Deadly Attraction (26 page)

Her stomach lurched again. “Please stop talking.”

He handed her the damp towel and then stood. “Come see me
when you’re ready to do it again.”

Again?

Impossible. Impossible. Impossible.

Yet necessary.

Ugh.

In the back of her head, she knew she had to get over her
repulsion and anxiety. But she wondered if she could. What she’d done hadn’t
been particularly humane, though obviously the animal hadn’t suffered.

She’d once heard the larger suppliers of chickens put them
head first into a metal cone and slit their jugulars to bleed them out, which
apparently made the plucking easier. That couldn’t be a good way to go either.
At least her chicken had gone quickly—and had given his life for a cause.

You keep telling yourself that.

She spent the majority of the evening sitting on the
bathroom floor. Trying to block from her mind the image of what she’d done was
nearly impossible, but she put a lot of effort into it. With her back against
the wall and her knees drawn up to her chest, she closed her eyes and
considered the position she’d put herself in by becoming a slayer.

But she didn’t have much chance to reconcile her feelings
and actions. She heard boots on the floor and her eyelids snapped open.

“Jade, what’s wrong?” Darien knelt beside her, alarm in his
voice.

Relief and emotion washed over her. She threw his arms
around him and clung to him.

The sobbing started instantly. It wasn’t something she’d
intended or anything she was proud of. She couldn’t help how she felt or stem
the well as it erupted. He held her tightly as the pain of her parents’ deaths
assaulted her, the memory raw because of Walker’s injuries and what she’d just
done to the poor, unsuspecting chicken. Also, deep inside her, she knew she’d
betrayed Darien, and that also devastated her.

He didn’t let her go or even make a move to release her.
Though he clearly had no idea what had brought on her crying jag, he didn’t
question it or make light of it. He simply settled into a more comfortable
position on the floor with her. He kept her gathered close, stroking her hair
as he always did when she was in pain.

Time slid by and the flow of tears eventually ebbed, though
she sniffled and hiccupped.

“Are you sick?” Darien asked in a quiet voice.

She stared into his beautiful, amber eyes. The glowing
irises soothed her. “I threw up a few times.”

He gave this some thought, then ventured, “Are you
pregnant?” His tone suggested he didn’t find the idea the least bit offensive
or troublesome. An interesting tidbit, but one she didn’t have the mental
capacity to dwell on at the moment.

Shaking her head, she said, “No. I killed a chicken.”

His head cocked to the side. “Your first?”

“I’m not into maiming animals.”

“But you do eat chicken?”

With a sigh, she said, “I understand the concept, Darien.
It’s the manner in which I killed it that disgusts me.”

“Must’ve been a violent death. You do have some blood on
your sweater.”

“I’m sure the murder scene in my kitchen is much worse.”

He got to his feet and helped her to hers. “Why don’t you
freshen up? I’ll deal with the other room.”

“Thank you.” She didn’t think she could face the carnage.
What sane person would have done such a thing?

Then again, she knew in the back of her mind that Tanner had
been right to force her hand. Now she had a better understanding of what it
would be like to kill a demon. Only that scenario would be infinitely more
difficult. At least she had some semblance of an idea as to what she’d be up
against, particularly if they found the shifter that had hurt Walker.

After cleaning herself up and brushing her teeth and hair,
she changed clothes and met Darien in the living room.

He wore a perplexed expression. “There was no chicken in your
kitchen. No blood. Nothing.”

Her brows knitted together. “Tanner must have taken care of
it.”

“Tanner?”

Jade’s heart plummeted. Her day of reckoning had come, and
explaining everything to Darien would not make for pleasant conversation.

“Mind telling me what’s going on?” he asked in a low tone as
he folded his arms over his chest. “You’re not wearing my ring.”

“I had to take it off for the slaughter.”

“Not for any other reason?”

She smiled, despite the tension gripping her. “You were gone
for a while, but I didn’t turn my affection elsewhere, if that’s what you’re
thinking.”

