The month after graduation happens so quickly that I can't even believe I'm saying goodbye to my loved ones today.
Last week, Jake and I made it a special, private goodbye. The two of us spent all night wrapped in each other. He made what he thinks is love to me, and I allowed myself to feel the warmth of a man one last time for who knows how long. Jake and I have only found release within each other a handful of times as it's very difficult to climax with anyone who isn't your Bonded mate. I can't say for certain what I felt with Jake was a climax, not like what Jessica and Angela have described, but it felt good—like a soft breeze fluttering in my belly. I'm going to miss the richness of rough, calloused hands sliding down my skin.
Jake couldn't say goodbye to me today. He's still upset I didn't want to apply for marriage, but Jake's not my one, he's not my soul, and there's definitely no Bond. He is simply a friend, and I'll be forever grateful of that. Jake's staying in Court 6, and I am not. What's the point in carrying on? By the time I return, if I'm single, it'll be a matter of time before the Royals send my letter with the name of the person I'll be Bonded to forever—my mate.
Mike shows up as I'm packing my bags in the back of our very old car. Dad wants his final goodbye in the privacy of the deserted train station taking me from dusty and brown Court 6 to whatever awaits in Court 5.
"Remember when you said you were in love with me in the seventh grade?" he asks, walking me over to the shed with a goofy grin and kind eyes.
I play hit his arm and blush. How would I ever forget that? Not only the most embarrassed I'd ever felt, but the most disappointed, too.
"Yes." I'm embarrassed all over again as the memories of Mike's pre-pubescent, stunned face stares back at me.
"Did you mean it?" he asks seriously, turning his body towards my own.
He smells like sweat and dirt, but I don't mind. All the boys in Court 6 smell like they've been working all day mostly because they have, and sometimes because their mom's didn't wash their clothes from the day before. It's a smell I'm used to, but I also can't wait to get away from.
He watches me as I nod. "I think so."
"And now, Bella?" Mike takes a step toward me, his eyes on my lips, my shoulder, the tiny, faded freckles on my cheeks.
A gulp gets stuck in my throat, and I sort of cough and gag at the same time, but Mike stands there looking. His eyes a dim gray, his hair not as shiny under the dusty wind.
I stutter, clearing my throat, but he cuts me off by pulling my body into his and kissing me.
Deeply.
Softly.
In a way I had dreamed about for many, many years.
He deepens the kiss, searching, looking, hoping. Or maybe that's just me.
Where is the anchor? Where is that tug I knew I'd feel after all these years. Where is the feeling?
Mike curses when he pulls back, and so do I.
There's no pull. There's no tug. There's nothing.
My heart rips, tearing open from every seam. My heartache bleeds from so many years of hoping Mike was my Soul Bond. It drips down my chest cavity like someone threw paint at a wall. Slowly it drip, drip, drips into a puddle of sorrow in my belly, and that's where it lives.
"I wanted to try," he whispers, sweaty forehead against mine.
Reality sets in as I pull away.
"What about Jessica?" I ask, backing away from him, tears stinging my eyes.
What have I done?
"She doesn't know," he admits. "Jessica tells me she feels the Bond, but I don't know if I do. Well, I didn't, until now."
"Now?" I ask, backing away further.
"I just—I needed to compare it to something, anything."
Confused, I look up at him. His hand blows through his hair, dust particles laying on golden strands, thick and tangled from the wind.
"So, you used me? You kissed me to solidify the bond between you and Jessica?"
Mike doesn't say anything really, but he meets my eyes in tacit confirmation. Pathetic doesn't cover how I feel, but it's a start. There's no remorse or apology in his stare, and the only person I truly feel bad for is Jessica.
Before I leave, before I push him away forever, I say, "If you had to kiss me to make sure, then maybe you're not bonded mates."
When I step inside the car, huffing in angry devastation, I buckle up and never look back.
The ride to the train station is short, thank the Royals, because I almost convince myself to tell Dad to drive over to Jessica's right now. But I stop myself. It's not my place or my business. The Royals know. If Jessica and Mike are in fact Soul Bonded and Mike went against that… they'll see to it that he is punished accordingly.
The Royals are lovely only to those who obey.
Mom pulls me out of the car when it's time and the hug she throws around my frame settles over us like a blanket. She's my home, my comfort, my family. She's been with me every single day of my life, and suddenly I have no one.
