“And them?” I asked.

Nero followed my gaze to a group of five soldiers dressed in thick winter wear. “They’re going after a rogue band of shifters hiding out at the north end of the Wilds. These shifters stole Legion property.”

That was a generic term the Legion applied often and generously. It could mean any number of things.

The door past the reception desk whooshed open, and a third group of soldiers walked into the overcrowded lobby. Of the four, I knew one of them. We’d gone on a few missions together over the past month. Sergeant Lavender Kane. She and her three companions were on the fast track to level four, and today was the day they headed out to special training. She’d been really excited about it when she’d told me. That same excitement sparkled in her eyes now. She looked from Nero to me, then gave me a conspiring wink.

“Why has Nyx put so many of us into accelerated training?” I asked Nero.

“I can’t say anything about it.”

Of course not. “Her new mystery plan has something to do with where you’ve been these past few months, doesn’t it?”

He’d left shortly after we’d saved the witches’ airship from being blown to pieces, after he’d asked me to go out with him. That was nearly four months ago, and since then he’d only returned here once a month for a few days at a time. Suffice it to say, there hadn’t been any time for dates.

Not that I had time for dates anyway. I didn’t even have time for sleep—not between my usual work, the extra training Nyx assigned me, and tackling the never-ending reading list from Nero. Never-ending because he was adding on new books faster than I could read them.

In Nero’s absence, Captain Somerset had been running things here. Now that he was back with a mission, though, maybe things would get back to normal—or at least as normal as things could be for soldiers of the gods’ army. Hey, who knew? Maybe we’d even finally get around to going on that date.

“Be in the garage in fifteen minutes, Pandora,” Nero told me, then he headed down the hallway that led to his office.

I leaned my elbow against the reception counter and let out a sigh. Encounters with angels were kind of hit and miss. It’s like they were twenty different people, and you never knew which one you’d get. Today I’d gotten professional Nero. I swiped a donut from the box on the counter. Being professional sucked. I much preferred making-out-in-the-library Nero.

“What’s it like to kiss him?” Cocoa, the secretary, asked me.

“He tastes like Nectar.”

Cocoa blinked, obviously confused on how to respond to my statement. Nectar was a poison that either blessed you with new magic or killed you.

My donut in hand, I headed for my apartment on the second floor, a three-bedroom suite I shared with my friends Ivy and Drake. Neither one was at home right now. I went straight to my bedroom to change. The soldiers heading to the Wilds up north might be facing the harsh winds of winter, but right now the Black Plains were basking in the heat of summer. In February. I didn’t question it. No one did. Magic had changed the Black Plains and the nearby Frontier. The weather rarely made sense. You could have a week of scorching heat followed by a week of blizzards.

I shrugged out of my long winter coat, tossing it onto my bed. I traded my club clothing for a tank top, shorts, and hiking boots. Ivy and Drake entered the apartment as I finished braiding my hair back. I was carrying two swords today. They were freakishly sharp, and I had no intention of slicing my hair off by mistake. Legion soldiers were expected to be ambidextrous, flexible, and fast—and I hadn’t quite gotten the knack of it yet.

Ivy’s infectious laugh jingled over the click of the apartment door. I grabbed my donut, then headed into the living room.

“Hey, Leda,” she said, setting down her phone on the coffee table. Her long red hair bounced against her back as she moved. “What’s this I hear about you going out drinking with Jace instead of with me?”

“It was training.” I smirked at her. “It didn’t mean anything, honest.”

She snorted. “So, how long do you think you’ll be stuck training with him?”

“Until one of us dies, I guess.” I devoured my donut in four bites. “But he’s not all that bad.”

“I’ll forgive that comment because you’re obviously inebriated.”

I licked the icing from my fingers. “My head is perfectly clear.” That was one of the benefits of a turbo-charged supernatural metabolism.

The door opened again, and Drake entered the apartment. He wore a muscle t-shirt, cargo pants, and heavy hiking boots. His dark hair was cut short and brushed up into spiky peaks. He looked ready to kick ass and break hearts.

Drake was a frontline fighter, someone you brought in when you had a nasty job that needed to be done. He’d been doing a lot of tough missions lately. Captain Somerset liked to use him because he bulldozed through anything in his path.

“Ladies,” Drake said with a suave smile.

Ivy fanned herself. “Someone call the doctor.”

Drake winked at her. “Should I carry you to the medical ward, honey?”

Ivy and Drake had been best friends since birth. They were also totally into each other, though neither one seemed to realize it. They were each dating someone else right now.

“On second thought, no.” Ivy plopped down on the sofa. “I spent the whole day in there. I never want to hear that stupid Sandy Marine song ever again.”