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“Thank you.” Cadence looked at me and Nero. “See? Even Damiel realizes how inappropriate it is.”

Nero turned to me. “Nice going, Pandora. Now you got me into trouble.”

“Don’t worry, Windstriker. If your parents try to put you in timeout, I’ve got your back,” I said with a smirk.

“No one’s in trouble,” Damiel said. “Though I’m pretty peeved that you didn’t include me in your archangel comparison, Leda.”

“Oh, really?” I set my hands on my hips. “I thought that topic was inappropriate.”

“Only because you excluded me. Everyone knows that I am the Legion’s sexiest angel.” Damiel winked at his wife.

Cadence rubbed her head, sighing. “I should have listened to my father before abandoning all reason and falling in love with you.”

“Probably,” he agreed, laughing. “But it’s too late now.” He wrapped an arm around her, drawing her closer.

“Yeah, there’s no going back now,” she chuckled, setting her head on his shoulder.

Nero’s parents were so cute together.

“So?” Damiel gave me an expectant look.

“Yes?”

“You’re supposed to set up General Silverstar with a fine new lady friend,” he reminded me.

I looked at Nero. “Did I agree to that?”

He shrugged. “You’re alive. That’s all the confirmation that Damiel requires that you’ll do his bidding.”

“Yeah, sounds a lot like my dad.”

Only my dad was a god, which made him much, much worse.

I looked at Damiel. “I don’t think General Silverstar needs my help to find a date. He’s an angel. Women dig that. Why don’t you just let him figure things out for himself?”

Damiel snorted. “Because he’s a miserable old goat and will spend the rest of his very long existence alone if someone doesn’t intervene.”

Cadence blinked at him. “Oh, wow. I never realized it until now, Damiel. You actually do care about my father.” She clasped her hands together. Her eyes were wet. Her lips twitched with a sappy sort of happiness. “And you want him to be happy.”

“No, I just want him to lighten up for the sake of my sanity,” Damiel told her.

But Cadence just kept smiling. She obviously didn’t believe him. And neither did I. Damiel had a pretty terrifying reputation at the Legion, but at the end of the day, he was a good guy. And like Nero, he just wanted his family to be safe and happy.

“I’ve picked up the hunter’s magic trail,” Damiel said, his eyes going hard, serious. It was his battle face. “She’s hiding in there.” He pointed toward one of the mountains which enclosed this snowy valley.

“Let’s end this.” Nero reached his hand out to me.

I took it. Unlike the three of them, I didn’t know how to teleport on my own. I also couldn’t track magic or do any other kind of passive magic. My ancestors weren’t Immortals.

We all linked hands. Snowflakes fell lightly but continuously down on us, kind of like we were stuck in one massive snow globe.

Then everything flashed white. When my vision cleared, we were standing in a rocky cavern. Inside the mountain. Broken twigs and burnt leaves were scattered across an abandoned campsite.

“Where’s the hunter?” I asked, looking around.

“We’re too late,” Cadence said, pointing.

I followed her gesture to a corpse, firmly frozen to the ground. “Whoa, it looks like we’re not the only ones hunting the hunter.”