Gio slouched further in his chair, rested an elbow on the glass dining table. They finished their dinner and now ate dessert. It took Ava ages to finish her chocolate mousse cake when she normally would be done by now. She just couldn’t stop thinking about the Council and the twins and if Marc convinced his grandfather at all.

The twins shouldn’t be here. It’s too dangerous. Gregori knows this, they all do, and yet, none of them care.

“They look a lot like Marc.” Gio cut through Ava’s thoughts. He stared at his tablet’s screen, the glow of the twins’ profiles lit up his face. “Are you sure they’re just his cousins?”

Their mom, Caterina, took out her tea strainer and stirred the citrus fragrance around. “It’s possible it could be a family trait. I’ve been told I look more like my cousins than a few of my siblings. Not that I’m complaining.”

Her voice was smooth like the way she cut through her pie and let no crumb tarnish her lips as she took a bite.

Caterina was a full-fledged immortal. Like those born after the war started, she stopped aging the day of her twenty-first birthday. She was so wise and vibrant, always wearing sundresses in the summer and bright coats in the fall. And just like her voice, her silky brown hair fell over her shoulder in waves, effortlessly against her desert sand skin.

Gio was lucky to have inherited all of her beauty. Ava was envious.

Outside of eating, Caterina was always graceful, walking and speaking in a way that showed she came from an elite background. When Ava was younger, she used to mimic Caterina’s movements, but it took a strict discipline and more self-control than she had.

Now Ava dipped her spoon straight into the glass canister with the blunt force of a soldier and stuffed the pudding cake into her mouth. “Well, don’t get attached to them. Marc went home to talk to his grandfather, so they might not be coming at all.”

“You mean, you told Marc to go home and ask,” Gio said, clearly not liking what he just heard. “Dude, I have high doubts their grandfather is gonna listen to what he has to say when he rarely goes home as is.”

“That’s because he doesn’t want to be the Crown Prince—”

He smacked the tabletop, the dishes rattled. “And that doesn’t matter. He’ll always be the Crown Prince until he’s crowned king. He has duties and responsibilities to uphold. He shouldn’t be staying on Earth this much. Or looking after you.”

Ava narrowed her eyes. “You make it sound like I’m some child.”

“Or maybe it’s time for you to let him go.” Gio settled back in his chair. “He can't marry you, so it's better to just move on.”

She has liked Marc for ten years. Since the moment Ava first fell off the tree in the garden and landed on top of him, their fates were intertwined. It didn’t matter that they were eight years apart, these feelings wouldn't stop.

Ava has already fallen too deep.

“He has a point, honey. Everyone your age is getting married left and right. If you wait too long, all the suitable bachelors will be snatched up, and you’ll be left with ugly looking babies.” Caterina lips pressed against the teacups rim. “Gio, have you been listening to a word I’ve been saying?”

“Yeah, yeah. Find a husband. Get married. Have some kids,” he mumbled.

That was all she ever worried about. Ava dropped her tablet against the opaque tabletop. “So you’re saying I should stop searching for my birth record.”

“No, I’m telling you to multitask,” she said. “And who knows, maybe your new guardians will help you break into that laboratory.” Her eyes narrowed, challenging Ava to say more, but she remained silent.

It felt like Ava was being plotted against today. First the Council and now her own family. They might be okay with this, but Ava wasn’t. What happened two years ago wasn't a fluke. It was dark and raw and unlike anything she ever experienced. She lost herself. She never wanted to feel that way again.

“You should read their profiles,” Gio interrupted. She stared him down from across the table. The mess he made from pushing aside his dishes was invading her personal space.

“What’s the point when it doesn’t have their abilities listed nor their weaknesses?”

Gio cocked an eyebrow up on that pretty face of his, and challenged Ava exactly like Caterina, except he pushed it by dangling the profile in front of her eyes. “You’re the one who always says it’s better to know who the enemy is before trying to take them down.”

She snatched the chip from his fingertips and inserted it into her tablet. The twin’s picture first popped up, displaying the same standard photo she saw in the Council room, but this time she noticed the confidence in his posture.

Prince Samyr of Amaranthine, who was second in line for the throne. Since he was sixteen, that made him three years younger than Ava and Gio and with these stats they’d consider him a prodigy here—meaning he was just like Marc, a younger copycat version.

Ava remembered when Marc told them stories about these two, Sam always stuck out as someone who aspired to be like him—perfect in everything. He looked up to Marc, which she could understand. From that alone, they might get along. Too bad for the twins’. Ava would do whatever she could to make sure they went home.

For tonight only, she’d put that aside. “I need to go to the Disco Club,” she said. “Wanna go, Sloth? Or did Josh kick your butt too much?”

Gio knew Ava wasn’t going to live it up and dance all night. This was just the perfect cover to use for meeting a certain someone, a guy who could get her that damn passcode for the laboratory.

