by Ella Summers
“But why?” I asked her. “What do they want?”
“Magic,” Cadence said. “The Guardians want magic. They have no magic of their own. In fact, they aren’t simply devoid of magic; they nullify it completely. And for that reason, they cannot even gain magic from Nectar, Venom, or anything else. If they drink a potion, their bodies instantly break down the magic inside of it; if they try to use a magical artifact, they nullify the magic inside that artifact forever. You see, that’s why the Immortals made them the guardians of magic, the keepers of their potions and objects of power. With no possibility to gain magic, the Guardians would not be tempted to steal the potions or artifacts for themselves. They were supposed to be the perfect magic keepers.”
“Until they got resentful,” I said.
“Yes, the Guardians got resentful, and then they got even. And now they are trying to get what has been denied them since the beginning: magic. That’s what all of this is about. Meda’s monster experiments. Creating people with more concentrated Immortal blood. Their manipulations even led to the birth of Earth’s first demigod.” Cadence dipped her chin to Nyx. “And the creation of the Legion of Angels.”
“An army of people who’d once had no magic but grew to be more powerful than any other supernatural on Earth. The Guardians think they can use the Legion to gain magic themselves,” I realized.
“The Legion and everything else they’ve sunk their teeth into over the past few millennia,” said Cadence. “They manipulated the demons into stealing angels, into turning their magic and making them dark angels. Because of the Guardians, the demons’ Dark Force came to be. And I’m sure there’s a lot more they manipulated in their long quest to gain magic.”
Fear tightened my throat. Dread dropped like a stone in my stomach. I couldn’t help but marvel at how much the Guardians had accomplished without any magic—and shudder at the thought of all they would be able to do if they finally gained it.
“We will stop them,” Nero said.
“Yes, we will. Together.” I took his hand. “Your new magic will come in handy.”
“Haven’t I always been handy, Pandora?”
I giggled at his innuendo. “There’s one thing I don’t understand, though, Cadence. How is it the Life potion worked on Nero immediately? I thought it took the Guardians centuries to balance your magic with Life potion.”
“The Guardians exaggerated the process.”
I looked at her in confusion.
But Nero wasn’t confused. “The Guardians need an excuse to keep people cooped up in their Sanctuary for many years. So they can condition them. Brainwash them.”
“Yes,” said Cadence. “In truth, the Life potion has a powerful balancing agent, one designed by the Immortals. The effect is instantaneous on people with enough Immortal blood. It balances light and dark magic. For others, the process takes a bit longer, but it’s a matter of months, not centuries.”
The Guardians really loved their mind games. Honestly, I much preferred the direct, honest fight.
“There’s more,” Cadence told us. “The Guardians have plans for the telepaths they have ‘rescued’. Including your brother, Leda.”
“What are they going to do to them?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t hear any details. I only know that the telepaths are critical to the next step in the Guardians’ plan.”
“Can you help me free Zane and the other telepaths?”
“The Guardians have locked me out of their Sanctuary. I can feel it. The way there is now closed to me. But I promise you that we will find a way in. We will save your brother and the other telepaths.”
My gaze panned across Nero, then Cadence and Damiel, Nyx, and finally Harker. They were my new family. I looked at Gin, Tessa, and Calli—my old family.
“Together,” I declared. “We’re going to save Zane and the other telepaths together.”
I’d started this journey alone. I hadn’t even told Calli what I was doing when I ran off to join the Legion of Angels, not until it was too late. I’d thought I had to travel this perilous road alone, but I’d been wrong. And now here I was, nearly two years later: an angel but far from alone. I was surrounded by friends and family, and I was stronger because of it. We would save Zane and the other telepaths. And we’d do it together, united by friendship and love.
33
Unity
I stood in front of the mirror, watching as my sisters Tessa, Gin, and Bella put the final touches on my wedding wardrobe. The ceremony would begin in a matter of minutes.
“The dress truly is stunning,” I commented.
