The teams were assigned, and I ended up with Ivy and Drake on Captain Somerset’s team.

“You’re with me, Pandora,” she said as the others filed out. She threw a quick glance at Nero and Harker. “It’s better this way. The boys need a chance to cool off. We wouldn’t want them to start fighting over you again.”

I’d told Ivy that they hadn’t been fighting over me, but I couldn’t argue with Captain Somerset about it. First of all, she was my superior officer, and I really needed to start behaving myself if I was going to make it up the ranks and gain the ability I needed to save Zane. And second of all, I wasn’t completely sure she wasn’t right.

“How do we know about this hideout?” I asked. That’s me. Pure business all the way. “Was this information from the vampire prisoners we captured?”

Captain Somerset gave me a hard, long look. “Nero is right. You ask too many questions.”

I pressed on, undeterred. “They wouldn’t give up information so easily.”

“No one said it was easy, peaches.”

“We could be walking into a trap.”

“You think too much for your position. That’s going to get you into a lot of trouble.” A smirk twisted her lips. “But you have a nice ass. That must get you out of a lot of trouble. I can see why Nero and Harker both want to have sex with you.”

My mouth dropped in shock at her bluntness.

“Never been with a soldier of the Legion?” she asked, still grinning. “No worries. I’m sure they’ll break you in gently. But you might want to make sure they lay off the drugs before. It tends to make the boys lose control.”

“And the girls?” I asked. I could not believe I was even having this conversation. This was like some alternate reality or something.

“We are more disciplined.” She winked at me.

“There won’t be any sex,” I stated.

That elicited a chuckle from the captain. “See, I’ve been around the Legion long enough to know that’s just not true. This isn’t the first time this has happened.”

“That they’ve come to blows over a woman?”

“Ok, so this is the first time that has happened. But many women have come and gone and had their hearts broken by one or both of those two.”

“It sounds lovely,” I said drily.

“I’m told it is. Up to the inevitable heartbreak, at least. Before then, they enjoyed themselves very much. Nero is an angel, and angels make great lovers. I’ve had a few myself.” She took a moment to savor some fond memory. “And Harker. Well, he’s almost an angel. Rumor has it he’s next in line to become one, just like he’s always wanted. Between the two of them, they must have had a few hundred women.”

“Now I know you’re pulling my leg.”

She shrugged. “Immortality is a long time.”

When did a soldier of the Legion gain that little ability? Vampires were immortal, and I’d gained their powers. Was I already, unknowingly, immortal too? Would I never age? I tried not to think about it. Immortal or not, a Legion soldier was destined to die young. I tried not to think about that either.

“I’ve seen them with the same woman,” Captain Somerset continued. “But I’ve never seen them fight over one.” She looked me over. “You’re pretty. But I wonder what about you incites the madness in them.”

“I’m pretty sure that was the drugs.”

She laughed. “You sweet, innocent girl. The drugs merely brought to the surface what was already there.” Her eyes narrowed. “I really wonder. What is it about you?”

“I’m told my stubbornness is very endearing.”

She snorted. “Nero said that, did he? He’s such a hoot. But I don’t think that’s it. He’s drawn to your darkness. And Harker… I think he’s drawn to the opposite. To your innocence. To the light inside of you.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. They can’t be drawn to me for opposite reasons. I can’t have both darkness and light.”

“Who told you that?” she asked, amused.

“The Pilgrims back home were pretty adamant that light can only exist inside of you once you purge the darkness.”

She clicked her tongue. “The Pilgrims. They mean well, but their understanding is limited to books, not life. We are all of us a blend of darkness and light. Sometimes the scales are tilted one way, sometimes the other. Even the brightest soul has touches and hints of shadow. And even the darkest soul has seen the light. In the Legion, we take dark and light powers into us. It’s how we use them that matters. That is what makes us good or evil. And you.” She nodded. “Yes, I see it now. You have both darkness and light in you already, a perfect balance. It’s kind of beautiful.” She winked at me. “If you ever get sick of those boys, come pay me a visit.”

Then she turned and walked out of the room, leaving me rushing to follow.

We took the train to Montreal, an hour’s ride thanks to the engineered magic of Magitech. By car, the trip would have taken hours. This time, no one threw up on the train. That was a victory in and of itself.

Plus Ivy and Drake were on my team. We passed the train ride playing rummy while laughing over all new Legion stories Ivy had learned during her adventure last night.

The rest of our team was made up of three Legion brats: Mina, Roden, and Kinley. Except they weren’t acting like brats today. In fact, they didn’t bother us at all. Maybe they weren’t brats anymore.