Deadly Attraction (24 page)

Darien scowled.

She pushed a little harder. “What pisses you off more—the
fact I challenge you, or that you’ve already considered everything I suggest?”

He didn’t answer her question. Instead, he lifted his fork
and simply said, “Eat.”

After dinner, they finished their champagne while snuggling
before the fire, something she’d told Michael she’d longed for way back when,
at the onset of autumn. That conversation seemed as though it had taken place
years ago.

Later, Darien carried her to bed and made love to her.

As they nestled in the sheets and gazed at one another while
lying on their sides, facing each other, he said, “I have a gift for you.”

“I got it already.” She’d completely forgotten about the
typewriter. “Not sure what I’m supposed to compose on that thing, since I don’t
know anyone outside the village to correspond with, but I was instantly
fascinated by it. Lisette thinks I should write a book.”

Her hollow laugh seemed to trigger his furrowed brow. “Why
not?”

“What would I write about?”

He kissed her and murmured against her lips, “You’ll figure
it out.” Then he rolled away.

“You’re not leaving already?” Her tone was a bit on the
panicked side, because she’d missed him while he’d been gone. Clearing her
throat, she said, “I mean, you just returned tonight. And you haven’t even told
me about your scouting trip with Morgan.”

“Give me a moment.” He walked out of the room. Since he only
wore his briefs, and his clothes were strewn all over her bedroom floor, she
could take solace in the fact he wasn’t on his way out of the cottage, back to
the castle.

When he reappeared, he climbed into bed, resuming his
previous position. They cuddled under the covers, though a low fire burned in
the hearth, keeping the chill from the air.

Darien handed her a small, black velvet bag. She worked the
drawstring opening as her curiosity mounted. Dumping the contents into the palm
of her hand, she stared in shock at her present. A ring.

“It’s mother of pearl,” he told her. “Comes from oysters and
abalones.”

The wide band was made of the shimmery white mineral.

“You’re giving me jewelry after I lost your necklace? Which
I still feel horrible about, by the way.”

“We’ll find it in the spring, when the snow melts.”

Her gaze on the ring, she said, “I don’t know. I’ll never
forgive myself if we can’t locate the necklace. And if anything were to happen
to this ring… God, it really is beautiful.” She inspected it closely. Letters
were printed on it in an elegant, thin black script. “
M.L.A.
?”

His lips brushed over her temple. “My love always.”

Jade’s heart skipped a beat. She stared at him, her pulse
hitching. “Who would have guessed you’re so romantic?”

“Just needed the opportunity to prove it. And the right
woman.”

She smiled. “I’ll be extremely careful with this.”

When she slipped it onto her ring finger on her right hand,
he said, “Correct finger. Wrong hand.”

Her breath caught.

“It goes here,” he told her as he removed the band and
placed it on the other hand. He gazed deep into her eyes and whispered, “I love
you. And I want you to be my queen.”

Chapter Twelve

Darien watched as Jade’s blue irises lit with surprise, then
darkened with doubt. She tossed off the covers and got out of bed. Scooping up
his discarded shirt, she dragged it on, though it dwarfed her, looking more
like a long nightshirt that nearly reached her knees.

He rolled onto his back and stacked his hands behind his
head on a pillow. She paced in front of the fireplace and he didn’t say a word.
Of course he’d stunned her. But he knew what he wanted and had no desire to
hold back from telling her. Despite the fact they’d once agreed he could never
place a ring on her finger.

When she finally came to a halt, she turned to face him.
“You want to
marry
me?”

“It is the natural progression of courtship.”

She snickered. “Don’t play upon my words. Death and marriage
are two very different concepts.”

“Apparently not for everyone.”

“Darien,” she said with exasperation in her tone. “Now is
not the time to tease.”

“I’m merely stating a fact. But our marriage won’t be like
that. You’ll be very happy and well taken care of.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, she said, “You can’t be
serious about this. There is no way on God’s green earth that you and I could
ever be married.”

He frowned. “I rule this portion of your God’s green earth,
so we most certainly
can
be married.”

She threw her hands up. “Haven’t you heard the adage that a
fish can love a bird, but where would they live?”

“I’m the fish in this scenario?”

“Darien,” she said as she glared at him.

“Jade,” he challenged as he sat up. “Unless someone new
comes to the village, I don’t see you falling in love with anyone else. And
I’ve waited over eight years to be with you.”

Her expression softened. “I’m not discounting what we feel
for each other. I’m pointing out the obvious issues. The first being, I’m a
human and you’re a demon. I’m mortal and you’re immortal. And I definitely
would not be comfortable at the castle. Especially when you’re not there.”

His brows drew together. “No one would dare touch you.”

“Accidents happen,” she said, clearly not needing to say
Jinx’s name out loud—he got the message.

“I’ll assign you bodyguards if that makes you feel safer.”

“Oh that’ll be so much fun,” she deadpanned. “Will they
follow me to the bathroom?”

