by Ella Summers
Then Tessa pulled Bella outside, chuckling all the way. I joined Nero in the living room. Calli was there too, grilling Harker.
“You and Bella have been spending a lot of time together lately,” Calli said calmly.
Uh-oh. It was that exact kind of calm she exuded when she was preparing to shoot someone.
“So we have.” Harker was leaning casually against the wall, doing a superb job of looking unperturbed despite Calli’s sniper stare.
Calli pursed her lips. “Dare I ask what your intentions are?”
“You may dare, but you might not appreciate the answer,” he said smoothly.
“Now, see here, young man—”
“I am over two hundred years old,” Harker said.
She frowned. “What’s your point?”
“I am not a young man. In fact, I am older than you.”
“In matters of love, all men are boys, no matter how old they are,” Calli said.
“Or how angelic they are?” He gave one of his brows an enigmatic lift.
“All angels are trouble,” Calli declared.
“Even Leda?” Harker posed.
“Especially Leda.”
“Hey!” I protested.
“But Leda is family,” Calli continued. “She would do anything to protect us, just as we would do anything to protect her. We love her.”
I hiccuped.
Everyone looked at me.
“Sorry.” I hiccuped again. “Calli’s words have made me a little emotional.”
Nero wrapped his arm around me and I nestled up closer to him.
Calli’s level stare snapped back to Harker. “But you aren’t family, Colonel. How do I know you aren’t going to drag Bella into all your angel drama?”
“To be fair, Calli, Bella is the one who’s dragged Harker into all her drama,” I pointed out. “And, from the looks of it, he has loved every moment of it because it meant spending time with her.”
“You are hardly impartial, Leda. He is your friend.”
“Which means I know him well enough to vouch for his character,” I told her. “And you trust Nero, right? Nero can vouch for him too. They’ve known each other forever.”
“Sure I can vouch for Harker. He only kills people who actually deserve it,” Nero told Calli seriously.
Harker shook his head. “You call that helping?”
Nero shrugged.
“I know you care for Bella, but I also know exactly how the Legion of Angels works,” Calli said to Harker. “If the Legion discovers that you are magically compatible with one of their female soldiers, they will order you to marry her. And where will that leave Bella?”
With a broken heart. I’d been so excited to see Bella and Harker together that I hadn’t thought about that. But Calli had. And one quick look at Nero told me he’d considered the possibility too.
Harker was silent. He looked like he didn’t know what to say.
“Nyx is in no hurry to find Harker a wife,” Nero told Calli. “It often takes years to find a soldier compatible with an angel. We’re not a very fertile bunch.”
“Whether it takes years or centuries, it doesn’t matter,” replied Calli. “It will happen eventually. In fact, the longer it takes, the more Bella will grow attached to him. And the harder the end will be for her.”
“It’s pointless to worry about things that are mere speculation,” Nero said. “Perhaps the Legion will never find Harker a wife. Some angels never marry. Nyx had all but given up on finding someone magically compatible with me.” He looked at me with love in his eyes.
“I’m happy things worked out for you and Leda,” Calli said, her tone softening a tad. “But most Legion soldiers are not so lucky. And it’s certainly not pointless for me to be concerned about Bella’s future.”
“This is a matter between Harker and Bella,” Nero said. “In the end, it’s not up to you or me.”
“That’s my point. In the end, it will be up to the Legion.”
“They both know what they’re getting into. Would you deny them happiness now because it might not work out later?” Nero asked her. “If no one ever took a chance on love, then no one would ever experience love.”
Calli was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. “Angels aren’t known for taking a chance on love. You’ve changed, General. For the better. If more angels allowed themselves to feel emotion, the world would be a brighter, kinder place.”
“Does that mean you aren’t going to stand in the way of Bella and Harker?” I asked her.
“I couldn’t stand in their way if I wanted to. Bella is as stubborn as you, Leda. She’s just better at hiding it.” Calli shook her head, and her gaze shifted back to Harker. “Take a chance on love then.”
Harker dipped his chin to her in acknowledgment.
“All right. Who’s up for a cup of tea?” Calli said brightly, as though she hadn’t just interrogated Harker.
She soon returned from the kitchen, holding a tray loaded with a steaming kettle and four cups.
For a few minutes, we all sat there in silence, sipping our tea. I could hear the ding of balls hitting aluminum cans—and the crash of those cans hitting the ground outside. And laughter. Lots of laughter, mixed with joyous shouting and cheering. It was good to have the whole family together again.
But then the shouts soured. Followed by screams. And gunfire.
I jumped to my feet and ran for the front door. Nero, Calli, and Harker were right behind me. I threw open the door and rushed outside.
That’s when I saw her. Bella was lying on the ground, bleeding out everywhere.
11
The Attack
I spotted two assailants, dressed like ninjas from head to toe in black, with only a small slit for their eyes. I ran toward them, but Harker was faster. He moved like a tornado, rushing forward as magic exploded out of him, tearing through the air toward the assailants like a ribbon of telekinetic lightning. Trashcans exploded, clotheslines ripped apart, and the heavy wooden fence split down the middle—but when the smoke cleared, the assailants were gone.