“I’m sure I’ll find a date tonight, unlike the sad single here,” he said, as she took the dirty dishes to the sink.

“I didn’t know having random hookups was considered dating now,” Ava snapped.

Caterina let out an exhausted long breath. As she set her teacup down, her blue eyes shifted into an ocean storm, drifting off into a space of memories, places Ava had never been before and would never see. “Did I ever tell you I met your father at a club? He was a very outgoing man.”

“By outgoing, do you mean how he let you kidnap him?” Gio asked.

She laughed under her breath. “There’s more to it than that, but yes. He was so rambunctious back then. Always willing to stand up to the law. I can’t believe it’s been twenty years since he died.” She sighed. “A day doesn’t go by where I don’t miss him.”

Love was a powerful emotion. Ava couldn’t comprehend how it must have felt to lose your true love. She has never been in love, at least she wasn’t in love with Marc, yet. She imagined love made you feel invincible and gave you this sense of power that you could do the impossible. Those were feelings she didn’t possess.

Truthfully, falling in love actually terrified her.

“Maybe one of these flings will catch your interest someday, and you'll have a grand love life like I did,” Caterina teased, sounding more like herself again.

“Dude, I hope my love life will never be as thrilling as yours.” Gio stood up as Ava walked towards the hallway. “I don’t have the energy for it.”

Ava laughed. “And I doubt he’ll find his future husband in a club full of—”

A body slammed into her from the side.

She hit the floor so hard the wind knocked out of her. Ava tried breathing through her mouth, but it was difficult with this heavyweight lying on top. Her back hurt, bones felt stiff, cheek itched as strands of black hair tickled her skin. A low groan vibrated near her ear, all over her front. Soon after, her attacker flew up.

Wide-eyed, his hands rested on either side of Ava’s shoulders as he hovered over. Shocked, she stared into his brown eyes, his sunless skin shaded over into a warm cherry tint. It was one of the twins, her new guardian, but they shouldn’t be here until tomorrow.

The house door slid open. The two soldiers stationed outside stepped in, eyes honed on the twin with a hand reaching for their waist. Ava pushed the twin back as quickly as she could. The first knife flew by and clattered to the floor down the hall. She caught the second, inches from the twin’s forehead.

Ava couldn’t believe she was already protecting them. This was ridiculous. She flung the knife back. It stabbed into the wall near the soldier's neck—they gulped.

“Next time look before you throw your knives. You just almost killed an Ama prince.” The anger boiled through Ava’s words, and they noticed, standing straighter at attention.

They saluted, arm crossed over their chest. “Sorry, General. It won’t happen again.”

After she took a deep breath, Ava exhaled the stress that tried to force its way in. They were just doing their jobs. They were doing as instructed in training.

“At least we know their knife throwing skills are on point,” Caterina said.

She would know. Caterina trained Ava in her knife techniques.

“You’re dismissed,” Ava ordered. As they retrieved their knives, Ava took the chance to look over her new guardians, instead, she found a portal open inside her living room.

Just like the one surrounding the city and Capitol building, there was a third barrier surrounding their housing unit, specifically made to block both demons and anyone who could teleport. The only way inside was by walking in or through a handheld portal device.

For emergency purposes, the only ones who knew the portal’s key were Gregori and Marc. And now a man who wore a golden mask over his eyes and had hair as white as snow.

Like his mask, the image through the portal displayed gold leaves and branches curling around warm wooden banisters, each carved into different characters and symbols that stretched on for miles long. As the soldier walked by and out the door, the portal closed. The last of their world shimmered in the air under a subtle nectar scent.

The Ama world and this man’s mask were beautifully crafted. Ava was locked in an enchantment until a whiny voice cut through her daze. “Why did you push me?” The twin she saved hissed in the Ama tongue, still red in the face. “You made me look like a fool.”

His brother shrugged. “You were taking too long to walk through.”

“She was standing in the way.” He met Ava’s gaze, then quickly looked away.

This was so childish. If they were going to act like this the entire time, then Ava could see many problems in their future. She could handle twins, but bratty twins would only test her patience, and she was not one for patience.

“Forgive their rudeness. They’re not used to interacting with others outside the palace walls,” the man with the golden mask said, a twinkle in his eyes.

He was dressed down in a business-meets-casual way. Except for the golden tree pinned to his lapel, his attire reeked of Earth’s clothing, from the pastel blazer to the new leather shoes. Maybe he was a lord or adviser to their grandfather.

He stretched his hand out to Ava, unveiling a thin translator bracelet wrapped around his creamy wrist. She took his hand, instantly retracting from the icy touch, but he was already latched on. His pale fingers were soft, long as they covered her hand completely and pulled her up to her feet. He was shorter than she expected and younger up close.

