“For the record, the king’s staff took excellent care of me.”
“Still,” Tanner said as he unfastened the low-slung belt holding his sword to his hips before handing it over. “Keep this. I know you’re trained to use it.”
She eyed the offering. She hadn’t had a weapon in the house for fifteen years. Her father had taken both his and her sword with him when he and her mother had traveled to another village for a funeral on the day they’d died. Jade had been ordered to stay with Michael’s family, but she’d sneaked away and had followed her parents. And had witnessed their gruesome murders.
She shuddered and pushed the memory to the far recesses of her mind, where she’d relegated it long ago.
“Thank you,” she said to Tanner. “To you both. This is a very dangerous time. I’m hoping it has come to an end as far as the fire wraith is concerned.”
“We’ll remain alert,” Walker assured her. “And the general and a small squad intend to patrol their side of the village perimeter.”
She knew the slayers had had to come for her when she’d been at the castle, in order to ensure she was all right and to appease the villagers. But she suspected they wouldn’t have demanded to bring her back if they thought the situation was still a perilous one.
“It wouldn’t make sense for the fire wraith to come after me again,” she said, “if the king is no longer watching me. He and his bandits will have to devise some other plan to bait Dar—” Her gaze dropped. “The Demon King. Or find a way to breach the castle walls.”
“Not at all a likely scenario while the king’s still alive,” Tanner said.
With the blaze Walker built warming the small house, she repeated, “I’m all right here. But you guys need to be careful in this blizzard.”
Tanner chuckled. “A little snow never hurt us.”
Her gaze returned to them. “I know you’re modern-day superheroes. But it’s damn cold out there. And the visibility is horrendous.”
“We’re not amateurs,” Walker said. He headed toward the door. “Just stay safe, Jade.”
Yes, her reputation preceded her. Her stubborn and independent streaks, to be exact. But on the heels of the horrifying encounter with the menacing demon, she knew better than to do anything that might put her in jeopardy. Plus…she’d promised Darien.
After the slayers left, she built another fire in the bedroom hearth to help warm the cottage. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do with herself until the storm broke, but sleep wasn’t a viable option—her mind raced with too many thoughts. As night fell, her gaze remained on the windows lining the back wall.
The image of the fire wraith was burned into her brain, and the fear it would return was not as easily dismissed as she’d implied with the slayers—or as she’d tried to convince herself. Losing her house was still a tormenting thought. And being alone at the cottage during a blizzard only added to her sense of isolation…and her loneliness.
Though she knew the slayers would keep an eye on her, and Morgan and his troops would be in the vicinity, she suffered a much deeper feeling of seclusion and separation following the degree of companionship she’d experienced at the castle. Morgan’s concern for her safety… Sheena’s acceptance of her human state and her friendly gestures… Even Jocelyn had cleaned up after her with nary a blink of an eye.
And then there was Darien.
She tried her best not to think of their time together. What would be the point? It had been a bizarre twist of fate, but one without any potential for transcendence beyond those few days.
Jade passed the time scrubbing the charred marks from the stone fireplace, mending clothes and tidying up the cottage. The snowfall slowed and the dense clouds dissipated. Two days later, she was ready to go into the village when Tanner made his scheduled visit.
“Any news?” she asked as she used a tree stump to help her climb onto the back of his horse.
“Nothing we’ve heard. Though the general said he’d give us an update in the morning. You sure you want to work at the tavern tonight?”
“I can only spend so much time alone at the cottage. Turns out I’m not that great a conversationalist.”
He snorted. “Oh you have plenty to say, Jade. We all know it.” When they arrived at the tavern, he added, “I’ll be back at midnight to take you home.”
The diligent shovel brigade had taken to the walkways, not completely clearing them, given the massive amount of snow that covered the cracked concrete. But they’d made it possible to navigate the village. She entered the tavern, the noise level a bit more amplified than normal, likely given the fact no one had come in during the storm and they were making up for lost time from weather-related captivity.
Yet the din faded as she crossed to the coat rack to hang the cape Sheena had given her. She wore it over her own jacket because the combination provided substantial warmth.
Suddenly swarmed by patrons, Jade had to assure everyone she was in perfect health and also offer what little information she had about the entire incident. When she finally made it to the bar, Michael stared at her in exasperation.
“You’re trying a lot of nerves.” Regardless, he gave her a hug. “You really need to move into the village.”
“Please, don’t start with me. Everything’s okay. Let’s forget about it.”
Lisette, who surprisingly sat at the bar—she wasn’t a regular—said, “You were whisked away to the castle after being assaulted by a fire wraith and we’re not supposed to worry about you?”