“Yes, it is, isn’t it?” Tessa replied, triumphant. “Mind you, it wasn’t easy creating something that both satisfied the Legion’s regulations and had all the flair of the Angel of Chaos’s unique personality. The Legion excels in regulating all the fun out of everything. The fabric of an angel’s wedding dress must be white.”
Tessa indicated the icy white color of the fabric, but the dress wasn’t white at all. It was completely covered in gems that sparkled, the tiny precious stones changing color depending on how the light hit them. Right now, the dressed was predominantly blue and purple.
The chameleon dress was an ode to my hair and wings. They changed color too.
Bella squinted at me. “People are going to have to wear sunglasses when they look at you.”
“Precisely,” Gin said.
She and Tessa exchanged crisp, satisfied nods.
“I love it,” I told them.
“Of course you do,” Tessa cooed. “Your sisters have excellent taste.”
I laughed.
“The Legion regulations don’t stop with the dress’s fabric color,” Gin said. “They also define that the neckline must not dip below the collarbone.”
She indicated the thick strap of beaded fabric over my collarbone. Below it, there was a decided absence of fabric. A deep v plunged between my breasts, which were covered in fabric shaped to resemble mermaid shells—and covered in gemstones. A diamond-shaped cut in the dress over my waist exposed my bellybutton. This dress was certainly not what the author of the Legion’s wedding regulations had envisioned.
“The hemline of the dress must touch the floor and have a train in back,” Tessa said.
The dress’s long skirt hugged my hips in a mermaid cut, and there was indeed a train in back. Naturally, the dress’s train was also covered in gems. A slit cut into each side of the skirt allowed my legs to move freely, enough to kick my leg straight up to my head if the need arose. Not that I had any intention of showing the wedding guests what was up my skirt.
In tune to my thoughts, Nero leaned in to whisper into my ear, “Especially since you aren’t wearing any underwear.”
I glanced over at him, meeting his smoldering eyes. Oh, he liked that I wasn’t wearing any underwear. He liked it a lot.
“I thought it best to remove the temptation of throwing them at you. It’s unquestionably against the Legion’s wedding regulations.” I slid my hand over the hard leather hugging his chest.
“Unquestionably.” He caught my hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss it softly. “But if your goal was to remove temptation, I’m afraid you have produced quite the opposite effect.” His other hand rolled over my hip and slid across the slit in the dress, teasing the bare skin of my leg under the skirt.
Harker entered the room and declared, “It’s time to begin.”
Nero dropped his hand from my leg, but his eyes remained locked with mine, undressing, seducing, unraveling me in a way that rivaled his touch.
“How long does this ceremony last?” I asked Nero, impatience flaring in me.
It was Harker, however, who answered. “Just a few minutes.”
“But then there’s the party afterwards,” Tessa added quickly. “I’ve scheduled so much fun.”
“Why does this ‘fun’ sound like an assignment?” I asked Nero with a sigh.
“We can skip it,” he promised me.
“Oh
, no,” Tessa said, completely horrified. “No, you don’t. You aren’t skipping a single second of the party. Not after all the work I put into it.”
“We really must take our seats now,” Harker said.
Tessa handed me my flower bouquet. “The Legion stipulates golden roses for an angel wedding.”
I looked down at the bouquet. The roses were indeed golden, but rainbow glitter sparkled on the soft petals. That was yet another touch of individuality, another way Tessa had gotten around the rules while still following them.
“Thank you.” Smiling, I squeezed her hands. “For making this more than just any Legion wedding.”
“Damiel helped,” she admitted. “A little. He knows the regulations and laws backward and forward—and how to circumvent them without sinning.”
I looked at Nero, laughing. “So that’s where you learned it.”
“He never allowed me to get away with circumventing anything.”
I laughed again.
Tessa and Gin headed out the door. Harker went next. He extended his arm to Bella. She glanced at me, at him, then cautiously took his arm. They followed behind Tessa and Gin. Nero and I were finally and truly alone.
