6

Nero and I walked down the hall in silence. I didn’t bring up our dinner and duel last night. Since I’d already decided that nothing could happen between us, there was really no point. I had a long list of reasons why we could never be together, the top one being that I wouldn’t be able to do what I had to do to find Zane if I was mending the inevitable broken heart that a relationship with Nero would end in.

I had reasons—good reasons. Unfortunately, those reasons went right out the window the moment I was alone with him. So I’d just have to make sure to never be alone with him. Our early morning training sessions made that impractical, but I could stay focused for that one hour each morning, right? Other than that, no alone time with Nero. Definitely no visits to his apartment. And when I had to go to his office, I’d remember to leave the door open. Yeah, that was a good plan. What could possibly go wrong?

The skeptic inside of me began to prattle off all the things that would make my brilliant plan crash and burn. I silenced that nasty little voice. I had to think positively. Against all odds, I’d survived the initiation into the Legion and the gods’ first gift. That meant I had a strong will. Compared to the trials the Legion threw at me every day, not thinking about Nero should be easy.

“You’re unsettled.”

I nearly jumped at his words. I covered my unease with a shrug. “Who me? No, I’m fine.”

He gave me a hard look, that special one that told me he knew I was full of shit. “You need to learn to lie better. Every breath, every scent, every beat of your heart—it’s all a dead giveaway.”

“Good to know,” I said with a smile that hurt my jaw. “I’ll work on it.”

“I make you uncomfortable.” It wasn’t a statement; it was a fact. There was no pity in his words, no triumph, no emotion whatsoever. I couldn’t decide if that made me feel better or worse.

“I’m just nervous about the First Angel summoning me,” I said. “Do you know what this is about?”

He looked at me, his cold eyes betraying nothing. Ok, fine. He wasn’t going to tell me. Not that I was surprised. Angels loved their secrets as much as they loved intimidating people.

Nero led me to an office room I’d never been in before. It was twice as large as his own office. A gargantuan desk stood opposite the door, but besides the antique lamp and glass jar of pens in the corner, there was nothing on it. In fact, the whole room had a feeling of disuse about it. It was just too clean and orderly. It must be the First Angel’s office for those times she visited.

Nyx herself stood in the center of the room in all her angelic glory, a beautiful carpet under her feet. Her stance was strong and regal. She wore a glossy black leather suit that accentuated every curve in her body. She was more slender than voluptuous, but that didn’t make her presence any less imposing. High-heeled boots added to her already impressive height.

Her eyes, as blue as the ocean, tracked me across the room. She was wearing her glossy black hair long and braided today. The last time I’d seen her, her hair had been chin-length. Either it had grown twenty inches overnight, or she had some seriously powerful magic to be able to shift her appearance like that. That kind of magic was a shifter skill, but most shifters—and Legion soldiers who’d gained the ability—just changed into an animal or maybe two. I’d never seen someone shift only their hair to make it grow.

Nyx was powerful, more powerful than even Nero. I could feel her magic crackling the air, popping against my skin like an electric storm. It was no surprise that she was the First Angel. She felt like a god. Not that I’d ever been in the presence of a god, but this was exactly how I’d always imagined they would feel like. The sheer power inside of Nyx was making the hair on my arms stand up like I’d been zapped by lightning. She’d been holding back her magic before, but not this time. This time, she was letting it all out.

Nero dropped to his knees in recognition of her power, and I did the same. If you were in the presence of the First Angel when she let out her magic, you didn’t salute; you bowed. Nyx watched us, her face almost curious as her eyes fell on me. I dropped my gaze quickly from her eyes.

“Rise, Colonel Windstriker.”

Nero did as she bade him, but his gaze darted to me, as though afraid I’d offend the First Angel by rising before I was commanded to do so. He needn’t have worried. I knew better than to provoke an angel. Well, at least most of the time.

Nyx looked down at me. “You have very unusual hair.”

I’d heard that so many times before. Too many times. Vampires especially liked my hair. It was a magnet for them, a beacon that invited them to abandon reason and try to take a nip at me. And I had no idea why. Besides my hair being so pale it was nearly white, there wasn’t anything unusual about it that I could see.