How can I start over with nothing and no one except the suitcase full of dingy Court 6 clothes? Who will I be if not a Court 6 citizen? My identity wipes clean the moment I step onto the train.
The tears don't start to fall until my dad touches my cheek with his calloused thumb. He pulls me in and wraps me in his love and tells me how proud he is of me.
I want to ask why? I haven't done anything. Instead, I nod and dry my tears and disengage.
They don't have the money to pay for a return trip during holidays, so I have no clue when I'll see them next. Mom and Dad don't even have telephone in their home. I can't bring myself to think this might be the last time I hear their voices until graduation in two years.
Two years.
Who will I be in two years?
They see me onto the train, wait until I'm seated, and then hold each other as the train takes off.
Mom and Dad couldn't be happier for me. I was able to get out of Court 5 and prosper. I heard them praying to the Royals last night. My parents thanked them for blessing their love and their children with opportunities.
Dad's last words before petting my hair and unfurling his arms from my shoulders are, "trust the process, Sugar."
And for him, I'll try.
~!~
University Five, or U5 as my classmates call it, sits on a beautiful hillside with lush green grass and a dense garden of flowers lining the walkway to the one building where my classes are held. The quad, a common, centrally located outdoor place many students read, study, or socialize, grows these same flowers.
There's a vast difference between Court 5 and Court 6, that's for sure. In Court 6, wind whips around in anger, tossing dust and debris in its wake. In Court 5, wind swirls like a dance. The sun shines more, the vibrant colors hurt my eyes at first, the fresh air tastes like harmony.
I live in student housing with a girl named Alice who's devastated by the Royals' decision. She hails from Court 4 and is very prestigious even in the way she dresses. On her graduation day, along with her twin brother, she opened the envelope and fainted on stage. I laugh at the joke but she corrects me. She literally fainted. It's hard to hide my rolling eyes.
Alice sits before me, and it's awkward. She's cried herself to sleep every night the first ten days of classes. Now that it's July, and she's getting into the groove of things, Alice's waterworks have mostly stopped.
"Court 4 is so different than Court 5," she whines when I return from a full day of classes.
Royals have mercy! My body itches to tell her maybe the Royals are giving her a reality check. I only stop myself because I know just how rude that would sound, and it's not my place to butt in where the Royals are concerned.
Trust the process.
"My brother lives in Court 4 right now. These two Courts look pretty similar," I tell her honestly. "Court 4 has more color, more flowers, more romance that's for sure, but Court 5 isn't that bad, Alice."
Alice listens but doesn't speak, and I'm so glad. She's petite, with shoulder length brown hair that flips at the end, and she prances around like a dancer with wings. Court 5 is warmer, sunnier than Court 6, and the dress code is more tolerant. Nothing shorter than midthigh, and each shirt has to have a strap or sleave, but that's all. I can wear any color, any type of clothing, any hairstyle I want. I've been partial to a romantic half up hairstyle with great-grandmother Swan's antique hair pin. Dingy gold in the shape of leaf. Even Alice likes it.
The freedom to dress however I want is a luxury I didn't know I needed until now. It's like breathing the cleanest, softest air after being held under ground for 18 years. The difference between Court 5 and Court 6 surprises me, but it shouldn't. The more money you have, the freer you are. But the freer you are, the harder the chains pull.
Alice scoffs at my clothes and says, "The Royals screwed meand blessed you."
I want to tell her she's been blessed for 18 years, but I don't. I refrain. Maybe that's my magic. Maybe biting my tongue when I really, really want to lash out is my miracle.
Two months in, and I feel like I want to kill Alice. She annoys me oh so much. Her swearing and bratty attitude offend me, and I'm already edgy from today's classes, but when I walk into our shared room she's crying.
And not dramatically crying like she's done so many times… no, she's crying real tears.
"Alice, are you okay?" I ask, setting my books down and walking over to where she's slumped in front of her computer, shoulders heaving.
"I failed," she cry-screams. "I failed my exam!"
"It's okay," I soothe, looking to her computer where she shows me the failing grade. "It's okay, Alice. It's just one test."
"There's no failing," she cries harder. "Failing means—" she sobs, sitting up. "Failing means a strike on my record."
I put my arms around Alice and for a second our bodies hum against each other like electricity.
"Alice, that's only if you fail a class."
"Are—are you sure?" she questions, sniffling under my arms.
