21. The Feast

twenty-one

Adrian settled back in his chair. Crude tables filled the courtyard—enough to squeeze the entire village in amid flickering torches and platters overflowing with smoked meats and grilled vegetables. It had to be a good sign Elana called for a feast instead of a formal meeting…right?

Seymour leaned in from his spot on Adrian's left and whispered, "Stop shifting like a nervous child about to be presented with his first trainer daemon."

Adrian shot the watcher a glare. "I can't help it. This is a momentous occasion. The first step on our road to confronting Serenity Corp." He gulped. "Or our first major setback."

Seymour took a swig of some vaguely alcoholic drink from his cup. "You worry too much. Even if this goes south—which it won't—it hardly matters in comparison to the tournament. Is your aetherforging on track? Tell me about your latest progress."

From the way Seymour said the last, Adrian could tell he didn't really care. This was just his way of distracting Adrian from his nerves. Feeling a flush of gratitude, he took the offered bait and relayed his most recent attempts to mimic Crastley's aetherforged journal.

As he spoke, he met Freya's eyes across the table. She gave him a small smile. Elana had invited them to sit at her own table—another good sign, or so he tried to reassure himself. The Enclave's leader rested at the table's head, Freya conspicuously positioned near the opposite end with them. Elana occasionally glanced at her daughter, her brows pinched.

The other dozen guests seated at their table counted themselves among Elana's advisers or the village elders—people the Enclave turned to when making momentous decisions. Adrian had spoken with most of them over the past month, and while he suspected some did their best to avoid him, what interactions he'd had seemed cordial enough.

There was no sign of Leda, nor those who had left with her after the incident with Ghosttear. Probably for the best. No doubt they'd have been among the most outspoken against his and Seymour's admittance to the Enclave. Yet another good sign.

Spirits above, what are you so worried about?

His one-sided conversation with Seymour ebbed, and he tried to relax. Having his daemons there helped. Heartrender lay curled in his lap, a steady, soothing presence through their bond, while Lockrod engaged in a mock duel with Shadowlash and Tremorfist off to the side.

Adrian sent Lockrod a warning to avoid getting too rough or knocking into anyone. The last thing they needed tonight was to cause a scene. Not that they were the only non-humans in attendance. Metamire jiggled in Freya's lap, drawing a fair few stares, and more wild daemons than usual scampered among the tables. Though they occasionally jostled someone's leg, no one seemed to mind. Some even offered the daemons sips of aether from their palms.

Something about the scene—all these humans and daemons coexisting in harmony—eased his coiled tension, and he relaxed into his seat. This was the future he was fighting for. A world where everyone, human and daemon alike, could live in peace. No matter what happened tonight, he would do whatever it took to make that dream a reality.

Heartrender opened an eye to glare at Lockrod, Tremorfist, and Shadowlash, huffing her annoyance. Adrian chuckled and stroked her head. "What's the matter, girl? Too good to play with the likes of them?" She sent the mental equivalent of an eyeroll, and he laughed. "I get it. They can be a touch energetic for me, too."

Seymour, however, watched the mock brawl with narrowed eyes and tightened lips. Adrian thought he heard the watcher muttering words like ‘juke' or ‘counterstrike' and had to suppress an eyeroll of his own. "Are you coaching your daemons while they play?"

"Yes," Seymour replied, keeping his concentration fixed fully on the fight. "No reason to squander a perfectly good opportunity for extra training."

"Would it kill you to relax and take some time off once in a while?"

The teasing smirk Seymour gave him set his pulse racing. "This is me relaxed. Besides, you're one to talk. This is the first time in weeks I've seen you breathe properly."

Touché.

Adrian opened his mouth to reply but quickly cut off when he heard a familiar series of three raps. Conversation around the square died as all eyes fixed on Elana at the table's head. She cleared her throat and lowered her staff. "Thank you all for coming tonight—not that you'd have missed the chance for free food and drink."

A general chorus of drunken laughter and cheers answered.

Smiling wanly, Elana said, "This has been a good year for the Enclave. We traded for many new supplies. The spirits blessed us with fertile crops. And, most importantly, we have remained sheltered and safe here from the horrors of the outside world."

She waited for the cheers and clapping to die down before continuing, her voice growing more solemn. Adrian leaned forward, his attention fixed on her.

