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"How did you get in here?" Rath accused, entering his bedroom and finding Ava sitting squarely on his bed, her body wrapped only with one of his silk sheets. She held up a key. "You gave this to me, remember?" Rath stalked towards her. "What if I had been Vilandra? How would you explain this?" He was practically fuming, Ava could tell. She inched her way off the bed and reached for her gown. "I'm sorry," she said softly, "I only wanted to see you." Rath's shoulders slumped, feeling ashamed for yelling at her. Ava turned her back on him, dropping the sheet and lifting her gown over her head. She felt large hands cover hers. "Stop," he whispered, spinning her around. He took her face in his and led her to the bed. Her gown lay forgotten on the floor.
**
"Michael!" Maria called, slamming the door to his apartment. "What?" he replied irritably. "You haven't said a word since we got in the car. What are you thinking?" He stood before her, his hand on his hips, and shrugged nonchalantly. "What's to think about? I mean we're going, right? There's no way we'd pass this up." Maria was stung. "Yes? You're gonna say yes? Micheal, don't you realize how dangerous this could be?" Again, he shrugged. "God Micheal, you are so dense. Kivar could have set this whole thing up just to kill you, to make sure that you're never going to be a threat. What, do you have a death wish or something?"
Michael rolled his eyes and sank onto the sofa. "Look, nothing's gonna happen. And besides, what do I got here for me anyway? Max and Isabel – they'll be coming too, so …" Maria shook her head in disbelief. "And what about me? You're just throwing me away again, is that it? I don't even know why I bother." Michael flicked on the TV. "Yeah, me neither. Do you mind? You're blocking me." Maria sighed angrily. "Fine," she stressed, "go off on your little trip to outer space. I hope you have a ball." She turned on her heel and slammed the door for the second time on her way out.
**
Rath gasped, sitting up and breathing heavily. He felt hands on his back. "Rath?" Ava asked softly, "what is it? Did you have a dream?" He calmed himself down and looked at her carefully. "Yes," he stammered, "a dream. It was a dream." She smiled and rubbed her chin against his shoulder, kissing the skin she found there. "You should go," Rath told her shortly, climbing out of bed and reaching for his clothes.
**
Ava
threw open the doors to Zan's study. He
whirled around, startled by the noise. "Ava?" he asked, standing and going to her. She immediately wrapped her arms possessively around his waist
and laid her head on his chest. "Zan?" "Yes?" he said softly,
holding her close and wondering about her mood. "Those dreams you have, tell me about them?" He stiffened. "But I have," he answered. "No," Ava demanded, pulling back from his embrace. "Everything. I want to know every detail. Don't leave anything out." Zan
nodded, sitting her down beside him on the chaise lounge and holding her hands
in his. As his hands touched her skin,
Ava heard her own voice, calling from somewhere deep in her mind: "It's not just what I want, it's
what's meant to be. It's all in here, Max. Our destiny." She gasped, pulling back. "What was that?" she whispered, "what did
you do to me?"
