Ava chuckled. This was insane. Ludicrous. Absurd. And yet, she couldn’t stop laughing. She lost her mind. Fluidly, she picked up the glass of purple wine. Its strong raspberry scent intoxicated the air before she took the first sip.

“Me? The god of death?” Ava said. “That is the most cliche thing I have ever heard.”

Zephyrus smiled, conniving as they came. “Sometimes life can be a cliche.”

The way he said life sounded like he was referring to the god and not life itself.

She took a long sip, contemplating. This time chunks of fruit burned her throat with its potency. “I’ll admit. I may have danced with death too many times, but to actually be the god of death just sounds so absurd. It feels too easy. Too—”

“Simple?” He cut into his rare meat, slicing carefully and with surgical precision. Raw juice marinated the plate. “I must say, it’s quite refreshing for someone to question me. It’s a trait I’ve missed for centuries.”

“Come visit Earth sometime. You’ll receive tons of questions, and possibly room and board if you’re lucky.” Gregori would kill this man without batting an eye. Yes, Zephyrus could be a great pawn to barter with Primordial, but considering how dangerous he was, the bastard was better off dead.

Zephyrus set his utensils on the plate and picked up his wine glass. He swirled it around, his palm suffocated its large bowl. When Ava expected a whirlwind counter-argument, his penetrating gaze settled elsewhere.

“Prince Mikaela,” he stated. “Maybe you can indulge Avalyn and tell her what you know about the god weapons. I’m sure she would love to learn how Amaranthine has been secretly tracking and keeping tabs on all the gods.”

Mika sat taller, stiffer, not letting his air of royalty crack under Zephyrus’ pressure nor Ava’s cold, hard stare. “That’s not my area of interest.”

He didn’t deny it. Very surprising. Even faced with this dilemma he was willing to be honest in front of the enemy. His honesty will one day be his downfall.

“Though the same cannot be said for Darious and Prince Marcoussis,” Zephyrus said, peaking Ava’s ears and pricking her heart. “Your grandfather sent them to Earth specifically to research Avalyn’s oddity, using these new guardians as a cover.”

She gripped the bowl even tighter. “What is he talking about?”

Zephyrus raised his glass. Not long after, one of the few men in blue refilled it with more purple wine. “The King of Amaranthine would never send his only heirs to the middle of a war zone without an ulterior motive.”

What exactly does he have up his sleeve?

Ava took another long sip, drowning her taste buds until she got a buzz going. Mika eyed her all the while. “It seems we’ve strayed from the topic,” Zephyrus said. “What will it take for you to believe you're the god of death?”

“Proof,” she said. “And I don’t just mean a slip of paper. I want hard evidence.”

That conniving smile crept further up his cheeks into a devilish grin. “That’s easy, then. All you have to do is die.”

A ha sound escaped her mouth. She couldn’t believe this. “Right. Kill me just to give Primordial the upper hand. That’s exactly what you’d want.” Ava took another long drink until she finally reached the bottom grains. “If you think I will fall for this stupid joke, then you’ve completely underestimated me.”

“I wish this were a joke. But as I’ve said before, life can be a cliche.”

For a long time, there was silence. Deafening silence. The kind that pestered in the back of your mind. Ava’s entire world spun, or that could just be from the wine. Everything she’d been searching for, every waking moment had led up to this day. She finally had an answer to her problems and it was this. Death. That’s if he’s telling the truth.

Through shaky hands, Ava carefully set the empty glass on the table. The meat had cooled, the lights seemed dimmer, yet the china was as gold and beautiful as a sun. “How would dying prove I’m the god of death?”

Mika stood up so fast the chair screeched. “Ava, you can’t be serious about this. Do you hear what he’s saying—”

She smacked the tabletop. “Tell me why I must die.”

“You must die in order to unlock your abilities as the true god of death. To be reawakened,” Zephyrus said.

He abruptly stood, setting the glass down with such grace it could rival Caterina. When he pushed the chair back, it didn’t squeak. When he walked to the miniature bar by the window, his shoes didn’t tap. He was like a devilish angel, shifting through the darkness, on a mission to kill.

Swiftly and with ease of the hand, Zephyrus poured himself a half glass of stronger alcohol. Its lukewarm, honey filled the room. Ava’s mouth went dry. Glancing at the empty wine glass, it tempted her to ask for more.

