Summoner: Origins - Book 0

Chapter 3

The Pinkerton was called in to take him away, though Arcturus needed little encouragement. The two men scared him in a way that none had before. It was not cruelty or sadism that made them different; he had encountered more than enough men and women who shared those qualities. No, it was their complete lack of empathy that horrified him, their clinical scrutiny and calculating eyes. It was as if he were not even a person to them, but rather a commodity to be used, or tossed aside.

He was thrown back into his dark cell, but this time with a bucket of water and some fresh bread. Arcturus devoured it like a rabid animal, revelling in the warm chewy texture. On the other hand, the demon was given no such sustenance, and its thirst and hunger plagued him for hours on end. He banged on the door and demanded it be fed and watered, but received nothing but curses from the Pinkerton, then silence.

Finally, when the water bucket was empty and hunger began to gnaw at his stomach once again, Arcturus was dragged from his cell, then marched through a side door and into the courtyard.

This time, the king was not there, but Lord Faversham and his son were waiting for him, their faces dark and broody with ill humor. A large box lay on the ground beside them, with a strange leather harness wrapped around it.

As Arcturus trudged toward them, he took in his surroundings, scanning for an escape route. The courtyard was surrounded by a cobbled stone wall, thick with ivy.  An elaborate archway curved over the entrance, and it was blocked by a heavy iron gate.

"Still alive are you," Charles said, kicking at the gravel on the ground moodily. "I had hoped you would have died in—"

"No, Charles," Lord Faversham cut him off. "The king has made ... arrangements for the boy, as you well know. No harm will befall him whilst he is in our care, is that understood?"

"Yes, Father," Charles sighed.

Arcturus remained silent, his eyes on his feet. He could sense his demon now, so close he could almost smell it. The box beside him trembled. Arcturus turned his eyes toward it and gasped. His demon — it was trapped inside! He kneeled and laid his hand against the wood, sending it feelings of calmness and safety, despite his own misgivings about the future. Slowly, the trembling stopped. The sound of lapping inside gave him some relief, as he realized they had finally given it some water. It seemed, for now, the Favershams wanted both of them alive.

"They're here," Charles said, pointing at the sky.

Two dots hovered in the heavens, like birds circling above a cornfield. Slowly but surely, they grew in size, until two winged beasts landed before them in a flash of feathers and fur.

Arcturus had to step back as they flapped and folded their enormous wings, the tawny feathers fluttering in the wind. They looked like winged, horse-sized stags, with majestic antlers branching from their foreheads. Their front legs ended in hooves, yet their back legs were clawed like a falcon's, complete with deadly talons that dug into the ground. Instead of the traditional bob that all deer had, these creatures had long, elegant tail feathers.

Both were fitted with polished leather saddles and bridles, in which two riders sat, resplendent in navy blue uniforms that had golden epaulets and shining gold buttons. They removed their leather caps and dark goggles and shook their hair out with audible sighs of relief.

One of the riders dismounted and embraced Charles, kissing him on the forehead. She was beautiful, with golden hair that fell about her face. Arcturus shuddered as he realized she was Charles's mother, Lady Faversham. As she turned to Arcturus, her expression was hard, her pretty face as cold and cruel as winter.

"He is the reason we are here?" she narrowed her eyes at him. "We flew through the night."

"The boy, and the fact that Charles couldn't get half a day's ride from here without losing his demon!" Lord Faversham growled. "He needs to be flown to Vocans since he can't be trusted on his own and he is already late starting the year as it is. You shall have to provide him with a new summoning scroll, or he won't be allowed to attend. It is a shame you cannot gift him your Peryton —