I nod. "I only failed one test ever in high school, and I never got a mark on my record."
Alice nods. "I already have two, I can't get another."
"I'll help you," I tell her, petting her hair, mothering her the way I think she's used to. I want to ask what she got strikes for, but I don't.
"You will?"
When I nod, she pulls up my chair and we work on her English project, helping her as much as I can. Alice's brain works logically—she excels in math and science. Luckily for her, mine works analytically. We discuss themes and motives and central character traits of the book our class is assigned.
Later that night, when she pulls herself together, Alice thanks me in the only way she knows how, she offers up her clothes.
"You don't have to wear them out, silly," she laughs, holding up a tank dress with wild print.
"Then what's the point?" I question.
Alice points to my drab, Court 6 clothing. "You're swallowed in darkness, and you are not darkness," she says with such certainty that it makes me smile. "Come on, I have to see your boobs in this."
"Alice!" I blush.
She was right and I hate to admit it. As annoying as she is, has been, probably will forever be, Alice is right. The dress, tight on my body as I'm thicker than her, hugs me like a glove. I've never seen what my curves can do, and in the light of this little room, I can't take my eyes away from myself.
"Damn," she whispers, and I tell her to shush. Alice rolls her vibrant, honey-brown eyes. "They don't listen that deeply, Bella," she explains.
"I think they do."
She shakes her head. "My dad says it's like an echo in a room full of people. They have to choose to be listening to you. Do you think they're choosing to listen to two 18-year-old girls at U5 on a Thursday night?"
I shrug. "Better safe than sorry."
"You're going to live your life thinking they're listening? To everything? Girl, good luck."
"I'm… I'm used to it by now, Alice."
She shakes her head. "That's so sad," and with the same breath, she asks me, "so have you had sex?"
I about fall to my knees at her candor. When Alice plops onto my bed, I know she's not letting me out of it.
"Yes," I tell her honestly.
"Me too! But you're not Bonded?"
"No. Are you?"
She rolls her eyes. "Absolutely not. My parents grew up together, they Bonded at 16 when they had their first kiss, and they were married the second they could. My dad's letter in school said Lawyer, and you know what my mom's said? Mother. Mother! Like that's all she's good for. I haven't kissed anyone because I didn't want to be mated by the end of high school. I didn't want my paper to say Mother. Even U5 is better than Mother." The word rolls off her tongue like acid, pouring onto the floor and eating up the room. I agree with her, but I keep it to myself. For now. This turning point in our relationship feels strong, like the winds reroute our sails, like we're dead set on the same destination.
"So, you've never been kissed, but you've… laid with a boy?" The question fills the room, and I hope she doesn't take offense.
"That's right," she says easily. "Just one boy though—Jasper. He's here at U5, too. Which reminds me, I apologize in advance for anything you might walk in on. I'd recommend you knock before entering, but this is your room and I think that's rude of me to ask."
"It is, but I'll try to remember. So, he was chosen as Teacher too then?"
"Yep." Her 'p' pops with boredom. "Tell me about the guy."
"His name's Jake. We dated for a while. I… slept with him about a month before we ended things. It was… okay."
Her eyes bug out. "Okay? What's that mean?"
"I don't have anything to compare it to. It felt good, I think. Like butterflies in my belly, and sometimes it was so good I'd moan." The look she gives me is concerning. "What?" I ask.
"Sometimes you'd moan? Bella, when Jasper and I—" she motions with her hands, "the entire neighborhood knows. It's like a marching band of passion, of pleasure. It's so intense I cried once."
"I—I thought you could only climax easily if it was with your mate?" I ask dumbly.
Alice smirks and shakes her head. "Let me guess, Jake told you that." My blush gives her all the answer she needs. "You can climax," she pauses on the word, enunciating every letter before continuing, "just as well with any person regardless of if they're your mate."
"And you won't kiss Jasper to find out?" I ask boldly.
She shakes her head. "I'm not just some girl who will lay at the feet of the Royals and marry to produce citizens. I'm a human, I'm a female, and I deserve every right and every power a man does—and that includes a sustaining career."
My smile tells her I agree, but my silence tells her I'm not ready to chance it with the Royals. I have no idea if what she said was correct about them not listening to every little thing… it makes sense, but maybe their magic is knowing everything about each one of us.
Their power terrifies me.