Even though it was annoying to hear about my weird hair for the millionth time, I kept my head low and said, “Yes, First Angel.”

“You may call me Your Holiness.”

I didn’t dare glance up to see if she was smirking as she said it, but I thought I caught a hint of humor in her otherwise earnest tone. Was she serious or making fun of herself? I had a feeling it was a bit of both. What an unusual angel.

Nyx reached down, rubbing my hair between her fingers. “There is magic in it.”

I’d guessed that. Just because I couldn’t detect it, that didn’t mean it wasn’t there. After all, vampires had to be attracted to something about it besides its shiny color.

“Yes, First Angel,” I said again. “I mean, Your Holiness.”

Nyx chuckled softly. “Is she always this compliant, Colonel?”

“If only it were so. You’ve read my reports.”

“Yes, I have.” She set her hand on my shoulder. “Rise.” I rose out of my knees, and as our eyes met, she nodded. “Yes. You will do.”

“For what?” I asked before I could think better of it.

Nero shot me a stern look. He was obviously afraid the First Angel, General of the Legion’s Armies, was less forgiving of my impudence than he was.

But Nyx didn’t seem to care about my speaking out of turn. “I have a mission for you, Leda Pierce.”

This time, I waited for her to speak again, even though I was bursting with curiosity.

“Colonel Windstriker has prepared a mission to covertly infiltrate the New York University of Witchcraft so that we may investigate whether they had anything to do with the poisoning yesterday,” she said. “For the past few months, two of New York’s largest witch covens have been on the brink of open hostilities. The heads of both covens have a seat on the university’s board. Obviously, the Legion wants to prevent a war, as that would destabilize the entire city. So we’re sending a team to mediate the dispute before it gets out of hand. Colonel Windstriker will lead the team. He has selected Captain Somerset to assist him in the mediation. She is a skilled interrogator.” Nyx nodded in approval. “He has provided me with a list of his support team. Do you know who is on that list?”

“No,” I said, though I was starting to get a pretty good idea. Nero would have seen this mission as good training for me.

“Not you,” Nyx told me.

I looked at Nero in surprise.

“He selected Jace Fireswift and Mira Ravenfall,” Nyx said. “Both come from distinguished families that have served the Legion since its early years. Both have an angel parent.”

Yeah, the brats were just awesome. “So if I’m not going on the mission, why am I here?” I asked her, checking my annoyance.

“Who said you weren’t going on the mission?” she said, smiling. “I merely said you aren’t on Colonel Windstriker’s list. You are, however, at the top of mine. I’ve read his reports about you, how you went after him on the Black Plains, how it was you who uncovered that the demons were behind the illegal turning of vampires. You are brave and resourceful. You know how to adapt to a situation, rather than just following patterns you’ve been taught. That makes you perfect for this mission. You will need to adapt and stay on your toes. I need someone who can think for herself to solve problems without any handholding. Do you think you can do that?”

“I’ve never been much of a hand-holder,” I told her.

Nero was giving me his signature look: an expressionless mask hiding a storm of expressions. I ignored him and kept my attention on the First Angel.

“Calm down, Colonel,” Nyx said, her mouth twisting with amusement. “I’m not going to execute your favorite student with my holy arsenal of Earth-shattering magic.”

I decided right then and there that I liked Nyx. She was cool. Past her angel feathers and Legion uniform and regal beauty, she seemed like someone who didn’t take herself as seriously as someone in her position should. She seemed so…human. It was funny to think of an angel as human, especially the First Angel, but Nyx was exactly that. It gave me hope that you didn’t have to sacrifice your humanity to earn your wings.

“I do wonder why she’s not on your list, though,” Nyx continued, arching her brows at Nero.

“She’s not ready,” he said simply.

“I think you’d be surprised.” Nyx looked at me. “Do you think you’re ready for this?”

“Yes,” I told her, not looking at Nero as I said it.

