Ava found herself outside the foyer alone with Marc. He opened the door and brought her just past the threshold, enough to step over the barriers reinforcing walls. He teleported, again, just as the guards looked up from their phones.

Teleporting was so disorienting. Dizzy, Ava stumbled forward. Marc took her arm before she fell onto the clean and tidy living room floor. This place was chilled, cranked down to the depths of the arctic snow. Every piece of furniture had a shade of gray from the modern couch to the kitchen cabinets. It looked so different, yet the same.

And this home had shelves upon shelves of books—real books. The Martians stole all of Earth’s books in the midst of their last world war, leaving them paperless and technology dependent. Ava had never seen this many books before except in the movies.

She carefully took off her shoes and wiped both palms on her clothes. From a distance, the books appeared leather-bound with one Ama character carved as its label. When she reached the shelf, her fingers gently dragged along the spines. It wasn’t leather but warm sanded wood, soft and aged. They smelled of sweet nectar.

One book read poisons. Curious, Ava started pulling it out. A pale hand shoved it back in. Darious’ coolness pierced her drenched bones before she found his stern gaze. He kept his hand on the spine which was smart. Ava planned to yank it right back out.

“Why did you bring all your koto scripts?” Marc strode over, his shoes stomped the entire way. “What if someone breaks in here and steals them?”

“If someone removes one, they will meet a horrible death,” Darious said, while keeping his gaze on Ava. “I put a trap on here for those who are not one of us.”

That was clearly a dig at her. Marc stood by Ava’s side protectively and Darious acknowledged this, narrowing his eyes slightly. “You should have just left them at home. Then none of that would’ve been necessary,” Marc said.

“Mika and Sam are still training. Moving to Earth doesn’t stop this,” he drawled as the others strolled in. “They still have lessons outside of your alleged training sessions.”

Marc ran his fingers through his hair. He tried to ignore Darious’ taunting, just like Ava tried to ignore the fact that they were in the twins’ home, but it was hard when she looked around. She had so many memories here.

This used to be Junipea’s home.

A shiver ran through Ava’s body, goosebumps crawled on her skin. Marc took notice and stood closer to her side. “Okay, who's putting up their shower?”

Sam's mouth fell agape, hesitating to answer. He glanced at Mika and his easy-going smile. They stayed quiet.

Marc let out a long sigh. “I'll just pick a room if no one is going to.”

“She can use mine.” Darious playfully smiled. “I don’t mind. It’s also warmer in there.”

When Marc said they were going to the twins’ place, Ava didn’t put two and two together. This was also Darious’ home. Of course he lives here with them.

Marc barely gave it any thought, and led Ava down the hallway to the first door. “No. She will use Mika’s bathroom.”

Mika was quick to step in line, no longer sporting that smile Ava started to dislike. “I don’t want her using mine. Take her to your bathroom. I’m sure she’s used it before.”

Marc punched in the passcode and entered Mika’s bedroom.

Mika tensed up.

“And you know my passcode. That’s fantastic. Don’t tell me you know hers, also,” he said in the Ama tongue.

Marc’s eyebrow twitched. “I know everyone's in our group, or does this bother you for other reasons?”

The Ama language was just as poetic as ever, and in conversation, it was like listening to a sonnet. It was a very deceptive language.

Mika followed their every footstep to the bathroom. They bypassed the piles upon piles of cloth bags and a stray silver mixing bowl on the bed. He hurried ahead of them to block the door with his arms. “I need to clean my bathroom. It’s a mess, and I didn’t have time to pick things up.”

Marc raised an eyebrow and tapped the monitor by Mika’s shoulder. When the door slid open it revealed a well kept, clean bathroom with vibrant towels, a floor rug, and a new bar of hand soap on the marble sink. There was also a hint of fresh lemon.

Yet, Mika still looked nervous. Whatever he was hiding Ava would find it.

“Mikaela, you were good today, so let’s not spoil it. This isn’t the end of the world.” Marc closed the door shut without another word.

Ava leaned against the sink. “What the hell is going on? Why are you being so rude towards your cousin? Or are you just trying to piss them all off?”

