by Calista Fox
She swallowed hard, pushing all the apprehension and disgust into that abyss inside her where the majority of her feelings resided. She wasn’t even sure she could bring herself to kill a chicken. Yes, the butcher did it on a daily basis. Lopped their little heads right off and plucked their feathers. His wife did it as well. Plenty of others were in on the act, since many of the villagers raised chickens for eggs and meat.
As she hesitated, Tanner cajoled her. “Jade, if you can’t do this, how will you save yourself or someone else against an attack? You don’t want to end up like your parents or—”
“Shut up, Tanner.” Fury instantly rose within her and before it even registered in her mind, Jade mimicked his gripping technique and her fingers closed around the throat of the animal. She yanked back almost immediately and blood splattered everywhere. “Oh my God!” she screeched.
She dropped the flesh from her hands and raced to the bathroom as her entire body began to convulse. Plunging her hands in the clean water in the basin, she rinsed and then scrubbed them with a hand towel and soap. The bile rose in her throat as it had done at the clinic and she heaved into the toilet. Repeatedly.
Jade had no idea how much time passed as her vomiting turned into little more than gagging motions when there was nothing left in her stomach to expel.
Tanner came into the room with a fresh bowl of water and another towel. Squatting next to her, he asked, “You okay?”
“Sure,” she glared at him. “Just sorry I missed your boots.”
He chuckled, admiration showing in his bright green eyes. “I would’ve let it slide. That was pretty incredible for a first try. Next time, we’ll use a raccoon.”
Her stomach lurched again. “Please stop talking.”
He handed her the damp towel and then stood. “Come see me when you’re ready to do it again.”
Again?
Impossible. Impossible. Impossible.
Yet necessary.
Ugh.
In the back of her head, she knew she had to get over her repulsion and anxiety. But she wondered if she could. What she’d done hadn’t been particularly humane, though obviously the animal hadn’t suffered.
She’d once heard the larger suppliers of chickens put them head first into a metal cone and slit their jugulars to bleed them out, which apparently made the plucking easier. That couldn’t be a good way to go either. At least her chicken had gone quickly—and had given his life for a cause.
You keep telling yourself that.
She spent the majority of the evening sitting on the bathroom floor. Trying to block from her mind the image of what she’d done was nearly impossible, but she put a lot of effort into it. With her back against the wall and her knees drawn up to her chest, she closed her eyes and considered the position she’d put herself in by becoming a slayer.
But she didn’t have much chance to reconcile her feelings and actions. She heard boots on the floor and her eyelids snapped open.
“Jade, what’s wrong?” Darien knelt beside her, alarm in his voice.
Relief and emotion washed over her. She threw his arms around him and clung to him.
The sobbing started instantly. It wasn’t something she’d intended or anything she was proud of. She couldn’t help how she felt or stem the well as it erupted. He held her tightly as the pain of her parents’ deaths assaulted her, the memory raw because of Walker’s injuries and what she’d just done to the poor, unsuspecting chicken. Also, deep inside her, she knew she’d betrayed Darien, and that also devastated her.
He didn’t let her go or even make a move to release her. Though he clearly had no idea what had brought on her crying jag, he didn’t question it or make light of it. He simply settled into a more comfortable position on the floor with her. He kept her gathered close, stroking her hair as he always did when she was in pain.
Time slid by and the flow of tears eventually ebbed, though she sniffled and hiccupped.
“Are you sick?” Darien asked in a quiet voice.
She stared into his beautiful, amber eyes. The glowing irises soothed her. “I threw up a few times.”
He gave this some thought, then ventured, “Are you pregnant?” His tone suggested he didn’t find the idea the least bit offensive or troublesome. An interesting tidbit, but one she didn’t have the mental capacity to dwell on at the moment.
Shaking her head, she said, “No. I killed a chicken.”
His head cocked to the side. “Your first?”
“I’m not into maiming animals.”
“But you do eat chicken?”
With a sigh, she said, “I understand the concept, Darien. It’s the manner in which I killed it that disgusts me.”
“Must’ve been a violent death. You do have some blood on your sweater.”
“I’m sure the murder scene in my kitchen is much worse.”
He got to his feet and helped her to hers. “Why don’t you freshen up? I’ll deal with the other room.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t think she could face the carnage. What sane person would have done such a thing?
Then again, she knew in the back of her mind that Tanner had been right to force her hand. Now she had a better understanding of what it would be like to kill a demon. Only that scenario would be infinitely more difficult. At least she had some semblance of an idea as to what she’d be up against, particularly if they found the shifter that had hurt Walker.
After cleaning herself up and brushing her teeth and hair, she changed clothes and met Darien in the living room.
He wore a perplexed expression. “There was no chicken in your kitchen. No blood. Nothing.”
Her brows knitted together. “Tanner must have taken care of it.”
“Tanner?”
Jade’s heart plummeted. Her day of reckoning had come, and explaining everything to Darien would not make for pleasant conversation.
“Mind telling me what’s going on?” he asked in a low tone as he folded his arms over his chest. “You’re not wearing my ring.”