“There you have it, Colonel.” She shot him a look that was almost impish, then she turned to me. “You will leave for the university the day after tomorrow as part of Colonel Windstriker’s team. While the others are interrogating the staff and students about the rift in the witch community, you are to investigate on campus to ascertain how the witches’ Sunset Pollen and Snapdragon Venom ended up in a poison that killed nearly a hundred people yesterday at the Brick Palace. Colonel Windstriker will provide you with maps and background on the school. I expect regular reports of your progress.” She walked past us like a gust of fresh air, turning just before she left the room to say to me, “Congratulations on the promotion.”

What did that mean? But before I could ask her, she was gone, the faint, sweet aroma of peaches in the air the only evidence that she’d ever been here. Nero walked to the door and shut it, then he just stared at me.

I grasped for a diversion and found only sass. It would have to do. “Don’t give me that look, Nero. It’s not my fault she picked someone not on your list. Why didn’t you put me on the list, by the way?”

“As I said, you’re not ready,” he replied coolly.

“I can do this. I can investigate. I did these kinds of things back in my old bounty-hunting days.” I smirked at him. “I am a first rate snoop.”

“Which is why Nyx wants you on the team,” he said. “But this is far more dangerous than anything you’ve faced before. And it’s too early.”

“The First Angel doesn’t think it’s too early.”

“Nyx put you on my team because she believes you can think for yourself and because you are scrappy.”

I grinned. “So basically all those things you don’t like about me.”

“I do like you. Too much for our own good.”

His hand flashed out, catching mine. As his thumb began to trace small circles across my palm, my inner voice screamed out in panic, but I didn’t move. And I didn’t have to. He dropped my hand and took a step back. I tried not to feel too disappointed.

“This is dangerous,” he said.

“Aw, you’re worried about me,” I teased. “I promise not to pick a fight with those witches so they have no reason to throw their calculators at me.”

“This is serious, Leda. Witches aren’t to be taken lightly. Especially if they’re working with the demons.”

“Do you really think the demons are behind this?”

“It’s a distinct possibility. They did turn witches to their side before. Some of those turned witches might still be at the school, working there or studying as students.”

“I’ll be careful,” I promised him.

“It’s not just the witches.” He moved to the cabinet behind the desk and opened a drawer. “There is a challenge you must face first.” He set an antique glass bottle down on the table.

“Is that…”

“Yes,” he said. “The gods’ second gift, Witch’s Cauldron.”

That’s what Nyx had meant by the promotion. Level two, here I come.

“Tomorrow evening, we will have the ceremony. Prepare yourself.”

I almost laughed. How was I supposed to prepare myself for that? At about this time tomorrow, I would drink from the Nectar of the gods once more. And then I would either be granted the second power of the Legion—or be granted an early grave.

“Get some rest, Pandora,” he told me. “You’ll need it.”

Thus dismissed, I left his office, but I didn’t go straight back to my dorm room. I took the long way down the corridor, using the time to settle the nervousness bubbling inside of me. Sure, I’d said I was ready, but I hadn’t realized I’d have to survive another ceremony first.

But this is exactly what you wanted, said a voice inside of me. You need to gain more magic so you can find Zane.

The rational part of me knew that voice was right. This was exactly what I needed. But the dark, terrified part of me wouldn’t listen to reason. It kept flashing images of my own death through my head. And if I died, who would save Zane? Only someone who loved him could link to him from so far away. That’s how that kind of magic worked. If I didn’t make it, that left Calli and my sisters. And the only way they could gain this magic was by joining the Legion too.

No! I clenched my fists, my fear hardening into determination. I would not let them risk their lives. It was up to me to do this. I would survive, and I would save Zane. There wasn’t any other way.

With that settled, I headed back toward my room. I didn’t make it far. A lieutenant I didn’t know ran past me, then he just stopped.

“Don’t stand there gawking,” he said. “Hurry. We need to contain the situation.”

I ran alongside him. “What situation? What’s going on?”

Screams and the roar of gunfire echoed down the hall, answering my question. The Legion was under attack.