“You’ve been forced to spend a lot of time with Tanner
because of the incidents with the fire wraith.”

“You think he grew on me?” She let out a hollow laugh.
“Trust me, Tanner and I have the push-pull relationship of an older brother and
younger sister and nothing more. In fact, I have half a mind to kick him in the
shin the next time I see him, but it wouldn’t do any good. He enjoys testing
me.”

“Why?”

Here came the moment of truth. “You haven’t been to the
castle yet, have you? You came straight here?”

“I left the patrol when I heard of Walker’s injuries. I
returned to assemble another garrison to search for the shifter that attacked
him. And to offer additional protection for the village.”

“The shifter seems to have vanished, like our fire wraith.”

“Yes, that’s a problem.” He absently stoked the fire, which
had nearly died since she hadn’t attended to it all day. After tossing a log
into the hearth, he turned back to her. “You were right about the caves. We
found evidence the army had been there not long before we’d arrived. We’ve
found multiple tracks leading in several different directions, and I’ve divided
our forces to follow them.”

“Any more villages destroyed or humans murdered?”

“Not that we’re aware of. Although…” He winced. She clearly
wasn’t the only one ill at ease. “My suspicion is they’re on a campaign to band
together all the renegade demons on the continent. And head north.”

“Toward your castle.” And the human village that sat in its
shadow. “Oh my God.”

“Don’t worry,” he was quick to say. “The reason I’m back is
to prepare for their advance on us. They won’t make it into the village or up
the hill to the castle. Even if they’ve gathered several hundred demons, my
army is much bigger.” He paused, then added, “My greatest concern is the
assault on Walker. The two slayers in the south were killed just before the
rogue demons attacked the villages under each of the slayers’ protection.”

A chill slithered down her spine for many reasons. “So you
think they’re close by?”

“Yes, I do.”

“And the village is vulnerable without Walker.”

“I won’t allow the demons to breach your borders.”

She nodded. “I believe you. It’s the random, individual
assailants that currently worry me.”

He gave her one of his please-obey-my-command looks as he
said, “Stick with Tanner when I’m not available. I feel much better with you
under the protection of a slayer during times I can’t be here.”

“Yeah, about that…” She wrung her hands nervously. Not at
all a common characteristic and one that drew his attention, so she forced
herself to stop, dropping her hands to her sides. “The reason I asked whether
you’d been to the castle yet is because there was some important paperwork
delivered a few weeks ago. For the Registry of Slayers, to be exact.”

A disturbed expression crossed his face. “Has Walker died
since I heard of the attack? Did Tanner file a death certificate?”

“No. Walker is still in recovery. But that left the village
with only one slayer. Until another was sworn in. Those are the documents
awaiting you at the castle.”

His eyes narrowed on her. “Someone new to the village?”

“No,” she repeated. “And, of course, there was no one with
the necessary training or skill to step up, so I thought—”

“Jade.” The disturbed expression deepened. “Who is the new
slayer?”

Panic welled within her, rising into her throat so she could
barely breathe, let alone speak.

“Jade,” he said in a sharp tone. “
Who
?”

His hands shot out and gripped her biceps. Feeling her newly
developed muscles must have made the entire scenario fall into place for him,
because his intense gaze remained riveted on her. “Tell me you haven’t done
anything reckless. Tell me you haven’t done anything that purposely puts your
life in danger. Tell me!”

She swallowed hard, somehow managing to say, “I made Tanner
swear me in the night Walker was attacked.”

“You did
what?
” Shock filled his wide eyes and fury
radiated from his every pore.

His fingers tightened around her arms, but Jade didn’t
flinch.

Hitching her chin a notch, she said, “I’m the new slayer.”

And here comes the king’s wrath…

Chapter Thirteen

Jade rushed on. “I told you a long time ago that I’ve always
wondered if I should follow in my father’s shoes.”

Darien roared, “Jade Deville!”

