– M A K A Y L A –

"Alex!" I called from the top of the stairs.

Finally she had decided to reappear after vanishing all day. Her appearance however, was completely alien. Her eyes were underlined and coated in black, her face was bloodied and a dark cloak sat over her head.

I paused at the top and saw her eyes find my own. She smirked at me like she'd been waiting all day for this moment.

She took the stairs two at a time and left her guards behind. If I wasn't so insanely taken by this woman I would probably run in the opposite direction. She looked truly terrifying. It was as if she had just endured a war...

"Makayla, you are a sight for sore eyes I must say." She said as she stopped a step below me. I moved my hand to trace over her cheek. She smiled, expecting me to simply hold her face but I swiped at the black powder below her eyes and held it before her with a raised eyebrow.

"Needed a makeover?" I asked.

"Of sorts." She said wryly.

"The blood?" I frowned.

"Someone else needed a makeover." She shrugged.

I shook my head and flicked her head. She grinned back at me. "You see, one of the reasons I..." she paused, contemplating her words with a smug look, "—am so fond of your presence is your ability to take strange things in stride." She finished as she folded her arms and lent back against the bannister.

I lost my frown and stepped down to her level. Her smile grew when I moved to place both my hands on the bannister each side of her.

"And one of the reasons I am fond of you, is your constant ability to surprise me, Alex." I murmured as I closed the space to an inch before her face.

Her golden eyes darted between mine. The black around them only made them more prominent. She moved to close the distance but I pressed a hand to her lips to stop her.

"Where have you been?" I said seriously.

She averted her eyes briefly.

"And don't give me a half answer." I added quickly.

She smiled, "But you always come up with the best second half of the answer."

I rolled my eyes. "Enough, Alex."

She drew her brows together and brushed a few blonde locks from my face. My skin heated beneath her fingers but I refused to get distracted.

"Proximo and I have been discussing how best to proceed with the current tensions between rebels and your father." She stated.

I stilled and waited for more. She sighed and nodded her head in the direction of her room. I nodded and grabbed her hand, leading us towards it.

I walked through the door and plunked myself down in the centre of her colossal bed. She closed the door slowly and turned to me. She chuckled when she took in my placement.

Instead of joining me she propped herself against the door and flicked her hand in the air.

"Ask away, your imperial highness." She drawled.

I shifted on the bed until I was propped on my elbows and looking at her intently.

A laugh escaped Alex. "You look like a high-schooler, Makayla."

I smirked and pictured a crazy reality where both Alex and I attended the same school. My god, what a place that would be...

"What is that face for?" Alex asked with curiosity lacing her voice.

"Nothing." I said with a smile. "Just what it would have been like going to school with—" I shook my head and buried my face into the sheets with a laugh.

"Going to school with me?" I heard Alex ask. Then I heard her footsteps approach.

I raised my head to see a dark expression in her eyes. "Well, I'm the jealous type." She said quietly as she moved. "I don't play well with other people and I am extremely competitive. So, Makayla—" she dropped down in front of me and levelled her hers with mine. "I imagine you wouldn't have many suitors in competition if I wanted you mine." She finished with complete certainty.

My pulse was singing through my veins as I took her in. I did not doubt her words for a moment.

"I'm not sure it would be that—"

"I would kiss you until you forgot your name." She blurted.

My face flushed crimson and I cleared my throat, moving back on the bed a foot. "We should get back on point."

"Indeed." She murmured. She took her seat opposite me and propped her chin on a hand. I stared at her for a moment. She smirked.

"What are you planning on doing when my father's men or the rebels come knocking on our door, so to speak." I said bluntly.

"We kill them." She said casually.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Yes, thank you for that wonderful insight, Scorpion." I said sarcastically. "Tell me what we will do."

She stared at me for a moment. It made me shift uneasily beneath her scrutiny because I felt that it was hard to say.

"I need to kill you."

"Excuse me?!" I shouted suddenly. What in the hell kind of answer was that! Alex continued to watch me as I scrambled for a sane reason for her words.

"If this is your idea of humour it's not—"

"It's not. And it's Proximo's idea actually." She informed me.

"Oh, that is so much better." I said bitterly. "You'd better start making sense before I test how good my aim is with a fusion pistol..." I warned.

She grinned. "As much as I'd enjoy testing that theory, I think I'll skip the suspense. We need to fake your death in order to remove you as a target in this war. You are too valuable and known to be disregarded when they come. They know what you mean to me after what took place in the rebel den that night... what's more is it could upset the Silver Sun in the process and take the emperor's crosshairs off you in the same move." She finished releasing a breath. "And sending you away... that's also out of the question." She stated quickly.

I stared at her in utter shock. Drop a bomb on my life why don't you. She was entirely serious.

"And how do you intend to kill me?" I said in a high voice. I had pressed my back tensely against the back board.

"Well, that is where we need to get creative..." She said with a devilish look. "Because it will be the rebel leader we will be convincing. He has the direct line to your father. We would kill two pompous birds with one stone." She winked.

I groaned. So there was yet no concrete plan on how we would stage my death but it would need to be in front of Hades himself.

"Makayla, I would sooner die than let any harm come to you." She stated seriously.

I shook my head and sank into the pillows behind me. "Why is everything always so impossible with you?" I sighed. "Why can I not just love someone boring." I murmured. Then froze instantly.

"Love." Alex stated unmoving.

I shifted quickly sitting upright. She didn't move, she just watched a space near me.

"Alex I—that's not—" I tripped on words.

"Not what you meant to say?" She finished emotionless.

"Yes—no. What?" I rushed.

"You love me?" She demanded, meeting my eyes .