Marc ran his fingers through his hair, again. He’d pull chunks out at this rate. “They keep bringing up the fact that we’re too close and it’s driving me insane.”

“Maybe because we are too close.”

She let the silence soak between them and glimpsed at his lips. The feeling of his kiss was still prominent on her forehead after everything. He didn’t say a word, but he didn’t have to. They were locked together in a bathroom, alone, for star sakes.

She took a deep breath and tried clearing the air. “How come you never told me about Darious?”

Marc looked away. She could tell he had so much to say, but he only went so deep. He never fully confided in her, yet she wanted him to. Ava wanted to be that person for him.

He leaned against the wall and stared at the woven rug. “I didn’t tell you because I thought you would think less of me. You’re always trying to one-up me. Figure out a way to beat me in a match,” he said, then slightly smiled. “I’m supposed to be the strongest on my planet under the King and Queen. Fight with strength, but always maintain grace.”

“Fight with tenacity, but always maintain dignity. Use your intelligence, but never forgo your heart. That's the Ama way,” Ava finished, an axiom she memorized as a child.

His smile broadened. “So you can see why it’s imperative that I’m always at the top.”

But then Marc paused for a moment. “Darious can beat me in a match. He’s taken me down more than once and I guess it’s my pride that didn’t want you knowing him.”

Ava’s mouth dropped. “What? How’s that possible? You’re the Crown Prince. You have the freakin’ royal abilities running through your veins.”

“Anything is possible these days.”

She’d propose interrogating Darious. Yet, she’d never ask Marc. He’d say, she was trying too hard to be wicked when it felt like she wasn’t trying at all. Times like this, showed her how different they were. Doubt crept in her heart.

“Listen. I need to go see how Josh is doing with the search. You take a shower. I’ll bring a change of clothes and leave them on the bed. After this, we’ll talk about this more.”

Marc lifted her chin. She could see the hesitation, the same wistful gaze he had when he kissed her forehead. “I know you don’t like it here, and I may have my issues with them, but I can’t see you being safe anywhere else. Please, just stay here until I get back.”

Ava told him okay because there was nothing she could do. If she went back to her room, then it’d only make things worse for their families.

Marc left, and not soon after, Ava locked the door. She turned on the shower and waited for the water to heat. The bathroom was bare, nothing out of the ordinary caught her eye except the bright teal towel hanging from the hook. No way was Ava going to use Mika’s towel, so she took a clean one out from the cabinet, and caught her reflection in the mirror.

It was worse than she imagined. Blood spots covered her face from the neck up to the brown nest of twigs and leaves growing on her head. She changed into a wild beast.

Everyone acted like nothing was wrong. It disappointed Ava that the twins had no reaction to these things. If the dead corpse didn’t work, and her rude attitude was failing, she’d run out of ideas to scare them off.

Ava tossed her clothes into the trash; there was too much blood and dirt to salvage the garments. The water cooked her bones, dowsing her skin in hot pricks. It removed the aches and pains of her fight but didn’t erase the Black Rabbit’s mask.

Thank god Marc didn’t ask her anything else about the Black Rabbit. That pull she felt left haunting remnants.

What happened out there? Her body reacted on its own. It had to be some type of ability. Maybe he could control muscle movements. That has to be it.

With the Black Rabbit showing up, it put a damper on Ava’s plans. She was supposed to be searching for her birth record, not dealing with a terrorist and a set of new guardians. Her anxiety built up just thinking about the possibility of her losing it soon.

She tied her hair into a bun and wrapped the towel around her body. Marc should’ve left a change of clothes by now. She took a chance and poked her head out. Clothes sat on the bed, exactly where they would be.

She quickly slipped out of the bathroom and back inside with the clothes. Marc brought her a turtleneck to wear. He knew how much she hated wearing turtlenecks. It even resembled the one she burned. He’s being over-protective again.

Now that she was clean and halfway dressed, Ava searched the bathroom. What is that brat hiding?

