“I knew I’d get you holding my hand once you saw me with no shirt on,” Jinx says through gritted teeth.
I shake my head, but I can’t help but laugh. Even now, lying here dying, Jinx has only one thing on his mind. I remember my thoughts last night. That Jinx could be the Horseman. Maybe this is an opportunity. I could run off and grab the spear, have Rye and Mel keep him alive but not heal him, and then use the crystal on him.
I instantly push the idea away. There’s no guarantee Rye and Mel could keep him alive, and if I’m wrong about this, he might die for no reason except my own stupidity. And it would give us away to the rest of the team. If I’m wrong about Jinx, then the real Horseman would be warned that we were onto them.
“Rye. Mel. Get over here,” Sunday yells, pulling me out of my head. “He’s dying here.”
I glare at Sunday, but he’s not looking at me. He’s looking at Jinx’s wound, trying desperately to press it closed. I catch Jinx’s eye and he smiles.
“He’s right, Paradox. No need to give him the death glare,” he says.
I shake my head.
“You are not dying on my watch,” I say with a ferocity that I mean.
Even if he is the Horseman, I think Rye is wrong. I don’t think it’s a betrayal. I don’t think anyone would be strong enough to fight off the possession of a Horseman, and while I’ll do whatever it takes to kill War, I won’t let Jinx die.
I look up at the sound of running feet and I see Rye and Mel running towards us. Ya-Ya and Aziza have taken over the fight with the last two demons. Rye kneels down beside me, Mel opposite him. They link hands and put them on Jinx’s stomach. He screams in pain and I tighten my grip on his hand. He squeezes my hand so hard I feel a bone break, but it’s a small price to pay to save his life.
I watch the wound closely although it turns my stomach to look at it. At first, nothing happens and I think they’re too late, that Jinx is too far gone, but then it starts to knit together, slowly at first and then faster. Jinx relaxes his grip on me and grins at me.
“How about a kiss for the survivor?” he says.
I am so relieved that I lean in and kiss the tip of his nose.
Rye gives him a sideways glance and mumbles with a smile.
“Don’t get used to it.” I laugh.
He sits up as Ya-Ya and Aziza join us. Mel and Rye move around the rest of us, healing us. We all have cuts and bruises, and although none are fatal, we need to have our full strength back to face whatever comes next.
I pull the medallion out when everyone is healed.
“Let’s get this over with,” I say. “Before we run into anything else.”
“Sounds good to me,” Aziza says.
I spin around watching the medallion, and I get my head back in the game as it glows brighter when I face north, and I start walking in that direction. It continues to get brighter, confirming I’m once more on the right path. Jinx comes over to me as I walk, and although I hide it, I feel myself tense up.
“Sorry about that back there,” he says sheepishly.
I look at him with a frown.
“Sorry about what?” I say.
“Crushing your hand. I felt the bone breaking but I just couldn’t stop squeezing,” he says quietly.
Could he not stop because the Horseman is inside of him, making him hurt me, trying to crush my fighting hand? Or was it just because the pain was so intense? Either way, it’s not really his fault.
“It’s fine,” I say. “I think your pain trumped mine.”
“I could make it up to you,” he says with a wink, back to his usual self.
“Yes, you could. By not making any more suggestive comments for the rest of the day,” I say.
“Spoilsport.” He grins.
I feel a flash of guilt as he grins at me. I was on the verge of risking letting him die to make my mission easier just a moment ago. I tell myself I have to let this paranoia go. The Horseman will make himself known without me having to play games with the team’s lives. And when he does, I’ll be ready.
“Sailor, look,” Jinx says, nodding down at the medallion.
I look down and I see what he means instantly. The glow isn’t as bright. I stop walking so abruptly, Ya-Ya walks into me.
“Hey,” she complains.
“Sorry,” I say. I turn to face the others, who are all gathered behind me now. “Look. It’s not glowing as brightly. We’ve passed the spot.”
“But we haven’t passed anything. It’s all just sand,” Rye says.
He steps closer to take a look at the medallion.
“I hope this thing isn’t failing us,” he adds.
“It isn’t. Look,” Sunday says.
He’s standing a few feet back from the rest of us, pointing at the ground. I exchange a glance with Rye. He shrugs, and we move over to Sunday. As soon as I look down, I see what he spotted. The outline of the medallion is perfectly carved into a spot on the ground. No grains of sand move to fill the outline. I get to my knees in front of the shape.
“Here goes,” I say, putting the medallion into the shape.
“Be careful,” Rye warns me.
We’re going to retrieve a weapon that’s going to turn a member of the team into a killing machine. I’m not sure there’s any way to do that carefully, but I nod my head anyway. I turn the medallion slightly until I feel it click into place.
The second it clicks into place, the ground beneath us drops away and I feel myself falling.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: CAVERN OF SAND
My stomach rolls over as I plummet through thin air. My
