8

Outside my car window, smoke billowed up from the burning trees peppered across the plains. On the other side of the road lay a frozen forest. Overhead, storm clouds rumbled and lightning flashed. Below our wheels, the dusty, cracked earth shook and trembled. And at the center of it all, high above at the peak of Mount Cornerstone, sat the mighty fortress the Legion had dubbed Storm Castle.

Here, within the inner ring of magic that stretched out from the mountain, all four elements blended together in perfect, inexplicable harmony. Hot and cold, wet and dry, mountains and plains, ocean and desert.

Beyond that lay the outer ring, the four lands of the Elemental Expanse: the Fire Mountains, the Sky Plains, the Wetlands, and the Desert Rose. One of the four elements flourished in each realm under the power of its guardian Dragon, a Legion soldier with extraordinary elemental magic.

The Elemental Expanse lay on the west coast, past the monster-infested Western Wilderness that had consumed a larger piece of the continent. There were no monsters here in the Elemental Expanse. There weren’t any cities either. And the only people who lived here were the Legion soldiers stationed at Storm Castle or at the Legion base located at the northern border of the expanse, not far from the wall that separated these civil lands from the Western Wilderness.

“What are they like?” I asked Captain Somerset as she brought the truck to a stop at the base of Mount Cornerstone. There were already three other cars parked there.

“The four Dragons?” Captain Somerset guessed. “They are exceptional soldiers and powerful magic-casters. The Legion only asks the best to become a Dragon.”

“They ask?” I said with surprise. “They don’t command?” That didn’t sound like the Legion.

“Living here, protecting the Elemental Expanse, nurturing its magic—it’s an enormous responsibility, one you can only give to someone who wants it. Each Dragon links with the castle’s magic to protect their designated territory, which in turn boosts their own magic. They are the most powerful elemental spell casters on Earth.”

“Stronger than the angels?”

“Stronger even than the First Angel,” she told me. “But only inside the Elemental Expanse, where they remain linked to Storm Castle. As soon as they pass the border, they can no longer draw on the castle’s magic.”

I looked up at the rocky wall that seemed to stretch on forever. “How do we get up there?”

“We climb.”

“We didn’t bring any climbing gear,” I pointed out.

“That was intentional.”

“You want me to climb up with nothing but my hands and feet?” I said.

“And your strength of will.” She slapped me hard on the back. “Come on. Get moving, Pandora.”

I stared down the mountain and silently promised it I would conquer it. I hoped it was listening.

“This is crazy,” I muttered a few minutes later when a loose rock nearly caused me to plummet to my death.

“It’s tradition,” Captain Somerset told me. “All Legion soldiers who visit the Four Dragons for training must climb this mountain.”

“And how many of those soldiers fall to their death?”

“Don’t think about that.”

Well, wasn’t that reassuring? I pushed thoughts of my own mortality out of my head and made a conscious effort not to look down. Looking up wasn’t a good idea either. Hearing the deep growl of thunder and the sizzle of lightning was bad enough; I didn’t need to see the ominous storm cloud swirling over the castle too. If I made it up this mountain without being struck by lightning, I was going to call that a victory.

“So, why aren’t we allowed to use climbing gear?” I asked.

“Because that would be cheating,” Captain Somerset told me. It sounded like something Nero would say.

One hour. That’s roughly how long I’d gone without thinking about Nero. I didn’t know what to do about us. After spending the first few hours of our journey to the Elemental Expanse playing out one scenario after another inside my head, I was no closer to knowing what to do—and I’d come to the conclusion that obsessing over it wasn’t good for my sanity.

“So, Nero and Damiel nearly killed each other today,” I told Captain Somerset. Thinking about Nero might not be good for my sanity, but it was a good distraction from thoughts of my impending death, curtesy of a wayward bolt of lightning. What good was sanity if I weren’t alive to enjoy it?

“That’s nothing new. That’s what angels do. They can’t stand one another for too long.”

“It’s more than that. Nero hates his father. And I can’t figure out why.”

“Nero claims Damiel was a cruel and brutal father,” she replied. “But I think the true reason Nero hates him is he sees Damiel’s darkness in himself. He fears he will become like Damiel, just as cruel, just as brutal.”

“And what do you think?”