She opened the cabinet and searched through the towels and washcloths. Nothing. She yanked open the drawers and pushed the brush and toothpaste out of the way. Nothing.

Pursing her lips, Ava opened the cabinet under the sink. The first aid kit sat there moved from its usual spot. She set it down on the sink counter and found it nearly empty. There was hardly any healing ointment left in the canister or plasters and wraps.

Did he get hurt during training? It was nothing to be ashamed of. She remembered using up six first aid kits a year before she transitioned.

She went into Mika’s room without the turtleneck. She refused to put that blouse on when she knew this brat had other shirts lying around. He picked out so many today. Surely, he had some in the closet already.

Mika’s room was nearly identical to Ava’s, adorning the standard bleak furniture the Capitol bought. She found his closet easily to the right of the bathroom door, yet unlike hers, his closet was so… organized. Her hands twitched.

Everything was orderly and tidy, even though it was just a closet. Shoes were placed out in even rows, while the pants were folded and put away on shelves. What clothes he hung were separated by lights and darks. Mostly they were dark.

She sifted through the shirts and quickly found one that worked. They wore the same size. There were pros and cons to this, but she didn’t want to think about it, so she snatched the shirt off its hanger and changed right there.

Ava reopened the trash bag. A burst of iron and dirt fumigated her. Dried blood had crusted over the ruined clothes and a stained white ribbon stuck out from the pants back pocket. She pulled it out. It wasn’t a ribbon, but a piece of paper—real paper with bold letters and numbers typed out across the strip.

“Why are you in my closet?”

Ava jumped. What the hell is wrong with my sixth sense? That’s the second time one of them snuck up on me.

Mika leaned against the threshold, arms crossed over his blue shirt. A translator bracelet peeked out from his jacket sleeve, fitting snug on his wrist. Ava quickly stuffed the turtleneck into the bag and paper in her front pocket.

She played it cool. “Is it okay if I borrow a shirt?”

He glanced at her green shirt. His smile went thin. “Looks like you already decided that one on your own.”

Ava shrugged. “It was an emergency. I had to act quick.”

He reached into his jacket, and for a second she thought he had a knife, but he only pulled out a phone. She was getting paranoid. “Here, you dropped this.”

Wait. When did I drop that? Ava touched her pocket. Sure enough, it’s missing. Thank the stars it’s locked.

“Don't tell me you stole some of my new shirts too,” he said, looking at her bag.

“It's my dirty laundry. I have plenty of shirts of my own to wear. I don't need to steal yours,” Ava tied the bag before he could see inside.

He gave a crooked smile. “Then why do you need my shirt?”

Their challenging attitudes also annoyed Ava, along with that smirk. “Are you always smiling? Or is that your only trait? A cardboard cutout of your brother.”

His smirk dropped, and that feeling from this afternoon came back. There was something off about this guy. She needed to get out of this closet, yet her curiosity wouldn’t allow it. He was very amusing.

“Since you like being honest, I’ll be upfront with you,” Mika said. “I don’t like you, and every time I see you, I can only picture you as a thorn in my side.”

Finally, we’re getting somewhere.

Shadows played on his face under the dim lighting. He stepped closer, his voice harsher and precise. “The only reason I’m on this planet is because of you. So don’t think for a moment I will follow you around like some goat.”

Ava’s mouth twitched. She tried everything in her willpower not to smile or crack a laugh. This brat was something else. “I think you mean sheep.”

“What’s a sheep? Are you trying to insult me again?”

“No, I’m not. Just—never mind.” He wouldn’t get it regardless if she explained.

Walk-in closet or not, this place was getting stuffy. But Mika wasn’t affected at all, the so-called claustrophobic.

She stepped around him, but he caught her arm. “Hey, I’m not done talking to you.”

Ava tensed and yanked free. He was too comfortable touching her. She didn’t want him to feel comfortable. She didn’t even want him to be near her. You’d think he’d get the hint by now with how rude she was being.

The closet walls caved in the longer they stood inside. Ava’s breathing shallowed as he blocked her path, suffocating. “Are you always this crude? I thought Ama princes were supposed to be chivalrous and nice and not so harsh.”

