by Ella Summers
“Good morning,” Cadence said, closing in beside me.
Behind her, Alice and Andromeda were coming up the stairs. Yeah, we were all on a first name basis now. I chuckled to think of what Colonel Fireswift would think of that.
“Morning, all,” I greeted them.
“So the big day is finally here. Are you ready?” Alice asked me.
“I am.”
“And you’re still sure this is the right way?” Andromeda asked.
“Yes. Swords and magic fire balls won’t solve our problems. They won’t win this war. What we need is to get all of us to march in the same direction. We need to be united by a common goal, something each and every one of us is determined to make a reality. We are spending our time answering the pleas of the Earth’s people because when we help them, when we set this example of selfishness, they will feel compelled to follow us. Not because of magic or some trick, but because it’s the right thing to do.”
“Good speech, Pandora,” said Octavian, who was standing guard outside the Court Chamber’s closed doors.
I took a bow. “Thanks.”
He pinched his thumb and index finger together. “A bit over the top.”
I smirked at him. “That means a lot coming from you.”
Octavian laughed. His outfit, a set of bright red battle leather, was particularly ostentatious today. And his hair was redder than ever before. Weapons covered him like a full armament of ornaments on a Christmas tree. He was sporting a new tattoo, a pair of wings on his neck. I wondered who he’d gotten to create that for him.
I addressed Cadence, Alice, and Andromeda. “The point of our Angels’ Court is to put a face to the Legion and, specifically, to the angels. Most people will never see an angel in their entire life. Angels aren’t real to them; they’re just untouchable, far-off objects with wings, sitting on thrones. This Court will make angels more approachable, more human. It’s all about how you frame the Legion to people. This will help us get those recruitment numbers up. I know it. And that’s what the world needs: more people who are all fighting for the common good.”
Cadence set her hand on my arm. “It’s a good idea, Leda.”
It had better be. We’d only spent every waking moment over the past week trying to set up this never-before-seen event. Tessa had helped too. She was good at marketing.
“It’s time.” Cadence turned toward the closed doors. “Let’s go change the world.”
Stash and Alec, standing on either side of the double doors, opened them for us. Cadence and I entered the Court Chamber, side-by-side. Andromeda and Alice followed behind us.
The room was, in one word, heavenly. Here on the airship, we were high up in the sky. I could see that through the rounded glass dome, which covered most of the room’s perimeter. Bright blue skies shone beyond the glass, so surreal, so like a painting. Puffy white clouds floated all around the ship like fat marshmallows. Yum, marshmallows. Gods, I was getting hungry again. I should have had a bigger breakfast this morning.
There were four chairs set out for us, on a platform raised three steps high. Two of the chairs were at the front, then two additional chairs at the wings. Cadence and I, the angels, took the front seats. Alice and Andromeda sat in the other two.
Standing to the side of the platform, a sergeant with a big, booming voice introduced us. His voice filled the room so effectively, he didn’t even need a microphone.
He started with me. “This Angels’ Court is presided, firstly, by Colonel Leda Pandora, the Angel of Purgatory, the Angel of the Plains of Monsters, the Angel of Chaos…”
Do you think you have enough titles? Cadence asked me, telepathically.
I struggled to keep a straight face as the sergeant continued with my lengthy introduction.
“…the Angel of the People, the Angel of the Earth, and the Angel of Hope.”
The sergeant drew in another breath, then started again.
“The angelic daughter of our great and powerful god Faris, the King of the Gods, the God of Heaven’s Army, the King of Sirens, and the Slayer of Demons.”
He skipped mention of my demon mother. Though the gods and the demons had now formed a tentative alliance against the Guardians, demons still weren’t very popular around here.
“The angelic wife of the archangel General Nero Windstriker, the Chief Marshal and the Executive Officer of the Legion of Angels. The Slayer of Traitors, the Victor of the Crimson Coast, and the Destroyer of Darkness. The former Angel of New York and the former Angel of the East Coast of North America.”
The sergeant moved on to Cadence. “This Angels’ Court is presided, secondly, by Colonel Cadence Lightbringer, the Angel of Light and the Angel of the Immortals. Formerly, the Sea Dragon, the Angel of Storm Castle, and the Angel of the Elemental Expanse.”
Do you think you have enough titles? I quipped.
Oh, he’s not done yet, Cadence told me.
“The angelic daughter of the archangel General Rhydian Silverstar, the Angel of North Europe, the Angel of the North Star…”
He went on for a while longer. Cadence’s father was one of the Earth’s oldest angels. He had lived through a lot of history—and had accumulated a lot of titles.
“The angelic wife of the archangel General Damiel Dragonsire.” The sergeant had finally come to Cadence’s association with Damiel. “The Archangel of the Whispering Winds, the Tamer of Dragons…” He went on longer. Damiel had been around a long time too. “The Founder of the Interrogators and former Master Interrogator. The former Angel of New York and the former Angel of the East Coast of North America.”
The sergeant was forced to break for another quick breath.
“The angelic mother of the archangel General Nero Windstriker…”
Oh, good, we’re doing Nero again, I said to Cadence. He’d be glad that he’s the only one who gets mentioned twice.
