Walking down the deserted, sandy road adorned on either side by branchless, stubby trees, I can't help the smile plastered to my face. Alice hasn't let go of my hand since we stepped off the train platform, and honestly, it feels nice. For so long, I depended on her in Court 5 to pull me out of my introversion. Now, Alice needs me to protect her in my Court.

The steps to my old house are the same: weathered, flaking, dusty. The screen door creaks when I pull it open and knock. Inside I hear the footsteps of two people before the door swings open, and I'm swallowed up in love.

"Sugar!" Mom screams, pulling me close and bouncing. Her smile invites me, and lifts the heaviness from my soul.

Dad tears her away from me and throws his arms around my shoulders next. We cry in complete bliss before Mom looks at Alice and smiles.

"What are you doing here? We weren't supposed to pick you up until tomorrow!" Mom bellows, crushing me to her body again.

"You were picking us up?" I ask, confused.

Dad nods, his hand warm on my back as we huddle together.

"We're your host parents," he explains happily. "It was to be a surprise. What happened in the previous Court to bring you here a day early and with no warning from the Royals?" Dad's question isn't for anyone in particular, but Alice takes it upon herself.

"The weirdos we were with in Court 7 tried to kill us!" she starts.

Mom looks bewildered. Dad looks concerned.

I introduce Alice to my parents, and after a quick explanation of what actually happened in Court 7, Mom formally greets Alice with a hug as one does in Court 6.

My parents usher us into the warmth of the house and close the front door from the elements outside. She sweeps a towel against the bottom of the front door, no doubt keeping the dust away.

As we sit around the kitchen table, I catch my parents up on everything. Palm to palm, they see my life in Court 5—the classes, the grades, the friends, every book I've read, black cherry ice cream, all the flowers, the colors, discovering my magic.

"Who's this boy?" Dad asks. "Is he your—"

"No," I cut him off before he could finish. "That's just Alice's brother."

Mom looks skeptical. Her blue eyes twinkle as she says, "he's very handsome."

"And very annoying," Alice finishes.

I keep all memories of Royce away from their minds, not wanting to worry them.

"I guess now that you're here, we can give you this," Dad explains, handing me an envelope. "It arrived shortly before you did."

Please accept our sincerest apologies for the occurrence of Court 7. Mr. and Mrs. Forge went through rigorous retraining, and we were under the impression they had been rehabilitated. Due to the catastrophic outcome, please accept the invitation of an extended stay in the Court of your choosing. During this time, you will be treated as a Royal would be treated within your chosen Court. When you have decided, please write back on the lines provided below with the Court of your choosing so We may make arrangements with that host family. Again, our deepest apologies.

Speak soon,

The Royals

"What, like a vacation?" Alice asks, unconvinced.

I shrug. "I guess."

Alice sighs and rereads the note. "Court 4, obviously. We can stay with my parents. How fun will that be?" Alice asks in excitement. When I look at her skeptically, she balks. "What, would you rather stay here?"

"Alice," I hiss, warning her of her tone.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude," she says. I sort of believe her, but I sort of don't.

"What about Court 3?" I ask. "Neither of us have been there."

Alice shrugs now, looking around at the dilapidated house I grew up in Her fingers grip the sleeve of her shirt as if she's afraid of breaking something. "Let's talk about it later when I'm in a better mood and not so tired."

Mom and Dad cook us dinner, and while Alice only eats a small salad, she scarfs it down.

"What is this dressing?" she asks, eyes wide in wonder.

Mom smiles, loving the accolades. "I made it myself."

"Holy Royals, is it delicious. You have to share the recipe!"

Mom shakes her head. "Beet root is only found in Court 6. Sorry, Sweetie," Mom says.

Alice smiles softly at my mom. It hits me that it's been just as long for Alice not seeing her parents as well. My homecoming was probably bittersweet for her, but she's so close. In less than a week, she'll be in the arms of her parents again.

Alice offers to help Mom with the dishes while Dad and I make up the spare room for Alice. It hasn't been used in quite some time, so there's a fine layer of dust laying along the floorboards and tops of the dressers. I help sweep while Dad changes the bedding. It smells of old wind and dry wood, but I can't open the window to air it out due to the dust storm outside.

"You doing okay?" Dad asks as we finish up.

"I am," I tell him honestly. "How are you guys?"

"We're good. We're so happy for your success and cannot wait to see how you prosper, Sugar."

"How's Jake?" I ask quietly.

There's slight hesitation, but he recovers quickly. "Jake's good," he says with a smile. "He finished up his year of school as a mechanic and has been working at a garage down the street since June. You should head on down tomorrow. I bet he'd love to see you."

Old memories fly through my head of his smile, black eyes, shaggy hair. The weight of his body on mine, the fumbling of body parts, a hiss as he'd enter me. A few thrusts, some groans, and it's over. For the short time it occurred, it felt… nice. Maybe what I really loved was the connection. He'd lay with me, but, more importantly, he'd connect with me. After hearing what Alice experiences with Jasper, though, had I expected too little? It's a thought that sticks with me all night.

I wonder what lying with my future Soul Bond will be like. Will he know exactly what I like before I even tell him? Will his kiss feel like the fluttering of a hummingbird's wings? Will we know each other inside and out before we even kiss? Or will the kiss solidify the Bond? Edward said Alice and Jasper are Bonded without the formality of a kiss. They move like water, fluid, dancing. Will it be like that when I meet my Mate?