“Did Harker disintegrate the two ninjas?” I asked Nero quietly.
“No. He didn’t use that kind of magic. They’re not dead. They got away.”
“How?” I asked.
“I don’t know. They’re just gone.”
I watched, wide-eyed as Harker took a quick loop around the yard to make sure the assailants weren’t somewhere nearby, lying in wait. When that was done, he rushed over to Bella and began healing her wounds. I’d never seen Harker like this. So out of control. So explosive.
“What happened?” I asked Gin.
“Those guys in black just appeared out of nowhere,” she replied. “We didn’t see them coming.”
“They fired at us,” Tessa added. “Bella was hit and went down.”
“Who were they?” I wondered.
Zane’s face was pale. “It all happened so fast. They were suddenly shooting at us. I didn’t think to read their thoughts. And then they were gone. I’m sorry, Leda.”
“It’s ok.” I patted him on the back. “It’s not your fault.”
I glanced around the empty, partially-demolished yard and sighed. If only Harker’s spells had knocked out the assailants, then we could have interrogated them.
I joined the others, who were gathered around Harker. He sat on the ground, one arm around Bella. The other arm, glowing with magic, waved across her body. From the looks of it, he’d managed to heal her injuries, but she’d lost a lot of blood. Her clothes were stained with it, and her skin was very, very pale. Her eyelids kept dropping. She was only partially conscious. Harker lifted her into his arms, carefully and gently, and carried her into the house.
“This attack can’t be a coincidence,” Nero told me. “Just an hour after we assembled the four pages that will lead us to Thea’s grimoire, even before Bella can try to decipher the page, she was attacked.”
“You think someone doesn’t like that we’re diggi
ng into our past. And they’re trying to stop us from getting answers.”
“Yes.”
“They targeted Bella.” Anger hit me, hard and merciless.
“She is the one best able to decipher the page.”
“I’ll put a team on the house, to protect Bella.” I reached for my phone.
Nero’s hand caught mine. “Harker has made himself her protector. I doubt he will be leaving her side anytime soon.”
“Nero, I just spent the whole day roleplaying endless angel scenarios of dominance.” And my head still hurt from the memories in that classroom. “This is my territory. And Bella is my sister. I have to protect her.”
“But she’s Harker’s mate.”
I blinked. “Bella didn’t say anything…”
“She doesn’t need to say anything. You saw the way Harker attacked the assailants without a thought: quickly, so they couldn’t hurt her anymore, and so that he could heal her. Harker isn’t acting rationally at the moment. If you don’t let him take charge of Bella’s protection, he will attack you. And then I’ll have to attack him. That would be…” Nero frowned. “…messy.”
I’d seen Nero and Harker fight each other, shortly after I’d joined the Legion. Memories of that fight flashed through my head. Messy was right. And both of them had grown more powerful since then.
“Escalation,” I muttered.
“Precisely,” Nero said. “I’d rather avoid a fight with Harker. We’re all on the same side here.”
“All right. I don’t think I could assign a better bodyguard to protect Bella than Harker. But I have to officially name him her bodyguard. Since this is my territory and Bella is my sister, I need to willingly delegate to him the task of her protection.”
“Harker still gets what he needs and you don’t lose face.” Nero smiled proudly at me. “I’m impressed that you figured it out.”
“I guess Colonel Fireswift is a better teacher than you thought,” I said with a smirk.
Nero’s smile faded.
I punched him lightly in the arm. “I’m just kidding. I learned everything I know about being a proper angel from you, of course.”
Nero appeared mollified. Somewhat.
We walked into the house. Calli was waiting in the living room with Zane, Tessa, and Gin.
“How’s Bella?” I asked.
“Sleeping in her bed,” Calli replied. “Harker says she should be completely healed by morning. He insisted on keeping watch by her bedside until she recovers. You were right, Leda. He is a good man.”
“He really is,” I agreed.
“But why would anyone attack Bella?” Calli looked uncharacteristically shaken. She really loved Bella.
“Nero and I suspect someone doesn’t want us to find the answers we seek, and so they tried to take Bella out of the equation,” I told her.
“No one will be taking my Bella out of the equation, not under my watch.” And shaken Calli was gone, replaced by eagle-eyed, kick-ass Calli.
“Leda and I will set up magical defenses around the outside of the house,” Nero said.
I followed him to the door. “Be right back.”
We left the house together.
“Shall I cast the defensive spells, or do you want to do it?” I asked Nero.
“I will do it. You should watch what I do.”
“So I can learn how proper defenses are made?” I chuckled. My spirits had lifted the moment I’d heard Bella would be ok.
Nero gave me a flat look. “Paint-filled balloons are hardly effective, Leda.”
“Hey, I only did that once, and it was pretty effective, if I do say so myself. You were very colorful for a whole week.” I grew more serious. “But I see what you mean. There’s a difference between pranking someone and protecting someone. I want my sister to be protected by the very best defenses magic can create, and you’re the most qualified to do that, Nero.”
