Ava gasped awake, clenching her head in desperation. A gruesome ache throbbed through her brain in tiny jackhammer rhythms, pounded into her nose. It wouldn’t stop. That chick was dead, and nothing about her death would be quick.

  The more Ava struggled, the further the bed’s black, silky sheets bound her. She was tangled in their web. Panicking, she thrashed around, tried to get out from under this twisted cocoon, only to end up falling off the bed once she did.

  A deep throb stabbed at her left thigh. Why does this hurt so much? She clenched her teeth to suppress the agonizing cry lodged in her throat. If her kidnappers didn't know she was awake, Ava certainly didn't want them knowing now.

  This room was huge. Like the sheets, it was decorated in a dark, elegant theme, modern meets chic with stiff-looking furniture and a small bar built-in to the wall. The floors were surprisingly warm, slick and smooth as opaque glass stretched to and up one wall.

  When Ava moved to stand, her head throbbed. She gently touched the side, trying to focus on the bed, anything but the pain and ringing in her ears. She grasped her dress, quickly finding no dress. There were short sleeves on either side of her arms, pants pressed down her legs. Someone changed her clothes.

  Gasp. My necklace. Marc’s necklace, I mean. Where is it!

  Ava checked each pocket, looked inside her bra. Even her underwear was different. She didn’t have time to think about that right now. She needed to find that necklace. Her leg knocked into the nightstand amidst the chaos, and hissed between her teeth. The pain was scorching, twisting the muscles.

  A loud thunk hit the ground. Oh, thank the stars There it is.

  She snatched the necklace off the floor and clasped it around her neck. Safe and sound, hidden back under her shirt.

  Through weak knees, Ava gripped the nightstand. It was the only way to keep balance. There was a small flat circle protruding from the wall by a white door. That had to be a monitor. The walls were covered in the same creamy white, so hideous it twisted her insides.

  One step forward and Ava lost her balance completely. She slammed into the opaque wall beside her bed, waking it from its slumber. Images flashed across the glass like it was a screen all on its own.

  Each image had its own persona: movies, cartoons, and the UFE’s broadcasting channel. Earth’s temperature from all parts of the world—from names of major cities no longer standing. They hacked into the UFE satellites, but nothing about her whereabouts.

  Only one image stood out among the rest.

  Ava tapped the screen, and it instantly enlarged before her eyes. In a shocking blast, twenty more similar screens popped up and spread across the glass. Each one broadcasted a different image: burned floating statues, people throwing bombs into buildings, and cylinder objects electrifying their targets, civilians and soldiers alike. White uniforms everywhere.

  Caterina popped up on a dozen other screens—a picture. She was young, eyes set hard and lethal, and she wore gear that was meant for battle. A crowd of followers and banners followed behind. She held two knives with marigold blood dripping off their tips. WANTED, flashed at the bottom in the Prim language.

  These were images from Primordial.

  The Prim were out of control. They rebelled against their own ruler because of Gio. Because of their mom. She needed to get back home. Like right now.

  Ava limped quickly towards the door with newfound determination and worked on the monitor. It wouldn’t budge. Dammit. No matter how many buttons she pressed, it wouldn’t open. She really wanted to punch the monitor in the face. Breaking it wouldn’t solve anything. Technology really hated her.

  She whipped around. A headache beat her to a pulp and stomach acid rose up her throat. Everything spun, and she had to use the wall for leverage.

  There wasn't another door in the room, not even one for a bathroom, but there had to be something. Her hands slid over the wall, feeling every tiny hole like vents made for circulation. The metal was cool against her fingers and made it harder to find a button, anything to open this wall.

  Her thumb warmed. Soon after, a blue light illuminated beneath. A slit ran from her thumb up the wall and curved into an oval door frame. A hidden door moved inwards and slid open, disappearing into the wall. It was another room, smaller, plain looking in a way, yet still covered in that hideous white paint.

  Ava limped cautiously inside, second-guessing herself immediately. Maybe I should have brought a weapon.

  It was stark and quiet. She didn't sense anyone. Movement caught her attention. The left. Her arms went up in defense and waited for the painful impact. But the impact never came. Metal clattered to the floor, and Ava couldn't believe who she was staring at. “Mika?”

  His hair was mussed and he still wore the tux and shoes from the ball. No weapons at his side. Unlike Ava, they didn't change his clothes. How long has he been awake?

  Before she could ask, he embraced her. He squeezed her so tight, Ava was too shocked to reciprocate. She was torn between relief and fear. Relieved that she wasn’t alone. Fearful of what their kidnappers might do since he was a prince from an old ruling planet. They brought him here for a reason.

  Mika expelled a long-withheld breath. “When I saw what they did to you, I thought you were dead.” Dark hair tickled her cheek as he spoke, as he trembled. “Are you okay?”