Sometimes watching Jasper and Alice, it's like their skin calls to each other since their hearts currently don't. Do they feel prickly as their skin calls for the need to touch? Do they get sick without each other's presence? Mom and Dad said that's how their Bond works—when one's away for too long and they haven't spoken, it's like the flu.

"Maybe I will," I tell Dad, pulling myself from my thoughts.

Later, Alice hugs me goodnight before cuddling up inside her bed. Her eyes close the second her head hits the lumpy pillow. If the smell or décor bothers her, she doesn't say a word. I know this Court is far from anything she's ever experienced, but I hope she gives it a chance.

Back in my room, I notice the two large suitcases stuffed to the brim next to my bed. Edward was honest about the clothes. I'm far too exhausted to look through them right now, so I peel back the covers of my tiny, lumpy, childhood bed, and look out at the gray sky. There's no moon tonight, and no silver streaming through the thin curtains. But there is happiness in seeing my parents again, even if this place feels different.

I thought being home would change everything, but I'm a stranger in a foreign land.

~!~

The next day, Alice and I rummage through the pile of clothes. Alice squeals at hers, but I just flip through the bright colors until I land on a beige dress that falls to my ankles, scalloped in sweet, eyelet lace. It's very Court 6 appropriate but with some added femininity. My eyes close as I think back to the pretty rose-colored dress Edward adorned me with; the fabric, the bows, the cut of the chest as it exposed my breasts. The one in my hands is nothing like that one, but there's a piece or two… little reminders of our time together in Court 4.

The dress warms my soul as I bring it to my body. Alice strips immediately, throwing her dress, similar in style, over her body. She gushes about the outfits Edward selected, claiming Jasper must have picked them out.

I still have no desire to really look through mine, so when she asks, "can we open your suitcase?" I try to change the subject.

"Can I do your hair?" I ask instead.

She smiles and nods.

My fingers comb through her thick, shoulder-length hair as I separate, pin, and braid certain sections. Wrapping the braid around the top of her head like a headband, I secure it in place and pull-out loose strands to frame her face.

"Okay, this is actually pretty cute," she says with a smile. "Like I'm a peasant or something."

I can't help but roll my eyes and smile. Some things will never change, that's for sure.

Alice goes back to gawking at her new clothes when all of sudden, she shrieks.

"My phone!" she hollers. "I'm going to call Jasper." Alice can't run out fast enough.

I clean up the mess of clothes, folding the ones she placed in a discarded pile on my bed. Deep royal blues, jasmine purples, and dazzling fuchsias catch my eye, and I do a prayer that whatever Edward picked, it's nothing like these. Some are so low cut that her bellybutton might be out, some have high necks with a low back, and some are everyday summer dresses. I fold each delicate piece of cloth, silk, and linen and place them neatly back into her suitcase.

My suitcase isn't a mess as I know how to look through things without causing a disaster, so I simply straighten the errant clothing before pressing down to make room.

A long, chiffon gown of emerald green catches my eye. My mouth hangs agape in surprise when I pull it out. There's almost no material up top, save for the two wide gauzy strips of fabric to cover my breasts and part of my back. They look like they meet at my shoulders and flow down my arms like a cape, leaving my chest and back wholly bare. Without taking another look, I shove it back inside the suitcase. I'm not sure if he put this in my bag by accident or as a joke, but there's absolutely no place I would wear anything like this—no place I would be comfortable wearing this dress.

Without a second thought, I stand and exit my bedroom. I let Alice know I'm going out, but she's so enthralled with Jasper that I know I'll be back before she's off the phone with him. She giggles and sways and acts lovesick in the spare room. I make a mental note to ask her if Jasper's mentioned anything about Royce.

The weather isn't so bad today. The sky's a light gray, the dust storm hasn't picked up, and there's less of a chill in the air. For the briefest of moments, I wonder what's going on in Court 5. I sort of miss the vibrancy, the sunshine, the dustless air. I miss the quad, my tree, and the floral scent that saturates the Court.

The walk to the mechanic shop Dad told me about doesn't take too long, and when I go inside, I see him immediately. Long hair, deep eyes, surprised smile. There were no butterflies then, and there are even fewer now.

"Look what the Royals dragged in," he says, standing and walking over to me. That hint of a smile doesn't grow, which tells me he feels about the same as I do. Relief sighs through me.

He's shorter than I remember, but maybe I've just been around Jasper and Edward too much. His shaggy hair I once found attractive, hangs limp and stringy down to his neck. Black as coal eyes are depthless as they take me in. Does he see me the same, or am I half the version he remembers, too? Not that we don't live up to each other's memories, but we've seen and experienced… better.

"Hey," I say, accepting his hug before awkwardly letting go.

"You sure do smell different," he jokes, taking a whiff of air around me.

"Huh?"

"Like," sniff, "soap."

I laugh and hit his chest playfully. "That's called clean, Jake. You should try it."

Jake laughs with me and pulls a chair out, inviting me to sit next to him. "So, what's up, kid? How's life? What's new? I didn't think your kind could mix with us Sixers anymore."

My eyes roll at his immaturity. "My friend Alice and I are in town doing some field observations for school. We're in Quarter 3 now, if you can believe that. Almost done. We're here a few more days before heading to Courts 3 and 4."

"Fancy," he says, but I can tell he doesn't mean it. Jake's never been a fan of any other Court besides this one. "Where are you headed after you graduate? Back here?" To him, that's what makes sense.

I shrug. "Not sure. The Royals sent me a letter, and I get to pick which Court I'd like to live in."

