odds he bothered with more than a cursory search?

As if thinking of the man had summoned him, aclickcame from the door. Jasper appeared as calm and collected as ever, nodding to Adrian as he settled into his usual chair. He left the cell door standing open behind him. Despite his best efforts, Adrian’s eyes flicked to it.

Jasper didn’t miss the lapse. He gave Adrian a knowing look. “Something on your mind?”

Adrian tore his longing gaze away and shook his head. “Just thinking about tomorrow.”

“No need for nerves, Adrian. Serenity Corp airships are perfectly safe. Besides, you’ll have me and over two dozen watchers with you should anything go wrong.”

“Somehow, that’s not exactly comforting.”

Jasper clucked his tongue. “I really wish you’d stop thinking of me as your enemy. After all, we both want the same thing—to build a better society for future generations yet unborn.”

Anger burned in Adrian’s breast. He knew he should keep quiet instead of rocking the boat so close to his plans for escape, but he couldn’t stop himself from saying, “The difference is thatmyvision for the future isn’t built on the eradication of an entire species!”

“No,” Jasper replied calmly. “Just an overly idealistic impossibility.”

They’d danced around this topic during their previous meetings. Now, though, Adrian found his pent-up emotions bubbling to the surface. “There’s nothing impossible about the true bond. You’ve seen proof enough to know it exists.”

“And you think knowledge of its existence alone will undo generations of strife between our peoples?” Jasper scoffed. “Surely, you’re not so naïve as that. Lasting peace will not be achieved until one of us is exterminated, and I intend to ensure it isusthat ends up on top.”

Adrian narrowed his eyes. “A paradise built on genocide is nothing but a lie. It cannot last.”

Jasper shrugged. “Let us agree to disagree. Now then, shall we continue our discussion of—”

“No!”Adrian was surprised at his own boldness. By the way Jasper stilled, so was he. There was a line Adrian had never dared cross with the seeker, and he had a feeling he was nearing it.

“Don’t make a scene, Adrian.” Jasper’s voice remained pleasant, though a harder edge lurked beneath. “I came here for a civilized conversation, but if you’d rather rest, I’ll leave you to it.”

Adrian considered taking him up on the offer but found himself hesitating. It wasn’t only that he wanted to stay on Jasper’s good side for the sake of his plans tomorrow. He was genuinely curious to hear what the seeker had to say. This might be his last chance to learn from the mad genius, and it seemed a shame to squander it.

“Apologies,” he ground out, his jaw clenched. “Please, continue.”

Jasper studied Adrian through his wire-rimmed spectacles. Adrian shifted, uncomfortable at the scrutiny. A panicked voice within him wondered if this was when Jasper revealed he knew about the relics Adrian had forged and his plans for escape.

“I heard you had trouble channeling aether when you were younger,” Jasper said.