"He's your Sixth Elder-Uncle? Ah… right. I remember now. He's one of your Covenant men too." Verdis spoke as if the matter barely interested her.
She sat up naked on the edge of the bed, gathering her long dark hair with lazy fingers. Moonlight slid across the curves of her body while she calmly retied the green breast-wrap Kael himself had tugged loose only moments before.
"Yeah, but… but why the hell did you steal his spirit beasts?" Kael's face had already gone pale.
The pounding shout outside had shattered every trace of warmth left in his body.
He scrambled upright, fumbling for his clothes, nearly tangling himself in his own sash while trying to fasten his belt. His fingers shook so badly he could barely work the knots.
Verdis glanced sideways at him and snorted.
"What're you panicking for? I'll leave. I'm not gonna drag you down with me."
"But why steal his beasts?" Kael pressed. His thoughts were chaos. "Why would you provoke him of all people?"
"To make medicine. Saving somebody." She drew a translucent jade veil around her shoulders and leisurely tied the silk cords at her waist.
"Saving who?" he blurted.
Verdis lifted one brow.
"You want me standing here explaining everything while your elder tears the house apart?"
"No! No, forget it!" Kael waved both hands immediately, voice cracking.
She laughed softly.
"There. That's smarter." She hopped lightly down from the bed. "I should go before somebody outside bursts a blood vessel."
"Be careful," Kael said urgently. "My Sixth Elder-Uncle is terrifying."
Her expression softened a little.
"So the brat does have a conscience."
She leaned down suddenly and pressed a warm kiss against his cheek. Soft lips. Brief. Teasing.
Then—
"Thieving demonspawn!" Varek Smolden's voice thundered from outside again. "Come out and face judgment!"
The shout rolled across the estate like a storm breaking over mountains.
Verdis moved instantly.
One blur.
She shot through the window like green lightning.
Kael barely reached the sill before the sounds erupted outside.
Sharp impacts.
Leaves exploding apart.
Branches snapping.
Then a cold voice rang out through the night.
"Trying to flee?"
The courtyard below vanished beneath swirling dust and wind.
Kael's heart hammered violently.
Then came a startled feminine cry.
"Ah!"
Kael's chest tightened so hard it hurt—
—but immediately afterward Verdis laughed in that same playful, honey-soft voice.
"Ooh, close. Almost caught me."
Varek answered her without emotion.
"No wonder you could hunt rhinox beasts. A pity."
"What's such a pity, uncle?" Verdis asked sweetly.
If a man heard only her voice, he would have imagined some innocent young girl teasing an elder.
Kael nearly clawed the windowsill apart.
Run already! Why are you talking to him?
"Your cultivation is profound," Varek said slowly. "You likely struggled for centuries to achieve it. Yet tonight you throw it all away."
"What're you talking about?" Verdis replied in feigned confusion.
"Why steal the spirit beasts from my island? Where are your accomplices?"
"Oh, come now." Her tone turned wounded and pitiful. "Two little beasts only. You righteous Covenant sages really are stingy men. Must you bully a poor woman so harshly over something so small?"
So she admitted it openly.
Kael wanted to die.
"Then I'll capture you first," Varek said coldly. "The truth can be extracted afterward."
Verdis giggled.
"You sure you can catch me?"
At once the air exploded.
Thunder boomed across the courtyard.
The entire house trembled.
Kael rushed fully to the window.
Outside, the world had become a cyclone.
Wind screamed between the trees. Sand and leaves spiraled through the darkness like blades. Through the chaos, the figures of Varek and Verdis flashed in and out of sight, their positions changing so quickly Kael could barely track them.
One instant they stood twenty paces apart.
The next they crossed paths.
A deafening explosion erupted.
The shockwave rattled every beam in Emerald Rest.
Then the storm abruptly weakened.
Leaves drifted downward.
Dust settled.
Verdis spun backward across the ground, boots carving deep furrows through the earth. She rotated three full times before stopping herself.
Her hair had come loose.
Her cheeks were flushed.
The jade veil hanging from her shoulders was half-torn and fluttering wildly.
For the first time since Kael met her, she looked genuinely rattled.
Across from her stood Varek Smolden.
Calm.
Still.
Not a single leaf clung to his robes.
Not a single thread of hair had moved.
Kael's stomach dropped.
The difference between them was obvious at a glance.
Then Verdis suddenly coughed.
Blood splashed from the corner of her lips.
She wiped it away with one sleeve, eyes narrowing sharply.
"You filthy bastard," she hissed. "You damaged my foundation."
Varek's face remained expressionless.
"My Banishing Vitae destroys demonic essence by nature. Surrender now. Otherwise you'll regret what follows."
Verdis gave a cold laugh.
"We'll see who regrets it."
The seductive softness vanished from her face.
Something vicious surfaced underneath.