His eyebrows shoot up. "Whoa," he beams. "Aren't you just a little cherry-picked brown noser." His smile teases, but I can sense a relief in his voice.

"What about you?" I ask. "What's new?"

"Well," he starts, arms crossed over his chest. "Dad's not doing so well. He's seeing the doctor twice a month for tests, but they're saying he's got some incurable something on his leg. Doc wants to operate, remove it, but Dad says no."

"Is he going to be okay?" I ask.

Jake shrugs. "No clue. The doctor has no idea what he's doing, and we're sort of at his mercy."

My heart squeezes sadly. Jake's dad was always very kind to me.

"Jake, I'm so sorry," I tell him kindly, offering a tender hand. "Is it a tumor or something?"

"The doctor says it looks like an infection, the kind old man Billows had after he came from his camping trip in the woods. They can't find any medicines that will heal him, though."

Jake doesn't brush me off, so I keep my hand steady as he talks through his grief.

"And there's no one else that can help him?"

"Like who?" he asks, pushing himself away from me and walking toward the counter.

"Another doctor? A hospital at another Court?"

Jake shakes his head. "You know they only transport the ill when it's absolutely needed. I guess right now it's not, so we're just waiting."

Our whole childhood was comprised of fighting illnesses on our own, and I know Jake's speaking the truth, but it hurts a little more now. What if that were my dad? I'd do anything I could to save him, and that includes—

"Hey, give me your hand," I tell him, offering mine. "Show me a picture of the wound."

Jake looks at me like my hair's made of dragon tails. "Why would I—"

"I'll show it to someone I know. He's a doctor."

"You'll show it? How?"

"I, uh, found my magic. I can send and receive memories. Try it."

Jake puts his hand in mine and grips softly before the image of his dad sweating, soaking the sheets, comes into my mind. Jake's vision pans down, lifts the sheet from his leg, and a very red, swollen, and open wound comes into view. The edge of his skin curls unevenly, like something small took bites out of his flesh. The open lesion is covered lightly by an old bandage before Jake places the sheet back on his dad's body and looks in his eyes. Vacant but aware. Pain. He's in pain.

"That looks bad," I say softly.

"It's not that grim now. That was a month ago. He's still suffering, but the fever's gone at least."

I nod. "I'll show the image to my friend and write to you if he can help."

"I met someone," he says suddenly, eyes on me.

He expects a reaction, like sadness or anger or devastation, but the only thing I feel is relief.

"That's good," I tell him honestly. "What's she like?"

"Her name is Nessie. She's from Court 7. Like you, she moved up in the world. She's… we're… we're Bonded," he tells me softly.

Again, he expects devastation, but he forgets it was he who loved me like that and not the other way around. Instead, I smile and squeeze his arm in platonic happiness.

"I'm so happy for you," I tell him. "Make sure to send me an invite to the wedding."

"Are you Bonded yet?"

I shake my head. "Not yet."

"It's so much more than I ever thought," he whispers. "It's… it's like living your life never having drank a drop of water, and then suddenly it's offered to you in droves."

I laugh at his words and nod. "I've heard it's wonderful."

"Are you ever sad?" he asks me.

"Sad?" I wonder. "What for?"

"Sad that you're such a keeper but have never been kept?" Jake asks honestly. I don't think it's meant as an insult, but he doesn't get it, and he never did.

I shake my head, brows furrowed. "I don't need to be kept, Jake. I'm not an animal." The thought is almost insulting. If Alice were here, I can imagine how she'd react.

"No, but you'll be a wife one day."

"Yes, and?"

"And that's your duty."

Now the devastation floods through me. Here in this moment, with my childhood best friend who's so stuck in this Court with this life… it's disheartening.

"My duty is not to be kept as someone's wife, Jake. My duty is to myself, to be the best citizen of my Court; to uphold standards of dignity and morals. To be the Queen of myself, my future family, my Court."

"A Queen?" he asks with a laugh like what I just said is hilarious.

I shrug. "Or a King," I tease with a playful smile, trying to lighten the mood. Some are woman enough to be king, that's for sure. It reminds me of something Alice would say, and I smirk.

"A King?" he recoils, seemingly repulsed by my innocent joke. "Now you're getting to be a little ridiculous. You are a girl; how could you ever pretend to be a King, or even a Queen? There's no Royalty anywhere within this Court. You shouldn't act as though you are. It's not right."

I shake my head with a tight-lipped smile, pat his shoulder, and stand to leave.

"Don't forget to send that invite for the wedding," I tell him, kissing his cheek and turning away.

At this moment, without a second glance, I know there will be no invite because there is no friendship. Either Jake has regressed, or I have progressed. Maybe hanging around with Alice has been more beneficial than I originally thought. Maybe she's right. Maybe she's always been right.

On the walk home, as the dust storm picks up, I think about a previous comment she made.

You are yours before you are ever anyone else's.

Had I mated with Jake, that would have never been true.

Had I never met Alice, I would have never known to put me first.

I will always trust the process, but is it really that bad to question it first?

~!~

When I arrive home, Alice isn't where I thought she'd be—glued to the phone with Jasper. Instead, she and Dad are outside under the carport, the hood to the old station wagon is up, and he's showing her the inside of the car. I stop and watch, taking a mental picture to send to Jasper later. He'll never believe Alice got her hands dirty in Court 6.

While they putter around outside, I help Mom with dinner. I don't hide my disappointment in Jake, and she helps me sort out my feelings.

