HORNWELL ACADEMY was a stone monstrosity. It was a castle built into the mountains of the Royal Court, which was the most neutral of all the courts. It looked medieval, and in her mind, Andorra thought it looked straight out of Scooby Doo.

Coralia was alight with excitement. She turned towards Andorra, a smile on her face. "Welcome to Hornwell. I'm so excited! Of course, with the excitement of you returning, school gave us a mini break. There was a lot to deliberate. So some of us went home, and some of us stayed. In case you were wondering."

Andorra hadn't been wondering. A few weeks of break seemed like too much for just her arrival. Andorra couldn't help but think there had been something else, some other reason for why they had gone on a sudden break.

Bort and Hans walked with them. Now that Andorra was standing, she could tell that both boys were closer in height to her, not much taller than Coralia. There was something warm though about seeing the three of them together that made Andorra wish she was with Oberon and Lithe.

Bort smiled over at her. "So, tell us about the Human world! Is it as dark as they say it is?"

Andorra didn't know what he meant by dark. "Anltihamy certainly feels lighter. The colors here feel almost brighter. Richer. Less dull. The human world... kinda dulls in comparison."

It wasn't a lie. Maine had been white and dark and gray. California had been green and yellow and blue. But both were dull compared to the colors of Anlithamy. The sun here practically glowed in the sky, coming alive. The sky seems to be the richest blue Andorra had ever seen, like an over saturated picture. Everything felt balmy, warm, colorful.

It was strange, like waking up with the ability to finally see colors. But, Andorra didn't know how to explain that. The only people that would understand would be the Snow Clan, and Andorra was pretty sure she was banned from going there.

And if she wasn't banned, well Andorra was pretty sure she didn't want to go anyhow.

Not if Noah was going by Nohx. She was sure he was being just as obnoxious there as he had been in his own home but in the Human World.

"Coralia, I see you're still living in your old life, huh?"

Coralia turned first, her body stiffening. Andorra turned next, looking at the group that was approaching them. The only true way to describe them was mean. They were a pack of mean girls, walking at them in that vertical line as if it were a scene from a movie.

The girl in the middle was the clear leader, that was for sure. Her hair was black as night, silky and long. Her dark eyes were large, eating up every bit of light around them. She seemed to be surrounded by shadows, ready to suck away any color in the near vicinity.

She looked dangerous. She looked ruthless.

Just being in her presence made Andorra's spine stiffen and her body tense.

She grinned cunningly at Coralia. Then, she turned to Andorra with a sweeping gaze, a judgmental overlook that determined Andorra as the pathetic human she should have been.

The girl stuck her hand out to Andorra. Her nails were acrylic, long and pointed like claws, and painted black. "Aihfie, charmed."

So this was Prince Puck's daughter. Another Winter Fae, the winter fae that Hans had thought was flirting with Noah. And one look at her told Andorra that Aihfie and Noah would get along well. Too well.

Andorra gripped her hand in a hand shake, but she was used to this sort of girl. Shaniah came back full force, and Andorra was seeing double for a moment. The anger from then, from that scrap of her old life, came back full force and Andorra gave her hand a yank. Aihfie stumbled forward, shocked that Andorra would yank her.

"Princess Andorra. Charmed." Her smile was too sweet for her actions. A drop of honey in the hornets nest. Sweet as sugar, that was the picture Andorra was painting. That was the picture the Royal Court wanted.

Aihfie blinked, bewildered, and when Andorra released her hand, the dark haired girl stepped back. She was close to snarling, Andorra could tell.

"Aihfie, was there something you needed?" Coralia interrupted them, her hands on her hips. Bort and Hans stood behind her like a silent wall, clear who they would defend, if it came to that. And was this what Hornwell was? Another school with bullies and allies and fights?

