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“Yes, I’m aware of that.” And didn’t look forward to what practicing entailed. “Anyway, the demons Sebastian and Landford will continue their patrols on their side of the boundary,” she told the other slayer. “But we should resume our watch as well.”
“I’m okay with sticking to nights, if you want days,” he said.
“Maybe we should change that up every other week. Hardly seems fair for you to always have night patrol.”
“I don’t mind,” he said in his usual calm, even tone. “Besides, I don’t have a spouse to spend evenings with, so it doesn’t really matter to me.”
She frowned. “I don’t have a spouse to spend evenings with, either.”
“But you will when you marry the king.” A slight edge to his voice told her he remained wary of her decision. She could put him at ease, though.
“I highly doubt I’ll be marrying the king.” True, he hadn’t called off the engagement. But that was only because he currently wasn’t speaking to her.
A dark brow lifted and Toran asked, “You backed out now that the fire wraith and his bandits have been defeated?”
“No, I didn’t back out. But Davian is furious with me and I have a feeling that’s not going to change anytime soon.” Hadn’t both Morgan and Sheena said as much?
Her heart hurt over the thought of losing Davian for good. However, Jade feared she’d cry another river if she didn’t control her emotions. If the tears started flowing once more, they just might not stop this time. The only reason they had la
st night was due to fatigue. She hadn’t been able to fight sleep.
“I’m not sure what to say about that,” Toran told her. “I don’t want you to be unhappy, Jade. But marrying the Demon King… That’s a tough pill for the rest of us to swallow.”
“I understand. It’s all been rather shocking for me too.”
He regarded her a moment, as though curious about her feelings for a demon. The god of all demons, to be exact. But then he asked, “What about that thing you said to the vampire before you killed him on the battlefield? You told him there were three demons amongst us.”
“A little white lie. The third is a demi-demon, not full-on.” She brushed the hair from her neck to show him the mark. “Apparently, some co-mingling of species occurred in my family a long time ago. My father was part-demon as well. We share similar traits.”
“Aside from dark hair and blue eyes?”
Jade focused on the pen Toran had set aside when she’d entered the hall. He’d likely been completing his official report of the clashing with the rogue demons. She used her psychokinetic powers to lift it from the desk and bring it to her hand.
“Holy shit,” he muttered.
“Yeah.” She let him adjust to this revelation before adding, “There’s more. Davian didn’t want anyone visiting me when I was laid up at the cottage because I was badly injured, but healing quickly. Infinitely faster than a normal human being. It would have alarmed Michael and Lisette. You too, perhaps.”
He nodded. “I always sensed there was something different about you. So did Walker. That’s why we’ve often deferred to you—you know things the rest of us do not.”
“I’ve acted mostly on instinct, but sometimes with a hot head. I need to think more strategically going forward.”
“You were strategic when confronting the renegades, Jade. Don’t doubt that for a second.” Respect tinged his deep tone. It calmed her jangled nerves a bit.
She considered her maneuvering of late, physically and psychologically, and felt at peace with the decisions she’d made, regardless of the consequences she suffered. She’d done what was right by the villagers and in honor of her father.
“I appreciate your support,” Jade said. “I also want to continue the goodwill effort recently set in motion. We’ll work with the general, as my father once did. He’ll have to be the conduit to Davian, not me.”
The other slayer eyed her speculatively. “You’re taking this change in direction well.” He was surprisingly compassionate enough not to call it a breakup or otherwise jibe about her being dumped by the Demon King.
“On the outside, Toran. On the outside.” She stood. “Let’s get back to training tomorrow. We never got to wraiths. I had no idea what to do with that menacing apparition from hell.”
He snickered. “You never made it past the chicken, Jade. You’re still on shifters. I told you, a raccoon is next.”
She blanched. “You were serious about that?”
“We’ll figure it out.” He shook his head at her, as though to call her the slacker slayer. Evidently, his congeniality and camaraderie only went so far.
Jade marched out of the meeting hall and to the tavern, where she found Michael prepping for the evening ahead.