"He's just so… I don't know, Mom. He's different."

"Is he different, or are you?" she counters, adding vegetables to the soup.

When I'm silent, she sighs and expands on her thoughts.

"I don't mean it negatively," she corrects, "but you've been gone over a year with a totally different experience than he's had. Jake only knows what this Court has to offer. You… Sugar, you've experienced more than any of your classmates will ever have the chance to experience in their lifetime."

She's not wrong, but I stew over her words until dinner's ready. My block has been down since Edward asked me to lower it, but it's been radio silent ever since. It's not that I mind, per se, or that I want or even need to talk to him… it's just been nice to have the connection. I briefly wonder if there's interference like we had in Court 7, so I reach out to him.

Where do you find a cow with no legs? I ask, smiling to myself at the joke I heard in class one day.

He doesn't respond by dinner, and after that, I don't even remember I've reached out to him. No tickle or itch that he's there, no soft caress against my mind, no burning skin on my leg.

Alice and I sit on the back porch and watch as the dust storm rolls in. Her head lays against my shoulder, her tiny frame close to mine.

"Your dad is sweet," she says softly. "He taught me how to change the oil. I don't really know what that means or even how to do it, but I let him think he was teaching me."

Alice and I share a laugh as I nod. "He's the best guy I ever met."

~!~

Later that night, as she excuses herself to her bedroom to call Jasper, I shut out my light and lay under the covers. Tonight, the moon's dull shine escapes through dark gray clouds, and slivers of light peek in like a starburst.

On my plate. Edward's voice flutters through my mind.

What?

Where do I find a cow with no legs? Easy. It would be on my plate. Steak is so fucking good.

The swear. Royals, the swear. It turns me upside down.

I wouldn't know, and that's the wrong answer. You'd find the cow right where you left it.

You've never had steak? Oh, Belle, we absolutely have to change that.

The butterflies don't wait for me to throw the block up. My stomach flips and turns and scorches like intense heat as I rile myself up. Pushing it all down, especially the lump in my throat, I offer him a laugh.

Edward doesn't say anything for a very long time. He's either freaked, or his block is up, but I don't try and contact him either way. Royals, I hope he didn't feel that.

All night, I toss and turn and imagine how observations will go this week in my old Court. I wonder if I'll see anyone I know and if they'll think I'm as completely mad as Jake. Suddenly, the memory of earlier plays through my mind. Disappointment settles where the butterflies just were. How can Jake think that just because you get married, just because you're Bonded, the man owns the woman? The thought makes my stomach grumble and flip in an awful way.

He's absolutely wrong, you know.

Who?

That idiotic boy you saw today. He says 'boy' like it nauseates him.

Wrong how?

There's Royalty everywhere.

No, he's right. I'm not royalty or a King. I'm a Court 6 citizen and—

Edward interrupts me very abruptly with a warning tone. Sometimes the King is a woman, Belle.

Before I can respond, there's a knock on my door, and Alice pokes her head in.

"You okay?" I ask quietly.

"I'm just… I'm lonely," she admits. "Can I sleep in here?"

I nod with a smile, pulling back the covers to invite her in. "Of course."

She lays her head on the pillow next to mine, and I watch as her dark eyelashes flutter in the moonlight. She asks me who I went to see today, and I tell her just an old friend. Alice fills me in on Jasper and what he's been up to, how she misses him, and what she will do to him when she returns.

"Speaking of Jasper, and for the sake of changing subjects, does he have an update on Royce?" I ask.

"He hasn't caught onto any scents. A tracker from Court 4 says he chased him back to Court 5, but Jasper can't find him."

"Do you think… is he… will he come here?" I ask, panicked.

Alice shrugs after a few very tense moments. "I have no idea, Belle. Jasper thinks he's injured very badly and isn't ready to fight yet. It's not likely he'll come here, but he's a hunter and very unpredictable."

Alice changes the subject by asking about what's in my suitcase. Not able to tell her about the green dress, it's my turn to change the subject.

We fall into an easy conversation where we talk for an hour about our hopes and fears. About what happened in Court 7 and the way Mr. Forge looked at her when I ran upstairs. About how scared she is for Jasper as a tracker. About everything and anything.

My palms rub her arms in gentle, soothing passes until it lulls her to sleep. Slowly, I flip onto my right side and close my eyes. It's a restless slumber all night. I'm in and out of sleep, tossing and turning for hours, hating the way this mattress digs into my hip. Maybe I'll have Alice try and snap us a new one tomorrow.

For now, I watch the moon as it crests and falls, moving across the sky with the night. I wonder what vivid sunsets might be like, the ones from Court 4, or lightning, or the sound of an ocean lulling me to sleep. I wonder what it might be like to look up at the sky, in the middle of the night, and see stars winking back. Things I've read about in books, seen very briefly, all this is possible and at my fingertips in the coming weeks.

I'll see what I can do about his father's wound.

The butterflies return; the heat warms my legs, center, and breasts. It's hard to shake the feeling, but I do. Swallowing hard, I nod.

I would really appreciate that, Edward, I tell him.

I know. It's the only reason I'm doing it. You care too much about people who—

Must we talk about empathy again?

It's useless.

It's everything.

Edward grumbles to himself before I pull the block up. I have so much to think about that he shouldn't be privy to. Like why does the thought of him make me feel dizzy, why do I look forward to hearing him in my head, and why can't I get his alluring green eyes out of my mind? Sometimes when I close my eyes, I think I can smell him… it's probably all in my head. Lately, it's hard to tell what's real life and what's magic.

