Even though it was annoying to hear about my weird hair for the millionth time, I kept my head low and said, “Yes, First Angel.”

“You may call me Your Holiness.”

I didn’t dare glance up to see if she was smirking as she said it, but I thought I caught a hint of humor in her otherwise earnest tone. Was she serious or making fun of herself? I had a feeling it was a bit of both. What an unusual angel.

Nyx reached down, rubbing my hair between her fingers. “There is magic in it.”

I’d guessed that. Just because I couldn’t detect it, that didn’t mean it wasn’t there. After all, vampires had to be attracted to something about it besides its shiny color.

“Yes, First Angel,” I said again. “I mean, Your Holiness.”

Nyx chuckled softly. “Is she always this compliant, Colonel?”

“If only it were so. You’ve read my reports.”

“Yes, I have.” She set her hand on my shoulder. “Rise.” I rose out of my knees, and as our eyes met, she nodded. “Yes. You will do.”

“For what?” I asked before I could think better of it.

Nero shot me a stern look. He was obviously afraid the First Angel, General of the Legion’s Armies, was less forgiving of my impudence than he was.

But Nyx didn’t seem to care about my speaking out of turn. “I have a mission for you, Leda Pierce.”

This time, I waited for her to speak again, even though I was bursting with curiosity.

“Colonel Windstriker has prepared a mission to covertly infiltrate the New York University of Witchcraft so that we may investigate whether they had anything to do with the poisoning yesterday,” she said. “For the past few months, two of New York’s largest witch covens have been on the brink of open hostilities. The heads of both covens have a seat on the university’s board. Obviously, the Legion wants to prevent a war, as that would destabilize the entire city. So we’re sending a team to mediate the dispute before it gets out of hand. Colonel Windstriker will lead the team. He has selected Captain Somerset to assist him in the mediation. She is a skilled interrogator.” Nyx nodded in approval. “He has provided me with a list of his support team. Do you know who is on that list?”

“No,” I said, though I was starting to get a pretty good idea. Nero would have seen this mission as good training for me.

“Not you,” Nyx told me.

I looked at Nero in surprise.

“He selected Jace Fireswift and Mira Ravenfall,” Nyx said. “Both come from distinguished families that have served the Legion since its early years. Both have an angel parent.”

Yeah, the brats were just awesome. “So if I’m not going on the mission, why am I here?” I asked her, checking my annoyance.

“Who said you weren’t going on the mission?” she said, smiling. “I merely said you aren’t on Colonel Windstriker’s list. You are, however, at the top of mine. I’ve read his reports about you, how you went after him on the Black Plains, how it was you who uncovered that the demons were behind the illegal turning of vampires. You are brave and resourceful. You know how to adapt to a situation, rather than just following patterns you’ve been taught. That makes you perfect for this mission. You will need to adapt and stay on your toes. I need someone who can think for herself to solve problems without any handholding. Do you think you can do that?”

“I’ve never been much of a hand-holder,” I told her.

Nero was giving me his signature look: an expressionless mask hiding a storm of expressions. I ignored him and kept my attention on the First Angel.

“Calm down, Colonel,” Nyx said, her mouth twisting with amusement. “I’m not going to execute your favorite student with my holy arsenal of Earth-shattering magic.”

I decided right then and there that I liked Nyx. She was cool. Past her angel feathers and Legion uniform and regal beauty, she seemed like someone who didn’t take herself as seriously as someone in her position should. She seemed so…human. It was funny to think of an angel as human, especially the First Angel, but Nyx was exactly that. It gave me hope that you didn’t have to sacrifice your humanity to earn your wings.

“I do wonder why she’s not on your list, though,” Nyx continued, arching her brows at Nero.

“She’s not ready,” he said simply.

“I think you’d be surprised.” Nyx looked at me. “Do you think you’re ready for this?”

“Yes,” I told her, not looking at Nero as I said it.

“There you have it, Colonel.” She shot him a look that was almost impish, then she turned to me. “You will leave for the university the day after tomorrow as part of Colonel Windstriker’s team. While the others are interrogating the staff and students about the rift in the witch community, you are to investigate on campus to ascertain how the witches’ Sunset Pollen and Snapdragon Venom ended up in a poison that killed nearly a hundred people yesterday at the Brick Palace. Colonel Windstriker will provide you with maps and background on the school. I expect regular reports of your progress.” She walked past us like a gust of fresh air, turning just before she left the room to say to me, “Congratulations on the promotion.”

What did that mean? But before I could ask her, she was gone, the faint, sweet aroma of peaches in the air the only evidence that she’d ever been here. Nero walked to the door and shut it, then he just stared at me.