“File in,” Nero said, emerging from the doorway.
How had he gotten here so fast? Maybe he really could teleport. Or maybe I’d just been slow, distracted by the epidemic of corruption consuming my town.
We followed Nero into a small office down the hall. Seven Pilgrims waited inside. They weren’t dressed in the usual robes of the clergy but instead in cargo pants and t-shirts. I might have mistaken them for regular people, if not for the distinguished way they folded their hands together, palms out. It was a Pilgrim gesture, one that broadcasted their wish to pass along the gods’ message.
“Our mission,” Nero said when we were all there. “Is to guide and protect the Pilgrims in their journey to the holy battle site at the Lost City, which sits at the middle of the Black Plains.”
Centuries ago, monsters had overwhelmed the Earth. The Book of the Gods tells us that the gods came down to our world, pushing back the beasts and saving humanity from certain destruction. The truth was a tad more complicated—ok, a lot more complicated. So complicated, in fact, that no one knew exactly what had happened all those years ago.
We did know that the gods had helped us build walls to separate humanity from the monsters. We knew they’d formed the Legion of Angels, a new breed of soldiers to fight the war against demons and monsters. The Pilgrims had risen from the ashes of humanity at our worst hour. They worshipped the gods, building temples in their honor. Just as the Legion represented the hand of the gods, the Pilgrims represented their voice.
“Valiant tells me that objects of great power lay buried beneath the Lost City,” Nero said, indicating the Pilgrim standing to his right.
Valiant. His name meant he was a higher member of the Pilgrims, someone the gods had distinguished by blessing with long life for their service. They all held honorary titles named after virtues.
“It is absolutely essential that we recover these precious historical relics before thieves or mercenaries get their hands on them,” Valiant said, his voice trembling with emotion.
If the artifacts were from the time of the final battle, they’d been in the Lost City for centuries. Either relic hunters had long since found them, or they were buried so deep that no one ever would.
“We must head out immediately,” Valiant declared.
“That would be unwise,” I told him.
Everyone looked at me.
“The Black Plains aren’t safe at night,” I continued. “The worst beasts come out after dark.”
Nero watched me, as though he were debating whether or not to punish me for speaking out of turn. “She’s right,” he finally said, much to Lieutenant Lawrence’s dismay. “We’ll sleep here in the temple tonight and head out tomorrow at first light.” He waved his hand at the door, and it swung open, revealing a Pilgrim in a plain dress.
She bowed to us. “Please allow me to show you to your rooms.” She looked so young, no older than my seventeen-year-old sisters.
I was about to follow when Nero said, “Pandora, a word.”
My comrades followed the girl, and the Pilgrims followed, shutting the door behind them. Leaving me alone with the stony-faced angel, who from the looks of it hadn’t appreciated my desire to speak my mind.
“You’re going to punish me, aren’t you?” I said with a heavy sigh.
“I fear it won’t do any good.”
“That never stopped you before.”
A hint of amusement broke past his granite mask.
“Admit it,” I said, grinning. “You appreciate my sharp wit.”
“In private perhaps, but not in front of my soldiers. And most certainly not in front of outsiders.”
“All right.” I sighed again. “Give it to me.”
“When we get back, an additional twenty miles every morning for a week.”
As far as Nero’s punishments went, it was pretty lenient.
“Feeling magnanimous today?” I asked.
He shot me a hard look. “I can make it fifty miles instead.”
“No, twenty should be fine. Thank you. I’m already feeling very repentant.” I should have stopped there, but then I’d never known what was good for me. “Will you still punish me with extra laps when I’m an angel?” I asked him. I just couldn’t help myself.
“Do you think I’ll still need to punish you with extra laps when you’re an angel?”
“Probably,” I admitted.
A small smile touched his lips. “I hope so.”
“Oh? And why is that? Because you enjoy punishing me that much?”
“No, because it means you managed to become an angel without changing who you are.” He brushed his hand against mine. “I didn’t ask you to stay just so I could punish you.”
“Nero, I’m not going to make out with you in this tiny office. It doesn’t even have a proper lock. Anyone could walk in at any time.”
He laughed out loud. “You made out with me in the library. There wasn’t even a door.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks—and a few other places.
He lifted my hand to his lips, kissing my fingertips. “I didn’t ask you to stay here for that either. I just wanted to inform you about the unfortunate shortage of beds at the temple.”
“And this is where you generously offer to share your bed with me?”
He snorted. “That is one option, of course. But I was going to propose you go stay with your family.”
The sass sizzled out inside of me, washed away by an overwhelming surge of gratitude. “Really?”
“It is an appropriate solution to the problem.”
“Thank you.” I threw my arms around him. “Thank you so much.”
“I expect to see you here tomorrow at a quarter to six. Don’t be late.”
“I won’t be,” I promised, giving him a second hug before heading for the door.
“And Leda.”
I turned my head to look at him.
“I know it’s difficult for you to see the changes in this town since you left, but I must remind you not to interfere in local affairs. You are a soldier of the Legion now, sworn to uphold the gods’ justice. If you forget that, even I cannot save you from the gods’ wrath.”
“I know.” I drew in a deep breath. “I’ll remember.”
“Sleep well.”
I smiled at him. “You too.”
There was nothing better in life than dinner with your family. Being away from them for so long had reminded me of that one simple truth. Calli and the girls, Tessa and Gin, were there. The New York University of Witchcraft was closed between semesters, so Bella was home too. The only person missing to make this family dinner complete was Zane. I glanced at my brother’s empty chair, and a twinge of melancholy burned in my heart, a single black spot on this otherwise perfect evening.
“You will find him,” Bella said from beside me. She squeezed my hand. “We all believe in you, Leda.”
Calli lifted her glass to me. My sisters mimicked the gesture. We were only drinking water tonight, but I appreciated it all the same.
“So, how’s school?” I asked Bella as I shoveled sweet potato fries onto my plate. “Anything interesting happening?”
“Well, there’s no way I could beat the adventure we had, Leda, but I did score the top marks in my class on the semester finals.”