Across The Divide by Stacey Marie Brown Page A

touch felt so real tears brimmed under my lids. “And I hate to admit this, but if I can’t be there, I’m glad Croygen is.”
    “Now I know this is in my imagination,” I chuckled.
    “What? I don’t feel real to you?” He trailed his hand down my side, peeling back the covers as he went.
    “You do, that’s the problem.” Heat filled me as he continued. “I want to stay here. Escape from all the pain. Remain here with you forever.”
    Ryker stopped, his jaw grinding. “Then this has to be the last time we can be together like this.”
    I hated it, but I knew he was right. After losing Sera, I understood I needed to have nothing holding me back.
    I drew in a long breath, the pain still cutting deep. “Rapava needs to be stopped. I get it. But being here compels me to want to stay in this bed forever. Be selfish. It would be so easy. But I know you are out there somewhere, and I want the real you.”
    “Even though I will be trying to kill you?”
    “Especially because of that.” I turned over on my side.
    Our reunion would be problematic, but it still wouldn’t stop me. If I were going to die, it would be at Ryker’s hand, not Rapava’s.
    “You and I are survivors, and we’ll do whatever it takes to live and be together. That is the love I want. Whatever the outcome.” I sat up, looking over him. “You gave me strength at first. I needed to retreat to you. To feel comfort. I can’t have it anymore. I need to turn off my feelings and become the person they want. Being here causes me to want you too much. I feel weak.”
    His hand cupped my cheek. His eyes softened as though he understood. He pulled me to him, his lips meeting mine. Desire zoomed over me, quickly deepening the kiss. I crawled onto him, straddling his bare hips. He rose hard beneath me. Hungry.
    He grabbed my hips, lifting me up, then he tugged me slowly back down. Air gasped from my throat as he pushed inside me. His fist knotted behind my head, yanking my hair, his voice a harsh whisper. “Ride me. Wake me up, Zoey. Make me feel you so ardently in the real world, nothing will stop me from getting to you. So I can claim you again.”
    There was nothing but him and me. All my anger, fear, need, and sadness pushed out through my hips.
    This was the last time, the last dream, and I knew it, and I let everything go.
    Because tomorrow would come, and there would be no escape from reality.
     

     
    The lights above my head fizzed, blinking on. I groaned, digging my head into my pillow, my eyes already burning.
    Real life had arrived.
    The memory of my dream flashed in my head and was quickly shoved out.  No more, Zoey. You need to focus on the here and now.
    It was up to me to get out of here. Play the game so believable they would eventually let down their guard, slip up. Until then, I needed to find out all I could of Rapava’s plans. I needed to explore the bottom floor. Sera had said Rapava had started something and asked me to save “them.” I felt in my gut whatever she was talking about was on the lower floor. That was my new mission—find a way to that level.
    The door to my room swung open. “Good morning, Zoey.”
    Speak of the devil.
    Dr. Rapava’s abrupt footsteps advanced to the table where Sprig’s cage sat. I curved my head to watch him lift the lid, his analytical gaze on the object inside.
    “It’s going to be a busy day for you. Today you will start training. You need to keep up your fighting skills. You will train in the morning and then do testing with me in the afternoon.” Rapava lowered the top. “While you are training, I will be testing EP-One.”
    “EP-One?” I sat up.
    “Experimental Primate One.” Rapava shut the lid, glancing at me.
    I quickly bit down on my tongue.  He has a name. A sprite name. Spriggan-Galchobhar.
    “I have high hopes for him. The faster I can discover why he worked, the sooner I can start reproducing more.” Rapava strode to the end of my cot, everything from his voice to