"But that is not the only gift the spirits gave us this year. They also bestowed upon us new knowledge…and new possibilities. Adrian and Seymour, please stand."

His face heating, Adrian moved to obey. Heartrender sent her disgruntlement as she hopped from his lap. Seymour followed more slowly, his eyes narrowed as if suspecting a trap.

Adrian snuck a quick glance around the clearing. While some of the villagers at other tables appeared curious or even apprehensive, the rest of the guests at the head table wore carefully schooled expressions. Whatever Elana was about to say, they'd clearly been privy to the announcement.

"One month ago," Elana began, directing her words to Seymour and him, "you requested sanctuary. I had my doubts, as did many others gathered tonight. Yet, in the end, I gave you a chance to prove yourselves. Over the past thirty days, you have lived and walked among us. We have gained your measure, weighed your words. Now, it is time to render our judgment."

Fresh nerves crackled through Adrian, and he held his breath. This is it.

Regret tinged Elana's voice as she bowed her head. "I am sorry."

Adrian's stomach sank. He stared down at drops of spilled sauce congealing on the table.

"Sorry we have not been more hospitable hosts," Elana continued. "Sorry we did not listen when you tried to reveal the true nature of daemon bonding to us. Sorry it took us—took me—so long to accept that, while your defiance of Serenity Corp differs from our own, the end goal remains the same: a world free of strife, where human- and daemonkind can coexist in peace." Adrian's head shot up, his eyes locking on the Enclave's leader. "That is why, after careful discussion with the other elders, I have decided to grant your request. You are welcome to live among us at the Enclave for as long as you wish."

Scattered protests rang out from the crowd, quickly drowned out by a cacophony of cheers and clapping.

"Guess we don't have to pack our bags quite yet," Seymour said with a grin.

Adrian nodded, too stunned to speak. He'd thought—or at least hoped—he was making inroads with the village, but this… Spirits above, he hadn't expected this.

And apparently, Elana wasn't finished. She waited for the noise to die down, sweeping her gaze over the assembled crowd as they stilled. "Furthermore, I believe your mission worthy of our aid." She took a deep breath and looked at Freya. "Which is why I intend to pursue a true bond of my own so that I might join your fight against Serenity Corp's tyranny!"

Freya leaped to her feet and wrapped her arms around her mother while chaos erupted throughout the clearing. The other elders' expressions varied from supportive to resigned, but they nevertheless seemed prepared to field questions and mitigate the outrage. A few villagers stormed off, and a couple like Xander cheered, but most simply appeared stunned.

Adrian understood, his own mind struggling to process what had happened. Elana didn't intend to merely grant them sanctuary. She wanted to join them—to openly defy Serenity Corp and fight for their cause. The thought had never even occurred to him. He'd hoped to convince the Enclave of his and Seymour's claims, perhaps have them spread the word to others. This level of support was beyond his wildest dreams.

Tears stood in his eyes, hope lightening the perpetual weight on his shoulders. This could change everything. Maybe they wouldn't need his insane plan to infiltrate the Diamond Cup after all. Two daemon masters alone couldn't hope to stand against Serenity Corp directly, but a hundred? All of them with the advantages afforded by the true bond?

It would still be far from a genuine army. Certainly nothing compared to the might of the Watcher Division. Yet, it was a force capable of storming a fortress. Of standing their ground.

Of perhaps even sparking a full-blown rebellion…

Adrian met Seymour's gaze and found his emerald eyes wide with shock. Before he could think better of it, he tugged the watcher into a one-armed hug. He half-expected Seymour to shove him away, but after a moment of stiffness, Seymour relaxed into the embrace, resting his hand on the small of Adrian's back.

"We did it," Adrian whispered into Seymour's shoulder.

"No," Seymour replied, his soft exhalation ghosting over Adrian's cheek. "You did."

He pulled back, giving Adrian a gentle smile utterly devoid of his usual sneers and scowls. His green-and-gold eyes twinkled in the torchlight, and Adrian didn't think he imagined the way they briefly lingered on his lips before he turned and vanished into the crowd. Adrian stared after him with a faint fluttering in his gut.