He released her but grabbed her right forearm. Yanking back
the long sleeve that covered her wrist and a portion of her hand, he let out a
low growl. She wore the dark-brown leather band of a demon slayer.

“Your father wasn’t a slayer,” he ground out as a red-hot
rage tore through him.

“He was the leader of the village though.” Her voice shook
slightly as she spoke, as if she knew how deeply this would affect him, but had
gone through with the ludicrous and dangerous action regardless. “Something
Tanner has never been comfortable with. We complement each other quite nicely.”

He wanted to shake her. The desire was unrelenting, but he
resisted the overwhelming urge, knowing he’d hurt her because he was so fired
up. Letting go of her, he stalked away. Only to pull up short and spin back
around to face her.

“This is a joke, right? You’re teasing me, the way you
sometimes do.”

She squared her shoulders. “Does it look as though I’m
teasing?”

The anger ripped through him again. He whirled around and
clasped the wooden mantle with his hands, wanting very much to tear it from the
stone fireplace.

“Please don’t hurt my house,” she pleaded. “I understand
you’re mad, but—”

“I am not mad,” he said between clenched teeth. “I am
furious. And I want to strangle you, Jade. Tanner too, for swearing you in.”

“It was my choice. Leave him out of it. I had to convince
him to do it.”

“Why would you even want this?” he demanded. “After the
wraith attacks? Goddamn it. You know how susceptible you are to pain, and yet
you’ve gone and put yourself in the most hazardous position imaginable!
Why
?”

He couldn’t bring himself to turn back to her. She was smart
enough not to try to placate him with a hand on the back or some other gesture.
In fact, she was smart enough to keep her distance while his anger boiled in
his veins.

“Slayers are born, not just cultivated,” she said. “I’ve
always known I had the capability to fight—I was a natural from the first time
I picked up a sword. But I needed more specific training, so I started working
with Tanner months ago, after the fire wraith broke my hand and wrist. I didn’t
like feeling so vulnerable, so I asked Tanner to help me. But that led to more
advanced training, and then Walker got mauled and…”

She faltered, then took a breath before plunging ahead. “I
knew I had to do something. The only expertise I didn’t possess that’s required
by a slayer is the knowledge of how to kill a demon…and the ability to do it.”

Finally, he jerked around and glared at her. “The chicken?”

She nodded. “I ripped its throat out with my bare hand.”

The fury within him continued to mount. “Tanner’s idea of
protecting you is to teach you how to square off with a shifter?”

“It’s something I need to learn, Darien. I am a slayer now.”

Holy hell.
She intended to stand her ground with this
suicidal idea. But he had a say in the matter. “You’re not a slayer until I
sign the documents for the registry.”

She gasped. “You wouldn’t reject them.”

“Oh I most certainly would. I
will
.” He marched past
her and collected his coat.

Scurrying after him, she said, “I don’t need your permission
to do this!”

“But you need my signature to make it official. And Jade,”
he said with a clear warning in his voice, “if you kill a demon without
officially being a slayer, that violates my law.”

“And what? You’ll try me before a demon jury?”

“That’s the procedure for
anyone
who crosses that
line.”

Glaring at him with an incredulous look on her face, she
asked, “What if I’d killed the fire wraith?”

“That was different. You weren’t hunting it, it hunted you.
But if you and Tanner seek out the shifter that attacked Walker, that makes you
the stalker. I won’t be able to protect you from the ramifications.”

Of course, that wasn’t true. He was the king and could
pardon her—particularly since the shifter had made the first move, with Walker.
Yet he had to get his point across. The last thing he wanted or needed was to
upset the current balance between the humans and the demons, even if it would
always be a tenuous one. Nor did he want to lose confidence from his alliance
because he’d shown mercy on someone who’d broken his rules.

Unfortunately, when it came to Jade, he’d found himself in
an even more precarious situation than before. He wouldn’t back down though.
Beyond the politics, her safety was at stake.

