by Calista Fox
She eyed the offering. She hadn’t had a weapon in the house for fifteen years. Her father had taken both his and her sword with him when he and her mother had traveled to another village for a funeral on the day they’d died. Jade had been ordered to stay with Michael’s family, but she’d sneaked away and had followed her parents. And had witnessed their gruesome murders.
She shuddered and pushed the memory to the far recesses of her mind, where she’d relegated it long ago.
“Thank you,” she said to Tanner. “To you both. This is a very dangerous time. I’m hoping it has come to an end as far as the fire wraith is concerned.”
“We’ll remain alert,” Walker assured her. “And the general and a small squad intend to patrol their side of the village perimeter.”
She knew the slayers had had to come for her when she’d been at the castle, in order to ensure she was all right and to appease the villagers. But she suspected they wouldn’t have demanded to bring her back if they thought the situation was still a perilous one.
“It wouldn’t make sense for the fire wraith to come after me again,” she said, “if the king is no longer watching me. He and his bandits will have to devise some other plan to bait Dar—” Her gaze dropped. “The Demon King. Or find a way to breach the castle walls.”
“Not at all a likely scenario while the king’s still alive,” Tanner said.
With the blaze Walker built warming the small house, she repeated, “I’m all right here. But you guys need to be careful in this blizzard.”
Tanner chuckled. “A little snow never hurt us.”
Her gaze returned to them. “I know you’re modern-day superheroes. But it’s damn cold out there. And the visibility is horrendous.”
“We’re not amateurs,” Walker said. He headed toward the door. “Just stay safe, Jade.”
Yes, her reputation preceded her. Her stubborn and independent streaks, to be exact. But on the heels of the horrifying encounter with the menacing demon, she knew better than to do anything that might put her in jeopardy. Plus…she’d promised Darien.
After the slayers left, she built another fire in the bedroom hearth to help warm the cottage. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do with herself until the storm broke, but sleep wasn’t a viable option—her mind raced with too many thoughts. As night fell, her gaze remained on the windows lining the back wall.
The image of the fire wraith was burned into her brain, and the fear it would return was not as easily dismissed as she’d implied with the slayers—or as she’d tried to convince herself. Losing her house was still a tormenting thought. And being alone at the cottage during a blizzard only added to her sense of isolation…and her loneliness.
Though she knew the slayers would keep an eye on her, and Morgan and his troops would be in the vicinity, she suffered a much deeper feeling of seclusion and separation following the degree of companionship she’d experienced at the castle. Morgan’s concern for her safety… Sheena’s acceptance of her human state and her friendly gestures… Even Jocelyn had cleaned up after her with nary a blink of an eye.
And then there was Darien.
She tried her best not to think of their time together. What would be the point? It had been a bizarre twist of fate, but one without any potential for transcendence beyond those few days.
Jade passed the time scrubbing the charred marks from the stone fireplace, mending clothes and tidying up the cottage. The snowfall slowed and the dense clouds dissipated. Two days later, she was ready to go into the village when Tanner made his scheduled visit.
“Any news?” she asked as she used a tree stump to help her climb onto the back of his horse.
“Nothing we’ve heard. Though the general said he’d give us an update in the morning. You sure you want to work at the tavern tonight?”
“I can only spend so much time alone at the cottage. Turns out I’m not that great a conversationalist.”
He snorted. “Oh you have plenty to say, Jade. We all know it.” When they arrived at the tavern, he added, “I’ll be back at midnight to take you home.”
The diligent shovel brigade had taken to the walkways, not completely clearing them, given the massive amount of snow that covered the cracked concrete. But they’d made it possible to navigate the village. She entered the tavern, the noise level a bit more amplified than normal, likely given the fact no one had come in during the storm and they were making up for lost time from weather-related captivity.
Yet the din faded as she crossed to the coat rack to hang the cape Sheena had given her. She wore it over her own jacket because the combination provided substantial warmth.
Suddenly swarmed by patrons, Jade had to assure everyone she was in perfect health and also offer what little information she had about the entire incident. When she finally made it to the bar, Michael stared at her in exasperation.
“You’re trying a lot of nerves.” Regardless, he gave her a hug. “You really need to move into the village.”
“Please, don’t start with me. Everything’s okay. Let’s forget about it.”
Lisette, who surprisingly sat at the bar—she wasn’t a regular—said, “You were whisked away to the castle after being assaulted by a fire wraith and we’re not supposed to worry about you?”
Jade sighed. “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be nonchalant about this. I just don’t have much to say about it. I was unconscious most of the time. The king and his general rescued me and I recovered at the castle under their protection. I was very lucky.”
They eyed her skeptically as she busied herself by refilling beer mugs. Lisette had been drinking red wine, so Jade poured a bit more into her glass.
Michael looked as though he wanted to quiz her further. Skirting his inquiries, she hoisted a tray from the end of the bar and trolled the room for empty mugs and more orders. The activity helped to divert her mind from her time in Darien’s care and kept her from lying further to her friends. She’d held much back from them during her life, out of necessity, and didn’t like deceiving them further.
