“If you think for one fucking second that we’re going to put either Delta or Medley in harm’s way, then you’re not fit to call yourself my soldier,” Tazreel growls. “I am Abdicated. I am the Sin of Pride. And if my army can’t find one fucking demon without using bait, then you are not suited to serve me.”
No one speaks or moves. The fury ignited in Taz’s tone and demeanor is nearly oppressive. Everyone waits to see what he’ll do. My eyes are as wide as saucers, and my heart is poundin’ in my chest, and I feel Alder’s arm tighten around me.
After a moment of lettin’ him squirm, Taz tightens his fist, the groanin’ sound of metal accompanyin’ the move. “Do. You. Understand?” Taz seethes.
The demon nods slowly. “Yes, Pride.”
Taz abruptly unclenches his fist, lettin’ go of the metal armor and nearly makin’ the demon fall on his pretty face. The demon straightens up as fast as he can and falls back into line. He brings up a hand to try to smooth down the now bunched up armor, but the metal won’t budge.
Well, I’ll be. Taz just shot that down, and I have to admit, I’m more than a little surprised.
“Colonel…” the lady angel comes forward to talk to Nefta. “I understand that these are your daughters, but you know our code,” she argues. “We act for the greater good of all. Using them for bait to trap the Ophidian is the best course of action.”
Delta and I share a look. Sure, we got the sperm donor to shut the idea down, but let’s be honest here, that probably had more to do with his own pride.
Nefta? Who knows what she’ll do. I certainly don’t.
But to my immense relief, Nefta shakes her head. “No. You’d just be asking for trouble, putting them in the direct path of Morax,” Nefta tells her, an irritated look on her face. “You might think you could plan for every contingency, but Morax has a gift for coming up with the impossible. He’d get the girls, and then we’d be even worse off than we are now. He’d have everything he needs to further his goal, and we can’t risk that.”
“Exactly,” Tazreel says, and then both he and Nefta stare at each other in horror, as it dawns on them that they actually agree about somethin’.
My eyes widen at this momentous occasion, and I can feel Delta next to me practically holdin’ her breath, like even the smallest exhale may snap them out of their current state of not bickerin’.
“We need to follow the breadcrumbs,” a different Legion member announces, clearly not gettin’ the memo about not disruptin’ what might be a once in a lifetime moment between my biological parents.
“Elaborate,” Nefta barks out, tearin’ her gaze from Tazreel and focusin’ on the male angel who spoke up.
“Instead of trying to trap Morax or guess his next move, let’s follow the crumbs he leaves. He can affect free will, so if we concentrate our search around Delta’s property and where Medley was staying, we’re bound to find someone watching them, keeping tabs, who’s ordered to alert Morax in some way when one or the other is vulnerable. We can start looking for leads there and then work to trace those leads back to the Ophidian himself,” the Legion soldier explains.
Nefta is quiet, but it’s clear she’s thinkin’ through the suggestion.
“It’s an acceptable plan,” Tazreel cuts in imperiously. “And while the Legion does that, I’ll take my army and search for Sable. Demons have a way of coaxing information out of mortals. We’ll question the humans you left her with and see if we can find her trail.”
Nefta’s eyes hook onto him. “I told you, I looked for her. I tried to find exactly where and when they gave her away, but I discovered nothing,” Nefta defends.
“But we no longer need to be discreet to protect Sable’s identity. So we’ll make sure we’re persuasive. Maybe we’ll end up with nothing, or maybe we won’t, but I won’t just sit here with our thumbs up our asses,” Taz snaps.
Nefta looks like she wants to argue, but the reality is, she can’t be in two places at once, and we have two equally important things that need to happen ASAP.
“Fine,” she relents after a beat. “But I’m going to send a Legion member with you so I can be reached immediately if I’m needed,” she announces.