EVE HAD told her she would come on Friday to help her pack for the Summer Court. Andorra was excited, but also nervous. How would this pan out? Would her people shun her, or would they embrace her?

This was the closest she would ever come to meeting her family. Her people. She may never meet her fae parents, but she could meet the other summer fae. Find out who the Sun Clan was supposed to be, before they were banished to the human realm.

She wanted them to like her. She wanted them to like her so badly.

There was a knock on her bedroom door, and Andorra set the suitcase down on her bed. The jitters of excitement and nervousness raced in her stomach as she eased the door open, looking as Eve stood there, looking effortless as usual. Her blonde hair was curly today, half up and half down. Her face was withdrawn, but it always was.

"Hey," she offered, brushing past Andorra. "It's gonna be pretty warm there, so you'll need something light to wear. Not your uniform."

Andorra followed Eve, letting the door shut close. Eve was already going through her dresser, as if she owned it. Or as if they'd been friends. Andorra itched to say no, but she let Eve pull out shirts, holding them up. The ones she liked, she threw on the bed by the suitcase. The ones she didn't, she put back in the dresser.

"What about dresses?" Eve said as she held up a tank top.

"I don't really own any." Andorra fidgeted by the door, rubbing her arm.

"So tees and shorts it is." Eve shut one draw and opened up another one, looking at the assortment of jean shorts. She threw a few on the bed. "I'll let you grab your own underwear."

That was the cue for Andorra to move towards her dresser, almost rigidly. It was strange having Eve there, but not unpleasant.

"It's still warm, even without the Sun Clan?" Andorra let the question fill the air as she put her things away. Noah had once said that without the Snow Clan, the Winter Court was probably devoid of snow, so Andorra had thought that maybe without the Sun Clan, things were similar.

Eve sat down on Andorra's bed, picking at her fingernails. "Yes. It's hard to explain, because I've only been alive without the Sun Clan in Anlithamy, but it's more like we lack in other ways. My parents always say that the sunrise and sunsets are pretty lackluster. And, it's not nearly as bright. We still have sun, but it's almost like the winter sun. Gray, cloudy. Warm, yes, but it's not the same."

Andorra zipped up her bag. "Huh. Well, I'm ready to go. Are we taking a cab?"

Eve waved her hand in dismissal. "As if. I'm not like Coralia and her ragtag friends. I have a driver waiting."

"That's not very kind. Coralia could get a driver if she wanted to. But there's nothing wrong with a cab instead." The defensive tone came naturally. She wanted to like Eve, but not at the expense of her friends.

Eve just blinked at her, like it never occurred to her before that what she said was unkind, or out of place. "Yeah, okay. You're right."

That was it, moment over. Eve opened the bedroom door, then paused, not letting Andorra see who was outside. "What do you want?"

"I could ask the same of you." Andorra knew that voice. She pushed past Eve and shot Callum a look. "Callum, I'm going to the Summer Court this weekend. We've been over this. I don't need you to accompany me."

"But don't you?" Callum's voice was hard. "Remember what happened in the Autumn Court? I don't care if you managed to get the upper hand on that hunter. It is not safe."

"Do I want to know what's going on here? Callum, did you break up with Win or something?" Eve's voice had turned hard and angry, not at all like the tone she had used with Andorra in the bedroom. Andorra couldn't tell if she didn't like Callum, or if she was appalled that he 'broke up' with Win.

"Not that it's your business, but Win and I are fine. Perfectly in love like usual." Callum's voice didn't sound like a boy in love, but when did it ever? Andorra tried to get between them, realizing that Eve didn't know about their connection.

"Callum, I thought you were dead set on riding Anders' dick in order to be on his Royal Court. Have you moved on to the Princess after realizing that Anders won't get that far?"

Shadows oozed out of Callum at that accusation. "I could say the same about you, Eve. Taking the Princess to your home Court? Why are you sucking up to her right now? So that you can have a spot on her Royal Court? That's cunning, really, but the Princess is smarter than that."

Andorra tried to ignore the backhanded compliment from Callum, and instead turned to Eve. This was too much. "Okay, I don't know why this is a secret, but Callum is my guard, okay? No one is trying to fool me into being on my Royal Court, especially not Callum. So let's just move on, okay? And Callum, really, you should stay here. I'll call on you if I need you. Honest."

Eve's eyes stretched wide, right before Callum slapped his hand over Andorra's mouth. "Are you an idiot?" he hissed into Andorra's ear. "You need to be better at keeping secrets."

