“Toward your kingdom.” And the human village that sat in its shadow. Her village. “Oh, my God.”
“Don’t worry,” Davian was quick to say. “The reason I’m back is to prepare for their advance on us. They won’t make it into Ryleigh or up the hill to the castle. Even if they’ve gathered several hundred demons, my army is much, much bigger.” He paused, then added, “My greatest concern is the assault on Walker. Two slayers in the south were killed just before the rogue demons attacked the villages under their protection.”
A chill slithered through her for many reasons. “You believe they’re close by?”
“Yes, I do.”
“And Ryleigh is vulnerable without Walker.”
“I won’t allow the demons to breach your borders, sweetheart.” His look turned tender, though there was steely resolve in the fiery rims of his irises.
Jade nodded. Yet myriad emotions gnawed at her. She knew he spoke the truth—and she had to provide him that affirmation. “I trust you, Davian.” Her fingers brushed along his chiseled cheek, his set jaw. “It’s the random, individual assailants that currently worry me.”
He gave her one of his silent please obey me commands as he said, “Stick with Toran when I’m not available; especially now that I know I have nothing to worry about with the two of you.”
“Never doubt who owns my heart,” she insisted.
He kissed her forehead. “You once did of me, at the castle. It’s a thorny emotion—and you know I don’t ever want to lose you. I’ll feel much better with you under the protection of a slayer during times I can’t be here.”
“Yeah, about that…” Her fingers stopped stroking his face. She wrung her hands nervously. Not at all a common characteristic and one which drew the king’s attention, so she forced herself to stop, letting her hands fall to her sides. “The reason I asked whether you’d been to the castle is because there was some important paperwork delivered a few weeks ago. For the Registry of Slayers, to be precise.”
His eyes darkened in a suddenly disturbed way. “Has Walker died since I heard of the incident? Did Toran 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.”
His shoulders tensed. Subtly—but Jade took note. “Someone new to the village?” he ventured.
“Not exactly,” she said, her internal consternation mounting. “And, of course, there was no one with the necessary training or skill-set to step up, so I thought—”
“Jade.” Disturbed became the ultimate understatement for the emotion that clearly besieged him. “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 he gripped her biceps. Feeling her newly developed muscles evidently made it all click for Davian, because his intent gaze remained riveted on her. “Tell me you haven’t done anything reckless, Jade. Tell me you haven’t gone against my wishes—that you haven’t purposely put your life in danger. Tell me!”
Somehow, she managed to say, “I made Toran swear me in the night Walker was attacked.”
“You did not!” Davian erupted. Shock filled his wide eyes and fury radiated from his every pore.
His fingers tightened around her arms, but Jade didn’t flinch.
“Davian.” Hitching her chin a notch, she said, “I’m the new slayer.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jade rushed on. “I told you a long time ago that I’ve always wondered if I should follo
w in my father’s footsteps.”
“Jade Deville!” Davian roared.
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 harsh 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 flashed through him.
“He was the leader of Ryleigh, Davian.” 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 horrendously perilous action regardless. “Something Toran has never been comfortable with. We complement each other nicely.”