1 | Gods & Monsters ✓

Chapter 33

But there was no red ship in sight.

When the ship pulled into Earth's gravity, the camera caught the impact from high above as it hit the planet and shifted the sand into a giant crater. Headlines swirled across the screen, blaming Earth for attacking during peace negotiations, while spreading fear to other planets about the UFE's brutality.

The media claimed Earth was holding Gio hostage. They claimed this was Primordial's last attempt at making peace. They claimed this was the end.

We're running out of time. Ava swiftly took out the disc from Mika's jacket and shoved it in front of Harry's eyes. This time he dropped the electronics. They hit the surface, hard, cracking on the tile, but he didn't care. His eyes fixated on the disc and gently took it from her fingers as if it would break any second.

"Where did you get this? Do you know how rare this is?" he asked in awe.

"From Zephyrus'," she stated. The name woke him up. Fear coiled on his face. He glanced at the monitor and took in their odd clothes. "I need you to hack into it. The disc requires a special computer—"

"A PJF3167. Got it."

Harry hurried over and rummaged through the pile of gadgets by the window. A handheld PC emerged from the collection. He shoved everything off his desk and dropped into the swivel chair. The dual monitors turned on.

His fingers drummed across the glass surface, typing quickly through the multiple screens popping up. "We're on a time crunch. I need this done in twenty minutes," Ava said.

Harry scoffed and snapped a pair of large headphones over his ears. "I'll have it cracked open in fifteen."

It wasn't long before heavy metal instantly drowned his ears, mentally leaving Ava and Mika alone. Mika strolled towards the beat up couch. Her eyes trailed his every move, taking note when he made sure his shirt was tucked in nice and tight before he plopped down at the far end—away from the pile of clothes.

He covered his lap with the blanket and motioned at Ava for the other pouch. She tossed them over. All three pouches slipped between his fingers and landed with a thud on his lap. He was either still weak or clumsy at this point. The sand didn't help.

Ava went into the bathroom suite. Dirty clothes were piled by the hamper. Chunks of dirt and muddy boot prints streaked the black tile. She pushed aside the bud-ridden ash tray and turned the sink on. Finally, clean water.

The soap washed away the sand and grime. Its violet scent calmed her, cut into the heavy stench of cooked grass. This room was one giant smoke stack. It was messing with her sixth sense and made her head fuzzy.

God, she looked awful: matted hair, scorched sleeves, tattered holes and tears. Ava was lucky the jacket survived this long—that her dress was intact. She needed to call Gio, go over what happened and their next plan of attack. But she didn't want to. She was afraid. He had to know she lost control again.

In the mirror, Ava watched Mika drop his head against the top of the couch. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes and drank from the energy pouch without a care. The tube rested on his lips, reminding her of their desert kiss. She scrubbed her face until the memory went away, but it didn't.

After drying her face on Harry's towel, Ava took the last clean washcloth out of the closet and drench it in lukewarm water. It dripped with each step towards Mika, leaving a trail as it changed from black to a mirage of abstract colors.

She stopped directly in front of him and let the wash cloth drip all over his clothes, staining them darker. "Here. Wash your face off."

Mika cracked an eye open. A teasing smile spread on his pink petaled lips. "You do it. I'm too tired."