  Ava wished she were okay, she could tell him that, but lying wouldn’t help them. “No. My head is killing me, my nose and side hurt, and I have no idea what happened to my leg… but I think I'll be okay. I can feel them healing. Slowly.”

  Without question, he gently brought her arm over his shoulder. “You should sit down, then. We need to conserve our energy and heal before trying to break out of here.”

  After Mika helped Ava to the couch in her room, she started drifting away. The cushions were softer than they appeared. So comfortable. She might pass out. The couch dipped as Mika took her hand. Warmth spread on her skin through his bare fingertips.

  She cracked an eye open. He was touching her so easily again. “You shouldn’t fall asleep. You might have a concussion,” he said.

  “I’ll be fine,” Ava mumbled. “This isn’t my first rodeo.”

  Mika scooted even closer, eyed her skull. “Are you sure you will be okay? It’s hard to believe a shot to the head won’t have lasting effects.”

  She forgot he just recently transitioned. He didn’t understand. “My brain has already healed which means the bullet went straight through. My headache and nose, though… it might take a while to go away. And I still don’t know what’s wrong with my fucking leg—”

  A sharp pain shot through her body like she was shocked. Everything ached, vile rose up her throat and barely swallowed it back down. At this rate, she really would pass out.

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  Mika took her by the shoulders, and forced her head onto his lap. “Here, lie down. I’ll try healing you.”

  “Uh, you don’t have to do that,” Ava stuttered and tried to get back up, but he wouldn’t have it. She felt so awkward.

  Ignoring her, he drew out the symbol for healing in the air using koto, then washed both hands through it, covering his skin with a soft blue glow. His fingers touched the temples of her forehead and she was instantly relieved. It was like a drug being smoothed in through caressing circles. With each stroke, her head cleared and soothed her nose.

  Ava wondered why Darious only numbed her arm wound when he could have easily healed it. She didn’t understand him. The same with Mika. From the moment they met, he disliked her. Yet, somewhere along the line, he changed his mind.

  Mika’s hand went under her shirt. Her eyes popped open. She snatched his wrist. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “Healing,” he said, clearly irritated. “I told you already I’m going to heal you. Are you sure your brain isn’t damaged?”

  Oh, hell no. “You don’t need to heal me down there. It’ll heal on its own.”

  “And how long is that going to take?” he snapped. “We can’t wait all day. We need to find a way out of here.”

  Mika was right, but still, it was hard for Ava to let him touch her there. This was too intimate. “Can’t you do it over the clothes or something?”

  “It must be skin to skin contact,” he said, then sighed. “I know you don’t trust me, but can you at least trust me this once?”

  After all the training the UFE engraved in her, it was hard for Ava to trust others. It took her three months to trust Marc, and now Mika was asking her to trust him in just a few weeks. The idea almost seemed impossible.

  She let Mika’s wrist go. His hand cautiously continued up her skin, soon pressing on her wound. It hurt but subsided as the pain gradually went away. She had to take a leap of faith with him. They were together in this ordeal. Alone.

  While he continued healing her head, she watched him and couldn’t help but remember what happened at the ceremony—how he stretched his hand out for her. She couldn’t decide whether to call him stupid or brave.

  “Why aren’t you afraid of me?” Ava asked. “You saw me lose myself. You saw how I couldn’t control my abilities. That should be enough to terrify you.”

  Mika shrugged. “You didn’t hurt me, so there’s no reason to be afraid.”

  He couldn’t be serious. “If Junipea didn’t save you, I would have. I would have killed you without a second glance.”

  “You really need to stop looking down on us. It's getting annoying,” he said, eye twitching in irritation. “I’m not that easy to kill.”

  Ava wanted to say, yes you are. She wanted to tell him how wrong it was to trust her, to stop putting himself out there in danger, and to stop trying to protect her. But she held her tongue. It wouldn’t change his mind now.

  His fingers suddenly made their way under her pants. Ava practically fell off the couch just to get away. “Whoa, okay. Stop. I know what we agreed on, but that’s—”

  “Ava.” His voice was so stern. She zipped her lips. “Trust me. I know what I’m doing.”

  She carefully laid back down and mustered as much courage as she possibly could, and gave the impression that she didn’t care. Because she didn’t. This is Mika—the brat. No reason to freak out.

  Mika briefly slid his fingers over the band of her underwear and onto her skin. Every touch had her heart thumping faster, the room got hotter. When he found the wound, she jerked at the pain shooting through her bone and bit down on her lip.

  It was worse than she imagined. She held onto him as the muscles stitched themselves back together until every piece was safely protected by a new coat of skin.

  “That woman you were fighting… they called her the goddess of war. She tried cutting your leg off, but the other gods stopped her,” he stated, straining his words. “She’s stronger than I expected.”