Her sleeve flicked.
A weapon slid suddenly into her grasp—a long green fork with twin jade prongs, its surface glowing with poisonous light.
Inside the room, Kael nearly started praying aloud.
My lady, just run already…
This is the Covenant's Guardian Elder…
This man slaughtered forty-nine demon kings in the Fell Realm…
How could she possibly beat him?
Then another voice drifted into the courtyard.
"Senior Brother, what sort of creature is this? Bold little thing."
A graceful figure descended from above in flowing robes.
Lyra Farrow.
Kael's scalp instantly went numb.
Varek answered without looking away from Verdis.
"This creature's origins are difficult to discern. But she's certainly born of corrupted stock."
Kael cursed inwardly.
Wonderful. Just wonderful.
As if things weren't already bad enough.
But before he could even finish the thought, more figures arrived.
Several women landed one after another beside Varek and Lyra.
At the front stood Isara Ashvane.
Behind her came Auryn Gale, Sylva Dreyn, Selene Voss, Mira Stonwell, and Zaeli.
The earlier shouting and fighting had drawn out nearly everyone in the estate.
Kael's blood turned to ice.
Varek noticed Isara's arrival and stiffened almost imperceptibly.
"Junior Sister," he said quietly after a pause. "It's been a long time."
"Mm."
Isara answered without expression.
Her cold eyes never left Verdis for a single moment.
Verdis stood proudly in the center of the courtyard with the jade fork in hand.
Surrounded from every side.
Facing some of the strongest adepts in the Covenant.
Yet not a trace of fear appeared on her face.
Kael felt despair clawing up his throat.
This is bad. This is really bad.
She came here to see me… and now she can't escape…
Then things somehow became even worse.
Footsteps thundered beyond the estate paths.
Another group arrived at speed.
Rovan Ashford strode into view with armed retainers at his back. Beside him came Hadrian Corvel and over a dozen demon hunters.
In moments, Emerald Rest was sealed completely.
Not even a bird could have flown out unseen.
Rovan quickly approached the Covenant elders and bowed deeply.
"This disciple failed in vigilance," he said grimly. "A monster infiltrated the estate and disturbed honored seniors."
Varek shook his head once.
"She possesses considerable cultivation. Ordinary defenses would not have stopped her."
Hadrian Corvel stepped forward arrogantly.
"You filthy creature!" he shouted. "Sneaking into a marquis estate? Have you grown tired of living?"
The demon hunters behind him barked threats in unison.
Verdis did not even glance at him.
Her eyes remained on Varek.
"Dirty old brute," she said lightly. "You've got numbers tonight. I'll settle accounts with you another day."
Hadrian's face darkened immediately.
"With me standing here, you think you can escape?"
Only then did Verdis finally turn toward him.
She smiled faintly.
"And who might you be?"
Hadrian sneered.
"Open your eyes and look carefully."
He yanked something from his belt and flung it into the air.
Golden light exploded outward.
A vast net unfolded above the courtyard.
It looked woven from molten gold thread, shimmering with countless flowing sigils that crawled across its surface like living scripture.
The pressure pouring from it made Kael's skin tighten instantly.
Verdis stared upward.
"The Adamant Ward-Net?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "So you're from Dawnbreaker Hold."
Hadrian puffed up immediately.
"At least you know what you're looking at. I am Hadrian Corvel, young heir of Dawnbreaker Hold."
Verdis sighed.
"Your old father could at least be called a capable man." Her smile sharpened cruelly. "How'd he end up raising such useless trash?"
Hadrian's face twisted violently.
In the next instant he lunged.
The golden net crashed downward toward Verdis in a blazing wave of sigils.
Verdis moved only when the light nearly touched her.
She slipped sideways in a blur, narrowly avoiding the descending trap.
"Where are you running!" Hadrian roared.
He pursued immediately.
The Adamant Ward-Net expanded and contracted continuously in his hands, multiplying into overlapping golden afterimages. Sigils boiled through the air with overwhelming force.
Kael's heart climbed into his throat.
The Adamant Ward-Net was specifically forged to suppress demons and spirit creatures.
Against Verdis, its effectiveness would be terrifying.
And this was only Hadrian.
Varek, Isara, Lyra, and the others still stood nearby.
How could she possibly escape?
At first Verdis evaded gracefully.
But little by little her footing began to falter.
Her movements slowed.
Her breathing roughened.
Though she still held the jade fork, she seemed unable to launch any meaningful counterattack.
Hadrian noticed it too.
Confidence swelled visibly across his face.
He became more aggressive with every exchange, eager to display his prowess before the gathered elders and women.
Only a few people seemed unconvinced.
Varek frowned faintly.
So did Isara.
Lyra's beautiful eyes narrowed with amusement.
Then Lyra suddenly laughed.