~!~

The next day, we get the official word from the Royals that after the mess in Court 7, my parents will be our host family for our stay in Court 6. Relief and excitement course through me. It's just a formality, so we're not overly surprised. However, the last line takes me by surprise.

Despite our efforts, he's still out there. Stay vigilant.

Alice and I hide the letter from my parents and hug each other tightly in the privacy of my backyard.

"At least they're aware," she tells me about Royce.

"Despite their efforts…" I trail off. "What does that mean? What are their efforts?"

It takes everything for Alice not to roll her eyes as she says, "I'm sure the bare minimum."

Her hand grips mine, and while she's scared for me, for her, for Jasper, she holds me and protects me, and absorbs my feelings.

Alice is fragile but in the best way possible. She's dainty, petite, and to look at her is akin to a fragile bouquet.

But Alice isn't fragile like a flower; she's fragile like a bomb.

~!~

The time spent in Court 6 flies by as I busy my body with tasks so my mind can't overthink itself sick about Royce.

I help Mom cook and clean any chance I get. I finish schoolwork and observation notes from the different classrooms I'm assigned to. I walk to and from the store, helping Mom with the grocery shopping. I even stop to help our neighbor look for her old cat. It's as if life never moved on. Like I never left. Like I still belong here.

And then there are moments, like when I run into Jessica on the street, that shove me back into the mindset that I belong nowhere.

"Holy Royals!" Jessica shouts.

"Hey," I say, squinting, blinded by her happiness, totally forgetting it's the magic that makes her shine.

"What have you been up to? Let me just tell you! Mike and I are Soul Bonded. We actually married in an extravagant ceremony this past spring. You're probably asking yourself what's the rush, right?" Jessica spits out so fast I can barely blink. "I'm pregnant! Yep, you heard that right. Mike and I are going to be parents. How wonderful, I know. You can barely even tell, right? I'm tiny. Mike is so perfect. Let me tell you, when you know, you know. This Soul Bond is no joke! It's like I can finally breathe when he's around, you know? Well, actually, I guess you wouldn't."

Jessica speaks faster than I've ever heard. So fast I almost can't keep up with her. It almost feels like she talks that way to convince herself of the words she spills. For a split second, I think about telling her. I think about the repercussions of what telling her would do. It was just a kiss. A kiss Mike needed to prove he's Bonded to Jessica.

"How is Mike?" I ask.

"Good, great!" she spews. "He's in Water here in Court 6. After graduation, he got stuck doing sanitary and sewage which was absolutely the worst, but it only lasted a few months, and ever since then, he's been working in the Water office. Funny how things change, huh?" she asks.

"Yeah," I manage.

"Jake says you're not seeing anyone," she says.

"Uh… yeah. I guess word travels fast," I say sarcastically.

"It's okay. You'll find him."

I nod. "I'm not worried."

She sighs and touches my arm. "I'm so glad I never have to go through what you are. The pressure to find someone before that letter… yikes!"

Suddenly, I can't stand to be around Jessica any longer.

"I have to get going," I tell Jessica, holding up my groceries.

"Right! Well, nice seeing you," she calls, walking past me like it's nothing. Like I kept her. Like she wasn't the inconvenience.

On the way home, I think of nothing but how strange the encounter was. It's like she talked so much, so I couldn't.

Whatever.

At home, Dad's back under the hood of the car with Alice. This time, she's hands deep in the engine, helping him fix something. I watch for a moment as he asks her to hand him a wrench. Her fingers fidget, pausing to think about which one he needs. When she picks the right one, Dad smiles at her and nods.

"Looks like she's coming around," Mom says when I come inside, setting the bags on the table.

I nod with a smile, looking out the window with her. Alice sure has come around about Court 6.

"You know who I ran into today? Jessica, and she acted so… odd."

Mom smirks. "I hear she's pregnant."

"That's what she said. Does she… does she know that Mike kissed me?"

Mom shakes her head. "I don't think, but oftentimes you're so connected to your Soul Bond that your intuition tips you off."

"Have you ever been tipped off?" I ask cautiously.

"Royals, no," Mom giggles. "But you know the story about your great grandparents."

I think back to the very few times Dad has mentioned them over the years. Something about an affair, a death, new love, and another death.

"Great-grandmother had an affair, right? Then she died. And great-grandfather tried to remarry, but he couldn't. And then he died?"

Mom nods along with me. "That's the shortened version. Your great-grandparents never believed they were Bonded despite the letter from the Royals. Great-grandfather was from Court 3 and was chosen to attend U6 for electrical work. Back then, Soul Bond letters occurred at nineteen, and he Bonded with a girl from Court 8 of all places. Neither was really into the idea, but it was policy, so they never argued. Great-grandmother had an affair with another citizen; great-grandfather found out through intuition. She was punished by the Royals as policy states, and then she died shortly after for… other reasons—"

"What were they?" I ask curiously.

Mom's words falter for a moment before she regains her faith and says, "an incident during childbirth. She suffered in the long run, and it eventually took her life. Great-grandfather moved on, caring for their only child, your grandmother. He was denied the possibility of finding another Soul Bond even at such a young age."

"And when did he die?"

"Oh, my. That was so long ago," Mom says, fidgeting with the vegetables for tonight's dinner. "I do believe he went missing when your grandmother was ten or twelve. She went to live with relatives in Court 7 before moving back to Court 6 for University."