  “Wait,” Ava grunted through the pain. “Then who kidnapped us?”

  “I’m not sure. They knocked me out and I just woke up in that room.” The chill consumed the warmth when he removed his hand, but it was the only thing she felt. Her pain was gone, she felt rejuvenated. “How are you feeling?”

  “Much better, thanks.” She sat back up. “Did you search your room already?”

  “Yes, but I only found four locked doors. There are no vents or peepholes. There could be something in here since your room is bigger.”

  “Why is my room bigger?” It really was too spacious for one person.

  “Is it not to your liking?” A low, gentle voice asked from out of nowhere.

  The main door opened and in walked a tall gentleman in a dashing blue business suit. He was easy on the eyes with his narrow frame, and had well-built muscles that nicely swelled against fitted clothes. His eyes were black and appeared friendly, but first appearances were always deceiving.

  The man took off his blazer and rolled his sleeves. Thick muscles pressed into his white collared shirt. They were so big, Ava had a hard time not being intimidated. She caught a glimpse of the empty hallway before the door locked shut. It was stark white.

  He ruffled his slick, sunlit blonde hair a bit as he took a seat across from them. Now that he was closer, she noticed his eyes weren’t only pure black, but like a night sky, full of dim and bright stars.

  “First, I must apologize for the way you were treated by the goddess of war and god of desire. We weren’t expecting them to show up tonight, which derailed my plans to speak to you in private on friendly terms,” he said.

  “And so you kidnapped us instead. That’s not a good first impression,” she said.

  The twinkle in his eyes lit. “Oh, don’t get me wrong, kidnapping you was part of the plan. It's the only way we can meet with someone of your high standing.” When he shifted his focus, they darkened. “Prince Mikaela, however, is a different matter entirely.”

  Ava didn’t like the sound of that. “Listen, I’m sure what you have to say is very important, so why don’t we cut to the chase. Then we can go our separate ways.”

  He rested further into the chair, hands folded over his crossed legs. Everything about him appeared defenseless and at ease, which made Ava more than suspicious. She was on guard. From the corner of her eyes, she surveyed the room, looking for signs of traps.

  “For your sake and his, I’d rather take this slow. It will be too much information to process, and based on the data we’ve gathered on you, you’re nearly incapable of adapting to change. You freak out, so to speak,” he said.

  She narrowed her eyes. “I’m sure your data also tells you I’m not one for patience. That I can be impulsive, sometimes acting without thinking. For instance, I could call my weapon and slice down that glass wall to escape. So give me one good reason I shouldn’t?”

  “You’ll die.” He smiled. “Technically, your body will eventually freeze up while you suffocate from no oxygen. That’s if you’re still conscious after being sucked out from the vacuum you created. Here, let me just show you—screen off.”

  The news reports slowly evaporated, displaying the unmistakable blue and green marble with its swirling clouds. Earth. It was beautiful, gazing at it from this far away. Ava always dreamed of seeing the planet like this and wished to the stars she’d travel the globe before they left. Unfortunately, things didn’t always go as planned.

  This was bad. Ava wasn’t supposed to leave Earth. That was like removing the bullets from a gun. You could have the weapon and pull the trigger, but without the bullets, you were vulnerable and defenseless. Dammit. What if word got out she was gone? Primordial would take advantage of it and the UFE would have a heyday. This day just kept getting worse. I seriously need to get back home.

  Mika grasped her shoulder. He looked at her like he knew exactly what she was thinking. She needed to calm down. She couldn’t let this man believe he knew her based on some petty data.

  Ava lounged back on the couch, giving the man her best smile. “I guess staying here for one day won’t hurt. So I take it these rooms will be our accommodations?”

  He tipped his head with a fake smile of his own. “Yes, we also have a full wardrobe for you both and a personal bathroom.”

  When he stood, he pressed his thumb over a waxy surface just on the opposite wall. The blue light illuminated his digit until the door opened, revealing a spacious bathroom and walk-in closet next to it.

  He picked the blazer off the chair before approaching the main door. “Dinner will be ready in a few hours, but for the time being, I’ll let you situate yourselves. I’ll come back in an hour to give you a personal tour and answer your questions then. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

  “Wait, how do we know we can trust you when you haven’t told us your name?” Mika asked, snark in his tone. “For all we know, you could be setting up a trap in the next hour or keep us locked in here forever.”

  He gave Mika a long look over, judgment clear in his expression. “My apologies for not giving you my name earlier. I’ve grown accustomed to everyone knowing who I am.”

  The man walked towards the couch, confidence in his stance as he loomed over them. He extended his hand to Ava and she took it out of habit. It was rough and firm and he wickedly smiled. “I’m Zephyrus, god of wisdom, but I’m sure you know me better as Primordial’s Head Advisor.”