“Whoever is behind this killed almost a hundred people, and they very nearly succeeded in killing even more. They are crazy.”
“If the witch covens don’t even get along with one another, then you’d think whoever is behind this would have attacked witches, not other supernaturals.”
“I don’t know. Maybe the supernaturals they attacked were helping their enemies?” I suggested. “I think that instead of pulling our hair out trying to figure out what links the witches, we should concentrate on what links the victims.”
“To do that, we need records on all the victims.”
“Yeah, which means we’ll have to continue this tomorrow,” I said.
“Thank the gods.”
I chuckled. “Hey, do you want to stop by Nero’s office and ask him for the records?”
“I think he’d prefer if you stopped by instead,” he said. “Colonel Windstriker was giving me a look earlier.”
“Define this look.”
“A look that said he was going to set me on fire if I stepped out of line.”
I thought back to Harker and how he’d set all those vampires on fire. Nero’s magic was even more powerful.
“Ok,” I said. “So he could set you on fire, but he won’t. Don’t worry about it. Nero always has that look. I just ignore it. Besides, you don’t have anything to worry about. You never step out of line. You’re the perfect soldier.”
“You don’t understand. This isn’t about being the perfect soldier. This is about him thinking I’m trying to make a move on you. And it’s about the consequences I’m going to face.”
“Were you planning on making a move on me?” I smirked at him.
“No. But I don’t think it matters to him. Paranoia and jealousy don’t mix.”
“Jace, he’s not going to set you on fire for talking to me.”
“I’m not too sure about that. That angel has it bad for you.”
“He only wants me because I turned him down.”
Jace snorted. “You turned down an angel? You’re even crazier than I thought.”
I shrugged. “Sanity is overrated.”
“Leda,” he said seriously. “No one who knows what’s good for them says no to an angel.”
“Then I guess I don’t know what’s good for me.”
“Yeah,” he laughed. “But you do realize that rejecting him only made him more determined. That’s how angels are. Trust me. I know. That’s how my mom got my dad. He chased her for years, and for years she turned him down, which made him even more determined to have her. And once he finally got her, he wouldn’t let her go. He worships the ground she walks on, just as she’d planned.”
“Well, I’m not trying to ‘get’ Nero.”
Quite the contrary actually. I was trying to forget all about him. I just wanted him to leave me alone—if only my body would get the message. But no matter how many times my mind told my body to stay cool, as soon as Nero was nearby, every cell in me went hyper alert, like I’d been hit by lightning.
“Just watch out, ok?” Jace said. “Angels are very possessive.”
“I don’t plan on being possessed.”
“The way he’s acting… You must have led him on somehow.”
How about biting him and tearing his clothes off after I drank the Nectar to receive the gods’ first gift? And thinking about doing that and more every single day? Gods, I had led him on.
“I’m not that interesting. He’ll grow bored of chasing me eventually,” I said.
“Ok,” Jace replied, obviously not convinced. “I’m going to meet up with Mina and Kinley now. You want to come?”
“I don’t think your other friends are ready to stop hating me yet.”
“Give them time.” He set his hand on my shoulder. “You can get the victims’ records from the Colonel, right?”
“Well, since you’re too chicken to go see him, I guess I have to,” I grumbled.
“You’re awesome,” he said, grinning.
“Why is it people always flatter me when they want me to do something?” I demanded.
He left the room, chuckles trailing behind him. I gathered up all of the papers we’d spread across the table, then left the library, heading for Nero’s office. He was probably still there—well, unless he’d found another eager and willing fairy to make out with him. Bah, who cared? I hurried down the corridor, determined to get this over with so I could get back to my room and that tower of textbooks waiting for me. Voices poured out of Nero’s open office door, freezing me in my tracks.
“Colonel Fireswift wants to interrogate the four coven leaders,” Nyx said.
“I’m sure he does,” replied Nero gruffly.
“Colonel, this situation is getting out of hand. The Legion of Angels must always be in complete control. And right now, you aren’t. People’s fear of punishment is the only way we keep order. As soon as people think they can get away with something, they will grow bold. Every day, there’s a new attack. If you don’t put an end to them, I will give Colonel Fireswift his wish.”
“Understood.”
“Good, now I want to talk to you about Leda Pierce.”
18
Back to Basics
My breath caught when I heard Nyx speak my name.