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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 two previous attacks.
Unfortunately, Jade had not yet learned how to defeat a wraith, fire or otherwise. She hadn’t gotten that far in her lessons with Tanner. But no one knew that, so she continued with what her dear friend Lisette would call a poker face.
Thinking of the villagers and the fact the five members of her small 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 continue to drag out, because every second spent in debate had to bring Darien and his forces that much closer. A theory she clung to, at any rate.
But the deliberation came to an abrupt halt.
His gaze sweeping over the miniscule army he faced, the general 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 away from them.
Jade suddenly thought of how both Morgan and Darien 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, the more likely scenario was that they would attack the band of five and advance into the woods to threaten the village, which would inevitably help their plight against the king’s men—regardless of what the second-in-command said. She’d stake her life on the fact they thought they could draw the king away from any faction he led, leaving him vulnerable, if she was in danger or if her village were at risk.
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 Tanner had marked on the front of their burlap-covered dummy. She knew if the sword ran him through, she’d kill the vampire.
She held her breath as her insides seized up. To her extreme relief, though, the blade penetrated the body and the demon slumped forward then dropped to the ground.
The entire scene seemed to freeze, as shocked disbelief gripped them all. Even Jade gasped at how accurate she’d been and how brazenly she’d killed the wraith’s general.
A minute or two must have slipped by, and then the fire wraith lit up the dusky sky in a fit of rage. His horse reared in equal fury, causing Jade’s steed to react. The two demons beside her lurched forward on their Arabians, coming together to protect Jade as she worked to get the horse under control.
But the wraith surged toward the threesome, as did the first line of his army.
Jade pulled back, but the wraith swooped in, a sword in his left hand, since Darien had hacked off the right one during the
fight at the church.
She withdrew her second sword and swung it soundly. The wraith’s blade clashed with hers. She’d been prepared for the jolt the impact would cause and remained steady. Her two demon companions were instantly immersed in a fight, and Tanner charged in to join them.
Jade fought the wraith while her agitated horse responded to the fire blazing close to it. Finally, the animal jerked and launched Jade from his back. She landed in a thick bank, thankfully with her sword still in hand. Leaving his own horse, the wraith moved in with forceful blows that jarred her to the core of her being. Yet she kept fighting.
He opened his mouth and a fireball shot out, but she’d been expecting it this time and skillfully dodged the fiery orb. It exploded as it connected with the tree next to her and the limbs burst into flames.
Jade kept her focus on the wraith. She received hit after hit against her blade but managed to deliver a few herself. Yet her strength waned. And the heat emitted from the wraith made her burn from the inside out. Perspiration dotted her hairline. Her heart thundered. Her pulse hammered in her head. The ache in her fingers from gripping the hilt so tightly flowed into her wrists and radiated throughout her body. But she didn’t give up.
She caught Michael in her peripheral vision as he tried to assess the situation and seemingly find the best move to make in order to distract the wraith so she could better attack him.
“Michael, no!” she yelled, wanting to keep him out of harm’s way.
He didn’t have the opportunity to help her. The roar of the king’s army suddenly echoed all around them.
Jade spared a quick glance to the north and saw at least five hundred of the king’s men charge toward the field. She knew he must have dispatched similar numbers to encircle the perimeter.
In the distance, she also heard what she believed to be Morgan’s patrol.
A sense of relief and renewed energy vibrated within her and she found the drive to put more power behind her swings as she continued to challenge the fire wraith. His attention was clearly divided, otherwise she likely wouldn’t have lasted as long as she did with him. Knowing this, she took advantage of the diversion when Morgan’s group descended upon the wraith’s army from behind.
She swiped at the ghost’s midsection. He let out a near ear-piercing screech that sent her reeling backward. Jade stumbled, tripping over a tree stump buried in the snow. She fell on her ass again but kept hold of her sword. The screeching wraith pitched forward, his blade slicing the air, targeting her. With the agility she’d gained from her work with Tanner, she rolled away, unscathed.
“Jade!” Darien called out.
She could see his and Morgan’s men quickly reduce the wraith’s army. Only a few stood, and those rogue demons charged Tanner and Michael.
