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“I’m more than a stand-in,” she bristled. Tugging on the sleeve of her sweater, she showed him her bracelet. “The king signed the papers last night.”
Morgan’s shocked gaze flashed to Darien.
The king raised a hand. “Again, I’ll explain later. The fact she’s a registered slayer has no bearing on the current state of affairs. This isn’t a fight to include the villagers’ or the slayers’ involvement. It’s between my army and the fire wraith’s.”
Regardless, Jade felt panic swirl in her belly.
Darien continued, saying to Morgan, “I want you to recall your patrols and have them come upon the perimeter of the village slowly, so as to thwart a retreat by the invaders.”
“Certainly.”
“We’ll assemble an army to barricade the border and advance on the renegades, pushing them outward. Station your troops at least a half-mile from the woods, so the wraith’s soldiers can’t penetrate the boundaries and scatter in the forest. The slayers will stay within the village. We’ll drive the wraith’s army back, or toward the castle, but certainly away from Ryleigh.”
“Wait,” she interjected in a quiet tone, so her constituency didn’t hear her. Her heart pounded erratically. “I can’t just accept you surrounding the village with your forces. You’re talking about two demon armies right outside our borders, encompassing us. No human is going to be accepting of that, including me.”
Darien’s brow jerked. “You doubt my intentions?”
“Of course not.” Though dread mixed with her panic. “But put yourself in our position.”
The word “our” made his eyes narrow on her. He clearly heard “the humans’ position” instead.
She rushed on. “What I’m saying is, you’re trapping us within the village boundaries.” A sense of claustrophobia seized her, but helplessness turned out to be a greater fear. “Come on, Darien. I can’t tell these people they’ll be the centerpiece in a demon-demon war. I don’t care that your army is bigger and more powerful. Even I feel threatened by being closed in.”
“You?” he demanded in a voice that held disbelief. “You would doubt me?”
“That’s not what I’m saying. I just—”
He turned sharply and stalked away. Jade’s distress escalated. Yet a thought sprang to her mind, and without second-guessing the obscure notion, she said, “Wait. I know how to ensure the villagers’ safety—and bolster their confidence—so you can deploy your army.”
She turned back to the melee in the meeting room. “We’re in a very precarious situation, and the threat does not come from the castle above us.” Jade spoke loud enough to her neighbors that a hush fell over the crowd.
“The fire wraith that attacked me twice leads an army headed this way. The king and his general will do everything in their power to keep that army from breaching our borders. But they have to barricade the perimeter of our village with demons in order to do it.”
Malcolm Carter, the blacksmith, shouted, “It’s a trick!”
This caused an outbreak of panic from the men and terror-filled shrieks from the women and children.
Jade leaped onto the seat of her chair and whistled loudly. Then she said, “I can assure you, this is no trick.”
When the din quieted enough for her to speak, she continued. “I’ve seen the fire wraith. I’ve been injured by him. Badly. More so than any of you know, with the exception of the king and his staff.”
Her gaze slid to Michael, who merely shook his head and averted his eyes. While her heart hurt because of the strain on their friendship, she didn’t waver from her duty. “I understand how difficult this is to reconcile in your minds. I’m struggling as well. As my father did, years ago. But the fact remains, we’re in jeopardy from demons outside the king’s alliance. And if he offers his assistance to us, I cannot, in good faith toward all of you, refuse it.”
Jade allowed the villagers to squawk and fret. The men were outraged and she didn’t blame them. Tanner folded his arms over his chest and gave her a curious look, as though to indicate she’d stuck her foot in her mouth and had worsened their troubles.
She disagreed.
“If you’re done,” she said in a sharp tone that garnered attention. She hopped down from the chair and addressed everyone as they returned to their seats again. “I have it on very good authority, with personal stakes involved, that the king and his general will keep their word and drive back the invading force—without harming any of us.”
“How, Jade?” This statement, laced with incredulity, came from Max Wilkins, the butcher.
She pulled in a breath, then surged forward. “First, I’ve been appointed by the king himself as an ambassador of peace between the demons and humans.”
Anticipating the eruption of dialogue, she waited a few minutes, then added, “In addition to being a slayer, I’m committing myself to improving relations between humans on this continent and the demons in the king’s alliance. What we don’t have control over, but which I am confident the king eventually will, are the renegade demons that make their random attacks.”
Malcolm was bold enough to ask, “How can you trust them, Jade?”
Without hesitating, she replied, “Because I know the king and his general. I’ve seen the lengths to which they’ll go for someone who lives outside their castle walls. I know their goodwill can stretch much further. And I will give you my personal guarantee that we are not in danger from the king or his men.”
