guys watching the game—all of whom were oblivious to anything else. Just in case, when I stood up, I hunched further into the booth to hide myself.
‘Watch,’ I told Mona. Holding the straps of my Fae dress, I turned my back to her and when the next cheer erupted, I released my wings, allowing them to flicker and sparkle for a couple of seconds before tucking them away.
Mona’s eyes were full moons.
When she’d recovered, she said, ‘You did not just blast wings from your back!’
‘You know she did,’ Jack said as I sat back down.
‘How did you do that?’
‘I’m a faery, like Jack said,’ I told her.
She turned to Jack and stared at him with saucer eyes. ‘Are you…’
She didn’t seem able to finish the sentence so Jack did it for her. ‘A faery? Sadly no, I’m as human as you.’
The waitress arrived with our drinks and after she’d left us we spent the next several minutes calming Mona down and explaining where my twin and I had come from. Eventually, in a voice much quieter than before, she said, ‘So if my friend did turn out to be your brother, what would that mean?’
‘I’d like to get to know him… But the girl he’s betrothed to might want more.’ The second the words were out of my mouth, I wondered at the wisdom of having said them. But she gave me no chance to backtrack because immediately she was demanding to know what I’d meant.
‘If he is my brother,’ I explained. ‘When he turns eighteen he will know the name of the girl he’s meant to spend his life with.’
After a pause, she said, ‘What happens if they don’t meet?’
‘Then the connection between them won’t be realised.’ I showed her the rashes on my hands and up my arms, thick between my fingers and the creases of my wrists and elbows. ‘My brother will have rashes similar to these.’
‘They look painful,’ she said quietly.
‘I’ve accepted them as my lot. They’ll probably always be my brother’s too. But it would be nice for him to at least have the chance to fight for his right to live in Faera before he turns eighteen and loses the opportunity. I can’t fight anymore, I’ve given up.’
‘Fight what?’
‘The man who keeps us here,’ I said, then quickly changed the subject when I realised the meaning of the look on Jack’s face as he watched me. ‘Does your friend have similar rashes?’
‘Occasionally… not often.’
My hopes plummeted. If he was my brother, he’d have them all the time. ‘What does he look like?’ I asked.
‘He has dark brown hair and fair skin, a little bit freckly.’
‘Your email said he had clear pale skin.’
‘He only has a few freckles.’
‘Go on,’ I said, feeling sick.
‘I don’t know what else to tell you. I guess he’s not bad looking.’
‘And does he have unusual ears?’ I pushed my hair back. ‘Like this?’
Mona cringed a little as she said, ‘A bit.’
Embarrassed, I let my hair fall back into place as I said, ‘When does he turn eighteen?’
‘Like I said in my email, his birthday’s in February.’ She paused a moment before adding, ‘I don’t even know if I should be telling you any of this.’
‘Let him tell me then,’ I said. ‘Have you got his number?’
‘How about I bring him back here tomorrow?’
We arranged to meet at eleven o’clock the next day, but my heart was no longer in it. Her friend could not be my brother. The freckled skin alone was proof enough. But for some reason, I felt compelled to meet him anyway. She had been the only one to respond to Leif’s Facebook page after all.
‘Is there any point in this, Marla?’ Jack asked as we left the café.
‘I have to see him for myself.’ I could hear the hopelessness in my own voice.
He caught my hand in his and squeezed. ‘You’re torturing yourself, sweetheart. He’s not your brother.’
‘I have to meet him, Jack.’
My grandparents decided to go out for dinner and a movie that night, leaving me and Jack alone. As soon
‘Watch,’ I told Mona. Holding the straps of my Fae dress, I turned my back to her and when the next cheer erupted, I released my wings, allowing them to flicker and sparkle for a couple of seconds before tucking them away.
Mona’s eyes were full moons.
When she’d recovered, she said, ‘You did not just blast wings from your back!’
‘You know she did,’ Jack said as I sat back down.
‘How did you do that?’
‘I’m a faery, like Jack said,’ I told her.
She turned to Jack and stared at him with saucer eyes. ‘Are you…’
She didn’t seem able to finish the sentence so Jack did it for her. ‘A faery? Sadly no, I’m as human as you.’
The waitress arrived with our drinks and after she’d left us we spent the next several minutes calming Mona down and explaining where my twin and I had come from. Eventually, in a voice much quieter than before, she said, ‘So if my friend did turn out to be your brother, what would that mean?’
‘I’d like to get to know him… But the girl he’s betrothed to might want more.’ The second the words were out of my mouth, I wondered at the wisdom of having said them. But she gave me no chance to backtrack because immediately she was demanding to know what I’d meant.
‘If he is my brother,’ I explained. ‘When he turns eighteen he will know the name of the girl he’s meant to spend his life with.’
After a pause, she said, ‘What happens if they don’t meet?’
‘Then the connection between them won’t be realised.’ I showed her the rashes on my hands and up my arms, thick between my fingers and the creases of my wrists and elbows. ‘My brother will have rashes similar to these.’
‘They look painful,’ she said quietly.
‘I’ve accepted them as my lot. They’ll probably always be my brother’s too. But it would be nice for him to at least have the chance to fight for his right to live in Faera before he turns eighteen and loses the opportunity. I can’t fight anymore, I’ve given up.’
‘Fight what?’
‘The man who keeps us here,’ I said, then quickly changed the subject when I realised the meaning of the look on Jack’s face as he watched me. ‘Does your friend have similar rashes?’
‘Occasionally… not often.’
My hopes plummeted. If he was my brother, he’d have them all the time. ‘What does he look like?’ I asked.
‘He has dark brown hair and fair skin, a little bit freckly.’
‘Your email said he had clear pale skin.’
‘He only has a few freckles.’
‘Go on,’ I said, feeling sick.
‘I don’t know what else to tell you. I guess he’s not bad looking.’
‘And does he have unusual ears?’ I pushed my hair back. ‘Like this?’
Mona cringed a little as she said, ‘A bit.’
Embarrassed, I let my hair fall back into place as I said, ‘When does he turn eighteen?’
‘Like I said in my email, his birthday’s in February.’ She paused a moment before adding, ‘I don’t even know if I should be telling you any of this.’
‘Let him tell me then,’ I said. ‘Have you got his number?’
‘How about I bring him back here tomorrow?’
We arranged to meet at eleven o’clock the next day, but my heart was no longer in it. Her friend could not be my brother. The freckled skin alone was proof enough. But for some reason, I felt compelled to meet him anyway. She had been the only one to respond to Leif’s Facebook page after all.
‘Is there any point in this, Marla?’ Jack asked as we left the café.
‘I have to see him for myself.’ I could hear the hopelessness in my own voice.
He caught my hand in his and squeezed. ‘You’re torturing yourself, sweetheart. He’s not your brother.’
‘I have to meet him, Jack.’
My grandparents decided to go out for dinner and a movie that night, leaving me and Jack alone. As soon
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