However, despite her conviction to bury thoughts of Darien deep in her mind, they still lingered. Comforting her in a way, yet also alarming her, because her heart and soul reacted to memories of their time together. It was hardly a fair hand to be dealt. One she couldn’t play.
The night progressed as it typically did, a relief to Jade. Unfortunately, Michael watched her a bit too closely, as though he were looking for some sort of suspicious behavior on her part. She didn’t think she’d given him reason to doubt anything she’d said about her hellish experience with the fire wraith. But he cornered her in the storage room nonetheless.
“Something’s different about you,” he said as he closed the door behind him.
She collected an oversized bag of pretzels the bakery delivered twice a week. “I had a very dangerous altercation with a demon, Michael. Of course my nerves are still shot to hell.”
“That’s not it. Although, yes, I can see you’re on edge. But you also seem to be deep in thought.”
Actually, she was deep in concentration as she blocked her thoughts. “I’m just focusing on my job. Don’t read anything into it.”
He skipped right over her dismissive explanation. “What happened while you were at the castle?”
“I told you, I was unconscious most of the time. Then the slayers came for me.”
“Walker and Tanner claimed they saw blood in the snow outside your cottage. You were injured?”
She sighed. “Yes, but I’m fine now.” How many times did she have to reassure everyone?
“I heard there was a lot of blood. But you don’t have any scrapes or scars.”
“Not that are visible.” Her statement was a true one. All of her scars were internal. But she’d meant to imply that she had been injured somewhere her clothing would conceal. She stared at him a moment, wondering if he’d buy into her fabrication.
Finally, he lifted his hands and said, “I know you keep some thin
gs from me, Jade. But not everything. I wish you’d tell me what really happened.”
“And I wish you’d stop doubting me.” There. She’d made her first wish. Though she knew by the determined look in Michael’s eyes, it wouldn’t be granted. Why’d she even bother?
He took a few steps closer to her and said, “I saw how he looked at you in the meeting hall.”
“He who?” She feigned ignorance. The subject matter was becoming much too touchy for comfort.
“The Demon King.”
He said it as though he needed to remind her the king was not of their species. And perhaps she did need the reminder. Admittedly, it was difficult to think of Darien as some evil entity who’d led a war against her kind. Her ancestors. He had a quick temper, yes, but it seemed to be a direct result of his territorial nature. And it wasn’t just his kingdom he was possessive and protective of, but her as well.
He’d been extremely concerned about her well-being and had been particularly gentle with her while she’d healed. When he’d made love to her, however… He’d been fiercely passionate. Darien had shown her what desire and intimacy were all about. She doubted very seriously she’d ever experience such powerful emotions with another man, not even Michael.
This was why she stepped away from him when he reached out to touch her face.
“Please don’t,” she said in a low voice. Although she suspected Darien would stay out of her head, it wouldn’t bode well for Michael if the king slipped and inadvertently learned of this exchange through her own thoughts.
“Jade,” Michael said. “The night we learned you were being followed… When we were outside the tavern… I intended to kiss you.”
She nodded. “I suspected as much.”
“Yet you didn’t move away.”
“No. But things have…changed…since then.”
His eyes narrowed on her. “What things? How? We haven’t seen each other in a week.”
“I know. And I can’t explain it.” Her mind reeled. She adored Michael, but she knew she’d never feel about him the way she felt about Darien. And even that was too convoluted an association to sift through and make heads or tails of. “I think it’s best if we remain friends. No more.”
She moved past him and reached for the doorknob. He halted her in her tracks as he said, “You’re infatuated with him, aren’t you?”
“Don’t be absurd,” she scoffed. But her hand shook on the brass knob.
“You challenged him at the meeting and it seemed to intrigue him. But clearly, he was interested in you before that. He was the one watching us on the sidewalk, wasn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“And he kept us from kissing.”
“Yes.”
“Because he wants you for himself?”
“No,” she lied, though it hurt her to do so. They were friends. Yet he wouldn’t understand the attraction between her and Darien. Nor did she want to throw it in his face. “There is a degree of fascination on both our parts, I’ll confess, but that’s it. Nothing more, Michael.”
His jaw clenched as he mulled this over and likely tried to choose his next words judiciously. Finally, he said one more time, “Be careful, Jade.” He stalked toward her. Her hand fell from the knob. His replaced it and twisted. “Your eyes give you away when you talk about the Demon King.” He yanked on the door and marched past her.
* * * * *
Darien was in his study a week later when Morgan reported to him.
“The renegades that had set up camp on the Canadian border have disbanded,” the general told him. “No trace of the fire wraith. They’ve either retreated and have given up on assassinating you, or they’re out searching for reinforcements.”
“Likely the latter,” he said. “But there aren’t enough rogue demons on the continent to take on my army. Not even if he were to import them. The fire wraith needed me in the village to get to me. He knows he’ll never make it past the woods on our side of the river without being detected and captured. He can’t penetrate our patrols around the castle or scale our walls.”
