wondered.
April grinned. There was definitely a family resemblance. âBecause Iâm headed for the very same place.â
During the time April stayed with them, she and Vincent left the house together each morning. They said they had taken up running, which they vowed would become a huge trend someday. But whenever they returned they were wearing their black clothes and boots and they clearly hadnât broken a sweat. Jet and Franny both resented being cut out of their mysterious doings. Franny was jealous of the time Vincent spent away from them, but it was April whom Jet wanted to know better, if only to borrow some of her cousinâs fabulous clothes.
Still, each day April and Vincent continued to disappear without a trace, clearly looking for the trouble they would one day find. At last Franny spied them in the rare book room at the library, intent on The Magus. The two of them had gleefully set the glass-drop chandeliers to shaking, which had the librarians frantically calling town hall to see if there had been an earthquake. The cousins were so engrossed they didnât notice that Franny had entered the room until she threw herself into a chair directly across from them. Then they looked up, blinking, caught in the act. They were glad they had earlier set a spell on Franny so she would never know what they were up to.
âBrilliant,â Franny scolded. Her eyesight was fuzzy, as if she couldnât quite see the trouble they were brewing. âPracticing the dark arts in a public place. That will make the locals love us.â
âScrew the locals,â April responded. âDid you know thiswas the spot where the old jail stood? Maria Owens sat here in chains. It has enormous power.â
âItâs a library. Somehow I didnât think of you two as library hounds.â
âI am not a hound,â Vincent said.
âI canât believe this is where you spend your time,â Franny said.
âWe also smoke pot at the lake,â April cheerfully revealed.
â Our lake?â Franny said to Vincent, truly hurt now.
âWe donât own it. April has a right to go there.â Vincent seemed even more reckless than usual. âAnd we only go there occasionally.â
âSo what are you up to?â Franny asked her brother.
âWhat trouble could happen in a library?â When Vincentâs languid smile spread across his face Franny nearly forgave him for sharing secrets with April. But not quite.
âIf youâre with her,â Franny said, nodding to their cousin, âplenty. Just be aware that April is a narcissist.â Sheâd heard her father use this term for many of his patients, devil-may-care people who never thought about anyone but themselves. âI think youâll regret this alliance,â she told her brother.
âHe wonât,â April said. âAnd youâre not the first one to tag me with that diagnosis. Iâm disappointed in you, Franny. I thought you were more original. If youâre doing so much research here, did you find out anything about the secret?â
âWhat secret?â Franny said.
âIf I knew, it wouldnât be a secret,â April said smugly. âIâve heard my parents whispering about it. Itâs probably something horrible and unexpected. I suppose it will hijack us when we least expect it. It has something to do with the curse. Some darkpast that everyone wants to forget. So it looks like you donât know as much as you think you do.â
After that Franny had nothing to do with April. Jet, on the other hand, continued to find their cousin fascinating. She loved to try on Aprilâs miniskirts and skintight jeans and lacy dresses. When Jet dressed up in them she looked like someone completely different, and she liked what she saw.
One night, when thunder was rolling across the sky, Jet looked out the window to spy April and Vincent playing strip poker in
Bret Witter, Luis Carlos Montalván