"And then she Bonded on her own with Grandfather?"

Mom smiles. "That's right, Sugar. Remember how your grandmother loved to take midnight strolls along the forest? One night she brought you with her—"

A light goes off, a memory restored. "I remember that," I tell Mom honestly. "She woke me up in the dead of night, and I remember it was so cold. She gave me her coat, and her hand was so warm."

"That's around the time your grandmother's mind started to slow. That might have been the reason your dad had her put in facilitated living. After your grandfather died, she was never quite right."

"Is that how it goes?" I ask naively. "When your Soul Bond dies, does a part of you die as well?"

Mom glances over, a smile as soft as Court 5 cashmere on her face. Her hand, wet with vegetable juices, cups my cheeks. "I hope I never find out."

And that's the Royals honest truth. Mom has always said she prays it's her who goes first because she couldn't survive without Dad.

It's so weird to think that way, to change my thought process to center around anyone other than myself. I don't even think I love myself, so how can I ever love another person like that? And to think about not being able to survive without another person—without a man—is what sends the antipathy down my spine. But maybe Mom's right; maybe I truly can't relate because I'm not Soul Bonded. Perhaps this will all change once I am.

Mom sighs dramatically, tossing cubes of celery and beets into boiling water as she returns to the previous topic, Mike. "The Royals really punished him for that kiss."

I look back at her in shock, forgetting all about our family history lesson. "How?"

Her smirk makes me giggle. "Waste management for six months. He had to clean feces from the pipes every day."

That explains what Jessica had said about the sewage work. I know I shouldn't, but the laugh that bellows out of me feels so free, so destined, like karma did its job. No, not karma. The Royals.

"Mom, if Great-Grandmother came from Court 8, what happened to it?"

She glances over at me curiously. "Its citizens died out or moved. It's inhospitable."

"Yeah, that's what we're told, but—"

"Can you set the table, Sugar?" Mom asks with a cheery smile.

She either knows nothing or knows everything. I do as she asks and watch her the entire time. There's a soft hum that she sings while floating around the room. I have all the pieces of the puzzle, but none of them fit together.

Not yet, anyway.

~!~

"Will you hold it against me if I tell you I kind of like working in the school system here?" Alice asks one day on our walk home.

"Of course not," I tell her. "Court 6 has a lot of negatives, but the school systems aren't one of them."

"I see that now. The teachers are always so helpful and willing to answer any questions. Maybe it's because of how vile Court 7 was to us. Did you know that many teachers here actually come from other Courts?" I shake my head because no, I didn't know that. She continues, "and they all like it here. One teacher told me if you lay out in the field in the middle of a dust storm, you can watch it all around you, but none of the particles fall on you. Is that the memory you've shown me?"

I smile and nod. "It was always my favorite thing to do."

"Will you show me?" she asks.

I hand her my palm, pulling up a memory.

"No," she says. "Like, really show me. Next dust storm, I want to experience that."

Now I sound like Alice as I squeal. "Yes, of course!"

We don't have to wait long. On the day before we are to leave for Court 4, a major dust storm rolls in. We watch it from the kitchen window. Brown spins around, turning the gray sky a murky shade.

I grab Alice's hand and run with her, both of us excitedly giggling as we book it to the field just as the dust begins to rain against us.

It covers our hair, falls down our dresses, into our shoes, and around our feet as we make it into the wheat field. The stalks are tall and prickly as we fall against them, just under the element where the dust stops. Alice lifts her fingers and plays with the dust, spinning it around her finger like a tornado.

"This is so crazy," she whispers, pulling her hand back down where the dust doesn't rain. "How does this happen?"

I shake my head. "I have absolutely no idea. There are magnets between the Courts to determine elements, to keep them separate," I tell her, remembering Edward's explanation when we were in Court 7. "Maybe the magnets keep the dust above a certain level in the wheat fields. Or maybe it's just Court 6's magic."

It's the simplest explanation and the one that makes me smile—my simple little Court capable of such breathtaking enigmas.

We stare up and watch it dance before our eyes, swaying with the wind. Above and around us, the dust falls so fast it sounds like chimes as the tiny specks bounce off each other.

"How's Jasper?" I ask her, never taking my eyes off the sky.

"He's okay," she answers.

"Just okay?"

"He's busy."

"Doing what? You talk to him almost every day," I push.

"Just… stuff. He's busy trying to do stuff."

I can't but laugh. "Alice, what's up? Is he failing out of school or something?"

Alice sighs and turns to me. "Don't freak, okay? He found Royce's scent back at our place and then—"

"When?" I ask.

"Yesterday."

"Where is he now? I thought Edward said—"

"I don't know," Alice tells me slowly. "Jasper and Edward have been in contact, and they're working together. Jasper couldn't find his track. It was everywhere, like Royce was going crazy."

"What if he comes here?" I ask, panicked. "What if he tracks my scent to my parent's house and—" suddenly, I can't breathe. It suddenly feels like I'm swallowing a mouthful of dust. "Alice, what if he—"

Breathe, a voice whispers in my head. It's as soft as warm honey melting into my mind.

"Alice, what if he—"

Breathe, Belle, he whispers again.

"I can't—" I choke, coughing on my dread.

What did the ocean say to the other ocean? He asks louder.

It takes a moment to understand, for me to hear what he's asking. It takes my mind off Royce for a moment.

He's trying to distract me.

He's trying.

What?

What did the ocean say to the other ocean? He asks again, slower.

I… I don't know.