“I think that when you choose to become an angel, you invite that cruelty and brutality into you. The magic changes you. It brings you closer to the gods. You gain great power, but you also lose something: empathy for humans. You see them as fleeting moments in the vast expanse of time. You concentrate solely on the bigger picture, and in doing so forget that it is in those moments that we truly live, not in the cold, logical confines of our immortality. There is more to life than duty, honor, and the constant push to the top. There is friendship. And love.”

“Can you become an angel and remain yourself?” I asked.

“No. Becoming an angel changes you.” She turned her head, glancing sidelong across the rock face at me. “Being with an angel changes you too. As a lover, they are spectacular. But as a partner, they are the stuff of nightmares.”

“Are you speaking from personal experience?”

“Yes,” she said darkly.

“I have enough nightmares without piling on more. Last night, I dreamt I was drowning in a volcano.”

“You’re nervous about training with the Dragons.” Her words echoed Nero’s.

“I’ve heard the experience isn’t pleasant.”

“No, it’s not, but it will make you stronger. If you survive,” she added.

“You’re not helping.”

She continued anyway. “You dreamt you were drowning in a volcano. The reality is far worse.”

“You know, I’m suddenly finding myself missing Nero’s dark pep talks. I never should have shared my nightmares with you.”

“Probably a good idea. Don’t be so trusting. Don’t expose your weaknesses.”

“In other words, don’t trust anyone.”

“Trust your friends,” she said as we finally reached the top of the mountain.

The sun parted the clouds, its glistening beams of light pouring down on the castle, making it shine like a million tiny diamonds. A soft hum, resonating with magic, sang out from the walls, and the expanse below responded. The land and castle were linked, their magic intertwined.

“But be careful who you call a friend,” Captain Somerset finished.

She stared across the rocky mountaintop, where Jace and five others stood in front of the castle, waiting. Nero had warned me about Jace too. They were right to warn me. Colonel Fireswift’s son was talented, hardworking, and ambitious. That ambition toed the line of cruelty. Jace wanted to be a good person, but that was in complete opposition to his desire to be a powerful one. I often wondered which part of him would win out in the end.

“Who is that standing with Jace?” I asked Captain Somerset.

She looked at the woman, who was wearing a full leather uniform despite the heat. The emblem of a hand, the symbol for telekinesis, marked her as a captain, a soldier of the sixth level.

“That is Kendra Fireswift,” Captain Somerset told me, frowning. “Colonel Fireswift’s first born.”

“Jace has a sister?” He’d never mentioned her.

“Yes, but you’ll find her more like her father than her brother.”

“So, she is Jace’s mentor for this training.”

To take part in the Dragons’ training, each of us had to bring along a mentor. That right there told me how intense this experience would be.

Kendra Fireswift returned Captain Somerset’s gaze with obvious distaste. Her perfect nose turned up with presumed superiority.

“I take it you two know each other,” I said.

“I helped train her once,” Captain Somerset replied as we approached the castle. “She was arrogant even then, an attitude fueled by her uncanny ability to best her peers at everything. She rose through the ranks quickly. Becoming an angel is her life’s mission, and I fear for the world should she ever get her wish.”

“Captain Somerset,” Kendra Fireswift greeted her. “Still training the poor, underpowered soldiers? You always did have a soft spot for charity cases. How very altruistic of you.”

“There’s nothing altruistic about it.” If Captain Somerset had smiled any harder, her face would have broken. “I’m just doing my job. At the Legion, we serve. We don’t seek glory.”

“Yes, you were repeating those tired lines to us when I was initiated. It’s interesting how little the non-legacy soldiers really understand of duty and honor.”

Translation: your parent isn’t an angel, so what you’re saying doesn’t matter.

“Duty and his brother honor, the perfect shields for sanctioned atrocities,” I quoted to Kendra.

Kendra looked at me like mushrooms were growing out of my head. It seemed she didn’t appreciate Salas, the philosopher from the last century who’d questioned the acts committed by the world’s military bodies, all the way up to the Legion of Angels.

Captain Somerset’s hand locked around my arm, and she pulled me away from Kendra. “You should have better sense than to quote Salas to a Legion brat.”

“They don’t know who he was?” I asked, forming my face into an expression of perfect innocence.

“Of course they know. They grew up hearing his passages derided as heresy and treason.”

I’d figured as much.

