Every time I think I can have a quiet morning, something or someone proves me wrong. Whether it’s a giant cat on my chest or an unexpected guest barging in, life at the Stormbourne Estate never knows how to stay boring.

“Meow.”

Perfect. A cat. Right on my chest.

The tip of my nose was itching. I tried to ignore it, but ignoring this cat was like pretending a pebble in your shoe wasn’t there.

“Meow.”

It was louder this time, the mewling sounding resentful.

I rubbed my nose, still stubborn about opening my eyes. But then, here came the surprise.

“Bwather, wake up!”

Last time I checked, cats weren’t supposed to talk. Naturally, I had to take a look. I peeled one eye open, only to be greeted by the fattest furball ever, staring at me with beady eyes that looked like they knew too much.

“Arghhh!” I bolted upright, and the oversized feline leaped off me like I was a sinking ship, after, of course, using my face as a springboard.

“What the hell!” I yelled, more to myself than anyone else. Seriously, this was how my day started?

“Why you scat Nibbles away?”

I turned toward the voice, already knowing who it was.

A five-year-old girl with her mouth pouting was kneeling on my bed. I tilted my head the other way. Nibbles was cleaning his face with his paws.

I glanced back at Alice, my little sister. Her hair was the brightest blonde, shining whenever the sun touched it. Mom used to style it in jaunty pigtails that bounced with every run she took. Her blue eyes fizzled with mischief, and a smile played at the corner of her lips, displaying a few tiny teeth. A perfectly innocent look that made everyone forgive her for whatever playful trouble she’d gotten into.

But, of course, that wouldn’t work on me.

Whether a girl was fair or not, comely or homely, even if she were a noble heiress or a princess who chirped sweetly, I wouldn’t be swayed by her prettiness. I’d smack down such prettiness.

So, I did. I scooped Alice up and tossed her back onto the bed. Her laughter burst out uncontrollably, as she had way too much fun.

“Do it again, do it again!” she squealed.

“Sure thing!” I did the move once more. This time, both of us laughed. Her out of pure joy, me out of gratitude that the day wasn’t over just yet.

“So why are you and Nibbles in my house?”

“Because she wants to meet you.”

The voice came from my other sister, Aeryn, slouching idly against my bedroom door.

The second sibling in our family had only passed her nineteenth birthday a month ago. Like Alice, Aeryn had blonde hair, permanently set in gentle waves draped over her back. And like Alice’s, her eyes were of a blue hue, perceptive and striking. As the second-oldest in our family, she carried herself with a composed stylishness. There was a quiet, strong self-assuredness about her, graceful, not loudly ostentatious, much like our mom.

“You rarely visit the main house, so Alice misses your sorry face,” Aeryn said, crossing her arms and tilting her head as if daring me to deny it.

“Oh, really?” I reached for Alice again to mess with her, but she scrunched up her nose and sniffed at my shirt as if I was a week-old laundry pile.

“Bwather, you smell funny.”

I looked down at myself. Same shirt I had worn last night. Oh, and that wonderful reminder.

The tavern, the old geezer, and the lump on my head.

Yep, right on schedule.

“Arghhh!” I exclaimed loudly, rubbing the tender spot as if I could massage the memory away. Of course, it didn’t help.

“What’s wrong, Bwather?” Alice asked, wide-eyed once more, tugging at my sleeve as though I might pull apart right then and there. Meanwhile, Aeryn’s brows furrowed, still with her arms defiantly crossed, giving me that look.

“Please don’t tell me you’re going mental again, Alex,” Aeryn remarked, her tone edged with sarcasm. She kept her sharp gaze on me as if she could read my mind.

“That bloody old geezer,” I started, trying to remember his face, but my brain had decided to play hide and seek and had undeniably won.

Aeryn wasn’t amused. “Alex, must you always use that kind of language around Alice? What if she repeats it to Dad?”

Cue inevitable disaster. Alice was already bouncing on my bed, her tiny voice echoing the worst words she could have picked up. “Bloody old jeezer! Bloody old jeezer!”

Shoot. If Alice said that in front of my old man, I was done for.

“Alice, no!” I dashed over, trying to catch her mid-jump, but missed as she hopped out of my reach.

“Bloody old jeezer!” she repeated, like it was the best game in the world.

Aeryn shook her head. “You’re officially screwed, Alex. Dad’s going to lose his mind if he hears Alice saying that.”

I glared at Alice, trying to appear serious. “Repeat after me, and you’re banned from my house.”

Not that it’s a house, really. It’s more like a mini-mansion.

Let me put it this way.

Our estate isn’t just a collection of fancy houses. It’s almost like its own little kingdom. The main house? Massive. It feels as if they tried to pack the space of three mansions into one. Then there are guesthouses scattered all over, each one reflecting the eccentricity of whoever lives in them. There are even a couple of greenhouses filled with all sorts of strange, exotic plants, probably things you’ve never seen before. There’s a fruit orchard and, of course, a cemetery. What would the Stormbourne Estate be without the usual assortment of dead relatives hanging around?