The girl on the right of Aihfie gave a laugh. "We're just wondering when you'll become a Royal like us. Seems to me like you can't ditch your two lover boys." This girl had caramel colored skin, a warm complexion, and freckles the color of the sun. Her hair was the color of a sunset, reaching no farther than her shoulders. She was smiling, and despite it being warm, it didn't look friendly.

Bort and Hans made twin sounds, both sounding threatening. Andorra would have balked at the sound a few months ago. The girl just laughed it off, then turned towards Andorra, her smile sweeter than sugar. Sweeter than Andorra. "I'm Eve. Prince Desmond's daughter. You know, leader of the Summer Court. Odd, isn't it, that you're supposed to belong to our Court, yet you left your clan behind. Interesting indeed."

Andorra had a feeling interesting wasn't what Eve meant. A chill raced down her spine despite the warmth that radiated from Eve, who was such a clear Summer Fae that Andorra should have seen it from a mile away.

"You've never met the Sun Clan. You should be thanking me that I left them behind."

Eve gave a withering look, but Aihfie laughed. "I am thankful. Sir Nohx was a wonderful trade. Can I ask, Princess, whether or not the rumors about you two are true?"

Andorra's face burned. What could she even say? That Noah had been playing her the entire time?

"Ask him yourself, Aihfie. I'm sure he'd tell you just how he feels about me." Andorra turned from her, a clear dismissal. But, her words had stung. And Aihfie's mocking tone was right, because Noah truly hadn't cared. Just like Aihfie was assuming.

And then, that left the other girl. She wasn't smiling, but she did look like a Spring Faerie. Her hair was green, and woven in-between the strands were flowers and vines. At a closer look, Andorra could tell the flowers and vines actually grew amongst the hair; they weren't just placed there. Her skin too had a greenish tint, but the girl was beautiful. Taller than the other two, with a look in her eyes that was inquisitive.

"You must be Princess Eolande's Daughter, then." Andorra had learned first the Prince and Princesses of the Courts, although knowing their children hadn't mattered as much. But seeing them there, a clear unit, Andorra wondered if in another life, she was supposed to be a part of them.

"I'm Jezebel." Her words rang final. She was more of a thinker than the other two. There wasn't the same animosity, but there also wasn't the same fire. This one, a clear ally, didn't seem to play the same games.

"And now that introductions are over, Princess Andorra and I have to get to our room. It was so nice seeing you all again." Coralia's voice was annoyed, and Andorra knew why. She was an outsider too. Someone who was too late to the game, and wasn't included, although Andorra felt that if Coralia wanted, she too could be among the ranks.

Bort and Hans gave the three girls a nasty look, clear body guards. They cared about Coralia more than the Autumn faerie knew, and Andorra's heart once again ached for Oberon and Lithe. She didn't let herself miss a certain dark haired boy.

Aihfie though, wasn't finished twisting the knife. "He's a devilishly good kisser. But, you already knew that about Sir Nohx, didn't you Princess?"

Andorra didn't turn around. Her throat tightened as if she wanted to cry, and her emotions felt too close to boiling over. She couldn't stop the mental image of Noah and Aihfie kissing. She could see how it would look: Aihfie and Noah battling for control, like fire clashing together, totally passionate and wild and-

"Stop thinking about it," Coralia hissed, as if she could tell just what Andorra was thinking about. "That's what she wants."

"And," Aihfie continued, "I just can't wait to see how good he is in bed."

Jealousy ripped through Andorra. She felt it claw up her throat and close in, felt it dig in and choke her. She was so in love, and it was killing her on the inside. So in love with a boy who never cared in the first place.

Andorra waved her hand over her shoulder dismissively. "I'm sure he'll be great. Have fun." But, despite those words, a tear raced down her cheek. One tear. One tear was all she would allow for Noah. And then he would get no more of her.

* * * 

Exciting chapter two! How do you feel about Aihfie and the others?

Hope you're ready for the mischief coming soon!

Want to learn more about Anlithamy and Andorra? Read my blog!

https://wickedpromisesblog.wordpress.com/my-books/the-golden-prophecy-series/