Andorra pushed away from Callum. "Why would that be a secret?"

"If that information lands in the wrong hands, then we'll both be dead. You don't think I have enemies that would attempt to kill you just because we're connected in that way? People would love to see Prince Puck's son dead. They'll kill you to achieve that."

Andorra's stomach plummeted. So she wasn't the only person who was on the chopping block. Was it normal for faeries to constantly be watching their back? Was it normal for children to be targets?

"Relax, Callum. I'll keep your weird secret safe. But that makes total sense... and explains a lot. I'm going to guess that Anders doesn't know this information."

Callum's mouth flattened. "He obviously doesn't know. And he won't know."

"So I guess maybe you should join us," Eve sighed. "Especially if you've been targeted more than once now, Princess."

"Call me Andy." Andorra couldn't stand the honorific. Especially not if Eve and her were going to be friends.

"Let me go pack a bag. Princess, you can call on me as soon as you're settled in the Summer Court."

Andorra didn't bother telling Callum he could call her Andy. Despite Win telling her they would be friends, she was still having a hard time believing that.

As soon as he disappeared around the corner, Eve pulled her in the other direction, towards the front of the school. "I have so many questions about how Callum got tied up as your guard."

"Aihfie, too," Andorra added. "When I was almost killed the first time, Prince Puck was the one who saved me. And I think as punishment for me and for his kids, he tied them to me. It isn't that mysterious."

"It's mysterious to me that Callum takes it so seriously. Aihfie couldn't care less." Eve flagged down the car that sat idling in the cul de sac of the school. "Callum isn't the type."

Callum... isn't the type? That struck Andorra as strange, because Callum was the type. He was serious. Dedicated. And rigid in his position as guard. How could anyone else see him differently?

Did he used to be more like Aihfie? More like Anders? It was hard to see him like that when he was so serious all of the time.

As she slipped into the back of the car, she wondered who these people really were. And she hated to admit that Noah had been right all along about how people conducted themselves here. They were liars. They were sneaky. They were hiding parts of themselves to everyone.

Was she supposed to be like that, too? She didn't want to be like that.

"Hey. If I said something that bothered you, I'm sorry. You'll be safe with Callum. Aihfie, not so much. But you can trust that Callum will keep you alive. He's too selfish to let himself die because of you."

Andorra wasn't worried about that. "But Aihfie isn't?"

"Aihfie is selfish. She's calling her father's bluff, probably. If Prince Puck is trying to punish her, or teach her a lesson, then she's being defiant on purpose. She's always been that way."

"I thought you all were friends."

Eve looked over at her thoughtfully. "We are. As close to friends as you can have here in Anlithamy. It's hard being the child of a Court Leader, and growing up, we all could relate to one another. It drew us closer. We saw each other when our parents had meetings in the Royal Court. We knew we couldn't trust people, and that made us trust each other. We don't always get along, but we understand each other. Understand the pressure we're under, the lives we have to live."

Eve's words were sad. Andorra couldn't imagine your only friends being people who you barely liked. People you felt forced to be friends with, only because of their similar upbringing. It was isolating, and lonely.

And Andorra suddenly understood Noah, who had grown up similarly, but alone, without any allies.

If Noah had grown up here, would he be friends with Callum? With Anders? With any of them?

"What about Clan Leader children? Are they the same?"

"Different. They're more powerful. I will never be the Summer Court Princess because my father is. But, the son or daughter of one of the clan leaders will be. That's how our world works. Clan Leaders and their children can run for Court leadership."

"What? Why?"

"It's just how it's always been. If someone wants to be a Court Leader, they have to challenge the current leader. But, they also need to have an understanding of how the clans work. So Clan Leaders and their children can challenge the current Court Leader, whenever they wish. But, Court Leader children cannot battle their parents for fear of nepotism. It would be easy for a current Court Leader to let their children win to continue the family legacy."

It didn't really make sense to Andorra, but she also lived in a democracy before this. Kings and Queens were more complicated than she knew.

"So, you didn't get to see any Clan Leader children? Because they were more powerful?"

Eve shook her head. "Think of it like... you're a freshman, and they are seniors. You know you could say hello to them, but they don't care about you. They have their own life, and their own responsibilities, and they are destined for more. I will only ever be the daughter of the Summer Court Prince, but they could actually be a Clan Leader. Or a Court Leader. They're just a step above. Why do you think Aihfie is obsessed with Sir Nohx?"

