Free 13 Secrets by Michelle Harrison Page B

in.”

 
    At eight o’clock the following morning, after Florence had hollered herself hoarse, Tanya, Fabian, and Rowan each managed to crawl out of their beds and down the stairs to the kitchen for breakfast.
    “I don’t know what’s got into you three this morning,” she grumbled, setting plates and cups on the table. “You all appear to be half-asleep.”
    “That’s because I am.” Fabian rubbed his eyes, unsuccessfully trying to stifle yet another yawn. This in turn set Tanya off yawning, and then Rowan. After trying to resist, Nell also caught it, much to Fabian’s amusement.
    “And what were you doing, that all three of you had such little sleep?” Florence inquired, her gray eyes narrowed as she poured herself some tea.
    “Reading,” came the unanimous response, earning a disbelieving sniff from Florence.
    Tanya watched through bleary eyes as Fabian picked up his spoon and began to bash at a boiled egg a little harder than was necessary. The hearthfay, who had been devotedly keeping it warm, unbeknownst to him, ducked out of the way with a squeak and fled. Tanya’s eyes darted to Rowan. So far she had hardly said a word to anyone, and sat staring at her plate, chewing halfheartedly on a piece of toast.
    Warwick came through to the kitchen with the morning’s mail. After helping himself to the newspaper he tossed the rest into the middle of the old oak table, where it landed with a slap. He passed General Carver’s cage, which was open to form a perch at the top, where the parrot sat, leaning out in earnest for a peck as Warwick went by. Unfortunately for the General, the frequency of the pecks meant that Warwick was well practiced in squeezing past unscathed.
    “Tricketty,” the General squawked. “Tricketty, tricketty…”
    Fabian was the first to notice the blue leaflet tucked in among the drab brown and white envelopes on the table. He pulled it from the pile and studied it, then showed it to Tanya. Bold, decorative violet letters stretched in an arched banner at the top of the page, spelling out VALENTINO’S CIRCUS . She skimmed the rest of the page and looked at Rowan. Her lack of reaction told Tanya that the leaflet had been expected. The knowledge sent goose bumps skittering downTanya’s arms and prompted a memory of something Rowan had told her before, when she had been hiding out in the secret tunnels below the manor.
    There’s a circus that’ll be passing through,
Rowan had said.
I have a contact who travels with them, a fey man….
    Tanya leaned forward for a closer look. To the left of the banner, drawn as though holding its edge, stood a man in a top hat and elegant coattails, his face obscured by the hat’s shadow. Drawn behind him was a big top in vivid stripes of mauve and silver. In the darkness of the tent opening, a list of dates was printed, along with directions. It was simple, yet striking. In a heartbeat Tanya understood that
this
was the circus Rowan had spoken of. Its arrival—and that of the Coven—was no coincidence. The two were connected.
    “Oh, yes,” Nell commented, craning her neck to read. “I saw the circus folk arriving on Halfpenny Field yesterday, when I took the bus. I’ve never seen them there before. Usually they pitch further down on Bramley’s cornfields, don’t they?”
    Warwick lowered his newspaper. “I heard they couldn’t pitch there this year. Not after the fields were so badly flooded—they’d never get the caravans through. It’s still pretty boggy down there.” He glanced casually at Rowan, who avoided his eyes. “The Halfpenny Field is one of the only ones higher up that isn’t still like a swamp.”
    “Can we go?” Rowan asked, scouring the leaflet. She seemed alert all of a sudden; the cobwebs ofsleep had been brushed away. “It says the grand opening is this evening at seven o’clock. We could take the bus and still make it back before dark.”
    Warwick looked surprised. “I don’t see why not.” He looked at