Ava opened her eyes.

  Ocean waves crashed in the distance, palm trees rustled above. Sand clung to her fingers, wrapped her body in an uncomfortable embrace. She was still on Zephyrus’ ship, still stuck on this damn island. She woke up to another nightmare.

  When she sat up, Mika’s jacket fell from her shoulders to her lap. She pulled it forward, trying to erase the chill from the Reaper. Forget. A faint scent of lemons lingered on the embroidered collar, smelling of soap and aftershave. Ava didn’t understand his fascination for lemons. Surprised he’d love such a fruit so sour when eaten raw. Surprised she was sniffing his jacket.

  Being alone, Ava had time to think about yesterday, and after this nightmare, she came to a resolution. No matter what it took, she’d get that disk back. If that meant working with Mika or giving in to Zephyrus’ demands, then so be it.

  But for now, she’d search for a bathroom.

  Ava stood and stretched into the daylight sky, pink sand flitted off her dress, flew in the air as she flicked out the jacket. The sun wasn’t overhead, an early afternoon, late morning if he used Earth’s timescale.

  Mika stood on the other side of the island, keeping to his promise. He brushed the sand off his shoulders, light glinted from his golden translator bracelet. His shirt was still tucked into his pants, speckled in pink. Ava bet his skin was as pale as the moon.

  Enough of this. She needed to stop thinking about Mika and concentrate on getting out of this situation. She needed to find a bathroom.

  Ava walked out into the open and glared at the spot where that red flashing light once greeted her scones. “Hey!” she yelled out. “I have to use the restroom. If you’re any kind of a gentleman, you will provide me with a proper place to do my business.”

  No answer, but the annoying red light flickered on. He was listening. Mika shuffled over to Ava, the corner of his mouth perked. “I don’t think that’s going to work.”

  Ignoring him, she tried again. “Please. I promise to behave!” Still, no response. Dropping her head, she groaned in defeat. “I’m ready to talk,” she said, then looked up at the flashing light. “I’m ready to go through with it.”

  The sand quaked beneath them. Mika grasped onto Ava and she did just the same. She squeezed his upper arms, muscle tensed under her grip as a green mossy hill rose from the ground. A door appeared nearby. Silver paneling coated the exterior, and next to it, a monitor was fixated to a square metal frame.

  Mika took off running towards the door. Oh, hell no.

  Ava chased after him, feet sunk into the sand. It made it harder to reach him, but she somehow managed it. Her hands clamped onto his arm. “Don’t even think about it, doubting Tom. I’m using it first.”

  He pulled away. She yanked him back. They collided. “What if it’s a trap? I need to make sure it’s safe,” he said.

  Lies. All lies. “You can wait your turn or go outside.”

  His strength outdid Ava’s, and dragged her across the sand. “I need privacy as much as you do.”

  She caught the door frame. “Since when do guys need privacy?”

  Mika gasped. “Sexist.”

  How does he even know that word? Her moment of stupor gave him the upper hand. Mika slithered out of her grip and into the bathroom. The door locked shut before she could retaliate. This son-of-a-bitch. I will kill him when we’re out of here.

  Riddled with anger, she dropped her head against the moss. Sand hid within the crevasses, scraped her cheek like rough gravel. Just another annoyance. She loudly groaned and sunk further into the hill, waiting.

  And waited and waited until she couldn’t wait any longer. Ava pressed down hard on the monitor’s video camera. It came up blank, but she knew he could hear her voice. “You’ve been in there for seven minutes. What’s taking so damn long?”

  The door abruptly opened. Mika strolled out as if he’d done nothing wrong. “Were you actually counting that whole time?”

  Rolling her eyes, Ava brushed past him. “Wait.” His fingers fluidly grasped her arm, and for the first time, his touch did more than warm her skin. It tickled. “Are you really going through with it?”

  A part of her felt like she should tell him she wasn’t the god of death, but then she remembered all his secrets and lies. Ava may not be death, but she was still a god nonetheless. “I have to get that disk back, Mika.”

  “Then promise me you’ll be careful.” His grip tightened as he stepped closer. “Promise me. Please, Ava. It might mean nothing to you, but it gives me assurance.”

  Just hearing her name so close, warmed her cheeks. She could barely look at him. Her resolve crumbled. “I promise.”

  Thankfully, he let her go this time. Ava locked the door shut behind her as quick as she could. Her heart beat uncontrollably, entire chest tingled down to her arms. She clenched her dress. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all. I can't believe I’m attracted to Mika.

  Out of all the people in the world, why him? He was a brat. An asshole. A guy who had no filter. He loved to push her buttons and question her orders. He was always in the way, always protecting her when she didn’t ask for it, and doing whatever he wanted. And he was another Ama prince to boot. I must be cursed.

