Responding to my fear, sparked by my panic, my wings burst out of their own volition. Damn it.
Damiel Dragonsire wasn’t just the current head of the Interrogators; he’d created the organization. He lived and breathed distrust.
Logically, I knew I’d done nothing wrong. I’d always been a loyal Legion soldier. I’d always done everything that was expected of me and then some. There was no reason for me to cringe under Colonel Dragonsire’s unblinking gaze.
But somehow logic did not penetrate the fear that the heavy shadow of his presence had cast over me—like a mouse frozen under the shadow of a hawk.
No, I’m not a mouse. I am an angel.
I cleared my throat, standing up tall. “I’ve heard so much about you, Colonel.”
“I’m sure.” His eyes were cold, his voice detached.
“I hope you live up to your reputation.”
Gold flashed in his blue eyes. “I assure you, I always live up to my reputation.”
I took a step back. “I meant your battlefield reputation.” Not his reputation for chaining other Legion soldiers to the interrogation chair and ripping apart their secrets. “You have taken down more dark angels than anyone else at the Legion. That experience will prove useful against Darkstorm’s forces.”
“Yes,” he replied with an utter absence of modesty.
“We should be going—”
“What happened in the Battle at the Black Forest?” he cut in.
I blinked. “The Battle at the Black Forest?”
“That’s what I said.”
Was I only imagining the impatience tinting his tone?
“In the Battle at the Black Forest, I rescued Colonel Beastbreaker from the Dark Force,” I said, I hoped calmly. I hadn’t done anything wrong, but Colonel Dragonsire sure excelled at making people feel guilty. “It’s all in my report.”
“I read your report.”
Of course he had. Colonel Dragonsire certainly wasn’t the type to take on a partner before doing his homework.
“Your report was very well-written. Complete, logical, and perfect.”
“So what’s the problem?” It was hard to speak past the hard lump of panic in my throat.
“It was too complete. Too logical. Too perfect. A soldier with only five years’ experience in the Legion could not have produced such a spotless report.”
“My father is an angel. He’s been assigning me reports to write since I learned to read and write.”
“I am well aware of who your father is,” Colonel Dragonsire replied icily, waving his phone at me. My last mission report was displayed on the screen. “And this report reads like it was written by General Silverstar.”
“Like father, like daughter,” I said pleasantly.
Truth be told, Dad had looked over my report and edited it before sending it off to Nyx. At the time, I’d told him that he was just being paranoid, but maybe he’d been right after all. Well, how was I supposed to know the Master Interrogator would get his hands on my report and dissect it line by line?
“Tell me what happened in the Black Forest,” said Colonel Dragonsire, undeterred. “Now. Unfiltered and unedited.”
I didn’t want to believe that Dad—and pretty much everyone else at the Legion—was right about Dragonsire. No one was truly a “soulless, sinister, psychotic son-of-a-bitch”. Everyone had some redeeming qualities. They really did.
But right now I was having a hard time seeing the good side of Colonel Dragonsire.
“I led Captain Walker and his forces through a tunnel into the Black Forest, where the dark angel Leon Hellfire was holding our angel Colonel Beastbreaker. We engaged Hellfire’s army and freed Colonel Beastbreaker.”
“And how did you free Colonel Beastbreaker from a cage that responded only to dark magic?”
“I…” I frowned at him. “Is this about my impersonating Nyx?”
The First Angel had confirmed that my actions hadn’t broken the rules, but perhaps the Master Interrogator considered what I’d done to be the greatest sacrilege. Nyx was, after all, not only an angel; she was a demigod.
“Answer the question,” Colonel Dragonsire said. “How did you free Colonel Beastbreaker from a cage that responded only to dark magic?”
I folded my hands behind my back, hiding my sweaty palms. Gods, the man knew how to make a person nervous. Even a perfect saint would fall to pieces beneath that hard glare. Nyx certainly hadn’t made him Master Interrogator based on his good looks. And he was good-looking. If only he’d smile once in a while…
“I shifted myself into Nyx and engaged Leon Hellfire in single combat,” I told him with a slight smile.
“Continue.” He did not return my smile. Must have been worried it would humanize him.
“I knew of Hellfire’s history with the First Angel,” I said. “I thought that when he saw her, he would hone right in on her. I figured such strong feelings would not fade quickly. Luckily, I was right.”
“Luck.” He bit out the word like it was poison. “But it wasn’t luck at all, was it?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Angels do not beg.”
Apparently, the Master Interrogator didn’t appreciate social niceties.
“Thank you for the advice,” I said flatly.
His face was impassive. It appeared he didn’t appreciate sarcasm either.
“Luck cannot be repeated with such unwavering accuracy, time after time, year after year,” he said. “That is not luck, Cadence Lightbringer. It is perfection.”
Something about the way he said that last word told me it wasn’t a compliment. His next words confirmed my suspicions.
“The daughter of an angel. And an archangel, no less. Destined for greatness. Trained to perfection.”
I’d heard these words before. As the young child of an angel. Later as a Legion initiate. And then throughout my career. Greatness. Perfection. Words uttered out of jealousy.
But not when Colonel Dragonsire spoke them. He wasn’t jealous of my success. He was suspicious.
“You’ve leveled up at a rapid rate, reaching the rank of angel faster than anyone ever has in the history of the Legion.” His body loomed over me; his words echoed in my ears.
“Are you accusing me of something?” I asked, certain that he was.
“I would never accuse someone without hard proof. Right now, all I have are suspicions.”
“What kind of suspicions?” I was almost afraid to ask, but I had to know. So I could counter those suspicions. So I could assure him—assure the Legion—that I had done nothing wrong.
“I suspect you of cheating the system to quickly level up your magic.”
For a moment I did not respond. Could not respond. I wanted to ask him if he was joking, but the look on his face assured me that he was dead serious.
“It is not possible to cheat the system,” I said calmly. My pulse was pounding against my skin. “Not that people haven’t tried to find a way to cheat. But the Nectar is pretty cut and dry. Your body can either absorb it, and your magic grows stronger. Or you are too weak, and you die. There is no cheat, no easy way. There’s only training and a lot of hard work. Being the daughter of an angel, I might have a slight edge.”