~!~
University is split into four quarters so that we're done and graduated by 20. Today, Alice and I are two tests away from the end of Quarter 1. We plan for a special night out, and she wants me to formally meet Jasper, her non-bonded, non-boyfriend.
Jasper…
Holy Royals.
He's probably the nicest, quietest person I've ever met. He's spoken to me twice in six months, and I love it. The first was a few weeks ago when I walked in on him and Alice and he yelled, "whoa!" I couldn't escape fast enough… so fast that I turned and stubbed my toe on the metal lip on the bottom of the door. Stupid nice weather, stupid sandals. This would've never happened in Court 6 with mandatory closed toed shoes.
This also wouldn't have happened if Alice had just left a shoe outside the door like we discussed weeks ago.
The next time he talked to me was a week ago when Alice and I were eating in the cafeteria. He looked down at my bandaged toe and grimaced.
"Ouch."
My eyes peek down at the bandaged toe. It turned black and blue, warm, and swollen. I'm sure the bone is severely bruised, even weeks later, and the black toe nail pokes out of the top of band aid. The swelling has me concerned, but at least the random bleeding has stopped. Alice wanted to take me to the U5 nurse, but I adamantly told her no. You only went to the doctor in Court 6 if you were bleeding out.
"My brother's in Medical at U3. He's coming down to visit during break. He can look—"
"Ew, no—" I start, but Jasper cuts me off.
"Edward's coming to Court 5?"
Alice shrugs. "That's what he said."
Jasper leaves swiftly and Alice follows him with her eyes until he's out into the sunlight, then she takes a bite of her sandwich.
"Do you think this is deer meat?" she asks in disgust.
"I've never heard Jasper say so much," I joke, not answering her question because yes, it is deer meat.
Alice shrugs. "Jasper and Edward do not get along."
"Oh."
I never pry, but it doesn't faze Alice. She tells me anyways. Her way with words spins stories into novellas and novellas into war novels. Because of this, I lean in closely and listen to every detail.
"We all grew up together in Court 4 as you know, and Jasper and Edward were best friends until…"
"…Until?"
"Until Jasper caught Edward in bed with his mom."
My gasp captures the attention of every person within a ten-foot radius.
"His mother?" I question.
Alice nods, giggling at my reaction. She must have been anticipating my reaction for quite some time.
"Yes. Jasper wrote to the Royals pretty much telling on Edward. Long story short, the Royals wrote back saying no rules were broken, and no strikes will be given."
"Laying with others outside of one's marriage… is that not—"
"Jasper's mom is a widow. His dad died when he was eleven from a work accident. His mom received a settlement and although she cannot Bond again, she apparently likes to sleep around. Edward had really pissed me off that week. Thinking back," Alice pauses and looks up with confusion before shaking her head and continuing, "I don't even remember what he did. Anyways, Jasper was fuming about the result, and I was mad at Edward for whatever the reason, so he and I sort of… consorted."
"Meaning?" I ask, hanging on every word.
"I wanted to lose my virginity; Jasper wanted revenge. We devised a plan." Alice smiles down at her lunch and shakes her head. "So, Jasper and I started sleeping together shortly after, but that wasn't enough to get back at Edward apparently. Edward knew about it, but he never once said anything. So, Jasper planned for Edward to walk in on us while—"
"No!" I gasp again. This drama is better than anything I've read in books.
"Yes."
"Did you know?"
Alice meets my gaze ashamedly and nods. "It wasn't just his idea, but he pretty much executed it. I didn't know when or where, and we laid around a lot, so it very well could've been any time. But that day… Edward lost his ever-loving mind. He and Jasper went at it, my dad got involved, Jasper's mom was blacklisted from many social groups, and in Court 4 that's punishment enough. Jasper and Edward haven't really spoken civilly since."
I shake my head, unable to relate. "What of your punishment?" I ask quietly.
"That's where one of my strikes came from." She rolls her eyes before adding, "apparently the Royals don't care for acts of revenge."
I nod slowly, not wanting to ask her where the other came from. Alice doesn't offer up that story.
~!~
After our last test, all smiles and happiness for an entire seven days of relaxation ahead, Alice brushes on mascara, teaches me about blush, and lets me pick anything in her closet because tonight… tonight we're going out.
It takes a very long time to pick anything I'm comfortable in. There's either too much leg, or too much chest, or too much—
"Belle, just pick one!"
