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“Then you’ll be disappointed to know the scout from this area is dead. He never made it far enough north; never reached the castle.”
Jade’s blood ran cold. She worked down a lump of horror in her throat, but then remembered the patrolman beside her had said there’d been other scouts to witness the rogues’ gathering. Surely one of them had provided a status update to Davian?
Hoping to buy more time, she said, “If the five of us pose such little challenge, feel free to wait for the king’s militia to join us. Otherwise, if you’re confident you’ll have an easy victory over our small number, know that three are demons and the other two are slayers.” A fib, but who on her side was going to call her bluff when it came to Michael’s status?
For their part, the pair of patrolmen alongside her didn’t react to her statement about there being three demons amongst them. But she knew they had to be curious, as were Toran and Michael, most likely.
“Needless to say,” she continued in a haughty tone, attempting to keep the conversation going so the renegades didn’t advance on them for a while longer, “we’re our own force with which to be reckoned. That’s why there’s so few of us.”
The general and his leader considered this as their steeds grew restless, pawing at the drift they stood in. She wondered if the demons were able to converse telepathically, because they seemed to be deep in thought—or silent discussion.
Finally, the general said, “Shifters on our side maimed one of your slayers. I don’t see him present.”
“He’s badly injured,” she told them. “Another was sworn in. The ink’s still wet on the king’s approval,” she added, in case they’d had any way to check the registry before they’d arrived. “We are official. And deadly.”
With the fire wraith’s army engaging them, she knew there’d be no dispute over Michael’s involvement in the fight, even if he were to kill a demon. She did, however, pray one didn’t get close enough to him to even require he lift his sword.
In order to facilitate that, Jade knew she needed a solid strategy.
Feigning nonchalance over the combat scenario—though she was teeming with nervous anxiety—she said, “I’m sure you’ve surmised the odds are significantly less in your favor now that you know there are demons prepared to fight you.”
She glanced first at the one on her left, then the one on her right. With a smug expression she had to muster beyond her fear, she said, “I’m perfectly capable of holding my own. Now that I know your weaknesses.”
She gave the fire wraith a pointed look, for surely he’d informed his second that she’d not been able to successfully defend herself against his previous assaults.
“I’m well aware of your tactics and prepared to counter them,” she insisted. Not a whole truth in reality, but she could at least be earnest in saying, “I’ve seen the Demon King defeat you twice. I’ve also learned how to kill each species—and am committed to doing it if attacked by outlaws.”
Well…that wasn’t exactly all said in earnest. Jade had not yet been instructed as to how to personally take on a wraith, fire or otherwise. She hadn’t gotten that far in her lessons with Toran. But no one knew that, so she continued with what her dear friend Lisette would call a poker face.
Thinking of the villagers—and that five members of her miniscule brigade stood between the demons and her people—made her sit taller on the horse she’d borrowed from Walker, unbeknownst to him, of course.
The wraith and the general appeared lost in telepathic thought again and Jade hoped the endless moments would drag out, because every minute spent in debate had to bring Davian and his soldiers that much closer. A theory she clung to, at any rate.
But the deliberation came to a prompt halt.
The general’s gaze swept over the insignificant defense he faced and he said, “We’d waste our time in battle here, when we could advance toward the castle.”
He yanked the reins of his horse and the animal reared. When its hooves landed in the snow, the beast turned brusquely from them.
Jade suddenly thought of how both Morgan and Davian were convinced the fire wraith would never storm the castle. The force was much too large there and the wraith had divided his army to surround the village.
Thus, regardless of what the second-in-command said, their more likely tactic would be to descend upon the band of five and then proceed into the woods to threaten the village—inevitably helping their plight against the king’s men. Davian’s demons would be commanded to protect the villagers, thereby diverting and dividing the effort. If this brigade could separate the king from his men and get him alone in a vulnerable position to execute their assassination plot…
Jade’s heart wrenched. She couldn’t bear the thought of Davian falling in combat. Especially when he fought so hard to minimize the risks against her people. And because she loved him desperately.
In a split second, she made a decision based solely on instinct.
In her hand, she still held the sword she’d unsheathed when the two demons beside her had arrived. As the rogue demon’s horse trotted away, she heaved the sword, end over end, with all her might. She aimed precisely at the spot on the demon’s back that mirrored the one Toran had marked on the front of their burlap dummy when training to slay vampires. She knew if the sword ran him through, she’d kill the general.
She held her breath as her insides seized up. Everything and everyone stilled. Even the breeze that had gently whistled through the trees died.
The blade penetrated the undead, and the vamp pitched forward, then dropped to the ground.
The entire scene remained frozen in time, as shocked disbelief gripped them all. Jade gasped at how accurate she’d been and how brazenly she’d killed the wraith’s deputy.
A minute or two must have slipped by, incredulity permeating the wintry air.
Then the fire wraith lit up the dusky sky in a fit of rage. His menacing horse reared in equal fury, causing Jade’s steed to react. The two demons flanking her lurched forward on their Arabians, coming together to protect Jade as she worked to get the horse under control.