"Young Master Corvel," she called sweetly, "careful now. The demon girl's playing with you."
Hadrian's heart skipped.
By then he had already forced Verdis back against a massive tree.
The position was ideal.
Victory seemed inches away.
He hated the thought of withdrawing.
Still, caution ultimately won out.
He slowed his assault slightly and shifted part of his strength toward defense.
The instant he did—
Verdis struck.
The jade fork flashed forward like a venomous serpent lunging from the dark.
Fast.
Crooked.
Vicious.
Straight for Hadrian's abdomen.
But Hadrian had prepared for exactly that.
"Got you!"
He spun both hands violently.
Golden light erupted.
The Adamant Ward-Net wrapped around the jade fork in layers upon layers of blazing sigils, tangling the weapon tight.
The Adamant Ward-Net wrapped around the jade fork in layers upon layers of blazing sigils, tangling the weapon tight.
A cheer went up from the dozen or so demon hunters watching. Young Master Corvel—Hadrian—stood tall with a smug grin splitting his face, though cold sweat slicked his back. Lucky that beauty from the Covenant warned me in time, he thought, or that demon bitch would've gutted me.
Verdis's lovely face flushed with effort as she yanked hard at the fork.
"Caught in my Adamant Ward-Net? You're not going anywhere!" Hadrian snarled, eyes gleaming with triumph. "Let go!" He poured his Vitae into the net and twisted violently.
To his surprise, Verdis simply released the weapon with a sweet smile. "If you want it so badly, take it."
Hadrian blinked, caught off guard. In that same instant, Isara and Lyra both shouted, "Careful!"
A flash of green shadow. Verdis crossed her arms over her chest, curved her body with sinuous grace, and drove one knee forward. A streak of venomous green lightning shot from her back. Hadrian's head snapped back as if struck by a thunderbolt. His whole body seized, every muscle locking in agony.
Kael, watching from the shadows of the nearby house, saw only a blur of green burst from behind Verdis. Then Hadrian was hurled backward like a man hit by lightning. Almost in the same heartbeat, Varek Smolden appeared at Verdis's flank in a blur of motion, sleeve whipping out. But his strike passed through nothing but afterimage, smashing the massive tree behind her into a shower of splintered wood.
Two more graceful figures—Isara and Lyra—raced in to cut off her escape. They struck empty air.
"Where did she go?" Lyra demanded.
Varek stared hard at the ground, voice tight. "Earthwalk?"
"That demon whore knows Earthwalk?" one of the hunters muttered. Murmurs of disbelief rippled through the crowd.
A soft, muffled laugh rose from beneath the earth. "Heh. Sharp eyes, old man." Verdis's voice sounded slightly strained. "You'd best crawl back to your island and guard your precious beasts, Lone-Smoke Elder. Otherwise every rare creature you own will be dead by nightfall."
Varek's hair and beard stirred though there was no wind. Rage flickered across his scarred face.
The gathered adepts and hunters shifted uneasily. Earthwalk was no common tunneling art—it was a rare and profound sorcery few in the Mortal Realm had ever witnessed, let alone mastered.
Kael's mind raced. He remembered an old tale of the ancient wars: a certain earth-walking immortal who had terrorized enemy camps. Never would he have guessed his sworn sister Verdis possessed the same forbidden power.
Rovan Ashford let out a low whistle. "No wonder the demoness was so confident."
Suddenly Hadrian leaped high out of the arms of his supporting hunters, screaming like a man possessed. He clutched his head and rolled wildly across the dirt, face twisted in unbearable pain. The demon hunters froze, helpless.
Kael watched from hiding, stunned. What kind of vicious strike did Verdis land? She broke him like that?
Lyra moved swiftly, seizing the thrashing young master and pinning him down. After a moment's examination her brow furrowed. "I know what that creature is now."
"What?" Rovan asked.
"Nine chances out of ten, she's a scorpion spirit."
"Scorpion spirit…" Selene breathed, staring at the ugly swelling rising on Hadrian's scalp. "Second Soror, please—help Young Master Corvel."
Sylva Dreyn nodded and knelt beside the writhing man. She formed hand seals, arms moving in smooth arcs. A gentle greenish glow enveloped Hadrian. His rigid body slowly relaxed, the worst of the agony draining from his face.
Lyra spoke quietly. "Her power is terrifying. She must have used the strike to distract Elder Smolden and give herself the opening she needed. Young Master Corvel only survived because of that."
Inside the house, Kael's thoughts turned dark. No wonder Master always said even Grimhog, the Flying Marshal, and the Sea-Disturbing Marshal together couldn't beat her.
Lyra frowned. "Strange. Why would a creature like that come here at all?"
"Yeah," Rovan added, "what's her aim—" He stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening. "You don't think she's working with those Bone Legion bastards eyeing the Mire, do you?"