His teeth ground together. Everyone who lived in his castle
enjoyed the spaciousness and the opulence. It wouldn’t exactly be a hardship
for her to reside there.

“Well, I can’t live here,” he said. “Away from the castle
and on the human side of the border.”

“You’re missing my argument entirely,” she said with
exasperation in her tone. “This isn’t just about living arrangements.
We
can’t get married.”

“
We
can do whatever the hell we want. I’m the one who
makes the laws around here.”

“Ugh.” She pressed her hands to her face and shook her head.
Then she dropped them and said, “Don’t get all high and mighty on me. I know
you have the authority to do as you please, but this isn’t the least bit sane
or rational.”

“I’ll admit it’s unorthodox. But despite us both saying we
couldn’t be together, we’ve ended up together anyway, haven’t we?”

“On rare occasions. Not all the time.”

“I want all the time.”

She sighed. “I want that too. But it’s not at all plausible.
You
know
this.”

He was quiet, debating his options. Eventually, he said,
“There’s something I need to tell you. It actually lends significance to this
situation and credit to the idea of us marrying.”

He got out of bed and reached for his briefs. Revealing she
was a cross-breed would likely disturb her greatly. Only initially though. Or
so he hoped. But perhaps it was time she knew the truth about herself. And her
father.

Striding over to where she stood, tension and uncertainty
stamped across her face, he took her hands in his. “I discovered something a
couple of months ago. After you left the castle. I—”

“Darien,” Morgan called out a moment before knocking on the
front door of the cottage.

He groaned. “Damn it.” Releasing Jade, he yanked on his
pants. “Just…hold tight,” he told her. Then he stalked into the short hallway
and reached for the door, which he jerked open. “Yes?”

“Sorry for the intrusion, my Lord.”

“It’s the middle of the night.”

“The sun will be up in an hour or so. This couldn’t wait.”

Darien stepped back and said, “Fine.”

He led Morgan to the dining table. The general unrolled a
map and spread it across the wooden surface, getting right down to business.

“As you know, we brought the six demons we captured in
Canada to the castle for interrogation. But while you returned with them, my
men continued to search for the remainder of their party. We located them all,”
he said as he pointed to Ontario. “With the exception of the fire wraith.
However, I believe I know where he is. Or at least where he’s recently been.”

“Not in Canada?” Darien ventured.

“That small colony was a decoy. While we were tracking them,
the fire wraith, I suspect, has led another army of rogue demons. A larger one
of a hundred to a hundred and fifty, all of varying species.”

“Damn,” he said.

“Yes. They’ve been active. According to the steward of the
central region, whose castle is in South Dakota, they dispatched patrols at
your request. When they reached the southern states, they learned the band of
renegades had mowed down several villages along the Mississippi and Arkansas
border, moving north into the Ozark Mountains.”

“Casualties?”

“Many. Two slayers and about thirty humans. There were a few
survivors, who reported what they knew to the patrols.”

He heard Jade gasp as she stood in the doorway to the hall.
She’d changed from his shirt to a nightgown and robe, tied around her waist.
She’d removed his ring, apparently not wanting to bring its presence to
Morgan’s attention.

“Come over here,” Darien said to her.

She joined them at the table. “Morgan.”

“Hello, Jade. My apologies for the early hour.”

“It’s fine. Can I listen to what you’ve learned?”

The general deferred to Darien, who said, “Of course.” He
clasped her hand and pulled her into his lap, so she had a good view of the map
they still studied.

Morgan continued. “The marauding demons took all the
supplies from the villages they attacked. They had horses and wagons, and
yet…they’ve disappeared.”

“Into the mountains?” Darien asked.

“That was the first assumption. But navigating that range
with wagons… It’d be slow going if it was even possible. The patrols would have
caught up to them. Instead, they’ve lost the tracks and it seems as though the
demons simply vanished.”

“That’s not feasible if they’re not all wraiths. The ghosts
have the ability to become invisible, along with their clothes and swords.
Their steeds, even. But none of the other demons in the army would be capable
of this.”

“If they shared horses, it would be conceivable. But they
can’t stay in that state for long with the other demons in tow.”

“You said they were in Arkansas?” Jade asked in a quiet
voice.

Darien could feel the chill run through her, likely over the
prospect of more villages being destroyed and more lives lost.

Morgan nodded.

She said, “The Ozarks have underground caverns. Some of them
are enormous, with rivers running through them or lakes. Centuries ago, Indian
tribes and even refugees from the Civil War would temporarily reside in them,
making it difficult for anyone to find them.”

Darien and Morgan exchanged looks over her head.

“That would certainly explain why the tracks abruptly end,”
Morgan suggested.

“There were large outlets so wagons could make their way
into the caves,” Jade told them. “I’ve read about them in Lisette’s geography
books.”

“But the openings must be difficult to spot,” Morgan mused.

“They could be covered with brush and foliage,” Darien
surmised.