The man pecked her hand. Even his lips were cold. “So you must be Ava. Short for Avalyn, correct?” There was a playfulness to his voice when he said her name. She could already tell this guy would be trouble.

Ava maintained her cool and kept a distance. “Only my close friends can call me that.”

“Then what do I have to do to be your close friend?” He winked.

This guy was unbelievable.

Ava shook her head and yanked her hand out of his grasp. “Who are you?” she asked, rubbing the warmth back into her skin. “As far as I know, I’m supposed to be receiving the twins as my guardians. They said nothing about you.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. It reminded her of Marc whenever he was irritated. “I'm their retainer. I'll be helping them adjust to life on Earth and making sure they stay out of trouble.”

Still, there was something off about this guy besides his flirtatious manner. She felt it all the way in her gut.

Ava quickly glanced around, looking for a way out of this conversation, but everyone was preoccupied. Gio was already talking to the twins in front of the hallway, while Caterina was getting cups from the cupboards, along with the cheese and wine.

Wait. Something was different about the room. When did she clean and paint the walls? Ava just walked out of here this morning. How long has it been like this?

Caterina replaced the old sturdy couches with a new forest green upholstery, polished the oak wood coffee table, and wiped down the hung pictures. It was like her mom erased Junipea from existence.

How was Ava just now noticing this? She was losing track of time again.

The man stepped closer towards the wall of pictures, behind the couch. Cheap metal frames occupied most of the space, with their faces burned into the surface by a laser.

“This is a nice picture. Is he your first guardian?” he asked, pointing to the cheesy grinning boy with orange-red hair.

This was one of the few pictures Ava had developed on a glass frame. It was a group shot of her family and team. Josh was standing next to Caterina with a grip on Gio’s shoulder, while Ava had a bashful smile as she stood close to Marc. Junipea stood on the other side, dead center of everyone. Just seeing his toothy smile, as he hung all over Ava, broke her heart.

She didn’t want to talk about him, especially not with a complete stranger. “Where’s Marc? He went home three hours ago to see his grandfather.”

Hands in his pockets, he said, “Oh, did he? We must have missed each other, then.”

Something told her, he was lying. “You weren’t supposed to be here until tomorrow. What made you come so early?”

“It sounds like I’m under suspicion. Did I do something to offend you?” He tucked a piece of snow white hair behind his ear, exposing a long neck and a hidden braid.

“I barely know you and I find it strange you’d come here a day earlier. My gut feeling tells me you purposely dodged Marc, but why would you do that to your Crown Prince?”

A smile grew on his face like she hit the bullseye. “Wow. You are certainly a feisty woman.” He laughed at his own words. “I can see why he rarely comes home.”

“Is she giving you a hard time?” Caterina walked up, carrying two glasses filled with deep red wine. She offered one to him after throwing Ava a warning shot with her eyes. “I’m Caterina, Ava and Gio’s mother. And you might be?”

“Darious.” He took the glass, then kissed her hand the same way he pecked Ava’s. A shy smile played on her lips. “Gregori said you looked young, but he didn’t tell me how beautiful you are.”

“Oh, hush! Don’t give this timeless woman a faint heart.” Caterina hit Darious on the arm, almost staining his blazer with wine. Ava wished she did. She was enjoying his flattery way too much.

Darious laughed through a nervous smile as he straightened himself. Ava was surprised someone from Amaranthine could be this flirtatious considering their upbringing—if he was even an Ama at all. He must have a reputation back home. It was better to keep her distance from this one until she figured him out.

As Darious tasted the wine, Caterina said, “Ava, why don’t you go serve your new guardians some fresh lemonade.” She gently touched his arm this time, yet it still made him flinch. “I just squeezed it myself this morning.”

Ava was happy to be far away from this man and left without rebuttal. She casually walked over towards the tall glasses sitting on the table and took her time pouring each glass full of lemonade. Maybe by the time she finished, she could sneak away to her bedroom without her mom noticing.

A hand took the last glass from the table after Ava filled it. She flinched back and found a pretty faced twin standing there, smiling from ear to ear. Her sixth sense must be on the fritz, again, because she didn’t pick him up at all.

“I’m sorry about earlier. I hope Mika didn’t hurt you.” The words rolled out of his mouth like a rehearsed speech.

So this was the confident Sam. Ava should have known by his straight posture, although it was hard to tell when they’re the same height. An annoyance. Compared to Darious, Sam’s style was more simple and plain, wearing a dark shirt and jacket and running shoes. His wavy hair barely covered his ears, which he’d regret once winter came.

“It’s okay,” Ava said, immediately regretting her easy choice of words. “But you need to be careful next time. Your brother could have died if I didn’t catch that knife. I won’t always be there to protect you guys.”

“Then it’s a good thing we don’t need protecting,” Sam said with a distinct challenge in his eyes.