Cadence’s laughter rang in my mind. Leda, behave yourself, or I won’t be able to.
“…the former Angel of New York and the former Angel of the East Coast of North America.”
The sergeant was breathing again. Then he set off once more. “This Angels’ Court is presided, thirdly, by Captain Andromeda Singh, the wife of the angel Colonel Vanir Dragonblood, the Angel of South Europe, the Angel of Crystal Falls, and the Hero of Hellas.”
Andromeda’s rogue angel father didn’t warrant mention. Damiel, who’d also once been called traitor, had only been included because it turned out that whole treachery thing had been a total misunderstanding. I wondered how often that happened in the Legion.
“This Angels’ Court is presided, fourthly, by Lieutenant Alice Jones, the wife of the angel Colonel Xerxes Fireswift, the Angel of the Central Territory of North America, the Master Interrogator, the Angel of Order…”
No wonder Fireswift didn’t like me, the Angel of Chaos.
“…and the Champion of the Gods.”
Colonel Fireswift must have been granted that lofty title because Faris had liked how he’d performed in the Gods’ Trials.
“The mother of the angel Lieutenant Colonel Jace Angelblood, the Angel of the South Territory of North America and the Bearer of the Vortex Blade.”
The Vortex Blade was one of four components from the weapons of heaven and hell. The official story was Jace had used the sword to slay a demon, but I’d actually been the one to charge the sword with my magic. Jace knew it, but I’d made him promise not to tell anyone because, at the time, I hadn’t wanted to admit that I had that kind of power. The point was kind of moot nowadays since most people knew I was Faris’s daughter and could therefore wield immortal artifacts. Plus I was an angel now too.
After several minutes of lengthly introductions, the sergeant had finally finished introducing us. He stepped aside.
“The Angels’ Court may now commence,” I declared.
The doors to the Court Chamber opened, and our first petitioner entered.
16
Out of Pandora's Box
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sp; We listened to people’s petitions the entire day. One man pleaded for us to cure the deadly disease that was killing his young daughter. That one brought a tear to my eye. There was also a fair share of petty disputes—from housing rights, to fights between neighbors, to requested repairs to public buildings. There were also a few complaints about loud werewolves, some blood feuds, and a very heated dispute involving a particularly wild goat. And everything and anything in between.
Afterwards, we retreated to our garden library and just tried to unwind.
“I must say, I never realized how discontent humanity was with, well, everything,” Cadence said.
“That’s because you never had to live in the real world,” I teased her.
As the daughter of an archangel, Cadence had lived a very different life than most people.
Alice rubbed her head like it hurt. “This isn’t anything like the real world that I remember.”
“I am more exhausted now than I would have been after a long, hard day of training.” Andromeda sipped from her teacup.
“I found the whole thing invigorating actually,” Cadence said. “So many different, varying situations to solve. It was truly fascinating.”
Alice chuckled. “The story about the goat was certainly fascinating.”
“Some of their problems were quite silly, but others were troubling.” Andromeda frowned. “How has the world become this place?”
“Because we mostly abandoned humanity to their own devices while we were busy sorting out all the supernaturals, demonic threats, and potentially world-ending events,” I said. “But it’s not too late to turn things around.”
Cadence handed me a cookie. “I like your optimism, Leda. You never give up.”
“Your son taught me that angels aren’t quitters.”
“I suspect you weren’t much of a quitter before you joined the Legion either.” Cadence poured me some tea.
“No, I wasn’t.” I winked over my teacup at her. “Especially when it came to quitting to talk.”
“I hadn’t noticed.”
I snorted.
“Leda, has your cat grown bigger in the last week?” Alice asked me.
She was watching Angel in awe. My cat, who was taking up a sofa all her herself, was busily grooming herself. Considering her size, the project would take a while.
“Angel is always growing,” I said. “I wonder if she’ll ever stop.”
My cat was the size of a tiger now. And, if I’d wanted to, I could have ridden her like a horse.
“We might assume that Angel’s size is proportional to how much magic you might need to channel through her,” Cadence said. “After all, she is your Companion, a reservoir for your magic.”
“Right now, my daughter’s magic is too much for my body, so Angel is helping there?” I wondered.
“Perhaps. You are a very young angel, Leda. And you have much more magic than your body is ready to handle. Remember, just two years ago, you had virtually no magic at all.”
Well, no magic besides my vampire-mesmerizing hair that made the bloodsuckers want to bite me. Thank goodness I’d graduated beyond that useless kind of magic.
“You gained a lot of magic in a very short time,” Cadence said. “That is bound to introduce complications. But given time, your body will ripen, allowing it to handle your growing magic better.”
“I think we’re all about to ripen a great deal.” Andromeda patted her flat tummy.
“Depends,” Alice said. “My belly never popped until much later.”
“Must be all the yoga,” I told her.
Alice had taught us all a few yoga moves, but I just couldn’t make my body contort in that way. Cadence and Andromeda were much better at it. They didn’t look like complete fools doing it, not like I did. If I weren’t so damn stubborn, I would have stopped trying.
Alice smiled. “Yoga: good for the body, good for the mind, good for the soul.”
“But bad for the ego,” I muttered.