“You’d have to look close enough at the right location to
know it’s camouflage,” the general said.

“Send a patrol from our region to join the others. Three
hundred, Morgan. I want them found before they strike again.”

“That might not be possible, considering the distance
between us and them.”

“Then ride hard.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Darien’s mind whirled as Morgan stood and collected his map.
As his general strode toward the door, Darien called out, “Wait.”

He gently patted Jade on the behind and she stood.

To Morgan, he said, “I’m going with you.”

Jade gaped.

“Of course,” the other man said. “I’ll make the necessary
preparations. Good evening, Jade.”

“Good night, Morgan.” Her voice was a wispy breath.

When Darien glanced down at her, he found the color had
drained from her face.

“You’re not really going, are you?”

He nodded. “They must be stopped. And I’m the one advocating
peace, so I’m the one who needs to lead the charge against them.”

Concern flashed in her eyes. “You’ll be gone for a very long
time. I won’t have any way to know if you’re okay.”

“I’ll send word.”

She stared at him. “Are you sure you’re not going because I
told you we couldn’t get married?”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “We’re not finished with
that conversation yet.”

“Darien—”

“Shh,” he said before he kissed her. “No more on the subject
until I return.”

Following him into the bedroom as he retrieved his shirt and
boots, she told him, “You’ll have to find some way to alert me of your status
frequently, otherwise I’ll go crazy obsessing over what’s going on down south
with you and the villages.”

Once dressed, he said, “No, you won’t. You’ll stay calm and
you’ll do what you always do. Keep your friends and neighbors informed of what
you know, but let the slayers do their jobs. That means continuing to allow
them to escort you to and from the cottage. I don’t want you roaming the woods
by yourself, even if it’s during the day.” He gave her a pointed look. “Don’t
make me worry about you.”

“I’ll try to behave.”

He chuckled, despite the tension in the room. “That’s
probably the best I can hope for when it comes to you.”

Pulling her into his arms, he gave her a long kiss that left
him agonizing over leaving her. But he had business to tend to.

“Be safe,” he told her.

“You too.”

He lifted her hand to his mouth and brushed his lips over
the backs of her fingers. “I love you.”

“And I love you.”

He lingered a moment longer. Then he turned and walked out.

* * * * *

“Jade, you’re running over,” Michael said.

Her gaze snapped from the window at the front of the tavern
to the beer mug in her hand. “Damn.” She closed the tap and handed the drink to
Len Bartel, who owned the general store.

Michael regarded her thoughtfully, then said, “You’ve been
distracted for weeks. What’s going on?”

The slayers had held a community meeting the day after
Christmas, and now everyone knew about the decimated villages in the south.
They also knew the king had sent an army to deal with the rogue demons, but
they didn’t know Darien had gone with that patrol. She assumed he and his
advisors had thought it best to maintain the illusion he was still at the
castle, so Jade perpetuated the guise. It was too bad it wasn’t true, because
she missed him. And wondered constantly if he was okay.

“I’m just thinking about those people down south,” she told
her friend. “Hoping no others have suffered.”

Luckily, she had almost daily training and workouts with
Tanner to help occupy her mind, or she really would go crazy. Her body had
changed dramatically with the weight loss and the intense exercise and she felt
stronger than ever before. So much so, Tanner had stepped up the pace on their
footwork and their sword fighting. Jade almost matched his expertise.

No one knew of their time together, which made her feel
slightly guilty. Michael had tried to engage her in activities when the tavern
wasn’t open, but she was always busy.

His shoulder had healed and he’d wanted to go riding, but
Jade had turned him down on several occasions. She did not want to mislead him,
nor did she want word to spread if they spent time together. Romantically, her
loyalty was to Darien. She even wore his ring, though on her right hand and
with the marking turned downward, so no one could see it.

Of course, Michael had noticed the new piece of jewelry. But
rather than pick another fight with her, he’d shaken his head and had wandered
off. It seemed avoidance was the best way to keep the peace between them.

The night progressed with her maintaining one eye on the
window, hoping for Morgan or one of his messengers to bring word of the patrol.
Or for Darien to ride by. Neither happened, though Tanner came through the door
just before eleven o’clock.

“Jade,” he called out unceremoniously. “I need to speak with
you.”

This created a buzz of curiosity in the tavern, so she
smiled nonchalantly to set everyone’s mind at ease. “Probably just needs to
rearrange my escort home.”

She grabbed her jacket, since Tanner headed back out the
door without even waiting for her. Hurrying to catch up, she followed him down
the walkway. As they approached the medical clinic, she noticed Walker’s horse
next to Tanner’s and the one designated for the physician. Beside the animals
sat the long, narrow cart used to transport injured patients to the clinic.

Unfortunately, Tanner stopped in front of Dr. Schaeffer’s
building.

“What happened?” she demanded before they entered.

“Walker was attacked on his watch. Shifter.” He pushed open
the door and she walked briskly behind him.