Shoving his arms into the sleeves of his coat, he said, “I
won’t authorize the documents for the registry. And if you continue training
with Tanner, I just might rescind his registration as well and strip him of his
authority as a slayer.”

Her jaw fell slack. It took several seconds for her to
recover. He waited patiently, prepared to respond to any retort.

When she’d composed herself, she said, “You can’t do that.”

Narrowing his gaze on her as he took several steps toward
her, he asked, “What are those four little words you’re now forgetting?”

Her eyes darkened with her own anger. Visibly seething, she
lifted her chin and said, “You are the king.”

“Very good.” He turned to go.

Before he made it through the door, however, she got her own
jab in. “
This
is why we could never be married!”

He slammed the door behind him and mounted his horse. They
rode hard to the castle, but the exertion and the frigid air did nothing to
calm him or cool his temper. Passing through the tall gates, he realized he’d
be a madman if he didn’t expend some of the searing energy within him. He
hopped to the ground and handed his coat to a stable attendant, along with
Thunder’s reins.

“I need an ax,” he announced, his voice heavy with
agitation.

Moments later, he had what he wanted and stormed off. He
left the walled perimeter of the vast grounds and trudged through the snow to
the thick woods inhabited by most of the shifters in his alliance, as well as
other demons who preferred a simpler lifestyle than was the norm within the
castle.

He found a fallen tree with a thick trunk and took the ax to
it, his blows strong, angry ones. The base was wide and required a significant
amount of time to break through, despite Darien’s power and rage. Chopping,
however, was a mindless—and harmless—way in which to release his emotions.

As the sharp blade struck the wood over and over again, he
blocked his conversation with Jade from his thoughts and focused only on taking
out his aggression and angst on the lumber. By the time he had three cords
piled in the drifts, he was breathing heavy, but feeling a little less inclined
to throttle someone.

He knew better than to blame Tanner for the turn of events.
Though the slayer was older than Jade by a few years, Darien himself knew how
difficult it was to refuse her when she set her mind to something. Her
virtually unwavering constitution and will were traits he admired when it came
to her.

He’d be a hypocrite to want her to be meek and timid. Easily
manipulated or directed. His interest in her would never have developed were
she not so determined and, yes, stubborn. It was the complete package he’d
fallen in love with, not just her beautiful face and enticing body. He couldn’t
deny that.

What irritated him, however, was the fact he feared he’d
never be able to keep her safe. It wasn’t a concern that had cropped up with
her admission she’d been sworn in as a slayer, but one that had manifested
itself deep within him from that day he’d found her weeping on the riverbank.
She’d been alone and vulnerable to pain for a long time. Then the fire wraith
had injured her twice, nearly killing her once, and Darien was not so arrogant
that he didn’t blame himself for not shielding her from danger.

This nagging thought had him hacking away at other trees
until the sun rose. Having stacked several more cords, he finally felt his
tension had eased enough for him to be civil. He returned to the castle.

Entering his study, he tossed his leather coat on the sofa
and sank into the large chair behind his desk. He needed a shower and something
to eat, but when Sheena joined him, he knew he’d get no reprieve from the
disaster he’d returned to—and the inevitable outcome.

She placed a pile of papers before him, but held a large,
opened envelope in one hand. Instinctively, he deduced what was inside.

“Jade’s paperwork for the slayer’s registrar?” he ventured.

Sheena looked taken aback. “How did you know?”

“I already spoke with her.” He held his hand out and she
gave him the packet.

His assistant took the chair on the opposite side of his
desk. “My Lord,” she said, maintaining a professional tone, though he didn’t
miss the concern lacing it. “You won’t sign those documents, will you?”

He let out a long breath and shoved a hand through his hair,
which was damp from sweat and snow. “I will.”

Sheena shot to her feet. “How can you say that?”

Darien eyed her speculatively, but she didn’t back down. Or
sit. Apparently, she was too fueled by her own emotions to remain objective.

“She’ll get herself killed,” Sheena admonished.

