by Ella Summers
Nero moved toward him, but I stepped between them. “How do you know?” I asked Harker, my arm braced against Nero’s chest, blocking him.
“I told you that the need to protect Leda incites you,” Harker told him. “Would you kill me, Nero?”
“Of course not,” I answered for him.
Nero ignored my sensible answer. “That depends entirely on you,” he told Harker.
“No one is killing anyone,” I declared. “Especially not best friends.” I glanced at Harker. “Who told you?”
“No one told me. It’s obvious. You have perfectly balanced magic, Leda. And Faris has been protecting you.”
“Protecting me?” I nearly choked on the words. “Is that what you call what Faris is doing?”
“Yes, in his own twisted way, Faris is looking out for his investment,” said Harker. “That’s how he sees you.”
I didn’t doubt it.
“I know Faris,” Harker continued. “Not completely, of course. No one truly knows him. But I know him more than anyone at the Legion does, except for Nyx.”
He was probably right. Harker had worked for Faris before he’d realized that Faris was actually working against the other gods.
“I think Faris suspected what you are from the time you joined the Legion,” Harker said. “And his suspicions were confirmed at Crystal Falls, during the recent training challenges, when he gave you the Nectar and you didn’t level up.”
I felt like an iron fist had just clamped down on my heart. “Faris wants to train me to be his weapon.”
“Leda, listen to me.” Harker set his hands on my shoulders. “Don’t for a single second trust Faris. He doesn’t care about others, even his own blood. Just look at how he treats his brother. He exposed Zarion’s secrets. Daughter or not, he would do the same to you if it furthered his agenda.”
“I am well aware of Faris’s immorality.”
“I’d help you, try to warn you if I get a sense he’s about to do something to hurt you,” Harker said. “But I am in the dark. I believe Faris suspects my duplicity. Lately, he hasn’t let me close to any of his plans. I was as shocked as everyone else at what happened at the Crystal Falls training.”
Harker had been working as a double agent, pretending to still be in Faris’s pocket, all the while spying on his activities and reporting back to Ronan and Nyx.
“I’ve got your back, Leda,” he told me. “No matter what.”
I sighed. “Nyx and Ronan know what I am.”
Harker’s brows peaked.
“They want me to wield the weapons of heaven and hell for them,” I continued.
“They want to turn her into a weapon. Just like Faris,” Nero growled.
“In the gods’ eyes, we’re all weapons for them to wield, to throw at problems, to use as they see fit,” said Harker. “That’s why they give us magic. That’s why they level us up as far as our potential allows.”
“Leda is the daughter of a god and a demon,” Nero replied. “Her potential is high. If the other gods find out what she is, they will either try to use her or kill her. I’m not going to allow either of those things to happen.”
“Nor will I.” Harker’s hand squeezed my shoulder. “You are my friend.” As his gaze shifted to Nero, he set his other hand on his shoulder. “You’re both my friends. More than that, you’re like family.”
I believed Harker, that he would stand with us, keep our secrets, even against the other gods. He’d kept my sister Bella’s secret. And he’d been there for me through so many tough situations.
Nero appeared convinced too. His body noticeably relaxed. He didn’t look like he was preparing to charge into battle against his best friend.
“You’d better talk to Nyx,” Harker told Nero. “And then head out on the mission she assigned you.”
“He’s right, Nero,” I said. “You have to act normally, like nothing is wrong. The gods might be busy licking their wounds right now, but they will start asking questions if we act strangely. If the Legion stops working perfectly, if angels stop following commands, they’ll take a closer look at us all. If Harker put together what I am, so can the gods if they watch us long enough.”
Nero set his hand over mine. His eyes still on me, he asked Harker, “What is Nyx’s mission for me?”
“She is sending you to the Forsaken Desert.”
The Forsaken Desert was on the plains of monsters, one of the areas overrun by beasts, a place few people dared to go.