Zephyrus corked the bottle and took a whiff of this new delicacy. “It should be impossible for you to control your weapon before reawakening. It’s why Amaranthine is so intrigued, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t.”

He stopped to take a sip, eyes met Ava’s for a fleeting moment. The glass of wine, the whiskey looking alcohol, he played on her weakness. And she just let him. Ava was so disgusted with herself. Hidden under the table, she wrung the blue napkin in her hands.

Steadily, he walked back, heading towards Ava. “Since the original god of death died, we’ve been waiting for her return. The other gods have come back once or twice—or one too many times. Except, she has yet to come back since she first died.” He stood by her side. “That is until we found you.”

Zephyrus towered over Ava. She could only see white. It was too much, too close. She swallowed a hard lump caught in her throat. “What happens when she comes back?”

“We’ll be a complete family once more, and when this happens we’ll end this war. I don’t like the idea of killing off a race she belongs to.”

Yet, he’d kill off a race where she didn’t.

There were two sides to every coin. He said they’d be a family. Ava said he had a hidden agenda. Whatever happened with the original god of death must have caused a stir in Zephyrus. Why else would she be here on this ship? Why else would she be sitting in this chair, still alive, being pampered like a princess? He didn’t want to upset her.

“So you want me to off myself just so I can join your side,” Ava said. Smiling, Zephyrus strolled to his seat. Mika watched his every move. Ava did just the same.

“Think of this as a proposition,” Zephyrus said. “I get a family member back. You win the war. And as a bonus, you will fix yourself. I’m sure that’s why you can’t control your abilities. The god of death is fighting to break free.”

Now it finally became clear. What was at stake here. He spoke as if the weapon carried the gods’ soul, but didn’t Darious say their memories were imprinted inside their weapons? If Zephyrus was right, then did that mean Ava’s soul would be replaced? What would happen to her?

Ava finally reached all the answers she needed.

“I need some time to think about this.” Time to escape.

“You don’t trust me.”

He crossed his legs so nonchalantly as if what he just said wasn’t so fucking absurd. “Of course I don’t trust you, and I don’t think I ever will.”

“What if I told you I have a copy of your missing birth record? Would this change your mind?”

Zephyrus snapped his fingers. The escort pulled a rectangular case out of a hidden pocket in his uniform. He presented it to Ava. There was a round disc inside, catching the light of the chandelier. It felt so fragile in her hands. She could easily break this in half. And all it took was a snap of a finger to get it. Just a snap.

It looked like something from Earth, smooth and cold like all the cases she’d felt before. She stared at it. Stared at the thing she’d been searching for two years. It was finally in her grasp, and yet, it felt too good to be true. “Why are you giving me this?”

“Consider it a peace offering,” Zephyrus said, then paused. “I think it’s best we stop here for today. Let this information all digest. Oh, and do get some rest. We can discuss this more tomorrow.”

Ava shuffled in her seat, ready to leave. She was over being here. “Yes, and I’m sure I’ll have many questions for you to answer, then.”

“Great.” He called the escort with the silent wag of his finger. The man bowed lower, reaching Zephyrus level. “Take them back to their room and give them anything they request. They are not prisoners here. They are our guests so treat them with the utmost care.”

Yet, I’m sure the doors are still locked shut from the inside.

The escort ushered them toward the main doors. Ava took one last glimpse of Zephyrus’ room and noticed a color scheme. Everything was blue. It was almost too much. All the uniforms on all these servants, his own attire, and the sunken living room couch. This had to be his personal ship and not one he borrowed from Primordial.

He had flower paintings displayed on the wall near the seating area, and a self-portrait as the focal point. With beautiful strokes, each color stood out, representing dark shades of black and blues, cold menacing pigments, and very few whites. The artist captured his soul completely. It was exactly how Ava imagined Zephyrus to be.

Mika met her side, cautiously, he kept both hands to himself. This time Ava reached out for him. He flinched from their touch, yet didn’t hesitate to intertwine their fingers, locking them together in a hold, so tight, their hands paled.

The second they left Zephyrus’ room, they booked it. They barely made it down the hallway before red lights flashed on. Doors swished close, making them go certain ways. This place was suffocating. Ava was lost already.

“What happened to making a plan after dinner?” Mika asked as they turned another corner. “I could teleport us to the living room we passed earlier. We could see from outside. Or some other hallway.”