Andorra opened her mouth, but she had nothing to say about it. She felt jealousy deep in her gut at the thought that Aihfie, gorgeous and beautiful Aihfie, was obsessed with Noah.

"She wants his power. I think she knows that Sir Nohx will probably be the next Winter Court Prince, once her father grows older."

That was a surprise to Andorra. "Wait, really? You think he'd be the Winter Court Prince?"

"You know him better than I do. But that's what the entire Winter Court is saying."

Eve was right, Andorra did know him better. And she knew the version of Noah that didn't even want to be a Clan Leader, nevermind the Winter Court Prince. She couldn't even picture him being in Prince Puck's position.

"I just... he doesn't want that position. Or he never did before he came here."

Eve let out a low laugh. "Anlithamy will do that to you. It'll turn you power hungry if you aren't careful."

No. Andorra didn't want to believe that Anlithamy would turn Noah power hungry. That it would turn her power hungry. This wasn't the world Noah told her it would be. What happened to his words about the beauty, the magic, the dream-like world that Anlithamy was supposed to be?

Had Anlithamy corrupted him? Would it corrupt her?

"Yeah, maybe. Tell Aihfie that I don't think she's his type." Which was a lie; she was his type. Or at least, she was Sir Nohx's type.

Eve's laugh was brighter this time. "I know. Everytime I see them interact, Sir Nohx is inching to get away. It would be almost hilarious, if Aihfie wasn't so blind to it."

"So, is Callum the only one with a soulmate? Has anyone else found theirs?"

"Just Callum. We were shocked when it happened. He's the last one any of us would expect to be soulmated. Especially to a girl like Win." Eve brushed a hand through her hair. "Aihfie's hoping her soulmate is Sir Nohx. She's convinced they'll be named at the next Festival of Stars."

The thought curdled Andorra's stomach. But Callum told her not to let anyone else know how she felt, how she really felt. And she couldn't trust Eve, even if she wanted to. So instead, she nodded stiffly. "Well, she can hope."

"It wouldn't really matter. Aihfie's power doesn't match Sir Nohx's. You can be killed for being with someone outside of your caste, and they really aren't in the same one. So unless they are soulmates, then it's useless for Aihfie to even dream."

Oh, yeah. Andorra had forgotten about that.

"Why? Why does it matter? Why can't faeries be with whoever they want?"

"It's always been like that. You don't couple with people outside of your power. Just like you don't couple with people outside of your Court. Again, unless determined as soulmates, it's unheard of. We're more powerful when we stay and breed within our courts."

Breed. What a strange way to put it. Like they were animals being bred for purity. It made Andorra's skin crawl.

"But what about love?"

"What about love?" Eve laughed. "Love doesn't exist."

Andorra reared back in her seat like she'd been slapped. What a strange thing for a young woman to say. "What?"

"We aren't like humans, Andorra. It may seem cruel, but Faeries couple and reproduce to create powerful heirs. It's for power and strength. Sure, lower caste fae may couple for comfort and love, but that's not really a luxury people like you and me have."

People like you and me.

People like Coralia. Despite how Hans felt about Coralia, they would never be together. Andorra hadn't even realized it, but that was why Hans didn't admit to himself how he truly felt. It was why Coralia didn't look deeper into it.

Even if they fell in love, it wouldn't matter.

And, even if she wanted to be with Noah, it was futile. It would never happen.

"But isn't it lonely?"

"No. We find people who are like us, and will be life partners with us. Some find it to be like a job. Others find comfort in those they are paired with. It's natural."

"But then, what is the point of soulmates? Why would Cornomus do that?"

"Probably for power. Why else? Take Callum and Win, for example. They're both extremely strong. But Callum was born into a position of power, while Win wasn't. In order to elevate Win, Cornomus must have coupled her with Callum."

Andorra didn't want to believe it was that transactional. All about power? That didn't sit right with her. She wanted it to be more, to mean more. To be like the fairytale books she grew up with. But perhaps it wasn't.

And why did that make her suddenly want to cry? Was it because all this time, she was holding out for love? She was hoping someone would love her, unconditionally, without motives? Was it because now that she was a Princess, anyone who wanted to be her friend wanted to be on her Royal Court?

"I don't want it to be that way."

"Your fae parents didn't either. Funny how that passes down, even when you didn't know them." Eve offered a sympathetic smile. "Is it... strange? Not knowing them?"