  No, this wasn't possible. It was too fast for Ava to start falling for someone else. He was Marc's cousin. They looked pretty similar, you'd mistake them for brothers. That’s it. This is just a rebound. Either way, she might as well start digging her own grave.

  Ava stared at herself in the mirror. Sink water ran over her hands. Sand was everywhere: in her hair, on her dress, and in places it should never go. Unsettling. It only made her self-conscious. She ran fingers through her hair until a ding went off as if a package were delivered.

  A wrapped bundle slightly hit the glass doors to the armoire. She quickly dried her hands, yet cautiously walked over. The door lifted automatically, and the first item she caught was a sealed note. Pressed in the center was a teasing blue wax. Interweaving lines formed into a forever stamp—no doubt this was the Prim royal crest.

  She ripped it open and read:

  Avalyn, I apologize for my rude behavior. Being in my position, you could say I’m not used to disobedience. As such, I’m inviting you to dine with me this afternoon. We have much to discuss before we proceed.

  ~ Zephyrus

  Beneath the note was a black dress carefully folded into a sealed bag. She crumbled the piece of paper and tossed it on the floor. He invited her but said nothing about Mika. No way she’d leave him alone. Who knew what Zephyrus might do to him.

  But when she tapped the monitor, one simple word appeared on screen: error. She tapped it again. Nothing. He locked her in. Fine, he wanted to play games, then she’d play. Ava needed to get that disc, anyway. She just hoped Mika would be okay on his own.

  Ava took a shower and got dressed. She slid her hands down the dress. This meeting felt more like a date with how much skin showed. It exposed her whole back with her stomach just the same. There was barely enough material connecting the sides, making it easy to rip off. Mika would have a few rude words to say about this. Ava tied his scarf around her neck for good luck.

  A soft hum shifted through the bathroom, pulsating small vibrations under her shoes. The wall holding her dirty towels and clothes faded into a transparent pixelated picture, exposing a white capsuled pod. It hovered inside a long dark tube, silent and still, even as the door slid open, it barely made a noise.

  The wall hummed as Ava stepped through, light pricks showered her skin. The pod's interior was doused in white, expensive to the eye. White leather seats, smooth over her palm when she sat. Glossy walls under a dimmed lighting.

  Automatically, the door shut. There was no turning back now.

  The pod zipped through the tunnels and curves so fast it’d take hours to walk. Yet, it felt like mere seconds. It slowed to a halt, brought with it a still and deathly silence. The longer she sat here, the more it felt like she was trapped in a coffin with no way out.

  The walls closed in on her. She took a deep, steady breath to relax. Mika must have felt like this whenever they were in a crowd. It made her feel vulnerable, suffocated.

  Movement shifted from outside as a wall opened. And it couldn’t be anymore slower. The dimmed lights flickered, and in that moment, a shadow of a man appeared on the seat across from her. She took a sharp breath, engulfing icy air and the scent of death. The longer it took, the more visible he became.

  The Reaper followed her here.

  Harsh light seeped through a crack in the door as it finally opened. The first thing she found was Zephyrus’ hand, neatly gloved in blue. He gave her a business smile with a hint of mischief glinting inside those starry eyes.

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  She took his hand without hesitation. I need to get out of this damn pod.

  He helped her out and into the living room with the sunken couch and beautiful tree stump coffee table. As two guards stood nearby, he presented his arm, muscles large and protruding when uncovered. Like Ava’s attire, his clothes were simple, hardly covered his body under a thin, blue cloth. Pants open and feet bare.

  She took his arm to show she had the capability of being obedient.

  His long cape dragged behind them as they walked. “How did you sleep? Was the sand comfortable enough?”

  It took everything in Ava to hold back her tongue. “Yes, it was actually. It’s been a long time since I last camped out on a beach.”

  “I’m surprised the Ama prince wasn’t by your side all night long considering their Crown Prince always is. Or am I mistaken? Are you and Marcoussis more than friends?”

  So he’d been watching Ava, and the only way he could do this was through a mole. She bit her cheek and drew blood. “Why don’t we forget the chit-chat and get down to business. You said we had a lot to discuss.”

  “We'll get to it in just a moment, but first, let me show you a place I'm sure you'd appreciate,” he said as they turned the corner towards an atrium.

  Greenery poked out the open doors, the scent of fresh rain and dirt overcame Ava’s senses. It was beyond beautiful. She touched the cool slick vines covering every inch of the glass dome, felt their life at the tips. Colorful flowers bloomed all over, ran over a fountain’s base as lily pads floated inside. And yet, the fountain showed nothing but despair.

  Large stepping stones started at the entrance and into separate pathways with two circling around the fountain. It was amazing, abstract. Carved from what looked like thick, clear marble, a genderless figure wrapped its body around an unknown planet as it sat on a pedestal, crying tears of water.

