"Hey! You're back," Diamond exclaimed as I shut the door to the apartment nervously, scanning the area for Crystal. She didn't appear to be anywhere in sight - probably still downstairs at Signora Carriera's, feeding Rocco. I really didn't want to have to see her, and her shouting at me in front of Trace and Diamond wouldn't exactly have been the best start to their wedding celebrations. This was primarily about them, not Crystal and me constantly fighting.

"So, what did you think of Venice?" Diamond asked, as I sat down at the breakfast counter.

"It's beautiful," I said, picking up an apple and biting into it. Trace rolled his eyes but said nothing, holding back his comment about how he was in the process of making dinner. "Our mother's going to love it here. But it isn't easy to find your way around," I added.

Diamond laughed. "When we first arrived here, Crystal's gift was a godsend."

"Crystal's gift?"

"Yeah. It helped us find our around."

"Really?" I had assumed that Crystal's ability was only linked to things people had lost.

"Her power's a lot more useful than she lets on."

Speak of the devil. At that moment, Crystal burst into the apartment, obviously still fuming after our argument.

"Crystal!" Diamond went over to give her a hug, having not seen her for a few weeks. Her expression softened a little. Though clearly still angry, Crystal was evidently happy to see her too.

"How was your walk?" Diamond asked.

She hesitated. "Not bad." Studiously ignoring me, while I focused all of my attention on the apple, she greeted my brother before hastily making her excuses.

"I'll be in my room if anyone needs me. I have some last minute preparations to make for Diamond's hen party."

"It's all organised?" Diamond looked surprised.

"Yes," Crystal smiled, "you're going to love it."

At dinner, Trace and Diamond carried most of the conversation. Crystal and I were both refusing to meet each other's eyes, ignoring the other unless it was to make a childish comment.

My brother and his fiancé clearly realised that all was not well between the two of us, and so made attempts to keep the conversation going, though they mostly failed, and I enjoyed the majority of my spaghetti in awkward silence.

Trace's final attempt to make conversation involved a story about his recent investigation at work. I laughed politely, though he was clearly telling the story for Crystal and Diamond's benefit, as I had already heard it.

I was also angry. True, what I had said hadn't come out exactly as I'd meant it to, but I was just showing concern and trying to help her. Did that give her the right to continue to punish me when we were meant to be celebrating the fact that our brother and sister were getting married? I was furious at myself, too, for screwing everything up. I guessed we were partly both to blame but that didn't stop me from being mad.

"So, how's your new job, Crystal?" Trace asked. He clearly hadn't given up on getting us to talk yet, though I could have told him his attempts were futile. I would have preferred to just sit in silence.

"It's fine thanks. We've been busy doing the costumes for a film company."

"That must be really interesting."

"Yes, it has been."

I decided it was probably my turn to fill the silence, though I was still fuming. "Crystal's hiding something."

She looked up sharply with a panicked expression. I guess she really didn't trust me at all if she thought I would spread the information that she didn't go to a doctor about her Savant abilities.

"What she hasn't said is that they've asked her to be an extra – me as well."

"Oh, Crystal, that's wonderful!" Diamond exclaimed.

"It'll just be a very short scene – a few seconds if that – bit of Venice atmosphere. Probably end up on the cutting room floor." She did her best to sound unenthusiastic, probably in the hope that Diamond would drop that topic.

"Still, but the experience will be fascinating. It hardly matters what they do with the footage."

"I s'pose." Crystal hesitated for a moment. "There's this costume designer who's taken an interest in me."

"I thought it was me she had a crush on," I said, taking some more parmesan. I was being childish but I was too irate to care.

Crystal grimaced at me. "Cute." I faithfully returned the gesture.

"Xav," Trace warned. I said nothing and returned to my spaghetti. I wasn't exactly the one who started it.

"Anyway, as I was saying before I was interrupted," Crystal continued, while I gave her a mocking bow, "Lily – that's the designer – thinks I might photograph well. She's going to get a friend to take some shots on set so I can send them to modelling agencies."

I sensed a conflict coming. Crystal was not going to like what she was about to hear. I kept my head down, studiously staring at the food on my plate, taking cover. I sensed Trace and Diamond sharing concerned glances.

"I'm not joking: she said I had a face that would, you know, be memorable. She thinks I could go the whole way – become famous and everything."

"Oh dear," Diamond said, more to Trace than to Crystal. She pushed her plate away slowly.

"What? You don't think I could do it?"

"No, no, nothing like that. I think you could – that's the problem."

"You're worried I'm going to succeed? That doesn't make sense. You've been pushing me to do something – well, here it is."

"That's not the issue, cupcake – sorry, Crystal. It's the kind of success you'd be aiming for."

"What do you mean?" She sounded confused. I was astounded that her family thought her so useless as a Savant that they didn't even need to explain to her the need to keep a low profile as a member of the Net. She may have been the baby of the family, but she was nineteen – old enough to be told the truth.