"Kinda. I know they exist. Or... existed. But my human parents are the people who raised me. And they'll always be my parents. When I think of my fae parents, honestly I kinda think of them like I think of Cornomus. They're both kinda the same to me. Beings that existed, but I'm missing the context."

"Do you wish you'd grown up here? Or was the human realm enough for you?"

"I loved most of my childhood. I wouldn't trade it for the world. My parents back home, they're awesome. And I miss them so much. I wish the transition into this world wasn't so hard. And I guess growing up here would eliminate that feeling. But... I don't know. Being a human wasn't all that bad."

"Well, look out the window. We're finally in the Summer Court. And this is your home, too. Your new home."

Andorra pressed her face to the car window, looking at the world around her. And it took her breath away immediately. The world back in Maine had been gray in the winter. Even California, while warm, had been a city of concrete. Trees were planted on purpose, not overgrown, like it was here.

Trees stretched on for miles, lush and green against the bright blue sky. The grass was the greenest grass she'd ever seen, and the clouds in the sky were perfect and fluffy. The sun rose high in the sky, beaming down on them, washing the world in buttery sunlight.

The road they were on curved through the countryside; on Andorra's right, fields stretched on for miles, growing into grass covered mountain sides. On her left was the lush expanse of the forest. It was magical. It was summer.

Andorra pressed the window down immediately, letting the warm air blow through the car, ruffling her hair in the process. She fought the urge to stick her head out like a dog, but she did let her hand stick out, watching the wind through her finger tips.

As they curved down the road, she spotted workers in the fields, some waving to the car as they passed. She spotted a few stands along the sides of the road, proclaiming fresh produce. The further they drove, the closer they came to a small town. Andorra, with rapt fascination, watched as houses began to pass by. Homes covered in moss, homes with wooden fences, homes with dirt driveways and wildflowers poking through the yards.

They were farm houses, centuries old, completely lived in. They had seen the lives of many families, Andorra was sure of it. They reminded her of the old home she'd just moved into, the one in Maine. Maybe, when it wasn't the dead of winter, it too would look like these homes.

Eve sat up a little straighter in her seat. She'd been watching Andorra closely, taking in the Princess's reaction. "This is my hometown. We have a house in the city, our official house, but this is where I grew up as a child."

The fields and forest began to give way to a town center, where Andorra spotted store fronts. She saw faeries walking together, some on bikes, one on a tractor. A few of them waved happily to the car, not really seeing who was inside. And the town itself was old, with brick sidewalks beginning to crumble, and buildings that could use fresh coats of paint.

But, it was charming.

"My home is on the outskirts of town. We can stop by some of the shops a little later. It's different from the city back at school. There aren't any department stores, or fancy boutiques." The way Eve eyed her made Andorra feel like the Summer fae was testing her reaction.

"That's fine. This is the lifestyle I lived back home, with my parents. We weren't... fancy. Or rich."

As they left the town center, the car drove through a few side roads, diving deeper into a wooded area. Eventually, they pulled down a dirt driveway, and the woods opened up to a small clearing. Nestled against the forest was a small home, mustard-yellow in color, with vines that wrapped around the walls and crawled onto the roof. The clearing was bright with rich sunlight, and the yard was overgrown with different types of foliage. Some flowers, some bushes, tall grass, dandelions. There were stones that made a pathway up to the porch, begging for a child to hop down them like hopscotch.

Andorra felt, in that moment, like this was home. Like this was the place she had always been searching for. She couldn't explain how familiar the place felt, or how it called to her. But not even Eve could stop Andorra from opening the door the moment the car stopped.

The air there felt cool and clean. And the breeze seemed to kiss her cheeks in a welcoming embrace.

"Welcome to my home." Eve slung her backpack over her shoulder and walked towards Andorra. "I hope it suits you. You can see our city house too, if that's more your style."

"No!" Andorra said, almost alarmed. Then, she realized how strange that may sound. "No. This is perfect. I love it here. This is exactly what summer looks like to me." And it was true. It reminded her of skinned knees and hot sun, of chirping crickets and singing cicadas. The type of summer she hadn't had since she was a child.

Eve shot her a look, but motioned towards the house. "Well, come on, then. Grab your bag and I'll show you where you'll be staying." Andorra didn't need to be told twice. She grabbed her suitcase from the car, towing it behind her as she stepped into Eve's home.