Jade herself had met a demon who lived in constant conflict because he had executed deadly orders against the humans—a movement he hadn’t been in full agreement with. All this time, the humans had felt as though they were the only ones to suffer. That clearly was not the case.
Yet Morgan’s warning did not go ignored. As she reveled in the lavishness of her new bedding, she wondered if perhaps she really had become too comfortable with the other world she’d gotten a good glimpse at. Her father had apparently maintained a balance between being a liaison to the kingdom, with Morgan, and being the leader of the village. Peace had prevailed and deadly incidences had been kept to a minimum, with the exception of the obvious ones.
Jade couldn’t help but draw a parallelism. She’d inadvertently built a bridge between herself and the kingdom. She had the king’s ear and his general’s sympathy. She also had the trust and respect of the villagers. The slayers, even.
Now it was time to look beyond her complacent lot in life. Once again she pondered the questions she simply could not escape. Was she meant to carry on in her father’s stead? Was she meant to be the true leader of Ryleigh?
She had no idea what Tanner and Walker would say if she opted to step into this role. Except that they too seemed to look to her at times to be the one to placate the villagers or to demand explanations needed in order to reconcile an issue. The slayers hadn’t batted an eye when it came to escorting her to and from the village. As though they felt it was a dutiful thing to do. A respectful thing to do.
And Tanner had given her a sword to protect herself against the fire wraith.
As sleep encroached, Jade had one last thought. While she diligently participated in politics, she had let one important talent slide. It was time she brushed up on her fighting skills.
* * * * *
“You want me to do what?” Tanner stared at her, disbelief stamped across his face.
Jade sighed with exasperation. “Teach me to fight, Tanner.”
“You already know how to fight. I wouldn’t have given you a sword if you didn’t.”
“A weapon I’ve unsheathed just once since you gave it to me in October. And for the record, I haven’t had any lessons or practice since my father died. That was fifteen years ago.”
He rubbed his forehead as though she gave him an instant headache. They stood in a snowy patch in a good-sized clearing along the south woods, not far from where Jinx was buried.
“What’s this sudden interest all about, Jade? The fire wraith is long gone. Even th
e general doubts he’s a threat to the village. The assassination attempt failed. It’s been peaceful around here for over a month.”
“I know. But I still think I should have a refresher course. I have a sword—I need to be able to use it appropriately.”
“Well,” he said, instantly conceding, “I can’t disagree with that. You live in the north woods by the demon border, all by yourself. In fact, this is probably a very good idea. Except…I don’t want you to get hurt.”
She snorted. “I fought with my father, Tanner. I think I can handle it.” Sure, she’d suffered some cuts and bruises. But she felt she was strong enough physically to take on the slayer, who was lean-muscled and about her height.
Without warning, he unsheathed his sword and took a swipe at her, at a distance so as to not make contact with her. But her delayed response was enough to prove he could have significantly injured her if he’d wanted to.
He engaged again, with the same result.
She sighed.
He shook his head.
“You’re too slow, Jade. You think too much. You don’t let your instinct guide you.”
“Where do we start?”
“With your footwork. But keep your sword in your hand so you get used to the weight. Then we’ll do some exercises to build more muscle tone and help with your agility.”
They agreed to meet three days a week, at varying intervals, when Tanner wasn’t on patrol. In addition to the workouts, they discussed human-demon politics. Tanner admitted to not enjoying that part of his charge, which intrigued Jade and gave her even more to think about when it came to her station within the village.
At her cottage, she practiced what he taught her. Between the physical exertion, the political debates and her nights at the tavern, she slept more soundly than she had since her parents had passed.
Visions of Darien offered her company but also taunted her with a union that could never be. Still, his mission to maintain peace became her own, as did the desire to help her friends and neighbors feel secure when they lived in such close proximity to potential danger.
If other demons like the fire wraith continued to rise up and one of them actually did accomplish an assassination, everything would change. The humans would be at the demons’ mercy again. She worried about that constantly and wondered how best to prepare for such a scenario. If it was even possible to prepare for something so insidious…
Jade’s birthday fell on the first Sunday in December. Though she didn’t celebrate, she wasn’t surprised by the knock on her door that night.