“You’re poking a nest of hornets, Pandora,” Captain Somerset told me. “No one talks to angels or their kin the way you do.”

“It wouldn’t be fun if everyone did it,” I laughed. “The look on Kendra’s face is too good.”

Captain Somerset looked at the outrage burning in Kendra’s eyes. “It is pretty good.” She sighed. “Now look at me, encouraging you. You’re a terrible influence. How can you make perfectly sensible people willingly take leave of their senses?”

I grinned at her. “By nature, people want to have fun. Well, most people.” I glanced at Kendra. “She really is her father’s daughter, isn’t she? She looks just like Jace, minus the crisis of conscious.”

“That is an accurate description of her. Her methods are cruel, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t effective. Colonel Fireswift is pulling out all the stops to get his son up the ranks.”

“Don’t associate with the competition,” Kendra scolded Jace.

He dropped the hand he’d waved at me.

“That woman clearly doesn’t understand the true meaning of duty or honor,” I said. “All she knows are the twisted versions of them tattooed into her consciousness from the time she could speak.”

“In Kendra’s eyes, it is her duty to beat anyone and everyone from a non-angel family—at everything she does,” Captain Somerset replied. “To not be the best at absolutely everything is a grave dishonor.”

The castle’s great gate swung open. The movement was soundless, without even a hint of a creak. The pleasant aroma of herbs spilled out of the gate. We all entered the castle.

A grand chamber awaited us. Or perhaps ‘throne room’ would have been a more accurate description. Four thrones made of stone stood tall at the far edge of the hardwood floor. An elemental symbol was etched into the peak of each throne: a flame, a lightning bolt, a tree, and a water drop.

We stopped before the empty thrones and waited. Besides Jace, I recognized Sergeant Alec Morrows, a raunchy fellow who also worked at the New York office. The woman standing beside him, his mentor, was a pretty lieutenant. I’d seen her around but didn’t know her name. She was short and slender, almost waifish. She didn’t look strong enough to pick up a sword, let alone wield one in battle, but appearances could be deceiving. No soldier at the Legion was weak.

Even so, she looked so tiny next to Alec’s massive figure. Bulky, muscular, and tall, he was built like a battering ram. And he liked shooting things with cannons. Despite his unrepentant desire to talk every woman he met into his bed, he was actually a really nice guy.

I felt someone brush against my back, and I turned around to find Nerissa standing with Soren. Ivy had pulled through.

“You’re here,” I said, giving Nerissa’s hand a supportive squeeze.

“I’m here,” she replied.

“Better late than never.” Morrows swept in and put his arms around both of us. “Doc, I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you.”

“Are you injured?” she asked.

“If I said yes, would it get me some quality alone time with you?”

“No.”

He grinned at her. “It worked last time.”

Kendra looked at us like we’d completely lost our minds, like we were freakish beasts in a circus.

The tall, white double doors at the back of the chamber opened, and three soldiers entered. Their clothes were unlike any Legion uniform I’d ever seen, but they wore the standard metallic rank pins, accompanied by a second pin depicting an element. When they took their seats on their thrones, the symbols at the top lit up with a magical glow.

The dark-haired Sea Dragon, who controlled the powers of water and ice, looked stunning in her blue dress accented with white ribbons. The robe flowed around her as though she were underwater. The water drop etched into her throne glowed sapphire blue.

The Sky Dragon, master of wind and lightning, wore a purple and yellow robe. Magic rolled across the fabric like a river of lightning. That same spark of magic lit up his throne’s lightning bolt emblem. It shone like liquid gold.

The Earth Dragon was the mistress of trees, quakes, sand, and metal. Her dress was an earthy green, accented by metal jewelry. A dagger hung from her belt. The tree etched into her throne glowed a vibrant green.

The fourth throne, that of the Fire Dragon was empty.

“Trainees,” the Earth Dragon said, her voice filling the entire room. The metal flower pin on her dress identified her as a major in the Legion of Angels. “You have come all this way for nothing.”

“Early this morning, Colonel Starborn, the Fire Dragon of Storm Castle, was called away on an urgent mission,” said the Sky Dragon. He wore the same psychic hand pin as Captain Somerset and Jace’s sister.

“Without the Fire Dragon, this training cannot take place,” added the Sea Dragon, another captain.