“We should do a large-radius sweep,” Morgan suggested. “In all directions. Try to find out if they’ve regrouped somewhere else.”
“Yes. And I want reports from the regional stewards on any activity outside their own boundaries, in human villages as well as in uninhabited, remote areas.”
“Of course.”
Darien was quiet a moment, his brain churning with a disconcerting, yet highly tempting thought. “If I’m to go into Ryleigh, now would be the time to do it.”
He wasn’t worried about his own safety. He’d already challenged the fire wraith and proved he had more skill with a sword. But if he was going to keep Jade safe, he needed to disassociate himself from her so the renegade demon wouldn’t have a reason to return to the village. But before he completely severed the ties, he needed to see her one more time.
“Darien.”
His gaze fell upon his friend. “Yes?”
Morgan shifted from one booted foot to the other. “Forgive me for saying so, but I don’t think it would be wise for you to visit Jade.”
He massaged the nape of his neck where a knot of tension seemed to have taken up permanent residency since he’d met her. “I don’t disagree with you. But there is something that’s come up, which I’d like to investigate further.”
Morgan crooked a brow.
Darien said, “I saw a marking on her skin that is familiar to me. I couldn’t pinpoint where I’d seen it before, until last night, when I was thinking about her father.”
“Liam?”
With a nod, Darien said, “He established the village thirty-five years ago, at the end of the war. We both selected a similar location around the same time. I staked my claim atop the cliff, he chose his at the base, with the river dividing us. I’d been fascinated by his nerve when he didn’t move on once he’d learned where I intended to build my castle.”
“I recall he had quite a stubborn streak.”
“One he passed on to Jade. Along with a few other traits.”
He reached for a book on his desk and flipped it open where he’d flagged a section. In the center of the right-hand page was a sketch of three dots in an inverted triangle, though set slightly at an angle.
“The first time I met Liam and assured him my law of peace between the demons and the humans would be upheld by my alliance, he had short, military-style hair. I noticed the marking on his neck that looked identical to the one I just discovered in this book. It was below his right ear. Every time I saw him thereafter, he had long hair that covered what I’d assumed were freckles or moles. I never thought of the pattern again. But I researched it this morning.”
Morgan slid into a chair on the opposite side of the enormous desk. “Are you going to tell me Jade has the same configuration in the exact same spot?”
He nodded.
“What does it mean?”
“It’s a sacred symbol. A very simple one, so as to not draw too much attention to it or spark speculation as to whether it’s more than freckles naturally aligned. But it’s the mark of a demi-demon.”
Morgan’s head jerked back. “What?”
“I knew there was something different about Liam, but I never delved too deep. He was clearly human, clearly mortal. Despite his willfulness and skill, he always took great care and precaution with his life. He didn’t operate in a reckless manner.”
“But it did take an effort to murder him, when rogue shifters attacked him.”
“Yes, that’s true. However, that’s because he had the ability to self-heal, like Jade. They’d mauled him, then ripped his arms and legs from the sockets to keep him from repairing the damage. For good measure, they decapitated him. They’d done the same to Jade’s mother, though it hadn’t been necessary. She didn’t possess the same talents as her husband and daughter.”
It had been a grisly scene to come upon, when word had reached him. But it had been infinitely more horrifying
for Jade.
He’d later learned, the first time he’d invaded her thoughts, that she had witnessed the entire ordeal from the woods. In addition to her agony, fury and terror, guilt had besieged her. She’d never forgiven herself for not doing something—anything—to thwart the attack or call for help.
Reasonably, she’d known she couldn’t fight off the shifters herself and had been too traumatized to even try. Hiding in the forest, she’d been immobilized by grief and fear, shocked into stunned disbelief and had not made a peep.
That was as far as Darien had been able to make it in her dark, clouded mind. He’d felt all of her emotions almost as acutely as she had, he surmised, because they’d been horrific for him to experience through her thoughts.
The attraction he’d felt toward her when she was eighteen and weeping on the riverbed had somehow connected him to her, and from that moment on, her pain had become his. The very reason it was so necessary to stay out of her head. He’d go mad if he knew the true extent of her suffering.
Which brought him to his next point. “Demi-demons are similar to ancient demi-gods in some respects. They’re human, but they possess extraordinary abilities. They’re descendants of demons, but their blood has been so diluted over the centuries, their human nature reigns. And they can be killed, by human or demon hands. Even if they have the capability to self-heal.”
“I always wondered why Liam would say not all demons are evil,” Morgan mused. “Do you think Jade knows her true heritage?”
“No.” He was certain of it. “She believes she’s fully human. I’m not sure she’d want to know the truth.”
Morgan gave him a pointed look. “And you’d prefer that as well, correct? Otherwise, she just might decide she has some higher purpose and take her father’s place in the village, thereby putting herself in more danger.”
“I do have my reasons for not telling her, yes. But beyond that, I don’t think she’d handle the reality well. She’s been raised to fear and loathe demons. We’ve given all humans ample cause for that.”