Golden Prophecy

X X I V

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 Her face was withdrawn, but it always was.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."