The Earth Dragon held up her hand. “Wait.” She was looking at Captain Somerset. “Captain, your reputation as a master of elemental magic is known throughout the Legion. The First Angel once offered to make you a Dragon.”

I gawked at Captain Somerset in surprise. So that’s how she knew you could refuse the Legion’s offer to make you a Dragon.

“That was long ago,” Captain Somerset said.

“Your magic has only grown since then,” replied the Sea Dragon.

The Sky Dragon nodded. “You could take the Colonel’s place until her return.”

Captain Somerset’s mouth tightened. “I already have a job as this soldier’s mentor.” She waved her hand to indicate me.

“If you do not become the Fire Dragon, this training cannot take place,” the Earth Dragon said. “And without this training, these soldiers have a much lower chance of surviving their next sip of the gods’ Nectar.”

Colonel Fireswift would make us go through with the ceremony, with or without the training. The trainees here from other offices might have a more reasonable leader, but those of us from New York weren’t so lucky. Without this training, not everyone would survive. Nerissa wouldn’t survive.

“You have to do it,” I whispered to Captain Somerset.

“You have to do it,” I whispered to Captain Somerset.

She glanced at Nerissa. She’d obviously come to the same conclusion as I had. “Very well. I accept,” she told the Dragons.

“She can’t do it,” Kendra declared. “Her trainee would be left without a mentor. The rules of this training state that every trainee must have a mentor.”

“Will you be my mentor?” I asked Soren quickly.

“Of course,” he agreed.

“A mentor cannot have two students,” Kendra said. “It’s not allowed.”

I turned to face her. “Oh, really? Where does it say that?”

“Article seventeen, section four.”

“Article seventeen, section four. ‘Every soldier who participates in the Elemental Trials must have a mentor. This mentor must be an officer in the Legion of Angels’,” I quoted the section in question. “Nowhere in there does it say a mentor cannot oversee two trainees.”

I could see the wheels turning inside Kendra’s head as she pictured that passage. Her mouth dropped in outrage. She knew I was right—and she hated it. Kendra Fireswift was obviously the sort of person who liked to hit people over the head with the Legion’s very fat rulebook. She was pissed off as hell that I’d grabbed that book and hit back.

“It’s decided. Captain Somerset will serve as the Fire Dragon, and Captain Diaz will take over her student in addition to his own,” the Earth Dragon declared. “Trainees, mentors, follow us.”

The three Dragons stood and walked toward the white door. The rest of us followed.

“I see you’ve been spending some quality time with the Legion’s rulebook,” Captain Somerset said to me as we moved out of the throne room.

“After what happened in Purgatory, I thought it best to be prepared.”

A few weeks ago, two gangsters had attacked a woman in my hometown. Purgatory was out on the Frontier of civilization. Things weren’t like they were in the cities. Crime lords and cowboy justice was rampant. The innocent suffered, but the Legion didn’t care who was running things way out there as long as they remained loyal to the gods.

The gangsters had attacked the woman right in front of my face, but I wasn’t allowed to hurt them back. As a soldier of the Legion, I couldn’t interfere with how the crime lords and their minions ‘kept order’ in their territory. I’d been ready to fight them anyway, but Nero stopped me. I’d been furious with him—until he lured the gangsters onto land owned by the Legion, where he was free to do whatever he wanted to them. He’d killed them and strung them up outside the Legion office for me to see.

That was angels for you. Some men wooed you with flowers; angels wooed you with the dead bodies of deranged criminals. I should have been horrified by the gesture. Instead, I appreciated it. That just went to show how much I’d already changed. I couldn’t afford to change any more.

I’d learned another thing that day, the importance of knowing the Legion’s rulebook by heart. Nero’s brutality notwithstanding, his knowledge of the rules had saved that woman’s life.

“You recited that passage perfectly,” Captain Somerset said.

“Thank you.”

“But you neglected to include the related passage in section twenty-six,” she continued, her voice a soft whisper. “Which does, in fact, state that a mentor may take on only one student in the Elemental Trials.”

“Yes, it does,” I agreed. “But Kendra Fireswift doesn’t know that. You have to always know the rules better than your nemesis, right?”

Captain Somerset laughed. “You learn fast.”

“So I might just survive the Legion?”

“Yes, I think you will,” she said. “The real question is whether the Legion can survive you.”