Belle. The name Alice has taken to calling me for some odd reason. I never correct her though because it's nice to have a friend—even if it is someone shrewd. Even if it is someone like Alice.
Someone like Alice. I regret it the moment I think it. Alice isn't bad, in face she's proven to be the opposite. Alice has never said one purposefully hurtful thing… sure, she's said a lot of ignorant things, but she comes from a different world, and I can overlook that.
"How about this?" I ask, turning around to face her. The dress that covers my body hits a few inches above my knee—scandalous for me but boring for everyone else in Court 5. Its dark blue fabric turns midnight against the creamy white skin of my legs, dipping low in the back with higher neck in the front. Lace edges the cap sleeve and the hem making me feel feminine but strong.
She smiles. "Only if you wear these," she tells me digging under her bed for a pretty pair of gold heels.
"Alice, I can't. My toe—" She doesn't give me the option to say no as she skips over, looks at my bottom half, and snaps the fingers of her left hand. Suddenly the shoes are on my feet and I'm three inches taller.
Absolutely astounded, my jaw practically unhinges from the speed of my surprise. Alice also looks surprised, but not really.
"What… what…" I manage, but nothing comes out.
"Magic," she says softly, glancing to her fingers.
"Since… since when?"
"It's always been there, but I've never been able to will something like that." She looks down at her fingers and smiles softly. "Usually, I'm really upset when it happens, and the results are… very bad. But this… this has never happened."
She's stuck in her head, eyes not blinking, so I try and think of anything to pull her attention back.
"Imagine if you turned me into clown's feet or chicken legs," I joke.
Alice gives me a smile and then turns around, rubbing the pads of her first two fingers against her thumbprint. A gentle white light emanates from within her fingers. It's hard to look away.
~!~
Alice holds my hand as we walk into an apartment with way too many people. There's a dozen or so people our age, probably from U5 too, hanging in the hallway and triple that in the apartment.
"Won't we get in trouble for the noise?" I ask Alice as she fills a cup full of liquid.
She shrugs and looks around to find Jasper. When she does, she calls him over.
Jasper smiles at me tightly and it's a little weird that I've seen almost every inch of his naked skin, but he gives off such kind and mellow vibes that I can try to overlook that.
"It happened again," Alice says, drinking from her cup.
"What?" he asks.
She brings her fingers up to show him. The tips have tiny sparkles, no bigger than a pin prick, but they reflect in the light above. The trunk of her fingers also shines bright white from within, like a lighthouse in the fog. Jasper handles her wrist, caressing her fingers.
"You're sure?" he asks softly, touching her fingers to his lips.
It's a very intimate moment between the two.
Alice hisses but I can tell it's not painful. She smirks, pulling back her fingers, and she points to my feet. "I put those on her."
Jasper looks me up and down. His striking yellow eyes linger on my ankles before flitting to my eyes and eventually drifting back over to Alice.
Jasper swallows deeply, his eyes large and caring. "Do you think it'll be like Edward's?"
"Be like my what?" someone directly behind me asks.
"Holy Royals!" I swear, clutching at my beating heart over the thick fabric of the dress. In the business and noise of the party goers, his voice ripped into my core like he was speaking from within my own body.
"Tsk, tsk," he says with a laugh, walking over and grabbing Alice's cup. "Don't you know what happens when you take their name in vain?" It's not directed at anyone, but I know it's meant for me.
"No. What?"
The boy, standing taller than all of us, maybe even taller than Emmett, hoists himself up onto the counter across from me. Sipping from Alice's drink and glancing at me over the lip of the cup, his eyes linger for the remainder of his drink. I feel the way his eyes study me, heat gliding over my lips, the bridge of my nose, each freckle, the curl of my lashes, the arch of my brows, my mahogany hair until I become the sun in this tiny room. He ignores my question and turns to Alice instead.
"You do know this is against policy, right? Court 5 citizens are prohibited from consuming alcohol, little sis."
Alice rolls her eyes and tries to snap the cup from him. "Give it, Edward."
Edward.
I see it now. The soft pink cheeks, perfectly white teeth, wild brown hair, soft but strong nose. And yet such different eyes. Hers are wildly brown, and his are such a striking emerald green. The kind of unnatural green that rival Jasper's feral yellow eyes.