Nothing, they just waved.

I'm silent, but it helps. I let him feel how much it helps.

I have a new recipe. It's on your bed. Call me when you get home.

"We have to go," I tell Alice, grabbing her hand and pulling her with me. "Edward needs me to call him."

"What?" she calls after me. "When did he say that?"

"Just now."

"How often do you guys… talk?"

"I don't know, Alice!" I bellow, not in the mood to discuss this right now.

The dust beats at us as we make our way back into the house. It scratches against our skin, gets tangled in our hair, and falls onto our clothes.

Inside the house, I book it up the stairs and find a jar full of white powder. It looks different than the Pepperline he made before. I pick up the phone and dial Edward's number.

"Wait for the dust storm to settle and sprinkle that around your home. Then put a little bit in your dinner tonight, so your parents and Alice ingest it. It'll mask your smell, and Royce will be none the wiser. You need to take a spoonful every day while you're gone, though. Especially in Courts 3 and 4, where hunters are more prevalent."

"Edward," I pant, sitting on my bed, head in my hands. "Edward, thank you," I breathe heavily.

Alice comes to sit beside me, her warm hand rubbing my back.

"Remember what I said, Belle? You do not ever need to thank—"

"No, Edward, I do. Thank you," I whisper.

He's quiet, and so am I. Suddenly, hot tears fall from my eyes in the silence of our phone call. Remembering what he said previously, I wipe them away so he doesn't feel them. It's hard to contain the hiccups, the frustration, the tears. It's a dam that needs to break, the water so close to spilling over I can barely see. It's a release of emotion that threatens to break free.

"Let it go," he tells me softly. "It's okay to feel."

"But you—"

"I'll be fine. Your fear is completely justified. I'll… survive."

"Block me out," I tell him, my words stuttering as I try to hold back my emotion. "Block me out so you don't—"

"I cannot. I will not," he corrects. "Not while Royce is out there. Not while you and my sister are unprotected."

My nod shakes the tears loose, and when I hang up, Alice pulls me in tight. She whispers softly that it'll be okay. That Jasper will stop Royce before he gets to us. That Edward won't let him hurt me.

I let myself feel everything: the anxiety of the situation, a sadness for Jasper, terror for myself, concern for Alice, worry for my parents.

Hot, wet tears soak into Alice's dress when I hear it, and for a moment, I pause. The tears slow as I lift my head to listen.

A soft sound plays in the background. It's soothing and mellow, but full of tonal color and gentle harmonies.

"Do you hear that?" I whisper to Alice, brows knitted together.

She watches me curiously. "I only hear the storm outside."

It's in my head.

It's Edward.

When I figure it out, a soft, settling feeling of respite floods through me. There's no image, no memory… just a soft tune so romantic and tender that I must breathe softly through my panic if I want to hear it.

And I do.

Royals, I do.

A gentle peace sweeps over me, and my tears dry salty against my puffy cheeks. When I'm calm, Alice walks me to the bathroom and washes my face free of tears. When she's done, she sends me a wink, squeezes my hands, and goes downstairs to help Mom finish dinner.

Edward plays the tune until I change for dinner. Until I pull my hair from the braids. Until I look myself in the mirror for the first time in way too long and watch as my eyes glitter back as if they know a secret my mind doesn't.

Just before dinner, I open the container and pour some of the white powder into my palm. Sparkling gold and silver within the white powder, it shimmers under the light. It smells of salt and sour, and when I place it directly on my tongue, it's a struggle to get it down.

Downstairs, I drink half a glass of water to rinse the taste. While Mom's not looking, I sprinkle a good bit into the soup and stir, hoping the powder dissolves.

During dinner, Dad compliments Mom on her cooking. He tells her how flavorful the soup is, and Alice and I share a smirk. After dinner, Alice helps me sprinkle a line of powder along the property line.

"Are you feeling better?" she asks me.

I nod. "Yes. I'm sorry about earlier. Thank you for everything."

"Of course," she smiles. "What are best friends for?"

"Any news from Jasper?"

"He chased Royce into Court 3. Edward's supposed to be handling it, but who knows."

"Edward? But he's not a hunter," I question.

Alice shrugs. "He has very strong magic, Belle."

I guess that's true, but what's Edward going to do, snap Royce into a new pair of clothes? Read his mind? Maybe he'll—

How utterly rude, Edward interrupts, wounded but teasing.

There's a playful smile decorating my face, and before I can respond, Alice asks, "what?"

"Huh?" I counter.

"What made you smile like that?"

Lie.

"Oh, I don't know."

"Belle, you're lying. What made you smile like that? I've never… I've never seen it before."

Lie better.

"I was just… I was just thinking of a memory about my brother Emmett. I caught him in a very odd predicament around the shed over there. Would you like to see?" I ask, offering her my palm. "He was alone with his pants at his ankles, and he—"

"No," she says in disgust. "No, that's perfectly fine."

Edward doesn't say anything else, and I try to focus on Alice as much as I can. She runs her fingers along the grains of sands at our feet, tugging at the blades of grass sprouting up.

"How does grass grow in such a climate?" she asks curiously.

I shrug. "I guess I never thought about it."

"This defies a lot of my studies at U5, Belle. It's… weird. Grass shouldn't grow out of dusty sand. It needs light, water, and air."

Her words haunt me all night.

We're headed to Court 4 tomorrow, so we both turn in early. I kiss my parents good night and make my way to bed.

There's a book in your bag under the green dress. Please retrieve it.