“I have something for you, Leda.” He took a present box from a side table and handed it to me. “My final engagement gift to you. We were so busy yesterday that I didn’t have a chance to give it to you.”
Busy saving the world. Again. That was the story of our lives. I wondered if that would ever change, if we’d ever truly be at peace.
I opened the box and pulled out a black tank top. The words ‘Angel of Chaos’ were written in sparkly text across the front. There were more other tops in the box too. One read ‘Kick Ass Angel’ and the other ‘Pandora’s Box’, a tribute to my family’s bounty hunting business.
“I love my gift,” I said, throwing my arms around Nero to draw him into a hug. “You were right.”
“Yes.” His tone was easy, arrogant—and irresistibly sexy.
A flush warmed my cheeks. “In fact, I love it so much, I think I’ll wear it the next time we meet an angel.” I buried my lust beneath an impressive smirk. “Or a god.”
Beyond the door, an orchestra began playing. I stole a peek into the ballroom. What I saw there startled me.
“There are cameras. The wedding is being broadcast to the other Legion offices, just like my introduction ceremony.”
“Actually, it’s not just being broadcast to every Legion office, but to the whole world, to every city and town on Earth.”
I grimaced. “You’re the groom. I thought it was your job to make me feel better.”
“No, it’s my job to not bullshit you.” He folded his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. “And I never will.”
I chuckled. “Save your vows for the altar.” I stole another peek into the ballroom. “There sure are a lot of cameras. How many do they really need to film a wedding?”
He shrugged. “A lot. Tessa wanted to make it look cinematic.”
“Then you’d best put on a show for them all,” I teased, nudging him toward the door.
Nero winked at me, then he threw open the double doors and marched into the ballroom. As he strode down the red-carpeted aisle, magic flashed, and his wings unfolded from his back, extending big and formidable behind him. Gold sparks sizzled on the black, blue, and green feathers, lighting him up like he was encased in a field of lightning. His wedding suit was a black leather uniform, as he always wore—with the added embellishment of a gold headband shaped like a pair of wings, folding forward to embrace his face.
Dramatic, angelic music—the swells of strings and wind instruments over deep, echoing percussion beats—accompanied his procession down the aisle. Oohs and aahs rose from the chairs, our audience’s reaction to Nero’s dominating halo of power. Even the floral arrangements seemed to weep in his presence.
The moment he stepped onto the raised stage, the music changed to something decidedly more melodic. Harps, soft but strong, sang a beautiful tune. That was my cue. I adjusted my tiara and stepped into the ballroom.
My cat Angel trotted up to me, and together we proceeded down the aisle. Flower petals and butterflies fluttered in the air. The frisky little kitten pounced at them as we made our way toward the stage.
The aisle seemed to go on forever, and everyone was staring at me. I heard a few wowed comments about my dress. My sisters had really outdone themselves today.
As I followed the red carpet, I saw more examples of my sisters’ love for me. Glitter sparkled from all the golden roses in all the floral arrangements. It made me smile.
Not that I was having any trouble smiling, not with Nero waiting there at the end of the aisle. A force was pulling me toward him. I had to fight the urge to break into a run, to get to him as fast as I could possibly go.
Finally, I reached the end. Beyond Nero, the First Angel Nyx and Noble, the head Pilgrim of Purgatory, waited on the stage.
I took Nero’s hand, the warmth of his skin melting into mine. Here we were, side-by-side, hand-in-hand, about to be married. When I’d set off on the train to New York, the plan to save my brother fresh in my mind, I hadn’t predicted this. I’d never thought that my joining the Legion would lead me here, standing at the altar, about to be married to an archangel.
“Citizens of Earth, honored soldiers from the Legion of Angel, welcome,” the Pilgrim began his speech.
As the head Pilgrim of Purgatory, he represented the Faith, the voice of the gods—just as Nyx represented the Legion of Angels, the hand of the gods. Both the Pilgrims and the Legion were supposed to give a speech at an angel’s wedding.