Edward smiles and snaps his fingers. Suddenly there's a cup in both Alice and Jasper's hand. Jasper hands it to me immediately. Alice tries to hide her smile but leans over and hugs him. He takes her under his arm and kisses the top of her head. Glancing over at his fingers, I can see now that his also have the small pinpricks of light shining under the dim light.
"Jasper," he says blankly, looking over.
Jasper walks away with no other words.
"I see not much has changed," he jokes easily. As I raise the cup to my lips, he snaps his head over at me and adds, "don't drink that."
Alice sniffs her drink, makes a face, and sets it down. I do the same.
"You did fuck his mom," Alice retorts resentfully.
A blast of anger hits me so hard I'm surprised my hair doesn't blow in its rage. Edward grips the edge of the counter and hops down. At the same time, I'm bumped from behind. In that exact moment, Edward lands with his large foot on my bad toe.
I try not to, I really, really do, but I let loose a shocked screech and then a painful wince. Lifting my foot and leaning against the counter, I breathe through the pain.
"Oh shit, I'm sorry," Edward says easily, his friendly hand on my bare back. "You okay?"
"No, shithead, she hurt her toe a few weeks ago, and you just landed on it with your huge body," Alice yells, helping me away from the crowd to the hallway. "Where's the freaking bathroom?"
Edward's fingers encircle my wrist as he snaps his fingers. Before I know it, we're in a brightly lit bathroom with Alice.
"You know I hate when you do that," she whispers, slapping his chest.
He shrugs. "You asked where the bathroom is, and I just figured I could get us here faster."
I'm on the counter while Alice searches through drawers.
"Why don't you use magic now, Edward? I can't find the first aid kit," Alice says.
Edward watches us from the doorway. His face devoid of emotion. "It's recharging. I had to carry you both here."
Recharging.
Edward puts down the lid of the toilet and sits across from where I'm perched on the counter. Gripping my knees, he turns my body to face his. Warm palms drift from my knees to my shins and then my ankles. He sets my heeled foot on his knee. I reach behind him and place the towel on my lap, hiding the gap from my dress that's riding up. Edward catches on and smirks.
"Trust me, I'm not looking," he tells me, pulling my shoe off slowly.
Alice looks over at me and I try to stare off with blankness, but his acidic tone burns into me.
"Fucking Royals," Edward says softly, pulling off my shoes. "What happened?"
When he glances up I take note that his long fingers are wrapped strongly around my ankle. Under his long fingers, a thin gold ring shines under the light in the outline of his grip.
"I stubbed it."
It's chaotic for a moment as Edward spouts off to Alice a list of ingredients, and then she leaves the room. It's quiet when she leaves, and I sort of hate it.
"Where's—" I start, but he interrupts.
"A mark on your future luck," he tells me, wetting a towel and wiping the blood from my toe, keeping my ankle still with his grip as I try to wriggle it away from the pain.
Great. It's bleeding. Again. He lifts my foot, still gripping my ankle, and sets it on another towel probably so I don't bleed all over him.
"Huh?" I ask.
"When you take their name in vain. That's what happens. You get a mark on your future luck."
"Future luck?"
He glances up at me, brows knit together in sincere confusion. His emerald eyes look me over like they're doing calculations, like he's figuring out a math problem.
"What Court are you from?" he asks, intrigued.
"Six."
Edward smiles slyly, slowly. "Interesting."
I can't pull my eyes from his teeth—perfectly white and straight as can be. Among snapping whatever he wants, his magic must be his beauty.
Before I can question him, Alice walks back in with an armful of ingredients. "I think it's all here. I could only find peony oil. That'll work, right?" she asks in panic.
He nods, dousing thin gauze with a thick pink liquid. His eyes flit from my toe to my eyes every few moments. Next to me, Alice grinds up a mixture of other solids before dumping the crushed dust into Edward's upturned palm. He pinches two fingers into the mixture and sprinkles grains of something rough over the gauze. He glances up at me again while holding the concoction in his left hand, right hand wrapped around my ankle to hold me still.
"Peony oil is stronger," he says professionally. "You might smell flowers randomly for the next few months." And then he places the gauze over my toes and in an instant, I'm fighting him. "Shhh," he whispers quietly.
I try to free my foot, but he presses my ankle down to force my foot tightly against his knee. The urge to kick so strong I have to look away.
The pain consumes me. It's like salt licking up my entire leg.
"Can't you do something?" Alice hisses at my side.
