The Smoking Mirror Read Online Free PDF

then I had no choice. I had to be with him. He could protect me in ways I couldn’t protect myself. He made me swear to stop transforming. I never told him it was hereditary, but I’m guessing he knows. We haven’t spoken of it in twenty years.”
I was so angry at my dad at that moment. I want to run into his office and confront him, tell the super important Colonel Quintero what I thought of him. But my mother took my hand and stroked my hair.
“It’s the nature of things, Vero. Naguales , like other magical creatures, have been slaughtered throughout the history of Mexico. We are blamed for awful tragedies, and occasionally we have been guilty. And that’s why it’s very important that you never speak of this secret with anyone, not even your siblings. Especially not your father. You can’t leave any record of any of our lore, either. It has to be kept here and here.” She touched my head and heart.
But I can’t keep this inside me. I’ll go crazy thinking about it. That’s why I hunted up the diary Dad bought me last year (I never wrote in it…never had secrets up until now), and now I’m using it to find relief. I’m excited, I’m scared, I want to cry, I want to laugh. Tonight Mom will be with me again, running free under the silvery moon. I’m going to try to remember more. And when she takes me to the mountain, I’m going to learn everything I can.

    Johnny stood up and mused aloud. “The García Caves. Dad said they used to be underwater grottoes, like millions of years ago. Remember how he wanted to take us to see them in fifth grade?”
    Carol nodded. “Yeah, and Mom got all panicky and said no. That it was too dangerous or something.”
    Their grandmother muttered excitedly.
    Johnny knelt beside her. “The caves are important, yeah?”
    A tear welled up in the old woman’s good eye. “ Va-va-va-vayan. ”
    Johnny nodded and glanced over at his sister, who was flipping through the remaining pages. “She wants us to go, Carol. To the caves.”
    Holding up the diary, she pointed to a blank page. “There are just a few more entries, and then nothing. Did you catch her, abue ? Is that what happened? You took it away to protect her?”
    Tears were now rolling down their grandmother’s face. Before she could attempt to say anything further, Andrea walked in.
    “Kids, it’s time for…” As her voice trailed off, she rushed to her mother. “What happened? Why is she crying?”
    A little panicked, Johnny blurted, “We don’t know. We were talking about Mom and she got like this.”
    “Well, shoo, both of you. It’s not good for her to get this worked up. Go wash your hands. Dinner’s on the table.” She began making soft, reassuring sounds as she embraced the old woman and tried to console her. Carol closed the journal and pressed it to her side as she walked out of the room. Johnny followed.
    By the time she was wheeled to her place at the table, their grandmother had grown calm, a peaceful expression softening the lines on her face, making her look as Johnny remember from the early years of his childhood. In a few months he would become a teen, but he suspected he would never be able to forget how his grandmother had fostered his love for building, buying him blocks and Legos, then model kits of buildings and bridges. She understands me. It was tough, seeing her become an invalid. I didn’t want to face it. But now I’ve got to understand her. There’s something important here, and not just that me and Carol are shapeshifters. She needs us to do something. In the caves.
    After dessert, Stefani wanted them to go with her to the movies, but the twins begged off, saying that they were exhausted and wanted to turn in early. They sat down across from each other, on narrow guest beds cushioned with thick San Marcos blankets, and said nothing for the longest time.
    “We have to go to the caves,” Johnny finally said.
    Carol nodded. “She definitely wants us to go. I guess you want to