He sized her up. “Is that how Marc treats you? Kind and nice and a little too friendly.”

If the dude wanted to fight, bring it on. Ava was ready to get a few hits in. “I get it. You don’t like me. Well, I don’t like you either. I’m so happy that’s settled. So why don’t we just keep to ourselves until this month is over and you can go home.”

“That’s not good enough.” Mika narrowed his eyes. Ava prepared for the worst. “I want you to stay away from Sam.”

There went her irritation in a puff of smoke. And here she thought it’d be about Marc. “What? You want me to stay away from Sam? I’ve barely spoken to him since you got here.”

“Exactly!” Mika slammed his fist on the wall and pressed into it, but she found an opening. “So I’m warning you now to stay away from him.”

“I’m not doing that,” Ava said, stepping around Mika, again.

Maybe if I piss him off enough, he’ll just leave on his own.

He whipped around as she went back into his room. The coolness sent new goosebumps across her arms, yet a sense of calm. Maybe she should’ve taken one of his jackets, too. At least she could breathe easier now.

Mika’s footsteps were loud and clear as he approached. “And why not?” he asked. “You just said we should keep to ourselves for the rest of the month.”

Ava strolled by his bed and dragged a finger across his smokey comforter. It was stiffer than it looked and smelled of freshly dyed ink. The need to touch what’s new always overcame her curiosity. According to Darious, it may get her killed one day.

“If he tells me to stay away from him, then I’ll do it. But for now, I won’t. End of story.” She kept messing with him, even though she had no problem with his request.

But for some reason, annoying Mika was entertaining.

“Okay, how about we make a compromise? I’ll help you find your birth record in exchange for staying away from Sam.”

That stopped Ava dead in her tracks. Fear took over her heart and the last memory of Junipea’s face. “Who told you about that?”

“Does it really matter? I know about it. I also know you can’t accept your guardian’s death and it’s been haunting you ever since. Yet, what I don’t understand is why you’re so upset about him. If he could die that easily, then he wasn’t much of a guardian—”

She slapped him hard across the face.

Her hand stung, but her heart ached worse. Ava got no satisfaction from seeing him stunned, nor the scratches on his cheek. She felt worse, knowing she could strike someone without a second thought.

She felt like a wild beast.

The trembles accumulated in her fist as the tears surfaced. She couldn’t let him see her vulnerable. “Don’t ever talk about Junipea that way, again.”

Ava brushed past him, hoping distance would stop all the memories from surfacing. But it didn’t. God, she remembered it all. The sticky blood on her hands. Junipea’s heart beating against her blade. The dust and smoke from the destruction of City Base 8. It was all right in front of her, vibrant and alive like the day it happened.

Mika’s door opened and brought Ava back to reality. Darious stood there, hands tucked casually in his front pockets. His cool eyes shifted from Ava to Mika and back. They narrowed slightly, he knew something happened.

“Josh called your brother and told him you’re safe to go home, but you should be careful. They still haven’t caught the Black Rabbit, yet.”

Great. Ava planned on sneaking out tonight to visit the Disco Club. Instead, she’d have to settle for slipping into the Record Room. Whatever was written on that piece of paper had to be important. She’d tell Marc or Josh, but they’d stop her from investigating. At least Gio would help her. He always had her back.

When she entered the living room, she found Gio sitting on the couch with Sam. They were laughing. Laughing so hard that Gio clutched his stomach. Ava couldn’t remember the last time she saw him laugh that hard.

Gio was already close to Sam. She couldn’t possibly tell him about the piece of paper now. It was dangerous to involve the twins in her problems.

“Your brother is enjoying himself. You could always stay longer. There’s no need to hurry back home,” Darious whispered, almost like he was telling her a secret.

He stood beside her. No smile, no mischief in his eyes. The thought of getting to know him better, now that she knew he was stronger than Marc, pressed at the back of her mind. She wasn’t only curious but always running towards danger.

“Maybe some other time.”

Ava walked out the front door—alone. For today, she’d let Gio be.