A Clatter of Jars Read Online Free PDF Page B

ends of them he was trying to shake off.
    The seven of clubs.
    â€œSeven of clubs,” Renny told Teagan, as the image wiggled its way into his mind. He reached across the counter to still Miles’s flicking fingers.
    â€œWhat are you talking about?” Teagan asked, scratching below one ear. Even her hair looked bewildered.
    â€œThe card?” Renny reminded her. “You asked me to tell you what it was. And I said the seven of clubs.”
    Teagan looked at the card in her hands, and as soon as she did, her hair suddenly rose on her scalp, bright sparks of gold. “
Wow.
I’m going to tell everyone I got my mind read by
the
Renwick Fennelbridge!” She tossed the playing card in his direction, and Renny caught it.
    The seven of clubs.
    Behind the counter, Miles was still holding his dollar. “I’m done helping now, and I want to eat my Caramel Crème bar,” he said. When Teagan kept her gaze on Renny, Miles immediately shifted into a fit. “I can’t
eat
it till I
pay
!” And he was flicking his fingers again—
flick-flick-flick-flick-flick!
    â€œThat’s enough now,” Renny whispered, clutching his brother’s hand once more. He gave the dollar to Teagan, who rang up the sale on the register.
    As they made their way back to Cabin Eight, Renny glanced at Miles, who was munching away contentedly. “Thanks,” Renny told him, when there was no one to hear but the squirrels. “For helping me back there.”
    â€œMiles Patrick Francis Fennelbridge,” Miles said to the dirt. And Renny didn’t bother to stop him, because there was no one to hear but the squirrels. “Talent: Recollector. Able to transplant memories from one mind to another. Fun fact: Only two people know about Miles Fennelbridge’s Talent, and they have a brother bond.”
    Renny paused midstride to tug at the top of his right sock, which hid his blue and green Talent bracelet. His deepest, darkest secret.
    There was one disappointment in the Fennelbridge family, and it wasn’t Miles.
    â€¢Â â€¢Â â€¢
    Miles Patrick Francis Fennelbridge, the unknown Recollector, had tugged many memories from many minds in his thirteen years, some purposefully, most not. The majority he flicked away without direction, allowing Fate to guide them. Not five minutes earlier, he’d tugged a memory completely without trying, from someone standing in the camp director’s office.
    As Fate would have it, that someone was a cabinmate of his.

Chuck
    A S SHE STOOD JUST I NSIDE THE DOOR OF C ABIN E IGHT, clenching and unclenching her right hand, Chuck was painfully aware of her sister standing beside her, breathing the same air, waiting for her to make up her mind.
    There were two empty bunks in Cabin Eight, which meant four empty beds. Only Miles and Renny had chosen sleeping spots so far. Four empty beds, and two girls, standing in the corner, staring at the floor. It shouldn’t have been difficult for Chuck and Ellie to decide where they wanted to sleep. But it was.
    â€œThere’s a frog outside the cabin,” Ellie said, kicking at the floor with the toe of her pale-blue sneaker. “It’s not native to this area, which is weird.” She paused, as though waiting for Chuck to say something. Chuck did not. “You want to see it?” Ellie stretched out her hand, her left to Chuck’s right.
    Despite herself, Chuck took her sister’s hand. And she could feel it, as soon as they touched—the icy spark that passed between them, like ice cream on a hot day. With the chill that crawled up her arm, into her chest, came the Talent.
    Hdup-hdup!
went the frog outside.
    It was a white-lipped tree frog, Chuck could tell that now. Male. Juvenile. Bright green on top and white at the throat, with bulby pads at the ends of his toes. Chuck knew all of that without even seeing the creature. Chuck knew, too, that the frog was squatting directly outside