Nero started casting spells, while I committed to memory everything that he did.
“I’ve been making a list,” he said as we moved on to the back of the house.
“And checking it twice?” I flashed him a grin. “Was I naughty or nice?”
Nero watched me for a long, reflective moment, then declared, “You’d be at the top of both lists, of course.” He started weaving more spells. “But I wasn’t talking about that kind of list. I’ve created a list of baby names.”
“That’s very domestic of you.”
“I collected the names of great warriors out of the Legion’s history and sorted them by the highest rank and honors achieved by each soldier.”
“And that’s very angel-like of you.”
“Would you like to see the list?” he asked seriously.
“Sure. If I can show you my list.”
“I would be pleased to review our lists together,” he told me, like he was giving a mission report. “From where did you gain inspiration when creating your list?”
“Well, I haven’t made it yet, but I’m thinking of drawing heavily from angel literature.”
“Historical records?” he asked.
“No, literature. As in fiction. There are a lot of novels with angels in them.”
“Most of which are completely preposterous,” he said stiffly.
“Of course they’re preposterous. That’s what makes them fun to read.”
Nero stopped casting spells long enough to give me a hard look. “You read novels about angels?”
“Yep. All the time. I especially like angel romance books. They’re so educational. Did you know angels can have sex while levitating? Why haven’t we ever tried that?”
“Because it’s impractical.”
“Do you think our wings would get in the way?”
“For instance,” he said drily.
“Even so. You should read these books, Nero. You could learn a lot about yourself from them.”
He watched me, his face a marble mask. “You have never actually read an angel romance novel, have you?”
“No, I have not.” I snorted. “But it was really funny when you thought that I had.”
He expelled a long-suffering sigh. “Leda, our daughter must bear a dignified name, one worthy of an angel.”
“And she will. I promise. I know it’s important to you.”
“Yes. It is.”
“We’ll take a look at your list,” I promised, feeling a little guilty for teasing him earlier.
“And you will listen to the historical background of the soldier who bore each name on the list?”
“Of course.”
He looked at me like he thought I might make another joke. When I didn’t, he nodded in satisfaction. “Good. You will need to remain focused. There are two-hundred-and-sixty-one names on my list.”
My eyes grew wide. “It will take months to go through all of those names and their stories.”
“That is precisely why I started the list now. It gives me time to add more names.”
“How many names are you planning on adding?” I asked him, trying not to panic.
“No more than a few hundred,” he assured me.
“A…few…hundred.”
“The Legion has a long and rich history, Leda.”
“Few hundred,” I muttered.
“One can never be too prepared for battle.”
“We’re choosing a name for our daughter, Nero, not marching into battle.”
“Both tasks require a serious, disciplined mind.”
I watched him closely. Something wasn’t right here.
“You haven’t made a list of two-hundred-and-sixty-one historical baby names, have you?”
“No, I have not.” He snorted. “But it was really funny when you thought that I had.”
“This is payback for my joking about angel fiction baby names,” I sighed.
He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me closer. “Yes, it is.”
“Gods, I love you, Nero,” I laughed.
“And I love you, Leda.”
“Just out of curiosity, do you even have a baby name list?” I asked him.
“I do. But it is considerably shorter. And carefully curated.”
“Curated, of course. I should have known you wouldn’t make a list that included the name of every female soldier the Legion has ever had.”
“No.” He looked around the yard. “I’ve finished setting up the defenses.”
“We’re lucky Bella wasn’t more seriously hurt earlier,” I said as we headed back to the house. “With your defenses up, that should keep those assailants out, no matter how ninja-like they might be.”
“Indeed. No one will get past my spells,” Nero declared.
We decided to stay the night to keep watch over the house, just in case the ninjas were crazy enough to try to break through Nero’s defenses. We were taking the night watch, so the rest of my family could get some sleep. They’d need to look after Bella tomorrow, when Nero and I had to return to work.
I laughed as I spread the blanket over us on the sofa.
“What’s so funny?” Nero asked me.
“I’m just thinking about how much this totally goes against all those angel rules I learned about. For us to sleep on the sofa rather than be given the place of honor in the house…oh, how Colonel Fireswift would cringe if he could see us now!” I rubbed my hands together in delight.
“You extract enjoyment from the most curious things, Pandora.”
“That’s what makes life fun.” I frowned. “Of course, if Colonel Fireswift does find out about this, he will probably use it to fail me in my remedial angel studies. Though I already took the written exam. Gods, could he be planning a practical exam too?”
I shuddered to think of what that might include.
“Worrying about what Fireswift might or might not do is a complete waste of time and sanity,” Nero said. “I would know.”
I looked fondly at him. “Yeah, you would, wouldn’t you?”
As Nero told it, he and Xerxes Fireswift had been arch enemies since the day they’d met as boys.
“I will take the first watch,” Nero said. “You try to get some rest. Being well-rested and calm in the face of Fireswift’s tyranny is the best way you can annoy him. And unlike your usual antics, Pandora, he can’t even fail you for that.”