something. I’ve dreamed of this moment so many times, and it never went like this.”
My heart dropped. I didn’t want him to suffer like this. “Maybe you two can still have a relationship.”
“I don’t want to know her if she blames you for her choices. Or if she despises my grandparents. They were the best, Emma. I wouldn’t tell you that if I didn’t think so.”
“I know.” I gave a heavy sigh. “I believe you over her.”
And that was sad to say, because I’d known my mom for so much longer. But at least Arthur was honest.
I opened my arms wide. “Well, you didn’t get a hug from Mom, but you can have one from me.”
Arthur’s face softened. He fell into my embrace. His body was stiff as he wrapped his arms around me, but then he relaxed, and I felt him squeeze me tight.
He really needed this. It’s what he wanted for his entire life. I hugged him back as tightly as I could muster, trying to make up for all the lost years. I never could, but at least I could let my brother know I was never letting him go.
As I pulled away, something horrible struck me. Could Arthur have CVID, too? “Arthur, this is a weird question, but do you have any diseases?”
Arthur frowned. “No. I’ve never had any kind of medical problem. Fit as a fiddle. Why do you ask?”
I was relieved. “You’re gonna want to brace yourself. It’s a long story.”
I told Arthur about my condition on the walk back to campus. He listened kindly, without intruding too much, and it was nice. My shoulders felt lighter as we walked through the gates of Arcanea University. One less person to hide my disease from.
“I’m sorry you have to go through all that,” Arthur said. “But I’m really proud of you for dealing with it. If you need help I’ll be there for you. I can even research our genetic line— see if someone else in our ancestry had it.”
“Thanks, Arty.” The word came out naturally, like I’d known him all my life.
Arthur shrugged. “It’s no problem. You know, I always wanted a sister. Growing up an only child was really boring, I tell you.”
“Me too.” I linked my arm in his. My mom was being a jerk, but my family was bigger now. Having a brother made me feel like I wasn’t alone in the world anymore.
I had to part from Arthur a few hours later for my Fae Creatures Class. We’d spent forever talking, until he told me he was late for an exam and we had to go our separate ways.
Despite the argument with my mother earlier, I felt light as a feather, and some of the pain in my body had finally gone away. Perhaps things were turning around for me.
“You look cheery,” Delmare said as I walked into the Conservatory. The smile on my face was so wide, it almost hurt to keep.
“Yeah, did you and Ethan get back together?” Odette asked.
Kiara elbowed her, and the smile slid off my face. Was everything about Ethan these days?
“No,” I started. “I actually found out I have a brother.”
“What?” all the girls said at once. They huddled around me as I told the story. Their eyes grew wider with each detail. Odette gasped dramatically at all the right parts, and it only made telling the whole thing better.
“Wow, that’s crazy,” Delmare said when I’d finished. “Sorry your mom is being a bitch, though.”
“Never mind her. I like Arthur,” Kiara said in a chipper way. “It’s great you finally have someone to relate to; a twin especially.”
“Isn’t it?” I felt my smile return. “I want to get to know him better. Who knows how much we could have in common?”
We had to break off the conversation then, because Lady Iris clapped her hands at the center of the Conservatory, near the large fountain of the shifters to get our attention.
I hadn’t had a class with her yet, as Lady Iris was in the Circle and only taught part-time at the university. As part of the alicorn Faction, she was usually busy with affairs that involved equine shifters and sorceresses. But so far, she’d been a good teacher. This was one of my favorite classes.
“We’ve been studying a variety of fae creatures since we’ve begun this course,” Lady Iris began. “Today, we’ll be looking at malyludwy, or faerie folk. These miniature creatures live in the forests of Malovia, usually in tight-knight communities. We know