Page 65

“Hmm.”

“You think that’s suspicious,” Nero observed.

“Well, angels aren’t particularly prolific when it comes to popping out babies,” I said, “so yeah, having multiple Legion brats born all around the same time isn’t something that happens all that often. It happened the month I was born. And it happened when Sierra was born. But we’ve already established that those weren’t normal circumstances. Very powerful, very specific ancient magic was at work in both cases.”

Harker frowned. “And you believe this same magic was at work when Nero was born?”

“I’m not sure if it was the same magic, but something’s certainly up with that.”

“We’re not talking about seven or eight Legion brats being born at the same time,” Harker said. “It was only three.”

“Yeah, I know. On the one hand, it could be a coincidence…” I nibbled on my lip.

“And on the other?” Harker prompted me.

I sighed. “On the other hand, my thorough and detailed study of the universe has revealed that coincidences do not exist.”

Harker looked and Nero. “Thorough and detailed study of the universe?”

Nero shrugged. “This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

They both chuckled.

“All right, that’s enough from you two comedians.” I stuck my tongue out at them. “I just meant that I find it…noteworthythat there were three Legion brats in your initiation group.”

“It is indeed that.” Nero fell into thoughtful silence.

“I guess we’ll just throw that on the bonfire of mysteries we haven’t solved yet,” I decided. “In the meantime, you were telling me about your first girlfriend at the Legion.”

“Colonel Brightwing was never my girlfriend,” Nero said, his tone perfectly level.

“No, he justwishedshe was,” Harker told me with a wink.

“ColonelBrightwing? An angel?” I arched my brows at Nero. “Wow, you aimed high from the get go.”

Harker flashed me a grin. “I’m reminded of an idiom about pots and kettles.”

“That’s a totally different situation, Harker. Nero and I are soulmates.” I took Nero’s hand and didn’t even try to hold back my sappy smile. I just let it gush out of me.

“And I’m happy for you,” Harker said. “Actually, I’m happy foreveryonethat Nero was destined for you and not for Kia Brightwing.”

“Why? Did she turn all evil or something?” I chuckled.

Nero and Harker exchanged loaded looks.

My smirk faded. “Wait, she didn’tactuallyturn evil, did she?”

I mentally shuffled through the list of Earth’s current angels that I’d memorized—and realized that Colonel Kia Brightwing wasn’t on it.

“After my boyish crush faded, Kia became a good friend and mentor.” Nero’s expression hardened. “And then she deserted the Legion.”

“For the Dark Force?” I wondered.

In its early days, the Legion had lost quite a few soldiers to the Dark Force, the demons’ version of the Legion.

Nero shook his head. “I don’t know where she went. She told me she was leaving the Legion. Then she just withdrew from the battle we were fighting, abandoning her post and every single soldier under her command.”

“If Nero hadn’t taken over and rallied our troops, we would have lost a lot more good Legion soldiers that day,” Harker told me. “When Kia abandoned us, Nero was promoted. He took over her territory and became the new Angel of New York.”