  There was this horrible pain in her chest. The longer Ava stared at the statues’ face, the more it hurt. A tear slipped down her cheek. Before she caught it, Zephyrus gently wiped it away, his glove lingered on her skin.

  “This fountain is a monument dedicated to the ones who created the gods—who created us,” he said. “The Doku.”

  He plucked a flower off its stem, and twiddled it between his fingers. “Our planet was full of greenery. The palaces and rooms had live plants and flowers sculpted into the ceilings and walls. You couldn’t walk two feet without admiring its beauty.”

  “It sounds amazing,” she said.

  “Was amazing,” he corrected. “Our planet was amazing before it was destroyed.”

  Her stomach dropped. This was the first time she’d heard of a planet being destroyed. It brought terror, fear that Earth would turn out the same way.

  “How did it happen?” she asked, quickly adding, “If you don’t mind me asking.”

  His gaze showed no emotion, monochromatic, it was hard to tell what he was thinking. It had her on edge. “The Doku were filled with magical wonders and unimaginable power, but it was never beyond their control. They were called magicians and necromancers; illusionists and tricksters; weavers and shamans. It didn’t matter what label they possessed, they had visions and they brought those visions to life.”

  He stopped talking and took a moment to collect his thoughts. With a swift motion, he plucked each finger of their glove until both were off his hands. A guard took them away on a tray and shuffled out the door. No exchange was made. They simply knew what Zephyrus expected, almost like robots.

  Realization hit Ava when he ushered them towards a bench, positioned to face out the starry universe. Earth floated off to the side. Her gaze naturally settled there, only to be whisked away by his words soon after.

  “Amaranthine is the first race the Doku created. The Doku gave them the ability to use koto. Now it seems that ability has been used in dangerous ways.” He picked up Marc’s medallion. “Do you know what’s contained in this small metal fragment?”

  She swallowed some air. “A spell to protect me from any harmful koto.”

  A sly smile crossed his blossom lips. He let out a breathless chuckle and turned the medallion, admiring it. “Yes it does, however, beneath the surface lies the soul binding spell, now forbidden on Amaranthine. So I’d be careful who you let touch this.”

  He dropped it back onto her dress. It weighed ten times more than before. This wasn’t good. He just confessed their creators gave Amaranthine their abilities, which meant the gods might all possess koto or something similar. She needed to be careful from here on out.

  Zephyrus tapped his fingers on the back of the bench. He grazed her shoulder, ran his fingers over Mika’s scarf. This time, Ava couldn’t keep the chills down.

  “I would say it’s nice being alone with you without the Ama prince hovering nearby, but I can see you’ve grown an attachment for this one, too. You always had a thirsty appetite.” His voice grew closer, whispering in her ear, “Until you met her.”

  Ava instinctively moved away, he followed every decreasing inch and clamped a large hand on her shoulder. His thumb roughly caressed Ava’s skin, making her sick to her stomach. His fingers dug into her skin when she tried pulling away, and brushed her hair to the side, exposing her neck further—he ran his fingertips gently from her ear to her shoulder.

  “She’s been looking for you. I wonder how she’d react if she knew I had you in my grasp. Shall we find out?” he teased.

  Being this close, it was hard not to get a whiff of his scent, and the only image that came to mind was rotting apples. “Who are you talking about?”

  “The one who stole your heart.”

  A giant needle jabbed into the side of her neck. He was so quick, she didn’t have time to attack or put up a defense. Before she knew it, he pulled the thing out of her neck and stood. He took three small vials from a tray and filled them with Ava’s blood. Anger coursed through her as each clear tube turned a dark crimson.

  “You could’ve just asked.” Ava hissed. “You didn’t have to stab a fucking needle in my goddamn neck!”

  A shot of pain zapped her. She pressed a finger to the spot. It was sticky but healing.

  Zephyrus mockingly laughed. “And would you have willingly given it to me? Your sworn enemy? I think not. Plus, this way is much more fun.”

  He set the empty needle on a different tray provided by a guard, then picked up a disk. “This is what you’ve been after the whole time, isn’t it? You can have it. I have no use for data I can’t read. You pesky humans may use archaic technology, but you do know how to keep your information secure.”

  Ava snatched the disk from his hand before he could second guess himself.

  “It’s encrypted with a password and can only be accessed through a specific software the UFE possesses. As you can see, I went with the science route. Blood samples, fingerprints, even a teardrop are always much easier.” He sprayed her neck and gave her a cloth napkin to wipe it clean. “Now, let’s eat before our food grows—”

  A boom erupted in the atrium.

  They slammed into the glass. Zephyrus securely clutched the vials in his hand. The entire ship trembled, moaned as red lights flashed on. There was no siren.

  He swiped across the window and brought up an image of the front deck. “Status update,” he stated to a mustached man who frantically dished out orders. “Status update!”