Someone cleared their throat, and he started, glancing over to find Xander along with some of the regulars from his morning gatherings. "We just wanted to congratulate you." Xander held out his hand, face splitting into a grin. "And be the first to welcome you to the neighborhood."

With an answering grin of his own, Adrian shook Xander's offered hand. "Thanks." He surveyed the group, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I couldn't ask for better company."

Now that Elana had rendered her judgment, the gathering soon dissolved into drinking and dancing. Trusting his aether to keep him clear-headed, Adrian joined in the celebration.

He found himself pleasantly surprised by how cordial everyone treated him. Anyone against Elana's decision must have already departed or else decided to drown their sorrows in alcohol and air their grievances another day.

As the night wore on, his mind grew fuzzy around the edges. Eventually, he stumbled over to Freya. "Do you aetherforge your booze?" he asked, surprised when his voice came out slurred.

She frowned and shook her head, wavering on her feet. "Nope," she hiccupped. "It does seem strong tonight though, doesn't it? I only had half a cup."

He nodded, regretting the motion when the world tilted on its axis "Need to find…Seymour." As soon as my spirit-cursed head stops spinning…

Once he was fairly sure he wasn't about to vomit, he searched around with bleary eyes until he spied Seymour leaning against a table twenty paces away. The watcher looked as bad as Adrian felt. In fact… As Adrian swept his unsteady gaze across the clearing, he noticed a number of villagers either passed out in their chairs or slumped in the dirt. Daemons lay scattered among them, which didn't make any sense. They supped on aether, not booze.

Unless something has affected the villagers' aether.

Alarm bells ringing in his head, he reached for his bonds with Heartrender and Lockrod. Spirits below, how long had it been since he'd felt their presence? The bonds slipped through his mental grasp, the aether there but just beyond his reach. Like his first few days in the Enclave.

His vision blurred, the world spinning crazily as he tried to step toward Freya and stumbled. "The tea," he mumbled, falling to his hands and knees. "It's…the tea…"

If Freya heard him, she didn't respond. From his lower vantage, he spied Heartrender slumped beneath the table as if she'd fallen asleep. Spirits below, he prayed that was all that had happened to her. Even as he watched, she shimmered and dissolved, her aether melding into him now that they both lacked the energy to sustain her form.

Footsteps crunched in the dirt behind him. He managed to flop over enough to spot Leda striding into the clearing. She stepped gingerly around collapsed villagers, her lips turned down in a grimace as she approached the head table.

"Hello, dear sister," she said.

Elana leaned against the edge of the table to hold her upright, still awake but only barely. "Leda!" she slurred. "What have you done?"

"Only what I had to in order to excise the cancer rotting us from the inside out."

More figures entered the clearing from the same direction as Leda. At first, Adrian's addled mind thought them daemons in gold rather than blue. Then, he realized what he'd mistaken for smooth skin was actually full body armor, their golden spikes glinting in the torchlight.

The watchers fanned out around the courtyard—dozens of them, many wielding a sword or club and each with a summoned daemon at their side. No doubt the creatures held readied techniques, waiting to unleash them at a command from their masters.

Not that there's anything we can do to fight back, Adrian thought dully. Someone must've slipped daemonsbane into the food or drink, transforming it into an aetheric blocker like the Suprimera tea. Now that it had taken effect, they'd be unable to channel for hours. Even if the pseudo-paralysis wore off, they'd remain essentially helpless.

A figure ambled up beside Leda. Tufts of white hair spiked from his ungroomed head, and a heavy pair of spectacles perched on his nose. Unlike the watchers, he wore a white coat rather than armor and bore no obvious weapons or daemons. Adrian's gaze, however, fixed on the crescent-moon sigil of Serenity Corp fastened to his lapel, identical to the one Kali had worn. This must be her partner—the seeker she'd been communicating with right before she died.

"Nicely done, Leda," the man said. His eyes gleamed as he took in the scene around him "This daemonsbane of yours surpassed my expectations. You said it grows locally in the area?"

Leda scowled. "Our arrangement didn't include idle chit-chat, seeker. Take what you came for and leave."

"One must ever look to the future if one is to escape the past," the man said amicably. "Though, I suppose you're right. Collection of the herb can wait."