“I had to take it off for the slaughter.”
“Not for any other reason?”
She smiled, despite the tension gripping her. “You were gone for a while, but I didn’t turn my affection elsewhere, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“You’ve been forced to spend a lot of time with Tanner because of the incidents with the fire wraith.”
“You think he grew on me?” She let out a hollow laugh. “Trust me, Tanner and I have the push-pull relationship of an older brother and younger sister and nothing more. In fact, I have half a mind to kick him in the shin the next time I see him, but it wouldn’t do any good. He enjoys testing me.”
“Why?”
Here came the moment of truth. “You haven’t been to the castle yet, have you? You came straight here?”
“I left the patrol when I heard of Walker’s injuries. I returned to assemble another garrison to search for the shifter that attacked him. And to offer additional protection for the village.”
“The shifter seems to have vanished, like our fire wraith.”
“Yes, that’s a problem.” He absently stoked the fire, which had nearly died since she hadn’t attended to it all day. After tossing a log into the hearth, he turned back to her. “You were right about the caves. We found evidence the army had been there not long before we’d arrived. We’ve found multiple tracks leading in several different directions, and I’ve divided our forces to follow them.”
“Any more villages destroyed or humans murdered?”
“Not that we’re aware of. Although…” He winced. She clearly wasn’t the only one ill at ease. “My suspicion is they’re on a campaign to band together all the renegade demons on the continent. And head north.”
“Toward your castle.” And the human village that sat in its shadow. “Oh my God.”
“Don’t worry,” he was quick to say. “The reason I’m back is to prepare for their advance on us. They won’t make it into the vi
llage or up the hill to the castle. Even if they’ve gathered several hundred demons, my army is much bigger.” He paused, then added, “My greatest concern is the assault on Walker. The two slayers in the south were killed just before the rogue demons attacked the villages under each of the slayers’ protection.”
A chill slithered down her spine for many reasons. “So you think they’re close by?”
“Yes, I do.”
“And the village is vulnerable without Walker.”
“I won’t allow the demons to breach your borders.”
She nodded. “I believe you. It’s the random, individual assailants that currently worry me.”
He gave her one of his please-obey-my-command looks as he said, “Stick with Tanner when I’m not available. I feel much better with you under the protection of a slayer during times I can’t be here.”
“Yeah, about that…” She wrung her hands nervously. Not at all a common characteristic and one that drew his attention, so she forced herself to stop, dropping her hands to her sides. “The reason I asked whether you’d been to the castle yet is because there was some important paperwork delivered a few weeks ago. For the Registry of Slayers, to be exact.”
A disturbed expression crossed his face. “Has Walker died since I heard of the attack? Did Tanner file a death certificate?”
“No. Walker is still in recovery. But that left the village with only one slayer. Until another was sworn in. Those are the documents awaiting you at the castle.”
His eyes narrowed on her. “Someone new to the village?”
“No,” she repeated. “And, of course, there was no one with the necessary training or skill to step up, so I thought—”
“Jade.” The disturbed expression deepened. “Who is the new slayer?”
Panic welled within her, rising into her throat so she could barely breathe, let alone speak.
“Jade,” he said in a sharp tone. “Who?”
His hands shot out and gripped her biceps. Feeling her newly developed muscles must have made the entire scenario fall into place for him, because his intense gaze remained riveted on her. “Tell me you haven’t done anything reckless. Tell me you haven’t done anything that purposely puts your life in danger. Tell me!”
She swallowed hard, somehow managing to say, “I made Tanner swear me in the night Walker was attacked.”
“You did what?” Shock filled his wide eyes and fury radiated from his every pore.
His fingers tightened around her arms, but Jade didn’t flinch.
Hitching her chin a notch, she said, “I’m the new slayer.”
And here comes the king’s wrath…
Chapter Thirteen
Jade rushed on. “I told you a long time ago that I’ve always wondered if I should follow in my father’s shoes.”
Darien roared, “Jade Deville!”
He released her but grabbed her right forearm. Yanking back the long sleeve that covered her wrist and a portion of her hand, he let out a low growl. She wore the dark-brown leather band of a demon slayer.
“Your father wasn’t a slayer,” he ground out as a red-hot rage tore through him.
“He was the leader of the village though.” Her voice shook slightly as she spoke, as if she knew how deeply this would affect him, but had gone through with the ludicrous and dangerous action regardless. “Something Tanner has never been comfortable with. We complement each other quite nicely.”
He wanted to shake her. The desire was unrelenting, but he resisted the overwhelming urge, knowing he’d hurt her because he was so fired up. Letting go of her, he stalked away. Only to pull up short and spin back around to face her.
“This is a joke, right? You’re teasing me, the way you sometimes do.”
She squared her shoulders. “Does it look as though I’m teasing?”
The anger ripped through him again. He whirled around and clasped the wooden mantle with his hands, wanting very much to tear it from the stone fireplace.