Without answering, I sit on my bed and pull the clothes from the suitcase he provided. This is really the first time I'm looking at what he's packed, and it's a little… concerning.

Bright cotton dresses. A green and white short-sleeved dressed. A stark white, wrap dress with a bow that ties around the middle. A tiny, floral print, white dress that hits mid-thigh with a sweetheart neck and puffy sleeves. The same emerald-green, gauzy dress I saw earlier. I find the book and pull it out, setting it next to me before going back in.

A tan, sleeveless, poplin dress with a bow under the chest area. A dusty blue, button-down midi dress edged in lace. This one I run my fingers against. It's softer than silk and reminds me of the one Edward dressed me in last weekend.

The others are more professional like the variety of high-waisted, paper bag style pants tapered at the ankle, silky button-down dress shirts, and very slim pencil skirts. Royals have mercy. I'll never wear some of these.

Court 3 schools are very ostentatious. You are expected to wear what they wear, are you not? I was under the impression you received an agenda per Court detailing the dress code?

I just planned on wearing the same dresses for Courts 4 and 3.

You would have swiftly been asked to leave. Even I, as a student, am required to wear tailored suits to U3. Find the book and turn to chapter 3—

Edward, in a tailored suit, turns my mouth into a desert.

Can't you just flip to it for me?

I was not aware your fingers were broken, he challenges.

Instead of answering, I grip the book and flip to the appropriate chapter before reading aloud.

"Woodrose is a hybrid powder with dual effects. First, Woodrose deters hunters from tracking by masking their prey's scent. The hunted must swallow one spoonful no less than every twenty-four hours in order to build up a blocker in the pores. Woodrose may also be spread around the perimeter of one's property to act as a repellant. Second, when Woodrose is consumed by the hunted, their skin may take on a luminous sheen only when hunters are nearby. This effect lasts up to twenty-four hours after the last dose of Woodrose. The only ones who may see this effect are those who have also ingested the powder. WARNING: when Woodrose is ingested for more than seven consecutive days, OR a double dose has been consumed, the person may feel the following: overly warm, overly cold, intense rage, heightened arousal, and/or sharper senses."

I pause my reading to reread the last part before slamming the book closed.

Intense rage? Sharper senses? Overly warm? What's all this mean? I ask Edward, confused.

He sort of laughs, brushing his voice against the softest parts of my mind. I hate that it sends shivers down my body, goosebumps covering my skin, my nipples harden—

Edward, stop that!

I find it especially interesting you are not questioning the part about heightened arousal.

You're insufferable sometimes.

As are you.

I don't even blink at his comment before I ask, so stop taking it on day seven or what?

Of course not. Why would you?

Because of the side effects—

Those are nothing compared to what may happen if Royce finds you. They are mere warnings. My research shows less than a third of the people who take Woodrose for more than seven days have reported such instances. I advise you to take a spoonful every day until Jasper completes his track.

What happened when he chased Royce into Court 3?

I was able to incapacitate him briefly, but the other tracker was wounded from an earlier hunt, the idiot.

So he got away?

There's a pause before he answers, yes.

Edward, what if—

But I'm cut off by a knock on my door.

"Belle?" Alice calls softly.

"Come on in," I tell her.

"Can I sleep in here again?" she asks quietly.

My smile warms the room, and when I nod, she smiles back. Alice sits on my bed, and we chat about anything and nothing. Edward slips away, and I barely think about him as Alice shares silly memories of her pet dog in Court 4.

"A dog?" I gasp. "I've never… is it… does it bite?"

She laughs as though I'm being utterly ridiculous.

"Of course not. Claire is the sweetest dog. Have you never met one?" she asks, concerned.

I shake my head. "Never. We don't keep pets in Court 6."

Her face falls, and she looks overly disappointed for a split second before she recovers.

"We'll just have to change that, won't we?" she says softly, her tiny fingers clinging to my arm in support like I've seen her do so many times with Jasper.

Alice falls asleep while we share memory after memory. We're back to back, a pillow under my chin, when I hear it again.

The soft tune of a piano; ivory pressed down to sing a lullaby. This song differs from the one earlier. It's fuller, louder, more chaotic. A darker sound travels through me, but it's soft enough to soothe me to sleep.

Is that really you playing? I ask sleepily, my eyes blinking hard as I fight the exhaustion.

Yes, he says immediately.

There's a gentleness to his tone. It's so different talking to him this way, at night, in the privacy of our minds where no one else can hear. I think about what it was like with him in the other Courts. His stark honesty, and the abrupt way in which he spoke to me. But this is considerably different. When he talks to me now, it's a whisper. It's flying above the clouds. It's cozy, and snug, and enchanting. It doesn't take much to push all of Jasper's warnings away, to forget about them completely.

For me?

Talking with him is gentle, tender, and delicate.

For you.

A/N:

Thank you to Fran for beta-ing!

Things are starting to heat up... wonder what Royce is up to? What did you think of Court 6? What's going to happen when they head to Alice's Court? What are your thoughts on this not-so-relationship relationship between Edward and Bella? So many questions! Please let me know your thoughts in a review- I absolutely love reading every single one of them :)!

If you'd like, feel free to follow me on instagram. I've been posting inspo pictures for Courts 6 and 4 and some other pictures from previous stories! This way, the pictures will sort of put you in the Court visually. You can find me at eepwrites

As always, thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I can't tell you how much it makes me want to write more, faster, and better! I appreciate each and every one of you!