“War is getting stronger,” he says. “And he’s not going to wait forever before he comes for Sailor. She’ll be staying here tonight so we can help protect her. I want everyone on their guard.”
“You think he’ll come here?” Mel asks.
“I don’t know,” Rye lies. “But we need to be prepared for the possibility. And I think we can all agree Sailor is better off here.”
“Oh definitely,” Sunday agrees. “Are we going to take turns keeping watch or something tonight?”
“No,” Rye says. “We don’t want to give him any warning that we’re expecting him.”
Another lie. Rye just knows it’s pointless because War is right here in this room with us.
“So what do we do?” Ya-Ya asks.
“We just go about our business as usual. And if he doesn’t show himself by the weekend, we go looking for him,” he says.
He sits back down, and for a moment, silence fills the room. Ya-Ya stands up.
“If anyone needs me, I’ll be in my room,” she says.
“Is something wrong?” I ask her, instantly suspicious.
“No,” she says. “I have a new hair color I want to try out. Do you want to try it with me?”
I smile and shake my head. There’s no way she’s getting her hands on my hair.
“Your loss.” She grins as she leaves the room.
“Down to lose a game of pool?” Sunday asks Aziza, who nods.
“Well I’m bored already,” Jinx announces. He turns to me. “How about a training session, Sails? You still need more practice with that sword of yours.”
I glance at Rye, who gives me a barely perceptible nod. This is it. Jinx is getting me alone so he can make his move.
“What, you need your boyfriend’s permission now?” He laughs.
I kick myself inside. He saw the look we shared. It didn’t put him off any though. I stand up.
“The day I need anyone’s permission to kick your ass is a sad day,” I say, laughing.
“Ooh fighting talk. I like it,” Jinx says, following me out of the cabin.
We walk to the warehouse. I’m on my guard, my hand in my pocket on the spear, but I don’t think he’ll attack here. There’s still a chance a member of the team will see from the window if he does. No, he’ll wait until we’re sparring and then he’ll attack.
We reach the warehouse and go inside. Jinx grabs a sword and nods to me. I pull my own sword out and we stand facing each other for a moment. My heart is racing and I can feel a dribble of sweat running down my back.
“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” Jinx says, frowning at me in concern.
His sudden concern throws me. Why does War have to be so good at impersonating Jinx? Why can’t he just drop the act and be all evil?
“Why wouldn’t I want to?” I ask cautiously.
“I don’t know. You look tense. Nervous,” he says.
“I’m just worried I’ll hurt you.” I grin.
It’s the right answer. It makes Jinx laugh and dart in with his sword. It’s also the truth. I am terrified I’ll get the timing of this thing wrong and hurt Jinx as well as War. It’s a chance I have to take though.
I dart forward myself and deflect Jinx’s swing.
“Nice,” he says. “But you’re leaving your flank vulnerable.”
I know he’s right. It was intentional. I wanted to give him an opening so he’d reveal his true colors, but it didn’t work. He’s playing with me, waiting until I drop my guard. Well he’s going to have a long wait. My guard is up.
I grip my sword in one hand, keeping the other one free to grab the spear when I need it. Jinx and I dance around each other, both making tentative shots, both keeping our guards up. After a few minutes, Jinx nods to my hand.
“You’re allowed to use both hands you know,” he says.
“I only need one for you, Jinxy.” I grin.
He shakes his head.
“Big mistake, Paradox. Huge mistake.” He grins back.
He darts closer to me and I jump away, but I’m not quick enough. Jinx flicks his blade underneath mine. He pulls it back and laughs.
“That’s how easy I could have disarmed you. Next time, I will. Concentrate. Don’t think of the sword as an external weapon. Think of it as an extension of yourself.”
I nod, finding the advice useful even now. When I have my dagger, I don’t think of it as a separate entity. It becomes a part of me, and I have to start thinking the same way about my sword.
I dart in again but Jinx blocks me and I back away, waiting for him to make this serious. He moves closer and I take a step back, but then I catch myself. Retreating will only make me vulnerable. As he steps towards me again, I step forward too, meeting his blade with mine.
“Better.” He grins.
Out of nowhere, Jinx spins around, and again he gets his blade beneath mine. True to his word, I get no second chances this time and he flicks my sword from my hand. My other hand starts towards my pocket, but I don’t get a chance to grab the spear before Jinx swings out with the sword and I duck. He kicks my feet out from underneath me and I land on my back on the mat. He laughs as I go down.
“We’ve still got some work to do, but you’ll get there.”
He comes closer to me and holds the point of his sword to my throat.
“But you’d be dead now if this was for real.”
He moves the tip of his sword away and reaches down to me with his free hand. I reach up to take it, but before I can, Rye bursts in on one side of him, Aziza on the other. Between them, they have Jinx on the ground in seconds. I scramble to my feet. Jinx looks genuinely shocked as to what the hell is going on, and I can’t help but