She didn’t know what to say. She only wanted to get off this ship. So she ignored him and continued running throughout the maze. They entered a large circular area with six hallways broken off into different sections of the ship. Quick footsteps approached from all sides. Hundreds of beings appeared in the same uniform, holding futuristic gun-type weapons. Ava’s sixth sense didn’t pick them up at all.

Zephyrus didn’t plan to kill them, yet, or his guards would be carrying swords instead. She turned back, only to meet Zephyrus’ conniving grin. As the blue guards surrounded them, he approached with glee, one Ava would be happy to wipe off with her fist. Her blood boiled at the sight of him.

He flicked his hand at the blue guards. Two came forward and took Ava and Mika roughly by the shoulders. No handcuffs? I’m actually offended.

“I may not be a soldier, but reading body language is an expertise of mine,” Zephyrus said. “You might want to consider that next time you plan on running away, Earth’s General.”

Ava swore his starry eyes twinkled as he said her title. For wanting to start fresh and forget the past, this man sure wasn’t giving her any reasons to consider it. She held up the disk. “Is it safe to assume this is also fake like your hospitality and talk of peace?”

“I assure you, my offers are genuine. The last thing we need is another reason to carry on this senseless war.” He snatched the disk right out of her fingers. “And this wasn’t a fake, but I see we need to trust each other fully before I gift you anything. I’m sure you understand.”

Ava stared at the disk in his hands and cursed a million times over. Dammit. She was so pissed. So pissed off at herself. She’d get it back. That was the only hope she had left.

The guard’s fierce grip ceased. She rubbed her arms as the blood circulated. “For the time being, you’ll be moved to a secure location. I’m sure you understand why,” he said.

With the snap of his fingers, the ground meld beneath into a large hollow hole. They dropped from the corridor, dropped down a long, dark tunnel, and landed with a soft thud onto a mushy substance.

Pitch black. Her heart raced, breaths turned uneven. Mika gently touched her shoulder. So close.

A light spread over them, displaying this breathtaking sunset, too perfect the way it radiated in the sky. Crystal clear waves splashed pink sand, up the shore. Ava dug into the textured grains, mesmerized. This had to be fake. No way this was real. The sand clinging to her dress said otherwise.

Mika scooped some sand and rubbed it between his fingers. “This looks like a replica of the beaches on Mars, but their sand is redder.”

Mars. Ava almost forgot about that vile woman.

“Well, I’m surprised the beach sand isn’t blue. When everything else on this goddamn ship is covered in blue!” she shouted towards the sky, which was indeed blue.

A red light flashed on and off in the far corner, near the sun. Zephyrus’ voice came through like the god he portrayed himself to be. “Then you can sleep on the sand with no luxury items as those are also blue.”

Fine. She’d camped without equipment before.

“Well, I hope you planned for us to get caught,” Mika remarked. “I can’t teleport out and I don't see us escaping from here anytime soon.”

Ava slapped Mika’s hand off her shoulder. Too many times these Ama have deceived her. Mika was no different from Marc. He'd been here a month and she barely knew him. So what if she were partly to blame, he knew how badly she needed her birth record—any information on her birth. And the bastard kept it from her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

The cold settled in her gaze. He quickly backed away.

“Ava, I can explain,” Mika said. “Marc thought it was better we didn’t tell you. He wanted you to live a normal life.”

Ava callously chuckled. “What else did he tell you to do? Did he tell you to spy on me? Be friends with me? Make sure you don’t piss the god off or she might kill you!”

She grabbed his wrist, then kicked his legs out from underneath him. He slammed into the sand as she pinned his hand back. The other hand reached for her. Ava pinned that, too, beneath her knee. His body didn’t tremble, he didn’t look away. She even caught a threatening glint in his eyes.

Ava stabbed the steak knife into the sand by his neck. Zephyrus left out those knives on the table for a reason. He made a point to cut his soft piece of meat that he could have easily cut with a fork. He wanted her to steal one, and she happily obliged.

Mika swallowed, scrapping the sharp blade with his skin. “Can’t you see he’s only trying to tear us apart? He wants us to fight. You need to calm down.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down,” she snapped. “I don’t need to calm down. What I need are answers because you, Marc, and everyone else who love keeping secrets from me when I can’t understand why.” Her voice broke. “Why—Why did you keep this from me?”

For a long time, he said nothing. Water splashed onto the beach, almost reaching them, but she held her ground. After what felt like painstaking long hours, Mika pursed his lips together. “I’m sorry, but I have my own reasons.”

