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“They are afraid the Nectar will kill them,” Captain Singh said.

“There is that, of course, and I already have Nerissa working on the problem,” I said. “But I’m sure that’s not all there is to it. It’s bigger than that. Many humans would gladly risk their lives for the greater good... So maybe the problem is they don’t believe joining the Legion actually serves the greater good.”

“What do you mean?” Lieutenant Jones asked.

“Think about it. What do we call Nectar?”

“The food of the gods,” Lieutenant Jones answered instantly, eagerly.

Her studious nature reminded me of my sister Bella.

“Right,” I said. “Nectar is this holy, magical thing, far above humans. The people of Earth are fed exactly that line. Nectar is only for those who have been judged worthy. If you’re not worthy of it, of these gifts of the gods, then you will die. We ask them to give up everything—their friends and family and everything else they have in their life—for the Legion. Not for humanity. For the Legion.”

“The Legion protects humanity,” Captain Singh said.

“Do we really?” I asked. “Sure, we take out any threats to the planet or to the gods’ authority, but how much do we actually help the people? Every day, the Legion of Angels receives thousands of petitions from the people of Earth. Most of their prayers go unanswered. It’s all part of some big show to demonstrate the Legion’s power and the rareness of our gifts. Don’t you see the problem? If the Legion wants people’s help, if we want them to join in our fight, then the Legion can start by helping those people.”

“But how do we do that?” Lieutenant Jones asked me.

“Remember all those unanswered prayers I just talked about? Well, that’s about to change. We are going to begin our quest by actually answering the people’s petitions for help. And we’re going to do it in person. We’re going to hold an open court, a court people can attend to petition for our help. We are going to put a face on the faceless Legion of Angels. A caring, approachable face, not that powerful, aloof face that’s scaring them all away.”

“You want to rebrand the Legion of Angels?” Cadence said, her mouth falling open in disbelief.

“Essentially, yes.”

“Leda, the Legion is centuries old,” Cadence said gently. “That is centuries of tradition. And the gods are even older. We’re talking about millennia. The gods won’t approve of your plan. The angels won’t approve.”

“The Legion needs the people. We need more soldiers. This is how we can get them. The gods can continue to be all-powerful and unseen, and the other angels can continue to scare the living daylights out of everyone if they must. But the people need to know there’s at least one angel who has their interests at heart. An Angel of the Earth.”

“Sounds like another nickname for you,” Cadence said.

“Well, what’s the harm of just one more?” I grinned. “Look, this is the path the gods set out for me. Faris stood up at my wedding and spelled it all out.”

I remembered Faris’s words that day well:

You all know Leda Pandora. She has saved the Earth countless times. Her rise from humble human to holy angel will inspire you to join the Legion of Angels. Her selfless dedication will inspire you to persevere and level up your magic. And her compassion will inspire you to fight for this world. And for the gods.

For she truly is the Angel of the People. Her image will be everywhere—on banners and billboards, on buildings and trains. Not as the Angel of Chaos, but as the Angel of Hope. A symbol of harmony and perseverance. Of ascension. An example that lights the way for all hopeful humans to follow.

“The gods made me the face of the Legion, the Legion’s liaison to the people of Earth. They want me to inspire the masses to join their army and fight for them. This is how we do it. I will hold an Angels’ Court, a place the people can come to personally petition the Legion for aid.”

“Leda, this is a big change to sell to Nyx,” Cadence said.

“Nyx gave me the authority to do whatever is necessary to increase the Legion’s numbers. And I say letting people know we give a damn about them is necessary to making them give a damn about us. We can’t expect them to put their lives in our hands if we can’t take care of those lives. So, let it be known in all the cities of Earth. We shall hold the very first Angels’ Court one week from today.”