“Please don’t hurt my house,” she pleaded. “I understand you’re mad, but—”
“I am not mad,” he said between clenched teeth. “I am furious. And I want to strangle you, Jade. Tanner too, for swearing you in.”
“It was my choice. Leave him out of it. I had to convince him to do it.”
“Why would you even want this?” he demanded. “After the wraith attacks? Goddamn it. You know how susceptible you are to pain, and yet you’ve gone and put yourself in the most hazardous position imaginable! Why?”
He couldn’t bring himself to turn back to her. She was smart enough not to try to placate him with a hand on the back or some other gesture. In fact, she was smart enough to keep her distance while his anger boiled in his veins.
“Slayers are born, not just cultivated,” she said. “I’ve always known I had the capability to fight—I was a natural from the first time I picked up a sword. But I needed more specific training, so I started working with Tanner months ago, after the fire wraith broke my hand and wrist. I didn’t like feeling so vulnerable, so I asked Tanner to help me. But that led to more advanced training, and then Walker got mauled and…”
She faltered, then took a breath before plunging ahead. “I knew I had to do something. The only expertise I didn’t possess that’s required by a slayer is the knowledge of how to kill a demon…and the ability to do it.”
Finally, he jerked around and glared at her. “The chicken?”
She nodded. “I ripped its throat out with my bare hand.”
The fury within him continued to mount. “Tanner’s idea of protecting you is to teach you how to square off with a shifter?”
“It’s something I need to learn, Darien. I am a slayer now.”
Holy hell. She intended to stand her ground with this suicidal idea. But he had a say in the matter. “You’re not a slayer until I sign the documents for the registry.”
She gasped. “You wouldn’t reject them.”
“Oh I most certainly would. I will.” He marched past her and collected his coat.
Scurrying after him, she said, “I don’t need your permission to do this!”
“But you need my signature to make it official. And Jade,” he said with a clear warning in his voice, “if you kill a demon without officially being a slayer, that violates my law.”
“And what? You’ll try me before a demon jury?”
“That’s the procedure for anyone who crosses that line.”
Glaring at him with an incredulous look on her face, she asked, “What if I’d killed the fire wraith?”
“That was different. You weren’t hunting it, it hunted you. But if you and Tanner seek out the shifter that attacked Walker, that makes you the stalker. I won’t be able to protect you from the ramifications.”
Of course, that wasn’t true. He was the king and could pardon her—particularly since the shifter had made the first move, with Walker. Yet he had to get his point across. The last thing he wanted or needed was to upset the current balance between the humans and the demons, even if it would always be a tenuous one. Nor did he want to lose confidence from his alliance because he’d shown mercy on someone who’d broken his rules.
Unfortunately, when it came to Jade, he’d found himself in an even more precarious situation than before. He wouldn’t back down though. Beyond the politics, her safety was at stake.
Shoving his arms into the sleeves of his coat, he said, “I won’t authorize the documents for the registry. And if you continue training with Tanner, I just might rescind his registration as well and strip him of his authority as a slayer.”
Her jaw fell slack. It took several seconds for her to recover. He waited patiently, prepared to respond to any retort.
When she’d composed herself, she said, “You can’t do that.”
Narrowing his gaze on her as he took several steps toward her, he asked, “What are those four little words you’re now forgetting?”
Her eyes darkened with her own anger. Visibly seeth
ing, she lifted her chin and said, “You are the king.”
“Very good.” He turned to go.
Before he made it through the door, however, she got her own jab in. “This is why we could never be married!”
He slammed the door behind him and mounted his horse. They rode hard to the castle, but the exertion and the frigid air did nothing to calm him or cool his temper. Passing through the tall gates, he realized he’d be a madman if he didn’t expend some of the searing energy within him. He hopped to the ground and handed his coat to a stable attendant, along with Thunder’s reins.
“I need an ax,” he announced, his voice heavy with agitation.
Moments later, he had what he wanted and stormed off. He left the walled perimeter of the vast grounds and trudged through the snow to the thick woods inhabited by most of the shifters in his alliance, as well as other demons who preferred a simpler lifestyle than was the norm within the castle.
He found a fallen tree with a thick trunk and took the ax to it, his blows strong, angry ones. The base was wide and required a significant amount of time to break through, despite Darien’s power and rage. Chopping, however, was a mindless—and harmless—way in which to release his emotions.
As the sharp blade struck the wood over and over again, he blocked his conversation with Jade from his thoughts and focused only on taking out his aggression and angst on the lumber. By the time he had three cords piled in the drifts, he was breathing heavy, but feeling a little less inclined to throttle someone.
He knew better than to blame Tanner for the turn of events. Though the slayer was older than Jade by a few years, Darien himself knew how difficult it was to refuse her when she set her mind to something. Her virtually unwavering constitution and will were traits he admired when it came to her.
He’d be a hypocrite to want her to be meek and timid. Easily manipulated or directed. His interest in her would never have developed were she not so determined and, yes, stubborn. It was the complete package he’d fallen in love with, not just her beautiful face and enticing body. He couldn’t deny that.