"I am doing something, Alice. Why didn't you take her to the infirmary? Can't you smell the infection?" he asks.
"No," she scoffs. "Some of us aren't blessed to be doctors at U3 like some people." The bitterness in her tone escapes no one, but Edward ignores it.
"It's halfway up her leg. She could've lost it if you had waited." His eyes turn up to mine. "Your body seems to process wounds very quickly. Next time you get hurt, do not wait to seek medical attention. I know Court 6's medical program for its citizens is comical, but the other Courts take their citizens' health very seriously."
His fingers grip and pull my toes, and I nearly pass out from the blinding pain.
"I'm so sorry, Belle," Alice whispers, looking down at her brother's work. Her hand snakes around my wrist to hold me tightly against her frame.
"Nearly done," he says softly. The lilt in his voice soothes me.
Thirty more seconds of agony and when it's gone, my body slumps in relief. Edward pulls the gauze from my toe and then there's nothing. No red, swollen flesh. No black and blue. No hurt toenail.
"Good as new," he says with a smile, cleaning the mess and standing to wash his hands.
"Thank you," I tell him softly, throwing the towel onto the counter and pausing. "Hey, what's… what's this?" I ask, pointing to the soft gold band like delicate jewelry around my ankle. The thickness of his fingers, the gold band shimmers gently in the light.
Edward walks over and looks. "Hm," he starts, brows knit together as he studies my ankle. His fingers softly touch the edge of the shimmer and it's a soft swipe from within. He sighs and looks up at me. "I can't be sure." Edward backs away and turns his attention from me to his sister.
Alice helps me down and tries to snap the shoe back on my foot.
"Alice?" Edward says quietly.
"Shush!"
She snaps again, closing her eyes. I can feel her will, feel her plea, feel her prayer. I cannot feel the shoe on my foot though.
"When did it start?" he asks grabbing her fingers and looking, careful not to touch the edges like Jasper did.
She pulls them away and crosses her arms childishly.
"It was a fluke apparently."
Edward shakes his head. "That's the beginning. It's random. And then all at once it courses through you like lava."
Edward shows her his fingertips and the same pinprick, shining gems reflect in the light on each finger. His don't glow with white light like hers, but It's absolutely blinding if you're looking close enough to catch it. His fingertips shine like fine specks of glitter catching in the light. I would never have noticed unless they weren't showing each other now.
"Do Mom and Dad know you're here?" Alice asks.
"No. And you're not going to tell them," he tells her sternly.
"Why are you here?"
He smirks, backing away. "To see my favorite sister."
Alice rolls her eyes. "You can't stay with us."
Edward's eye flash to mine for less than a second before explaining, "I have a place to crash. Lunch tomorrow, Sister?" he asks, hand on the doorknob.
With feigned displeasure, she sighs. "I guess."
Her brother smirks before leaning down to kiss Alice's cheek. "I'll be by at noon. Belle," he says my name like a promise before adding, "a pleasure." He snaps his fingers and the shoe in my hand slips onto my foot.
Before I can thank him for the medical attention, or breathe in surprise for the millionth time tonight, he's exiting the bathroom.
"Well, that was my brother," she says with a laugh, looking down at my ankle that still glows gold and my toe that's totally heeled.
"I have so many questions."
~!~
Alice tells me because they're twins, they have more magic than the normal person, and it comes in different ways all the time. Alice thought Edward got both of their magic and then some because she could never feel it until last year. And even then, it was few and far between.
Edward on the other hand has been honing his magic since he was a pre-teen.
He thinks it, he snaps it, he gets it. By thirteen, he could snap travel. By Sixteen, he could feel thoughts. By eighteen, he could read them.
"He can read thoughts?"
"Yes and no. Same with me. I can read and get feelings of things, but it's always random. Like with you, I could tell you hated me in the beginning. I couldn't hear you, but I could feel it within you, like your soul was whispering it. And then other times, like with Jasper, I can hear hints of full thoughts. Earlier he thought I can't wait to go home. Maybe his soul was screaming it and that's why I could hear. Edward on the other hand… he can easily read the minds of those who are… open."
"So, someone has to be open to be read?"
She nods. "Most people are because they don't even know it can happen, and some are so shut off like they're overly protective of themselves in general."
"Try and read me."
She giggles. "It doesn't really work like that for me." Alice stops us from walking any further, and she turns me, her palms flat on mine. "Let me just try something."
