Dragon's Storm (Legion Of Angels #4)(35)

I was the last one to arrive. Everyone else was already sitting in the lounge chairs on the stone patio, playing cards and sipping tropical drinks out of festive-colored straws. All of the candidates were here. All of the mentors were here too, with the notable exception of Kendra Fireswift. Either she’d refused to come, or she hadn’t been invited.

There was food packed onto every side table. Fruit salad and hamburgers and pizza and ice cream. There were a few bowls of chips too. The main table was clear of food to make room for the cards. As I approached, I recognized the deck. They were playing Legion, a popular card game that its makers boasted to be an authentic representation of the Legion of Angels. In truth, it was a watered down version of the real thing. The paranormal soldiers loved to play Legion, something we Legion soldiers constantly teased them about. It was impossible to ignore the irony of a group of Legion soldiers, in the midst of special training, playing the game.

“Leda,” Nerissa greeted me, moving over to make space for me on her chair.

“Hey, Pandora,” Alec said, casting a long look down my body. “Nice outfit. I like it.”

“Thanks.”

He wiggled his eyebrows. “I can even see your nipples through your shirt.”

“Glad you could make it,” Nerissa said quickly, before I could knock Alec upside the head. “So you beat Jace’s time.”

I shot a triumphant grin across the table at Jace. “By nearly two seconds.”

“Until tomorrow.” There was a sharp, competitive edge to Jace’s voice. I had no doubt that he was going to beat my time tomorrow—and that it wouldn’t be by a small margin.

“Pay attention to your cards, Fireswift,” Alec told him. “You’re already losing badly enough. You could at least try to present a challenge. It’s no fun to beat someone so bad at the game.”

“I’d rather be good at the real Legion than at a card game.”

Alec laughed and gave Jace a hard, friendly slap on the back. Wow, they sure were chummy. I’d always assumed they hated each other. In fact, everyone here was acting real friendly. I noticed the sizable pile of empty liquor bottles on the ground. Well, that explained it. Alcohol didn’t make us as drunk as it did humans, but it definitely made us more amiable.

Alec dealt me into the next round. I grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bowl balanced on Nerissa’s lap. She smiled at me, her eyes sparkling like gemstones. Wait a minute…

I grabbed the liquor bottle out of Jace’s hand and took a sip. A sweet, intoxicating flavor danced across my tastebuds. “It’s laced with Nectar drops.” I put the bottle down before I was tempted to drink it all down.

“Of course it is,” Nerissa said, picking up the bottle. “After the week we’ve had, we need to unwind a little.”

A few others raised their bottles in agreement. Nectar drops were a very, very diluted version of the gods’ Nectar. Being a soldier in the Legion of Angels was the most stressful job on Earth. Legion soldiers drank Nectar drops to destress. Because we’d already built up some immunity to Nectar through the promotion ceremonies, the drops didn’t kill us. Instead it reacted to the magic inside of us. Essentially, it made us drunk.

“You need to unwind too,” Nerissa told me, offering me the bottle.

I waved it away. “Not a good idea. I’m too sensitive to Nectar.”

“Suit yourself,” she said with a shrug, then took another swig.

“Ladies, are you in or not?” Alec asked us.

I dropped a handful of chips into the large pile at the center of the table. “I’m in.”

Alec grinned. “Finally, someone who’s taking this game seriously.” He matched my bet.

I played a weak character. I wasn’t surprised when Alec topped my card. I followed up next turn with the Fire Dragon card. He countered with an angel.

“Giving up, honey?” he asked me when I paused to consider my cards.

“I don’t give up.”

Alec grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

I continued playing. Alec beat my card every round. He beat everyone else’s cards too.

“You must be really unlucky in love,” Soren grumbled.

“My dance card is always full, my friend.”

Soren shot him a skeptical look.

“It’s true,” Nerissa told him. “The number of women who’ve come to my office with bizarre injuries after a night with him is simply staggering. I’m not even sure how some of those injuries are anatomically possible.”

Alec winked at her. “I’d be happy to stop by your room and demonstrate, Doc. All in the name of science, of course.”

“I think I’ll pass,” she said. “I prefer to keep my knees pointed forward.”

He chuckled. “Suit yourself. I’ll be right over here if you change your mind.”

“I don’t believe it. No one that obnoxious can get laid that often.” Soren shook his head in disbelief.

“I can’t believe this either,” Jace said as Alec bested his card.

We played a few rounds, Alec winning every one. He certainly had a talent for cards. Around round six, I felt my head going all funny. It was then I realized that I’d been absentmindedly taking sips from the bottle. With all that Nectar in me, it was a wonder I could still think straight.