Alice set her hand gently on mine. “You’ll get it eventually.”
I had a wicked thought. “Say, Alice, have you ever tried teaching yoga to your husband?”
“Long ago, but he found inner peace too boring to hold his interest.”
I laughed. That sounded just like Colonel Fireswift.
Angel glanced at us, then contorted her body into a pose even Alice couldn’t have managed. Then my cat continued with her grooming, moving on to her wings, a souvenir from our time in the Lost City. She could now summon the wings at will, just like an angel. She really was living up to her name. Angel was a true angel cat.
“That is one impressive feline,” Andromeda said. “What does she eat?”
“You know, the usual cat stuff. Cheesecake. Oranges. Ice cream sandwiches.”
Alice’s brows peaked. “The usual, you say?”
“Angel also hunts the typical suspects, of course. Turkeys, rabbits, ducks. Now that she’s larger, she’s venturing into larger wildlife. She’s sometimes gone for hours at a time, hunting.”
“Or maybe she found herself a boyfriend,” Andromeda suggested.
“Now that’s a thought. Good for her.” My smile faded. “But where would the poor girl find another cat her size? Where could she ever hope to find a companion who can keep up with her, another cat who hunts deer, not mice?” I plucked a cheese-and-cracker sandwich from the coffee table. “Such is the burden of being a kick ass woman, Angel,” I told my cat. “We can all sympathize.”
My cat meowed once, then hopped onto the table and took a piece of cheese for herself.
I patted her head. “That’s right, treat yourself to some comfort food.”
“Talking to cats now, Leda?” Calli asked as she sat down beside me.
“Calli, so glad you could join us. Have a snack.”
She selected a healthy apple slice. My foster mother always set a good example.
“I have a job for you.” I wiggled my eyebrows up and down. “A really good one.”
Calli had been nagging me to give her something to do. She got bored if she didn’t have any work to do—or people to take care of.
“I need you to contact as many bounty hunters as you can trust. I’m appointing you my Head of Freelance Stuff.”
“A very important-sounding title,” Calli commented.
“Give yourself any title you want.”
“I think I’ll go with the Director of Acquisition and Reclamation.”
I whistled. “Fancy.”
I handed Calli a folder of missions Alice had put together from today’s petitions. Colonel Fireswift’s wife was so orderly and organized. That must have been one reason he was so in love with her.
“There are a few good jobs in here,” I told Calli. “A search and rescue operation to start. And a few missing person cases. I’m sure I’ll soon have more for you.”
Calli leafed through the folder. “Sounds pretty straightforward.”
“Let me know how much you need to budget for the bounty hunters.”
“Will do.” She put down the folder. “Leda, I appreciate that you’re giving me something to do, but you know I still don’t like being stuck here in this protective bubble.”
“Neither do I, but you raised me to always make the best of any situation. And right now, even stuck here on this airship, we can all make a big difference. We can turn around the lives of so many people of Earth. We can change their fate.”
“Well, it is hard to argue with my own advice. And I’m very proud of what you’re trying to do for all these people who’ve never had anyone look out for them.” Calli grabbed the folder and rose to her feet. She tapped the front cover. “I’ll get back to you on this,” she said, offering me a smile.
Then she left the room.
I turned to the other ladies. “Where were we?”
“Your cat has eaten all of our cheese,” Andromeda told me. “That’s where we are.”
“Not all of our cheese,” I said. “Stash ate at l
east half of it himself.”
I glanced back at Stash, who popped one of the aforementioned cheese pieces into his mouth. From the Court Chamber to the garden library, he was never far from my side. When Faris had assigned him to watch over me, he must have known my cousin would take my personal safety very seriously.
In another life, my father’s gesture might have been heartwarming, but this wasn’t another life. It was my crazy life. Faris only cared about keeping me alive because he saw me as an investment, as a unique weapon—and that went double for my unborn child.
“Pandora, when we were assigned the task of protecting the Angel of Chaos, I expected something a lot more exciting,” Punch complained. “Instead we get a long, boring Angels’ Court and tiny hors d’oeuvres.”
“You seem to be enjoying those hors d’oeuvres,” I pointed out. “You’ve had at least twenty of them.”
“Because they’re tiny.” Punch squeezed two fingers close together. “And I’m big.” He spread his arms wide.
“That’s my brother Punch in a nutshell,” Patch declared.
The whole team from Heaven’s Army was here in the garden library right now. A few of them had been stationed in the Court Chamber at any given time during the day.
“I was sure something would attack the airship by now,” Punch said. “Seriously, I’m disappointed. You’re not living up to your name, Pandora. You’re supposed to be the de facto trouble magnet. That’s why I took this assignment.”
I smirked at him. “I thought you took this assignment because when Faris says jump, you ask, how high?”
Punch snorted and patted me hard on the shoulder.
“I must agree with Punch,” Octavian said.
Arabelle laughed. “That’s a first.”
Octavian’s fingers drummed on the knife strapped to his arm. “I too was hoping for something more exciting than the Lords’ Gala.”
“But this is so much more important than fighting monsters or listening to bickering gods,” I told them. “We are helping people who can’t help themselves.”