“The First Angel wants you to investigate the sudden surge of monsters in the area,” Harker said. “If their numbers continue to grow, they will soon threaten three nearby major cities.”
“Meda has been experimenting on monsters and growing their magic,” I said. “I wonder if this is related.”
That was one of the secrets we’d learned in the Crystal Falls training: the goddess Meda was trying to regain the control the gods had lost over the monsters. Like a true god, she was jumping the gun, powering up the monsters in anticipation of her regaining control over them. More and stronger monsters meant it took more magic to keep them out of the Earth’s cities. Sometimes, it felt like the gods were welcoming the apocalypse with open arms.
“Meda claims this monster surge is not her work,” Harker told us.
“And gods never lie,” I said drily.
“Nyx is thinking along the same lines.” Glancing at Nero, Harker added, “That’s why she’s sending you to investigate and get to the bottom of this. Your mission is to ascertain whether Meda is behind this or someone else is.”
“How big is my team?”
“You have no team, Nero. Just you. Nyx doesn’t trust anyone else.”
“But she trusts me?” Nero snorted.
“Despite your conflict, Nyx knows you will always do the right thing to protect the Earth and its people,” I told him.
“Stop being so optimistic, Leda.” He pretended to look grumpy, but I knew better. “It’s contagious.”
“A little optimism never hurt anyone.” I traced my fingers softly across his lips.
His mouth responded to my touch, drawing up. “Tell that to the monsters. An attitude like that would get you killed on the plains of monsters.”
“Oh, I’m invited along on your mission?” I smiled, my hand trailing down his neck. “I thought Nyx wasn’t giving you a team.”
His hands caught mine. “That would not stop me from bringing you along.”
“But something else is?”
“Yes, something much more important: your safety. You’re a baby angel, Leda, newly made. Your magic is wild and unpredictable. As are your moods. No, I’m certainly not bringing you along with me on a dangerous mission, not in your current state. You would just get yourself killed. You’re going to stay here and train yourself to control your magic and moods better.”
I pouted out my lips. “Like a good little angel?”
Wickedness flashed in his eyes. “Absolutely. Becoming an angel has pumped your body with explosive new magic. Rebuild your self-discipline.”
“Rebuild? You say it like I ever had it.” My grumpiness was not feigned. I wanted to go with Nero, and I was annoyed that he wasn’t bringing me along.
“Harker will help you,” Nero said.
Harker nodded. “Of course.”
I leaned into Nero. “I’d much rather train under you,” I whispered against his lips.
Magic sparked in his eyes. “As would I.”
I linked my hands behind his neck, drawing him in closer. “Don’t stay away too long.” I kissed him softly.
“I find myself unable to stay away from you for too long.”
I smiled. “Good.” I kissed him again, slowly, leisurely. Drinking in every moment, every breath.
Harker cleared his throat loudly.
My hands still around Nero, I glanced over my shoulder. “You don’t have to stay,” I told Harker.
“Alas, I do. Nyx ordered me to stay with Nero until he leaves on the mission.”
Great. So much for good-bye, won’t-see-you-for-who-knows-how-long sex with Nero.
Nero kissed me, quick and rough, then he pulled back abruptly. I could still taste him on my tongue.
He pulled out his phone and quickly typed out a message. “I told Nyx I’m heading out to investigate the monsters,” he said to Harker.
Harker just stood there, watching him.
“You’re really going to stay with me until I leave, aren’t you?” Nero’s smile was wry, his eyes bright.
Harker matched his expression, point for point. “Pretty much.”
Nero glanced at me. “You’ll be all right?”
“I don’t know.” I smirked at him. “Who will I cuddle at night when it’s cold?”
“Basanti has a cat named Storm to cuddle when she’s away from Leila,” Harker said helpfully.
I snapped my fingers. “Now, that’s an idea.”
Nero watched us with obvious disapproval. “I hope you two aren’t implying that a cat is a suitable substitute for an angel.”
“Would you rather I cuddle another angel?” I asked with an innocent smile.