"We Savants can't become famous," Trace explained, "at least not in ordinary circles. We have too many enemies and people would use us if they knew we had certain gifts."

"But I'm not trying to become famous for being a Savant."

"We understand that but the same still holds true. If you are well known, people will start digging for dirt and asking questions. There is no one more examined than a celebrity. If they find out about you, you'll become a target. At the moment you're safe because you are unknown."

Still hungry after the flight, I reached for the bowl in the middle of the table for more food. I probably shouldn't have said anything more, considering Crystal's usual reaction whenever I opened my mouth, but I once again demonstrated my remarkable ability to make her mad in a few seconds. "Sorry, Crystal, better not take off that mask on Sunday."

She was already fuming from our earlier fight, and the news she had just received, so her anger seemed to multiply by ten at my casual air and the fact that I was reaching for yet more food.

Diamond, her peacemaking gift obviously alerting her of what was about to happen, held up her hand, too polite to simply tell me to shut up as Trace would have done in her place.

Crystal shoved her chair back. "I don't believe this! I finally found something I could do – somebody who thinks I've got a future – and you're telling me to forget it! Oh, it's all right for you with your shiny gifts and your reputations in the Savant world, but what do I have? Nothing! You all know I'm worse than useless in the Savant world so why the hell should I let that hold me back?"

"You're not the only one who has had to make sacrifices, Crystal," Trace said. He was trying to pacify her but I could tell she thought it came across as patronising. "Xav here has had to turn his back on a promising skiing career."

For the love of God, man, do not mention my name when Crystal is mad, I said telepathically to my brother.

"Yes, but he has something worthwhile in its place – his healing. I want this new life. If it means cutting myself off from the Savant way of doing things, then fine, I'll do that," Crystal shot back.

"But your family belongs to that world. You haven't thought this through," Trace argued patiently.

She folded her arms, a sign that she felt vulnerable. "I'm not the one saying I have to choose."

"Crystal, please." Diamond looked overwhelmed, resting her forehead on her hand. Trace shuffled closer to her with concern, and put an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry, but I can't deal with this now – what with the wedding and everything else on my mind. Can't it wait? We'll talk it over when that's out of the way."

I was already angry after our fight on the canal, but for some reason, her increased carelessness when it came to her own safety only served to make me even madder. "You might not get anywhere in any case. No point driving a truck through the family harmony for something that might not happen. It's a competitive industry."

"Thanks for the support, guys. Really, I'm overwhelmed." I had finally found someone as sarcastic as myself. Crystal took her plate to the bin, scraping off the uneaten food. Her words were laced with fury. "I think I'll go for a walk. I expect you'll want an early night, as you've been travelling. I have to get up at dawn for work so, well, see you sometime." She left the kitchen and slammed the door angrily as she went out. It resonated through the apartment, filling the silence that had now settled over the table.

"Jeez, Xav," Trace said, "could you not have kept your mouth shut for once in your life?" He was annoyed that Crystal and I were fighting like kids when he was trying to prepare for a wedding, and he had every right to be mad. Still, I was seething, though I hid it well, and I was not in the mood to be chastised by my older brother. What did he truly have to worry about? He had his job, his apartment and his soulfinder. And the moment where I kind of wanted to punch a wall was not a good time to start telling me off like a kid.

So instead of responding like a mature adult, as I probably should have, I decided to do a Crystal and walk out.

"I seem to have some difficulty keeping my mouth shut, Trace, as you just said. But don't worry: the next time I'm about to spew something completely harmless, I'll leave the room so as not to offend anyone with my uncontrollable curse of a mouth." My words dripped with sarcasm worthy of Crystal's standards. "I'm going to bed," I said, shoving my chair back and shutting the door.

I stood in the doorway, breathing deeply and scanning the hallway for the door that led to my room. All of my brothers had short fuses, and though I hid it well, I was much the same.

I heard Diamond sigh with exasperation from the next room. "Well…" she said.

"Teenagers," Trace replied.

Author's Note:

Well, guess who's just slightly late with their update? I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long. I've had a ton of revision and controlled assessments to work for, and I was going to update last Thursday but I went to a Fall Out Boy concert (they were amazing!), and we booked the tickets at the last minute, so I didn't get a chance. I promise the next chapter will be up much faster. ;)

In my last author's note I also said that I would let you know what I thought of Joss Stirling's new book, Storm and Stone, but it's been over a month now, I read it in the space of about two days and I'm sure most of you have read it by this point anyway. Still, it was really good. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it yet. :)

I've been thinking of writing a fanfiction for Will recently. I know it's been done before a thousand times but I have quite an original idea. I'm not too sure at the moment, but if I do decide to write it, it won't be up until after I finish this story. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate the support. :D

Bye! x