“Many of you know that Leda Pandora, the Angel of Purgatory, grew up in this humble town at the edge of the Frontier,” the Pilgrim continued. “She was once a human like all of you. Before she had magic. Before she was chosen by the gods.” He paused for dramatic effect. “But by the virtue of her pure, unwavering faith, she became something more. At the Legion, her faith propelled her quickly up the ranks. She became an angel, achieving the highest order a human can aspire to become.”
That was a pretty generous stretch of the truth. Yes, I’d spent much of my childhood in Purgatory. And yes, I was now an angel. But my faith was neither pure nor unwavering. In fact, back when I’d lived in Purgatory, I’d teased the Pilgrims when they cornered me on the streets to sell me the gods’ holy message. I supposed the real truth didn’t fit Noble’s agenda nearly as well as his embellishment did.
“Today she is wed to Nero Windstriker, archangel, son of the angels Cadence Lightbringer and Damiel Dragonsire,” said the Pilgrim, his voice ringing with conviction. “Born from angels, forged in holy deeds, General Windstriker—”
A flash of magic cut through the Pilgrim’s words. I blinked back the bright spots dancing in front of my eyes. When my vision settled, I saw that Zarion, God of the Faith, now stood on the stage. What was he doing here? Wasn’t he still in the middle of his one-month sentence of training under Faris?
Surprised whispers rustled across our audience. Noble looked pretty damn shocked himself to see Zarion.
“Honored Pilgrim, step aside,” Zarion said, his voice booming with the power of the gods. “I will take over from here.”
Noble bowed deeply to the god, then left the stage.
My grip on Nero’s hand tightened. Whatever this was, it couldn’t be good.
“Leda Pandora.” Zarion’s steely eyes flickered to me, before his gaze fell upon the guests. “This angel is a shining example of how a human can aspire to be something greater: a champion of the gods’ will.”
That was all he said, but the message was powerful. The gods were endorsing me. They were naming me their champion. That just didn’t make sense. They considered me a nuisance at best; or, at worst, a precursor to all-out anarchy.
Before Nyx could give her speech, there was a second flash of magic, and Faris appeared on the stage beside her.
“Leda Pandora isn’t just the
champion of the gods’ will,” Faris said. “Our newest angel is the champion of the people.” His gaze panned to me, then he addressed the cameras. “And we know she will inspire them.”
The gods now sat front and center in the audience. Ronan, Valora, Meda, Maya, and Aleris had joined Faris and Zarion.
“You all know Leda Pandora,” said Faris. Why was he speaking for the Legion instead of Ronan? “She has saved the Earth countless times. Her rise from humble human to holy angel will inspire you to join the Legion of Angels. Her selfless dedication will inspire you to persevere and level up your magic. And her compassion will inspire you to fight for this world. And for the gods.”
So the gods were making me the poster child of the Legion. They expected me to inspire the masses to join their army and fight for them.
“For she truly is the Angel of the People.”
Yay, another title.
“Her image will be everywhere—on banners and billboards, on buildings and trains.”
Oh, great. Just what I did not want. My image everywhere, the center of the gods’ latest advertising campaign.
“Not as the Angel of Chaos, but as the Angel of Hope.”
And there was another title. No matter that I already had so many. I supposed titles were like shoes; you never could have enough of them.
“A symbol of harmony and perseverance. Of ascension. An example that lights the way for all hopeful humans to follow.”
“The archangel Nero Windstriker shall have an important role in this bright future as well,” Zarion said. “He is the only offspring ever born from two angels, the epitome of holiness on Earth.”
“Heaven and Earth are united now in Leda Pandora and Nero Windstriker,” Faris said, picking up where Zarion had left off. Though the two brothers rarely got along, right now their words were in perfect harmony. “You have the gods’ blessing.”
The gods are all present, sitting in the audience, putting on a united front, I said silently to Nero. Have they resolved their differences already? Or are they just that good at putting on a show?