Harker laughed so hard that his wings burst out of his back again.
“This isn’t funny,” Nero said coolly.
“It really is, Nero,” Harker chuckled.
“I have to go.” Nero’s hand brushed my cheek. “Try not to cause any trouble while I’m gone.”
“I always try.”
Sighing, Nero looked at Harker. “Keep an eye on her.”
“I will.”
Nero stepped onto the balcony. His wings burst out of his back—a beautifully dark tapestry of black, green, and blue—then he jumped off the ledge and soared high into the air.
I watched him shoot across the city, moving with the grace of a swan and the power of a dragon. “I wish I could do that.”
“Fly?” Harker asked me.
“Yeah. And look so cool doing it.”
“Get dressed.”
I looked down at the tank top and shorts I was wearing. “For what?”
“I’m going to introduce the Legion’s latest angel to everyone in the New York office. And then I’m going to teach you how to fly.”
2
Angel's Fate
I looked across the blackened, burnt terrain of the Black Plains. It was a wild and feral prairie beyond the borders of civilization, a land where monsters reigned, a place that no sane person ever visited.
No one had ever said the soldiers at the Legion of Angels were sane. After all, we risked death every time we tried to level up our magic.
I shifted my gaze upwards, staring into the dark storm clouds swirling overhead. The air was hot and sticky. Not a single drop of rain had fallen during our drive across the plains, but it was only a matter of time. A storm was coming. It might come in a minute, an hour, or even a day from now—but it would come.
“Glowering at the sky again, Pandora?” Basanti commented beside me, a wry smile drawing up one side of her mouth.
She was a major now, as the small metallic flower pin on her jacket broadcast loud and clear.
“Do you think the sky will obey and hold off on unleashing the storm upon us if I glower at it long enough?” I asked her. “I don’t want to drive back into town drenched to the bone.”
“Doubtful,” Basanti chuckled.
“Are your wings waterproof?” Ivy asked me. “How do you get them to be perfectly straight all the time? Is there a brush for that? A beauty kit? Do you stand in front of the mirror for hours at a time?”
Along with Basanti, Ivy, Drake, and Alec had joined me on my mission across the Black Plains.
I smirked at Ivy. “Maybe my wings are just perfect by design?”
She laughed.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
Ivy patted me on the shoulder. “I was just remembering how often you used to complain about angels’ egos. And here you are, the perfect angel, ego and all.”
“I still complain about angels.”
Delight sparkled in Ivy’s eyes. “Irony is a dish best served cold.”
“That’s revenge,” I told her. “Not irony.”
She shrugged. “Same difference.”
“Do you even know what you’re talking about?” I laughed.
“I’ll have you know that most people find me quite charming.”
I grinned at her. “Most people are focusing on the lyrical sound of your voice.”
“Or on something else,” Alec said, his eyes dipping to her chest.
Ivy got that reaction a lot. With her tall and slender figure, perfect complexion, and long crimson hair, Ivy looked more like a supermodel than a soldier in the gods’ earthly army.
Ivy set her hands on her hips and shot Alec a stern scowl, the expression of a mother telling off an unruly child.
“Don’t encourage him,” Drake told her.
Where Ivy was slender, he was bulky, built like a football player. He and Ivy had been best friends since they were kids, long before they’d joined the Legion of Angels.
“I wasn’t encouraging him,” Ivy said. “I was reprimanding him.”
“Such subtly is lost on Alec,” replied Drake.
Alec nodded with glee. “He’s right, you know.”
Ivy ignored them, instead looking at me. “And?”
“You want me to weigh in?” I shrugged. “Ok, then. Alec is as subtle as a battle axe.”
Alec winked at me, as though I’d delivered the world’s best pickup line.
“No, I wasn’t asking about Alec,” Ivy said. “I want to know about your wings—and how you make them look that way.”
