Page 29 of Cryptic Curse

“Hawk?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think Mom loves Raven more than she loves me?”

I open my mouth, but the answer catches in my throat.

Robin and I have always wondered this about ourselves.But this is the first time in a long time—since our childhood—that she’s asked me the question straight out.

I don’t like to lie to my sister.In fact, I’m not lying.Because I know if I asked our mother, she would say she loves all five of her children equally.And in her mind she would be telling the truth.

“No, I don’t think she loves Raven more.”I scratch my chin.“I think right now she’s very thankful that that we allhaveRaven.”

“I am too.Don’t for a second think that I’m not.”

“I know that.But I also think that Mom and Raven just have a lot more in common than you and Mom do.And that’s not a bad thing.It’s just how people are.”I clear my throat.“For example, I have nothing in common with our father.”

“You’re the only one who looks even slightly like him,” Robin reminds me.

“True.I’m the tallest, and I have his eyes.”

Dad and I are the same height.But Mom is a foot shorter than Dad, so Falcon and Eagle didn’t quite hit Dad’s height.

“Yeah, I know.But he and I just have a different way of looking at the world.Truthfully, so do Mom and I.”

Robin simply nods.

She gets it.

“What was it you called us the last time we had this discussion?”she asks me.“The redheaded stepchildren?”

I laugh.“Only because we have less in common with our parents than the rest of them do.I never for an instant doubted their love for us.”

“Oh, I knowthat, Hawk.I’ve never questioned that Mom loves either of us.Just howmuchof that love is focused on us compared to the Golden Trio.”

I chuckle.That’s our secret nickname for Falcon, Raven, and Eagle.

“But Mom would like to see us all married off for sure.”

“True,” Robin says.“And now you and I are the only single Bellamy siblings, assuming that Eagle is still fooling around with Scarlett Ramsey.”

“I suppose we’ll never know,” I say.“He’s never been real open about his personal life.”

“I know Leif Ramsey and Falcon are the best of friends,” Robin says, “and Leif and I have a past, so I know he’s a good guy, but I have to tell you, I’ve never trusted Scarlett.”

“Yeah, me neither.”I look straight ahead at the road.

“He was probably with her today,” Robin says.

I rub at the back of my neck.“Probably.He said he didn’t come up from Summer Creek and last I heard, Scarlett is living in Oakwood Falls.”I sigh.“I don’t really know.I’ve done my best to keep an eye on Eagle.”

“He’s not your problem, Hawk.”

I simply shake my head.

Robin is now the only one of us Bellamy siblings who doesn’t know what happened in that barn all those years ago.Who doesn’t know therealreason why Falcon went to prison.

I’d like to be everywhere all at once—to keep an eye on Eagle, keep him out of trouble.