Page 8 of Whispers of the Water

“How have you been, Newt?” Rune said, pulling back to look at his younger half-brother.

“I’ve been g-g-good. G-Greshim is still cleaning his half of th-the room, but I g-g-got d-done early to come see you! D-d-do you like my new g-glasses?”

Seeing Newt in the flesh was like basking in sunlight. He was a pure and sweet soul with a special kind of glow to him. Recalling the stories I’d been told of how their mother treated him made my heart break. I’d never understand how someone could treat anyone so badly, simply for being different.

Rune laughed and adjusted the crooked purple frames on Newt’s face. “I love them. They look wonderful on you.”

I looked up as Greshim came barreling down the steps. His hair was a bit shorter than Newt’s, barely touching his shoulders, much like his older brother. His mouth was open in a toothy grin, exposing his small canines. Despite their size, the teeth still looked like they could cause some damage. His tail seemed longer and fuller than Newt’s as he flung himself into Rune’s outstretched arms.

“Rune! We’ve missed you! We would’ve come out sooner, but mother made us clean our room.”

Rune smiled and ruffled the top of Greshim’s head. “It’s okay. We just got here.”

I looked from Rune to Greshim—who had started talking about the rabbit he’d caught the other day—before training my gaze on Newt. He stood back from the other two, and I realized that he was looking at me. Suddenly eager to make a good impression, I smiled at him and gave a small wave.

He crept closer and stopped when he stood directly in front of me, staring up at me with vivid eyes that matched his older brother’s. “Who are you?”

“My name’s Bria.”

He tilted his head to the side as one of his fox ears twitched. “M-m-my name is Newt.”

Be still, heart. Be still!

Somehow, I felt like Newt and Greshim were the real critics this week, and in a sense, their approval would be the one I needed, not Myra’s. Her acceptance would just mean relief for Rune, but if the twins welcomed me in, that would mean something real to Rune. And to me.

Kneeling so we were on the same level, I extended my hand to Newt. As soon as he registered the movement toward him, he flinched and stared at my outstretched hand. Seeing his reaction made my heart squeeze painfully, and it took every bit of restraint I had to keep my face neutral. It was hard to ignore the blaring reason why he was so startled by the gesture. Clearly, the abuse wasn’t just verbal or mental.

Finally, Newt slipped his small, warm grip in my own, and his lips tilted up at the sides.

I shook his hand and gave him a smile of my own. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

Suddenly, his eyes went wide, and his cheeks grew pink. He held firm even after we were done shaking, and he leaned in close as he said, “You are th-the prettiest g-g-girl I’ve ever seen, Bria.”

Heart warming, I laughed. “Thank you, Newt.”

“Are you a friend of our brother?” Greshim asked as he walked over to us. He slung his arm around his twin’s shoulder and looked me over like he was searching for the answer on my person.

“Boys,” Rune said, smirking at them. He walked over to me and gave me his hand as I straightened. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him. “This is Bria, my girlfriend. She came with me all this way to meet you guys. Make sure you help her feel welcome, okay?”

“Of course! Bria will be our new friend-d-d. Right, Bria?”

“That’s right.”

Greshim beamed at me and said, “I’m Greshim!”

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Bria.”

“Do you like to play games?” Greshim asked, looking at me with large, expectant eyes.

“Want to g-g-go play with us in our room?” Newt asked, not allowing me any time to answer.

“Yeah!” Greshim shouted. He grabbed my hand and tugged on it in the direction of the stairs. “We can play like you’re a princess, and Newt is an evil wizard who kidnaps you. I can be the prince that rescues you.”

“Hey! I want to be th-th-the Prince!”

“Woah, woah!” Rune said. Each arm scooped up a boy and slung them over a shoulder, a feat that was only possible due to his Fae strength. The twins laughed and flailed around as Rune said, “She just got here. Let her settle in before you ambush her to play, all right? You don’t want to scare her off now, do you?”

They shook their heads, which must’ve satisfied Rune, because he sat them back down on the ground. Their giggles didn’t stop, however, even as Greshim helped Newt fix his glasses, which had gotten crooked during all the excitement. Unhindered joy bubbled inside my chest as I watched them. This was a family. A real family. Something that I had always longed for. The brothers cast a beautiful glow around the room.

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