My wings, currently a glossy blend of green and black, had popped out during our last battle with the monsters of the Black Plains. My blood was still pumping fast from that fight. I hadn’t yet calmed down enough to force my wings to disappear again. Before I’d become an angel, I hadn’t realized how much trouble wings could be. I’d seen them as a useful accessory, something that would allow me to fly. Maybe other angels’ wings were useful, but mine more often than not just got in the way. At least they were pretty, though.
“And how do they look?” I asked Ivy.
“They look cool. Earlier today, they were purple. Now they’re green and black. How do you control the color?”
“I don’t know. They’re just that way. Must be magic,” I added, winking at her.
“That is not a helpful answer,” she told me.
“And that’s not a pertinent question to ask an angel,” Alec pointed out.
“Ten minutes ago, you asked her how many times an hour an angel can have sex,” Drake reminded him.
Alec shrugged. “And?”
“That’s not pertinent either.”
“Neither am I.” Alec’s amused eyes flickered to Ivy. “But she is. So diplomatic. Always saying the right thing. She is the perfect counselor. So she has to be pertinent.”
Ivy shook her head. “Alec, your weird logic makes my brain hurt.”
He rolled back his shoulders, standing taller. He looked mighty proud of that accomplishment.
“Enough chitchat,” Basanti snapped at them. “Stay focused.”
Basanti was here to keep my team in line—and to make sure I behaved as an angel should. That was probably Nyx’s idea. Not that it was a bad idea, honestly. I’d been volatile before becoming an angel; my new magic had only increased my destructive capacity.
“Yeah,” Ivy told Alec sternly. “Your mischievous joviality might attract more monsters. And I’m still recovering from the excitement of the last attack.”
Ivy worked as a counselor in the Legion’s New York office. She didn’t usually come along on missions, so she wasn’t used to the ‘excitement’ of being in the field—especially when the field was the monsters’ playground—but the nature of this mission necessitated her presence.
“Bring on the monsters,” Alec said. “Our fearless angel leader can handle them.”
“Thanks fo
r the vote of confidence,” I said drily. “But I wouldn’t be so quick to invite disaster.”
“Why not?” His brows arched. “It’s so much fun. You, of all people, should appreciate that.”
“And why is that?”
“Why? It’s written on your jacket.” Alec’s eyes dipped to the name on my jacket—or to my breasts. Probably both, knowing him. “I love your angel name. Pandora. It’s perfect.”
“I certainly think so,” I said.
When a Legion soldier became an angel, they gained a new surname, an angel name meant to reflect what kind of angel they were. I’d been an angel for just over a week now, but I still didn’t have one. At least not technically. The Legion couldn’t figure out what to call me. Apparently, I was the kind of angel that defied definition.
Short an angel name, in the meantime I’d had the seamstress at the New York office embroider my uniform with a single word: ‘Pandora’, the nickname Nero had given me shortly after I’d joined the Legion. The seamstress hadn’t even argued. That was one of the perks of being an angel. People tended to do whatever you said and didn’t ask questions.
“Do you think they’ll let you keep the name Pandora?” Ivy asked me.
“If Nyx were here, she’d probably make the seamstress undo her work,” I admitted. “And the First Angel would punish me for having the gall to not only name myself, but to select a very un-angelic name for myself.”
“I think the name is funny,” Ivy said.
“So do I,” I agreed.
An angel name wasn’t all I was missing. The Legion also hadn’t yet assigned me a territory or position. They didn’t know what to do with me. First off, there weren’t even any territories available. Jace, who’d leveled up with me, had gotten the South, the territory controlled by Colonel Battleborn before his untimely death.
The Legion had a strict one-angel-per-territory rule, a necessity since angels didn’t get along all that well with one another. They were very territorial, dominant; the need to command and lead was written into the very fabric of their magic. Our magic. I was an angel now. That meant I had the same powers and the same failings.
What was my fate? What would the First Angel decide to do with me? With no territories available, she might still assign me to Colonel Fireswift’s Interrogators or General Spellsmiter’s Vanguard of front-line warriors. Neither option was particularly appealing.