Each of us siblings had a little mansion of our own tucked into some corner of the estate. Everyone but Alice, that is. She was still stuck in the main house with our parents. It was like an individual statement in stone and wood for each sibling’s place. As far as our spaces were concerned, we all gathered together when it mattered. Festivals, special occasions, and so on. It was like living in a small town where everyone had their own spot, but we all came together for the big stuff.

So there we were, Alice and I, having one of those sibling moments. She was frowning, her lips pressed together in that way that always made me cave. She knelt beside me again, nodding her head halfheartedly.

“You swear?” I raised an eyebrow. She knew better than to push me on this.

“Okay, I swear,” she mumbled, looking up at me with those big blue eyes.

“Good girl,” I said with a sigh of relief, though I nearly melted at the sight of her little crumpled-up face. “Okay, you can say it to Uncle Ned. Only to Uncle Ned. And I’ll do whatever you want me to, but only once. Deal?”

Not a soul in my family would let this offer slide by. All my siblings pretty much hated that fat dude. The guy was a walking disaster of bad jokes and constant complaints. Personally, I’d wager Mom and Dad secretly joined in, just desperate to keep me from heading into town every evening.

Alice’s face lit up like a lantern, and she clapped her hands. “Deal! Only to Uncle Ned, promise!”

Aeryn, meanwhile, was chuckling in the background. She found, no doubt, this whole scene way too amusing.

I turned to her and arched an eyebrow. “Do you know how I got back to my house last night?”

Aeryn laughed softly once more and shook her head. “Not a clue. Why don’t you ask Alfred? He’s bound to know who dragged your drunken self back to the estate.”

Ah, Alfred. My invaluable, all-knowing butler-slash-household-miracle-worker. He had an uncanny ability to manage everything, from laundry schedules to damage control after one of my less-than-stellar decisions. Honestly, the man deserves a medal, or maybe a vacation. If anyone had a clue how I’d gotten home, it would be him. Probably with photographic evidence, neatly organized in a folder labeled “Alex’s Debacles.”

Before I could delve further into my blackout, a little tug on my sleeve brought me back to the present.

“Bwather, bwather.”

“What’s up, cutie?” I glanced at Alice, prepared for one of her world-altering questions. She had this ability to zero in on things no one else would notice.

“Why is your hair dark, unlike mine and Sis’?” she asked.

She had a point. It wasn’t just her and Aeryn. Everyone in the family had golden locks that literally glowed. But as for me, my hair looked like I’d stolen a piece of the midnight sky and refused to give it back.

“Err…” I opened my mouth to respond, but Aeryn smoothly cut in, saving me from fumbling through an explanation.

“Well, dear, some of our ancestors had black hair,” she explained with a warm smile, the kind that made her seem like she always had all the answers. “There was one in particular, Theodore, our great-great-granduncle. He had black hair and brown eyes, just like Alex.”

Alice squinted up at Aeryn, obviously suspicious.

“Really?” she asked, her tiny voice so intense it was almost comical.

“… Really.” Aeryn nodded, humming softly, like she was trying to soothe a feral animal.

I turned to Aeryn, one eyebrow cocked, unable to resist throwing my own question into the mix. “Theodore? You’ve actually seen his portrait, Aeryn?”

“I have,” she confirmed with an easy nod, looking far too satisfied with herself. “There’s a picture of him in one of the books in the library. And, by the way, Alex, ancestor Theodore, was a little thin on top.” Her lips curved into a knowing smile, hinting at secrets she wasn’t ready to share.

I matched her smile with one of my own, grateful that she had answered Alice’s question.

Perhaps there was some truth to that story Alistair had related to me after all. The one about the curse with the Stormbournes’ fourth child. I probably needed to apologize for what I had done to him back then.

Hmm… On second thought, he most likely had forgotten about it.

Hold on a second! My eyebrows shot up to my hairline.

That ancestor dude was the fourth child, and so was I.

Was it possible that when I got older, just like him, I would be bald? Maybe the curse came with being bald too.

“Arghhh!” I ran my fingers through my hair as if it might disappear.

I couldn’t help but think the curse was already starting to take effect.

“Ay, Bwather! What’s wrong now?” Alice shook my body. At the same time, Aeryn burst out laughing. She seemed to get why I was freaking out.

“Nothing, Alice,” I said, trying to reassure her, although suddenly my stomach growled. “Ah, better take my breakfast.”

“Breakfast?” Aeryn chuckled under her breath, darting her eyes over to my bedside clock. “Look at the time, dude.”

I turned my head sideways. “What? It’s already two in the afternoon?” I smacked my forehead. “Alright, you ladies, I need a bath. So get out of my room and get out of my house. I’ll see both of you later.”

“Okay, Bwather.” Alice slid off the bed unwillingly. Her small feet landed on the floor with a muted thud.

“Come along, dear,” Aeryn said, taking my little sister’s hand. The two of them started toward the door. As she began to close the door behind her, Aeryn cast one last glance over her shoulder at me and grinned, then left me alone in the quiet once more.

I took off my shirt. The air was cool. I unbuttoned my pants, and that’s when I saw Nibbles out of the corner of my eye, peering at me from across the room where he now sat upon my dresser. His eyes narrowed into twin emerald slits as he flicked his tail.

“Meow.”

“Alice!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “You forgot your big, fat cat!”