Page 39

AN OLD ENEMY

M y mouth dropped, and I just stared at Cadence for several seconds before I said, “It would change everything.”

“But not necessarily for the worse.” She set her hand on my arm, offering me a smile. “Change is a part of life, Sierra. Sometimes we immortals forget that.”

I left my grandparents’ castle, my mind spinning. There was a cure, the answer to my parents’ prayers. But it could mean the end of the Legion of Angels. It could mean the end to our entire way of life.

When I got home, my parents were already back. Dad was doing pushups. Mom was eating out of a tub of double chocolate chip brownie ice cream. That told me their mission had not gone well.

“You couldn’t find the rings, could you?” I said.

“No.” Dad stopped exercising. He grabbed a gym towel off the back of a chair and wiped down his face and neck. “We could not.”

“Are you sure the rings are where you said?” Mom stared into her ice cream tub, frowning when she found it empty. She set it down on the counter with a sigh.

“That old immortal book said they were there.” I closed my eyes. “And, yes, they’re there.” I opened them again. “I could go find them for you.”

“No,” both my parents said together.

I narrowed my eyes at them. “Why not?”

Mom set her hand on my shoulder. “It’s too dangerous, Sierra.”

“I’ve already fought and defeated one of the guardian beasts,” I countered. “And I was only twelve when I did. I’m stronger now. Much stronger.”

“I wasn’t talking about the guardian beasts, but, yes, those are a concern as well,” Mom said. “The danger I was referring to is Lavinia. She’s out for revenge.”

I snorted. “I think I can handle one pretty little princess. And besides, she’s not out for revenge against me. It’s you she wants, Mom. Maybe you should stay home. For your safety.”

“Lavinia most certainly wants revenge on me. And the best way to take revenge on me is to hurt my daughter.” Her mouth tightened. “You.”

“I am a soldier,” I declared. “It’s my duty to help.”

A smile twitched Dad’s lips.

“Don’t encourage her, Nero,” Mom sighed, then turned to me again. “You’re not a soldier yet, Sierra. You’re only sixteen years old.”

“I’m part Immortal, part god, part demon. I can handle it.”

Dad snorted.

Mom’s expression softened. She almost looked amused when she turned to Dad and asked, “Something in your throat, General?”

He quickly wiped his face blank, but he couldn’t hide the pride in his eyes as they looked upon me. “Your mother is right. You’re too young. The last time you went to recover one of those rings, a beast attacked you.”

“And I made short work of it,” I countered with a smile. “Thanks to your excellent training, Dad.”

He beamed at me.

“She’s trying to manipulate you,” Mom warned him.

Dad hit me with a proud smile. “Yes, and excelling at it too.”

“She does excel at that.” Mom’s expression was stuck somewhere between a smirk and a frown. “Sierra.” She set her hands on my shoulders. “We only want to keep you safe.”

“That’s a bit tough when everyone thinks I’m some kind of savior, so they all either want to kill me or use me.”

“Yeah, I know.” She exhaled. “It’s tough. But we’re your parents, and we love you more than anything in the universe. So we’re going to try to protect you no matter what. We’re a family, so we have to stick together. Always. Ok?”

“Ok.”

“Good, now I think it’s about time you finally finished your homework, don’t you? It’s due tomorrow, right?”

“No teacher is going to complain about late homework assignments if the world ends.”

“True, but how about you do your homework anyway, just in case the world doesn’t end?”

“Fine.” I turned and went off to my room, shutting the door behind me. But I lingered next to it for a while.

“Are you really that worried about Lavinia?” Dad asked. “When we encountered her last, she did not strike me a formidable foe.”

“Never underestimate the power of a vengeful heart,” Mom replied.

“Or the power of an Immortal artifact. Especially sixteen Immortal artifacts. And most especially sixteen Immortal artifacts with powers we do not truly understand. This is a volatile situation. We can’t encourage Sierra to be reckless. ”

“That’s funny, coming from you,” he teased her.

“Yeah, I know. I’m reckless. But not with the lives of the people I love.”

“I know. Sierra couldn’t ask for a better mother.”

There was a note of longing in his tone. And now that I knew what I knew, I recognized it for what it was. He wanted to have more children. They both wanted to have more children.

“What are you doing?”

I turned at the sound of Troy’s voice. He was balanced in a crouch inside my open window.

“I could ask you the same,” I replied. “What are you doing in my room?”

“I’m not technically in your room.” He swung his legs around and landed on my floor. “Now I am.”

“Smart-ass.” I snickered. “And you didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?”

“Do I need a reason to visit my favorite angel?”

“Your dad’s an angel. And your brother’s an angel.”

“Your point being?”

“Shouldn’t they be your favorite angels?”

“Na. They’re boring. You’re way more interesting, Sierra.” He wrapped his arm around me.

And I peeled it off. I hit him with a hard look. “You’re bored, are you?”

“So. Very. Bored.” He fell back onto my bed.

“Get off my bed.”

“Why?”

I planted my hands on my hips. “Because if you don’t, I will set the sheets on fire all around you.”

“Hey, that’s my line.” He wiggled his eyebrows at me.

“One.”

“Oh, come on, Sierra.”

I lifted my hand. “Two.”

“Don’t tell me you’re getting boring too.”

“Three.” I rubbed my fingers together, igniting sparks.

He scrambled off the bed and away from me.

“Thank you.” I clapped my hands together, and the sparks went out.

“What’s put you in such a mood?” he asked.

“You.”

“Yes, I do have that effect on girls.” He winked at me.

“Actually, I’m annoyed with you because you told the Dark Force about the rings. And where to find them.”

“Hey, calm down.” He lifted his hands in the air. “I only did it because Damon told his parents. The gods sent soldiers to search for the rings. The demons deserved the same chance. Got to preserve the balance of power, right?”

I shook my head in disbelief. “Troy Fireswift, master politician.”

“Yes, I am, aren’t I?”

“Let’s just be honest for a minute, Troy. You did it because you wanted to stir up some excitement. You did it because you were bored, didn’t you?”

He fluttered his eyelashes at me.

“Didn’t you?” I repeated, sinking more steel into my voice this time.

“Yes,” he admitted. “I was so freaking bored. I am still bored, by the way. Let’s go on an adventure!”

“Sorry.” I opened the textbook on my desk. “I have to do homework.”

“You don’t want to do homework, Sierra,” he said silkily. “You want to have fun.”

I looked at the book, then at him. “Your idea of fun always ends in trouble.”

“Begins and ends,” he agreed, grinning. “That’s what makes it fun. So, what do you say? Want to join me for an adventure?”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Let’s show our parents that two teenagers can succeed where the armies of heaven and hell failed. Let’s find those rings.”

“I don’t think that’s a very good idea.”

“Nonsense!” he cooed. “It’s a spectacular idea. Unless you’re afraid?”

“Of course not.”

A mischievous smile twisted his lips.

“Ok, fine. I’ll come on this adventure of yours.” I shut the book. “You just try to keep up.”