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“Can we count on her to follow your direction and stay in the village?”
“She knows the extent of my patience and tolerance.” He hadn’t missed the flicker of dread in her eyes while his temper had simmered over her unexpected declaration of their now-impending nuptials. She’d known she’d vexed him. Yet again. “I’m positive we have nothing to worry about with her or Toran. Jade will obey my command this time.”
“I still can’t believe you permitted her to take the slayer’s oath,” the general said as they rode through the woods.
“Who says I permitted her? She had Toran swear her in while I was gone.”
Morgan shot him a perplexed look. “You didn’t have to approve the registry.”
With a jerk of his head and a sardonic tone, Davian said, “As if that would stop her.”
His general was silent as they passed over the narrow bridge in single file formation before doubling up once more. “Forgive me for asking, but how will you justify marrying a demon slayer?”
Davian sighed. “That does complicate matters.” By a lot. “She wasn’t a slayer when I proposed.”
A snort from Morgan was followed by, “As if that would stop you.”
“No, I didn’t intend to rescind the proposal. But I could have used some additional time to work out the semantics. Now I’m relying on the fact that she’s part-demon to help smooth the waters with my coalition.”
He was resigned to an inevitability he hadn’t previously considered. “Her being a slayer certainly gives her more weight than when she was merely human. The demi-demon aspect will work in her favor as well, since she’s proven that she can build relations with the demons within my castle walls, and it’s the rogue demons she’s bound to slay, not those who’ve sworn their loyalty to me. Our union will prove we’re both serious about maintaining peace.”
That was a very reasonable stance to take, he decided. One that would validate the choice he’d made when he’d selected his queen.
They climbed the hill, then dispersed, each having strategic tasks to implement.
Unfortunately, Davian’s optimism about marrying Jade waned as he gave the predicament more thought. He could not dismiss Morgan’s statements and found himself wondering if he truly could pull off the impossible.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jade spent the majority of the day making the rounds in the village, popping into shops to listen to her neighbors’ fears regarding the invading demon force, and the king’s militia surrounding the perimeter of their small community.
She attempted to calm her worried—and wary—friends, but there was more to the deep-seated concern than the threat of attack. She’d created upheaval and turmoil with her announcement that she intended to marry the Demon King, but she was diplomatic in placating everyone and actually quite good at soothing frayed nerves. To an extent, anyway.
Her last stop was the tavern, where she sat with the regulars and assured them the king’s army would deal swiftly with the renegades, now that their whereabouts had been narrowed down.
Michael asked, “What if these demons break through one of the barricades?”
“Then Toran and I will have to protect the villagers. In fact, it would be a good idea for everyone to remain in this general area as long as feasible tomorrow and the next day, since this is the inner sanctum, farthest away from the borders. Stay inside your homes at night, so no one’s wandering about, making a target of themselves.”
The severity of the situation did not escape anyone. Jade imagined this was the sort of tension and terror Lisette and the elders had experienced with the Demon War decades ago.
The waiting, she decided, was the hardest part. Having no idea what happened outside of Ryleigh and not being directly involved in the conflict created as much consternation as the danger against the people she’d vowed to protect.
So when Toran strutted in with a purposeful gait, she jumped from her chair and met him in front of the fireplace.
“Something happened, I can see it in your eyes,” she said, though he was clearly trying to keep a reserved visage.
“Bring your swords,” he said in a quiet voice.
She collected both, and her jacket. They left the tavern, but someone followed them. She spun around and found Michael hot on their heels.
“Whatever it is,” he said, “you can probably use another sword.”
“You don’t have a sword,” she reminded him.
Toran handed over one of his. “Do you know how to use it?”
“Of course. Not as well as either of you, but I can manage.”