He could smirk all he wanted, but that didn’t mean they were on the same playing field. Ava had to show him he was not on Amaranthine anymore. This was Earth—one of the most feared planets in the universe. “Have you ever fought in a war before?” she asked.

“I’ve fought and won every matching duel since I was ten,” he boasted.

“That’s a lie.” Mika took a glass from between them and sipped. Pink tinted his ears, and this time Ava was greeted by a smile. “Marc beat you the one year he came back.”

Sam’s lips curled. “Was that the year I broke your arm?”

Great. The twins were wearing the same clothes and style of hair. Being twins, you’d think by this age they’d want to be individual, but not them. Another annoyance.

The stress just kept piling up. “Dueling isn’t the same as war. There are no second chances if you lose in battle. Once you die, that’s it. There’s no escaping death.”

Gio leaned an arm on Ava’s shoulder, an act he always did whenever he was showing off. “Don’t take it personally. She’s just sour about getting new guardians.”

“You don’t want us here?” Mika asked, his hand loosely hung off the pocket of his fitting pants, no visible weapons around his waist.

As he took another drink of lemonade, he glanced at Ava from the corner of his eyes, waiting for a response. She suddenly became self-conscious. They were too close, the heat radiated off him in waves. She stepped back and he took notice.

“No, I don’t,” Ava said, holding his curious gaze. “I don’t need a guardian who can’t catch himself when he’s pushed.”

“Then I don’t need a partner who won’t catch me when I fall,” Mika said with a cheeky smile.

This brat. Ava wasn’t expecting him to be so forward. From what she knew about Mika, he was supposedly too high-spirited for his own good, and with Sam’s overconfident attitude, it doubled the trouble. Getting rid of them would be easier than Ava imagined.

The lights went out.

It was pitch black.

Two voices screamed nearby. They were so loud it echoed in the room. One of them sounded like Gio who abandoned Ava’s side. It was so dark, she couldn’t see her hands in front of her face. It was as if the Earth stopped and took a long, deep breath.

Breathe in… Breathe out…

Dying motors filled the sudden silence. The barriers were down.

It protected them against the demons, against assassins from coming into their home. It protected the UFE’s City Bases, their crops, and factories. If Amaranthine never gave the UFE this technology, the humans would’ve died by the demons’ claws long ago.

As Ava’s eyes re-adjust to the darkness Mika asked, “What’s happening?”

He was still close by. “The Hub’s gone out, which means the demons are getting in.”

“The what?” he yelled, loud enough it actually hurt Ava’s ears. “Then, what are we waiting for? Where’s my weapon?”

He was not only annoying but a pushy brat.

Ava only remembered glimpses of their weapons when Gregori showed her, but it’d have to do. If she remembered correctly, one was a pair of two blades, the other a long sword. Both replicating a Katana and Wakizashi.

They made the weapons from the same metal as her Bō. She could summon them to her hands easily because of this. Any other metal wouldn’t work—just this one kind.

Ava raised her hands. The energy pulsated from her core to her palms. She could see their swords. She felt their weight, and saw the slick black metal and the slight curve to their blades. When she opened her eyes, the weapons appeared in her palms.

Wonder crossed the twins’ faces, their eyes glued even as Ava held them out.

“Here. Your weapons.” She gave the two blades to Sam and the sword to Mika. They looked at their weapon, then each other, and switched.

God, I’m never going to tell them apart. Maybe I should cut one of them.

“Does this always happen?” Darious was helping Caterina search for the flashlights in the kitchen drawers.

“No. This never happens.” Caterina flashed the light on, beaming it over everyone. It was blinding and bright. “Where’s Gio?”

“Here.” He walked out of the hallway with his weapon in tow and Ava’s running boots. He tossed them to her. She slipped them on over her sweatpants. They self-tighten, fastening firmly to her ankles in a comfortable, yet strong fit. It helped her with the much-needed bone support and the need for speed.

Ready to go, Ava zipped up her jacket. Now here came the real test. “If you want to prove me wrong, then now’s your chance,” she told the twins. “Show me that you guys can fight here, and then maybe I’ll change my mind about you Ama princes.”

“Maybe?” Mika snorted, fastening his blades to his back.

His brother grabbed him by the shoulder and squeezed hard. Mika winced from the pain but refused to make a peep. Aggressive, yet more passive, that’s the way of Ama.

“I’ll take maybe. I like a challenge,” Sam said.

And thanks to that Ava knew who she was not going to get along with.

“Enough of this. We need to go. Right now.” Gio grabbed Ava, then Sam, ready to teleport them to the center of downtown. At the last minute Mika took hold of Ava’s shoulder. She flinched again.

“Good luck. Make it back in one piece.” Caterina waved goodbye with Darious by her side. Ava didn’t trust him enough to leave her mom alone with this flirt, but she had no choice. They left the room before she could say otherwise.

Ava just hoped her mom remained healthy enough to care for herself.