  “Sir, it appears the goddess of war has crashed a Mars ship into the left engine. We are running diagnostics on the damage as we speak. I have already sent troops over to the area for inspection—”

  An explosion shook the leaves and vines. They were jerked sideways by another strong shift. The image went black, along with the rest of the normal overhead lighting. Everything was coated in red now.

  Zephyrus hit the glass with his fist. “Has she lost her mind? She could ruin everything I’ve been doing for us!” His glare was ferocious like staring into the eyes of a lion ready to tear their prey limb from limb. “Take her to my room where she’ll be safe. I will take care of this matter personally.”

  Within seconds, a royal blue Bō appeared in his hand. Ava was taken back. She knew the gods’ weapons were color coded, but to see it was a whole different story. The Bō was identical to Ava’s in every shape and form. The only difference would be the way he held it, firmly gripped like he held a king’s staff and not a metal stick.

  Zephyrus was gone in a flash. The guards helped Ava off the bench. Her legs wobbled, her head felt faint. She hadn’t eaten since the Ceremony, and on top of that, she had her blood drawn. The red lights just made it worse.

  They went back towards the living room, their hands clenched Ava’s arms on both sides the entire way. All four guards circled her like a protective shield. They marched so perfectly and in an orderly fashion, they had to be robots.

  She slipped the steak knife out through the exposed part of her dress, and without another breath, plummeted the blade into the left guy’s head. He collapsed to the floor inside the living room and fidgeted under her weight.

  Ava stabbed him again and again until he fidgeted no more. As she suspected there was no blood, only the sound of a dying circuit board and jittery movements. Sparks and wires poked out of his makeshift brain. Knew he was a robot.

  The other guards stared as if their circuits were still trying to compute what just happened. Ava took advantage of those seconds and jammed the knife into a knee at her right. He toppled, catching himself on the ground. Sparks flew from his leg, and short circuited like an antique radio.

  A stiff hand pushed her down and tried to keep her down with its unnatural strength. She removed the knife and swung at her attacker, but the third robot forced her head onto the floor. He placed pressure on her brain, pressing like a juicer. Everything spun.

  The wall burst open. Metal shrapnel flew over the couch, chunks of ventilation scattered across the floor with a few pieces of the pod’s glossy interior. Ava was both amazed and terrified of the super strength he had.

  Mika’s arms were doused in a magnificent glow, lifelike blades covered each hand. Their eyes barely met before he disappeared. The robot released his hold and pulled out a gun. Mika appeared behind the robot. He swung one arm towards its neck, slicing it clean off. The moment its head hit the floor he sliced the last robot’s head off.

  Ava shoved its body off and staggered to her feet. Sweat dripped from Mika’s forehead, he looked exhausted like he might have used too much energy, or too much at once and was now on an adrenaline kick.

  When the coast was clear and the glowing blades disappeared with a simple shake, Ava embraced him. It took the chill off, the horrible sensation of Zephyrus’ touch. “God, I’ve never been so happy to see you.”

  Mika’s arms were slow to embrace her, quicker to feel her bareback. He pulled slightly away but didn’t let her go just yet, and glanced down at the dress. “What are you wearing?” he asked, then gently touched her neck. “What did he do to you?”

  “That bastard stole my blood. My tears. And this stupid dress. I feel like a fool wearing it.” She dug into her bra and held the disk. “But I got this. I got the disk back.”

  Without so much as a word, Mika draped his jacket over Ava’s shoulders and tried helping her arms through the holes.

  “Do you hate seeing me wear a dress that much?” she asked, feeling a little annoyed he worried about this out of all the things to be worried about.

  He pursed his lips as he buttoned the front. “This can hardly be called a dress.” When he saw she wasn’t amused by his answer, he deeply sighed. “Your body is too distracting. And I need to concentrate. That’s all.”

  The air shifted between them. She searched his eyes. When did his feelings change from friendship into more? Why did she feel happy about it? This isn’t good.

  A slight tremble rumbled beneath their feet. They seriously needed to get off this ship. In between quakes, Mika and Ava ran towards the window. They were at the front of the ship. The tip of two colossal-sized engines was positioned away, showing little destruction from where they stood.

  Another explosion rocked the ship. Ava pushed further into the glass, pressed her front on this icy cold surface. A plethora of goosebumps broke across her skin. She was so close, she spotted a cluster of escape pods leaving from the other side of the ship.

  “There’s where the escape pods are.” She pointed towards the area. Mika smashed his face up against the glass to get a better look.

  Three pods took off from their stations. They zoomed into the newly made space trash, filled with torn up metal, both red and white. One pod didn’t make it out of the field, and became part of the debris in seconds.

  Mika turned to Ava with a hopeful smile as the overhead lights came back on. And with it, came the sound of approaching boots.