Page 110 (1/2)

“Absolutely not!” Jade was aghast at the estion Michael intended to join them

“Jade,” Toran said, his tone dark and ominous “We need him”

With that, the other slayer turned abruptly and mounted his horse Jade bristled, but Michael evidently wasn’t going anywhere

“Fine,” she said against her better judgment “Ride with e on the ht as alk back to the tavern”

Michael mounted with her and they followed Toran to the oods, but slowed a quarterSnow fell lightly, though not enough to obscure the visibility Through the trees, Jade saw the coed in her throat

The ragtag asse in the breeze told her the dedom

As her pulse raced, she heard riders approach froed on the reins and confronted the newcoh they’d always been on the other side of the border

“We’ve violated code by cutting through the forest,” one of theet here”

“How’d you know the fire wraith’s arated?” she asked

“The king sent scouts as soon as he returned to the castle We encountered two of theive their report” His gaze shifted frolomeration of blood-thirsty demons in the snow-covered meadow, and then back “I estimate thirty or forty here That means there are other deployed units about to appear in varying locations and spread out along the boundary of the village—the wraith’s arrown over the past weeks”

“And the king’s ripped her

The deeneral’s ar back soon”

“Soon is not going to help us,” Toran cut in

Of course, Davian’s warning for the slayers to stay in the village and leave the fighting to his troops flashed in Jade’s mind But she and Toran were already on the scene and they were the only available defenders at the moment

Why, oh, why had she let Michael co? She could scream from her own idiocy