Kali's partner shifted his attention to the passed-out villagers, scanning them one by one. Adrian averted his eyes when the man's gaze lingered overlong on him. He wanted to rise and fight, or at the very least demand an explanation. But the strength for either eluded him.

"Everything we've worked for…" Elana's voice broke, trembling with emotion and the effects of the daemonsbane. "You threw it all away, just like that. And for what? Out of spite?"

"You understand nothing!" Leda hissed. She strode forward until she loomed over her collapsed sister. "I couldn't sit idly by while you allowed outsiders to corrupt our people!"

"So, you handed us over to Serenity Corp instead?"

"I struck a deal to guarantee our survival!" Leda surveyed the other villagers as if expecting them to leap to her defense, though of course, none could right now even if they'd wanted to. "I told the watchers that the fugitives they sought had seized control of our village. In exchange for delivering them, they agreed to leave us in peace. No longer must we live in fear of discovery—we can have the safety and security we've always wanted!"

"I believe my exact words were that we would only arrest those with the true bond," Kali's partner said absently as he continued to scan the villagers. Adrian couldn't tell if it was his imagination, but the man's eyes appeared to glow.

Leda ignored his comment, clutching at Elana's limp hand. "I heard what you said earlier—your decision to aid these interlopers. But you no longer need fear their retribution. We can go back to the way things were—the way they've always been."

"No," Elana said through clenched teeth. "We can't."

"It's not too late!" Leda's voice grew more manic, her tone imploring. "Think of your people. Of your daught—"

With a snarl, Elana wrenched her other hand toward Leda, a knife from dinner clutched in her fingers. Leda screamed and danced out of reach. The clumsy strike went wide, and Elana's grip slackened, the knife clattering free as the last of her strength fled.

Sobs racked her, making what she said next almost unintelligible. "Didn't you hear what he said? Freya has a true bond, you spirit-cursed fool!"

Leda stared at her crying sister, her eyes widening. In that moment, she reminded Adrian of a lost child who'd made a mistake she didn't know how to set right.

Her expression hardened as she spun toward Kali's partner. "You have your fugitives. Go, and leave the rest of us in peace."

The man finished his odd survey of the villagers before quirking an eyebrow at Leda. "A deal's a deal. I intend to arrest anyone here with this ‘true bond'—all three of them."

"But surely…surely you can make an exception," Leda sputtered. "My niece has done nothing wrong. Spirits above, she's only a child!"

Kali's partner clucked his tongue. "I'm afraid my hands are tied." He motioned to the watchers, and their collective daemons crackled with aether. "Though really, you should thank me. After all, it means your niece will be spared. Wouldn't you prefer that over the alternative?"

Bile filled Adrian's throat. It took a moment for Leda to realize what the man meant. When she did, her face paled. She took a trembling step back.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "You said you would leave us alone."

Kali's partner sighed with the mild exasperation of a teacher explaining something to a dull student for the hundredth time. "I told you I would take anyone with the true bond into custody. And I shall. I didn't specify what would happen to everyone else."

"But…but…" Leda fell to her knees in the dirt. "Why?"

A look of genuine sympathy flickered across the man's face, and he averted his eyes. "If it's any consolation, I take no pleasure in wanton slaughter. But I cannot risk knowledge of what happened here spreading. You are simply too great a liability to leave behind."

Howling a feral cry, Leda snatched the knife Elana had dropped and charged Kali's partner. She barely made it three steps before a bolt of lightning struck her down with a sickening sizzle of scorched flesh. Adrian stared in shock as Kali's partner calmly lowered his hand. The lightning had come from him. Did he possess more aetherforged relics like Kali's?

The seeker turned away with a brusque gesture toward the watchers. "Spare the fugitives and the girl with the red hair. Kill the rest, as quickly and as painlessly as you can."

Aether erupted in the man's wake. Panic gripping him, Adrian struggled in vain to throw off the daemonsbane's effects. By the time he staggered to his feet, a watcher was there to clamp iron shackles around his wrists and shove him into another watcher's waiting arms. Nearby, he witnessed Seymour and Freya suffer identical fates.

When a watcher stabbed his sword into Elana's back, Adrian squeezed his eyes shut, unable to bear any more. But that did little to stifle the hot, bitter tears trailing down his cheeks…nor to muffle Freya's agonized wail.