Alice and I stay embraced in this sort of prayer-like gesture, her eyes closed, brows knit as she concentrates whole heartedly on something. For a moment I feel a breeze of Alice under my skin, but then it's gone.
"Ugh!" she whines, dropping her hands from mine in annoyance.
I attempt to change the subject by telling her, "I can't believe my toe is fixed. It's like it never even happened."
"That's Edward," she sighs, rolling her eyes. "He's good at showing off."
~!~
The next day I'm reading in the courtyard enjoying the sunshine, smelling the wind and pretty flowers the florist just planted. I move from the metal bench to sit in the field of overgrown grass and pretty flowers, my back against the trunk's rough bark. This is something I'll never be sick of—the colors in Court 5 compared to the basic browns of Court 6.
My long hair whips around, and I'm so sick of fighting it that I let it go. Today I have it pinned back with a black ribbon that flies around behind me. Dark brown strands wrap around my neck, against my face, sweeping behind me. Brushing it out later will be a pain, but right now I'm not bothered. The wind dies down, so I push tendrils away from my neck, securing the bow-tied ribbon tighter atop my head.
"Belle!" Alice calls.
I'm so accustomed to the name that I lift my head and smile at her tiny frame as she bounces over.
"Hey," I smile, tucking my sky blue and white dress under my legs so the free-flowing fabric won't blow in the wind.
"This wind is crazy, right? Court 5 never gets this exciting weather."
Before I can respond, Edward walks up. His ruddy hair shines under the sun, and his long arms cross over his chest. He's in dark jeans and a tee shirt which is different than the khakis and polo shirt most boys where in Court 5.
"It's probably coming from Court 6. Be glad there's no dust with it." I'm not sure if he means it to be rude, but it is.
"I like the wind," I challenge. "It reminds me of home."
"What's Court 3 like?" Alice asks her brother.
Edward shrugs. "Like all the rest."
"Well, that's specific," I say quietly, looking back at my book.
"It's very bright, very warm, very beautiful—"
"Oh!" Alice gleams, clapping her hands together romantically.
"—Until the thunder rolls in and the rain pours down like buckets of Royal anger and punishment. Until lightning storms so bright you don't know if it's day or night."
"Ew!" Alice whine in disgust.
"Now that sounds beautiful," I say.
Edward stares at me unblinking, unmoving. And then his eyes fall to the fading gold band around my ankle. His eyes caress my skin, and I can feel it like a dull tickle with the gold sparkles. Reflexively, my ankle bends with his stare like it's reminding me of something.
"Oh, Belle," Alice laughs me off as if enjoying lightning and thunder is something funny. "Well, we're off to lunch. I'll see you later, okay?" she asks.
But I never do.
Alice doesn't come home until the following day, and when she does, her neck is absolutely covered in black and blue marks.
"Alice!" I gasp, moving her neck to get a better look. "Who hurt you?"
She laughs and pushes me away. "These didn't hurt, trust me."
Alice tells me all about her escapades including the thunderous pull of love she felt the first time Jasper sucked her skin into his mouth.
"And… did he feel it?"
She shrugs. "I didn't ask."
"Do you think—"
"I don't really want to talk about it," she says quietly.
I nod in understanding. If Alice wants to talk about it, she will. The only thing that desperately frightens Alice is Soul Bonding. She looks over at me like she knows what I'm thinking.
"Should we go buy books for Quarter 2?" I ask, standing quickly. The faint smell of flowers cloud around and then disappears just as suddenly as it came on.
So weird.
Alice walks over and takes my hand in hers, just as she did at the party. I fight the instinct to pull away, but Alice looks with intent, so I indulge her. Our palms sit flush against each other's, and she closes her eyes. Three deep breaths later, Alice drops my hand with a slow gasp and stumbles backward.
"What?" My voice shakes.
She shakes her head, clearing her throat, smoothing her hair.
"Nothing."
"Alice, that was not nothing. Tell me."
She shakes her head again before sighing. "It was nothing bad, but I can't tell you. I can't."
"Alice." Annoyance laces every letter before dripping onto the floor.
"It's—" she starts but stops, looking up in surprise. "I literally cannot."
"Do you promise it's nothing bad?" I whisper, afraid of the many possibilities.
Her smile softens the air, her eyes twinkling like diamonds in her fingertips. "I promise."
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