Isara scanned the surroundings, then spoke sharply. "Where's Kael?"
Only then did the others notice the small house nearby. Selene's heart clenched with sudden unease. "Kael! Where are you?"
"I'm right here," Kael called, stepping out and feigning surprise. He glanced around at the crowd. "Whoa, what's going on? Why's everyone gathered?"
Isara's face changed the instant she saw him. Varek and Lyra both turned sharply, as if sensing something.
Shit. Did I pick up some of Verdis's demonic aura? Kael thought, forcing a calm smile. He bowed to Isara. "Master, what brings you all here so early?"
"Go back inside," Isara ordered, her voice carrying a tremor she couldn't quite hide. "I'll speak with you shortly."
"Yes, Master." Kael turned, heart hammering—only for Varek's voice to crack like a whip.
"Stand still!"
Before Kael could react, a tremendous force yanked him off his feet. In the blink of an eye he was hauled through the air and deposited in front of the Lone-Smoke Elder.
"What are you doing!" Isara snarled, flashing forward—then stopping short, clearly restrained by some deep wariness.
The rest of the group stared in confusion.
Varek's sleeve had coiled around Kael's throat like a steel cable. The Elder's eyes raked over him, growing colder and sharper with every passing second. Kael's body went completely numb; he couldn't move a muscle.
He forced a weak laugh. "Elder-Uncle… you called for me? There's no need to be so rough. I would've come on my own."
"Senior Brother, what's wrong with you?" Lyra asked.
Varek's other sleeve lashed out. Riiip. He tore open the front of Kael's robes at the abdomen. Brilliant light spilled forth. There, nestled in Kael's navel, lay the Primordial Sigil—smooth as polished jade, etched with intricate, otherworldly patterns that shimmered like living script.
The Runeward Chapter sisters had seen the mark since Kael was a boy and thought nothing of it. Everyone else gaped. Lyra in particular stood frozen, eyes wide with disbelief.
Kael's stomach dropped. In his panic getting dressed after Verdis left, he had forgotten to tie the Emberseal Sash back on.
Varek threw back his head and laughed, a harsh, triumphant sound. He looked straight at Isara.
Isara's face had gone deathly pale. Her teeth sank into her lower lip until blood welled.
This is bad, Kael thought, cold sweat pouring down his back. Master warned me a thousand times never to remove the sash…
Varek narrowed his eyes and studied Kael slowly. "No wonder the boy seemed so familiar. The voice… the face… the bearing… especially those eyes. So it really is…"
"Let him go," Isara said, voice low and dangerous.
"Dear Isara…" Varek actually used her given name, shaking his head. "Why are you still so blind?"
"I said let him go!" Isara's tone turned to ice.
Lyra's body trembled faintly, her gaze locked helplessly on Kael's exposed navel.
"This boy is a matter of grave importance," Varek declared. "I will take him back to Phoenixspur for the Primus himself to judge."
"Dreamgate," Isara commanded softly.
Zaeli hurried forward, producing the divine sword and offering it hilt-first. Isara's fingers danced through a rapid series of seals. The blade sang free of its sheath, gleaming with dreamlike radiance as it flew into her grasp.
Every member of the Runeward Chapter and Rovan Ashford looked ready to panic.
"Will you release him or not?" Isara flicked her wrist. The tip of Dreamgate hovered an inch from Varek's throat.
Varek did not flinch. Deep pain flickered in his eyes. "Isara… you would turn Dreamgate on me—for this cursed remnant?"
"If you do not release him, I will," she said flatly.
Kael's chest tightened with fierce emotion. Master is willing to fight Sixth Elder-Uncle for my sake…
"I will not," Varek answered, voice heavy with finality.
Rovan stepped forward quickly, trying to ease the tension. "This disciple is slow-witted. Might Elder-Uncle explain why he wishes to seize Kael?"
"Because…" Varek's gaze bored into Kael, murderous intent flashing. "This is a remnant. A demonic spawn the heavens themselves will not tolerate…"
The crowd recoiled. Kael felt as if the ground had dropped out beneath him.
Selene cried out, "That's impossible! Kael isn't some demonic spawn! Sixth Elder-Uncle, you must be mistaken!"
Mira added gently, "Elder-Uncle, please release Kael first so we can talk this through."
"Mistaken?" Varek gave a cold snort. His eyes dropped again to the glowing mark at Kael's navel. "That face… that manner… and this unique Primordial Sigil that exists nowhere else beneath the heavens."
Auryn and Sylva exchanged startled glances; clearly they had heard the term before.
Rovan pressed, "Please speak plainly, Elder-Uncle. Whose… demonic offspring is Kael?"
Varek's next words fell like hammer blows. "The Wandering Fox."
The name struck like thunder. Every face went slack with shock.
Kael's vision spun. The world tilted wildly around him.