“She might.” It wasn’t the first time he’d considered the
possibility.

“And you’ll stand by and do nothing to stop her?”

He set aside the envelope and said, “I’ve never blocked the
recording of a slayer’s oath. It’s their choice to take the post. Not many
humans possess the necessary traits, expertise or will to rise to the occasion,
so I’ve never been concerned with an exorbitant amount of slayers on the
continent.”

They served their purpose well, after all.

“There have always been two of them in Ryleigh,” he
continued. “The village was down to one with Walker’s condition. I would have
cataloged any new slayer they took on. They work with Morgan and me, and I
believe their presence helps to promote a measure of assurance that those under
my rule won’t revolt and massacre the villagers.”

“But we’re not talking about just
anyone
coming
forward to assume the injured slayer’s position. We’re talking about Jade.”

He speared Sheena with a hard stare. “Don’t you think I’ve
considered that? I’ve just spent the better part of an evening and the morning
taking out my anger on several trees so I didn’t do anything foolish in the
village. I’m mad as hell but…” He let out a harsh breath. “She’s not normal. In
a lot of ways. And perhaps it’s time I fully accept that.”

Sheena collapsed into the chair with a dire expression on
her face. “In order to become a slayer, my Lord, she has to know how to kill
demons.”

He nodded. “She’s learning.”

The vampire appeared stricken. “But
we’re
demons!”

Darien sat forward, clasping his hands and resting them on
top of his desk. “Isn’t this an interesting twist of fate?” he mused.

She imitated his pose. “From what I know of Jade, she’s
spent most of her life living in fear of us because of the wars and because of
what happened to her parents. But she let us help her. She let us into her life.”

“And you’re afraid she’s going to consider you the enemy now
that she’s a slayer?”

Sheena’s gaze dropped.

Darien continued. “You haven’t been to see her since you
received the paperwork for the registry, have you?”

“No,” she said in a quiet voice he’d never heard from her.
“I thought we were friends. But how can we be, really?”

Jade’s parting shot from last night echoed in his head.

This is why we could never be married!

He mulled over the comment for a few minutes, but another
thought came into play as he did.

“Perhaps she was meant to be more than a slayer. She wants
to protect her neighbors, but she’s also challenged me on occasion to help
broaden their horizons. Make life for the humans more comfortable and less
‘dark ages’. She advocates for justice and she understands politics on both
sides of the border. In fact, she’s more…ambassador…than slayer. Although I
wouldn’t discount her fighting skills against anyone other than a fire wraith.
Even I had difficulty with that species.”

Sheena seemed to like the direction in which his speculation
had run. “If you were to make her a diplomat, my Lord, a conduit between us and
them, the demons under your command would be less threatened by her. More
accepting of her.”

“Yes. And she might be less inclined to jump into dangerous
situations.”

His ulterior motives cropped up without surprise. He loved
her, after all. He’d do anything to help keep her out of harm’s way. Appointing
her ambassador would mean she could come and go from the castle under the
protection of his governing laws.

And within the village, she could serve as a leader but
would have much to do, thereby leaving Tanner to the majority of patrols.
Darien would supplement the deficiency of a second full-time slayer by
assigning two of his men to guard the outer woods on the demon side of the
border.

“If Jade wants to be a representative for her villagers,” he
said, “I’ll support that. I want to strengthen relations between humans and
demons. We all live on the same continent. And while we’ll never experience
true unity, at least we can try to get along.”

He thought of the story she’d told him from the
North and
South
novel. Some differences couldn’t be overcome naturally. But some
could…

Standing, he continued. “I need a shower, then I’m going
back to the cottage. Maybe in a couple of days, you’ll visit Jade?”

“Yes, my Lord.” She left his study.

* * * * *

Jade arrived at her house around seven a.m. She’d taken
Tanner’s patrol because she’d been too charged from her confrontation with
Darien to sleep. Now she was exhausted. She crawled into bed and was out within
minutes.