Just like a true Ama, he knew how to hide his true intentions. Ava admired him for keeping his resolve, yet that still didn’t help. It didn’t make up for everything.

“Your apology isn’t good enough.” She pushed the knife closer to his neck, blood drew. “Your selfish reasons won’t save my planet. It won’t fix me. It won’t protect my family. You might as well have just started my people’s extinction.”

Without Ava there, who knew what Zephyrus would do. She wasn’t part of his family until she reawakened as the god of death, he said so himself. He could be planning Earth’s destruction this very minute. He could already be doing it.

The blade pressed deeper and this time Mika flinched. “You won’t kill me.”

Ava let out a disbelieving laugh. “I could lose control right now and kill you. Why can’t you understand that? Why do you have to get so close!”

She couldn’t look at him. Somewhere between yelling and crying, she let his wrist go without realizing it. Mika brushed her hair back behind an ear. “Ava, you won’t hurt me.”

Her heart beat so fast. Not from the possibility of dying, but from the fear of falling for this guy. He kept worming his way inside like a parasite, feeding off her vulnerability. And his personality changed like a chameleon, a cool shade one moment, then sunny warm the next. She couldn’t stand it.

Scowling, Ava smacked him on the forehead and stomped off towards the bushes and palm trees that mingled in the corner. He called after her, complaints about the assault, curious about where she was going. She ignored him.

It didn’t matter, though. No matter how far Ava traveled there was only so much space. It took exactly four minutes to reach the other end of the island at a running pace.

Using the knife, she cut through the bushes. It did nothing, but instantly regrow fresh new buds. There had to be a button around here somewhere. A switch or a monitor they could toy with.

The bushes rustled nearby. Mika caught up and joined the pursuit. Ava moved further away from him. She didn’t want to be next to him. Funny how she always wanted to know the truth about herself, to all these secrets, but after learning them she wished she never did. It hurt her heart, and yet, she was afraid Mika would hurt her worse.

Ava stopped, nearly knocking into a palm tree, planted further away from the others, alone. It was tall and round with green leaves fanned out at the top. She tied her dress skirt and began huffing it. Just like climbing a cliff, Ava grabbed hold of the bark, then pushed up. She was halfway up the tree when she found Mika lingering below.

“I can see your,” he cleared his throat, “undergarment.”

“And I don’t care.” Pervert.

He continued to stare. “Why are you climbing a tree?”

“I’m trying to find a way out of here. Maybe I can reach the ceiling or find a hidden button. It’s the only thing I can do right now since I’m stuck here with a traitorous snake.” She growled out of annoyance. “Why am I talking to you!”

“You act like I betrayed you, but I only kept a secret from you once.”

“Except it was a secret about myself!”

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. The bark loosened under her grip. She grabbed for the next. “I didn’t want to hurt you,” he said. “I didn’t want to be the bad guy.”

“Stop lying!” Her feet slipped this time. She barely caught herself.

“You’re going to fall.”

“Because you keep distracting me—”

The bark ripped from the trunk. Ava landed with a thud right onto Mika. He groaned into the nook of her neck, tickled her ear. She pushed up as quickly as she could, and got a sense of déjà vu. So embarrassing.

Ava sat beside Mika. It wasn’t long before he sat up. Not long before his fingers mingled with hers. Their pinkies brushed and she wanted to lean closer into his warmth.

But this wasn’t right. This wasn’t Marc. This was Mika, and very, very dangerous.

“I won’t tell you to trust me,” he said. “You have every right not to. But you shouldn’t trust the gods. Amaranthine doesn’t because they hold no allegiances. So please, think carefully before you make any decisions with him.”

“Then if you know anything more about what I am, now is the time to tell me.” She waited for an answer. She even gave him a moment to collect his thoughts, but he only looked away. “That’s what I thought.”

Ava got back up and brushed this pink sand off. She felt like a fool. It was stupid to run away. A rookie mistake. Now they were stuck here, on this fake enchanting island, with no way out. No where close to her birth record.

“Since the sun’s gone down, there’s no point in trying to escape under this dim moonlight. I will sleep in that corner.” She pointed the spot out. “As long as you keep to this side of the island we won’t have any issues tonight.”

As she turned to leave, a heavy material draped over her shoulders. “At least take my jacket,” he said close to her ear and walked away before she could protest.

This one time she’d resign to him.