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, the demons had long, elegant tail feathers.
Both were fitted with polished leather bridles and saddles, in which two riders sat, resplendent in navy-blue uniforms adorned with 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—renowned for her great beauty across all of Hominum.
Even so, as she turned to Arcturus, her expression was hard, the 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, not to mention that he is already late starting the academic year as it is. You shall have to provide him with a new summoning scroll, or he won’t be allowed to attend.” He paused and tapped his chin. “It is a shame you need your Peryton demon for the Celestial Corps. It will have to be the other one.”
“You lost your Canid? Do you have any idea what your father risked to capture her for you?” Lady Faversham hissed, seizing Charles by the ear, her anger as sudden as her arrival. “Now I will have to give you my Arach, and I caught it only weeks ago.”
Charles wailed like a baby, pulling at his mother’s hand until she released him with a grunt of disgust.
Arcturus absorbed the information, taking note of the names of the various species of demon, and the fact that his own was female. It appeared that demons could somehow be gifted through scrolls, and had to be captured first. If he was to survive the coming weeks, he would need to learn all he could.
His understanding of the world of summoning was vague at best, given that he lived so far north of the jungles on Hominum’s southern border, where most of the skirmishes took place. Though they were not officially at war with the various orc tribes that inhabited it, the nobles, their retinues and the king’s army would patrol along their borders, keeping Hominum safe from the occasional orc raiding party. Boreas, the city in which Arcturus lived, was far to the north, near to the border with the elves.
The next rider dismounted, a brunette with long tresses that came down to her waist. She nodded respectfully at Lord Faversham, then went about attaching the box to a leather lead before securing it to the bottom of her mount. She grinned at Arcturus’s wary expression and gave him a wink. He responded with a hesitant smile, which was swiftly wiped away when Lady Faversham clicked her fingers at him.
“You, boy. If the king did not have such an interest in you, I would have you hanging from the gallows in a heartbeat. Nobody steals from the Favershams, especially not some filthy stable boy.”
Charles smiled hatefully at Arcturus from behind her back, drawing a finger across his throat. Arcturus responded with a cool stare, though tendrils of terror gripped his heart.
This time, it was the demon that calmed him. Waves of encouragement and support flowed through their mental link as it sensed his discomfort.
“Watch your back, boy,” Lady Faversham said, unimpressed by Arcturus’s apparent lack of fear.
A servant scurried past them, dragging a heavy trunk behind him and attaching it to Lady Faversham’s Peryton.
“Be careful with that,” Charles ordered, striding over to survey the fastenings. “I don’t want my clothes all rumpled.”
The servant bowed, a flash of fear passing across his face. He was barely older than Arcturus, and he looked half-starved. Arcturus felt fortunate he didn’t have to work in this household.
“Ophelia, are you sure Lieutenant Cavendish’s Peryton can carry the Canid?” Lord Faversham asked his wife.
“It’s only a pup,” Lady Faversham responded. “If she were full grown it might be a struggle over such a long distance, but thankfully you caught it young.”
“Aye, Hubertus is as strong as an ox!” Lieutenant Cavendish called, tying one last knot on the thick leather leads that were now attached to the demon’s cage. She winked at Arcturus again, and he marveled at how young she was. She could barely be older than eighteen, yet she wore the uniform of an officer. The lieutenant jumped onto her mount in one fluid leap, then patted the saddle behind her.
“We’d better get going if we’re to reach Vocans by nightfall. Since my luggage is heavier than yours, we might get a bit of a head start on you, if that’s all right, Captain Faversham?” she asked, rubbing Hubertus’s neck.
Vocans … was he to be a student there? The thought filled him with both excitement and dread in equal measure.
Lady Faversham gave Lieutenant Cavendish a curt nod; then, with one final glare at Arcturus, she strode into the manor house. Arcturus hesitated before striding to the Peryton and holding up his hand. Lieutenant Cavendish gripped it firmly and pulled him up behind her with surprising ease. He could feel Hubertus’s muscles bunching beneath his legs, as the demon unfolded his wings.
“Hold on tight,” she murmured, grasping his hands and putting them around her waist. “I hope you have a strong stomach.”
The wings flapped once. Twice.
And they were flying.
CHAPTER
4
THE WORLD WAS SPREAD below Arcturus like a patchwork quilt, the fields of crops splitting the earth into squares of green, yellow and brown. With every beat of the Peryton’s wings, the fuzzy white cloud bank above them loomed closer. Soon they were in the mist, surrounded by a haze of the purest white Arcturus had ever seen. He reveled in the cool air, opening his mouth to catch droplets on his tongue. It was over all too soon, for they burst clear of the other side into the bright sunlight moments later.
“You’ve got a strong grip there, lad!” Lieutenant Cavendish chuckled, before clucking her tongue at Hubertus. The Peryton slowed down, until they hung above the clouds, rising and falling with each wing beat.
“Sorry,” Arcturus breathed, realizing he was squeezing her midriff tight. He relaxed his grip and gazed at the cloudscape around him. It was as if they were floating above a sea of cotton, soft and welcoming as a featherbed. He had a wild urge to dive into them, but a gap revealing the ground far below reminded him of where he was.
“You’ll get used to it,” Lieutenant Cavendish said over her shoulder. “The first time I flew, I threw up over the side.”
“I wish you hadn’t said that,” Arcturus groaned, feeling his stomach give a sudden lurch. He was not the only one feeling ill. Below him, he could sense that the demon was feeling nauseous as its box swung back and forth, and the hunger that gripped its belly was not helping matters.
Lieutenant Cavendish swiveled in her seat and flashed him a grin.
“You know, we’re going to be traveling together for the rest of the day, so we might as well get to know each other. My name is Elizabeth Cavendish. And yours?”