“This means War is fully awake and has found me, doesn’t it?” I say.
Sunday nods solemnly.
“It does. War has begun his end game and he will come for you tonight.”
“Then I need to wake up,” I say. “Help me wake up.”
I jump awake with a gasp, the dream still so fresh in my mind that for a moment, I can still smell the blood and the gunpowder. I lie in the darkness staring at the ceiling for a second, trying to calm my breathing down. I become aware of eyes on me and I sit up quickly.
A figure stands in the doorway to my room, watching me. This is it. Sunday was right. War has come for me, and we will end this tonight. I will end this tonight. I reach out without taking my eyes off the figure and shake Rye, but he doesn’t wake up. He doesn’t even mutter or move at all, and if it wasn’t for the fact I can hear him breathing, I would have thought he was dead.
The figure in the doorway takes a step toward me and I jump up from the bed, not even thinking of the fact I’m in my bra and panties and nothing else. The figure takes another step towards me.
“Relax, Sailor, it’s just me. I heard screaming and wanted to make sure you were alright,” Jinx says.
He steps forward again, standing in the stripe of moonlight that comes in through the window. He doesn’t look crazy or deranged. He just looks like himself, but I know he’s here to end me. I reach for my dagger as he steps closer yet again.
“Sailor? You’re really worrying me now. Are you okay?” he asks.
I don’t answer. I just roar and run at Jinx with my dagger clutched above my head in my fist. I have a better chance of taking him with my dagger than anything else. It’s still my weapon of choice. I can inflict the fatal wound with this and then grab the spear and do what needs to be done to really finish this.
At the last second, just before I bring my blade down, Jinx jumps to one side and avoids being stabbed.
“Sailor, what the fuck are you doing? Have you gone mad or something?” he demands.
I turn back to face him again. He stands a couple of feet away from me watching me as closely as I’m watching him.
“You can drop the act now, Jinx. Or should I say War,” I say.
“War? You think I’m War?” Jinx says.
I have to admit he’s good. He sounds so surprised to hear it that he almost gives me pause. But my dream showed me War is fully awake now. And Sunday said he would come for me tonight. And here he is.
“I know you are,” I say. “So why don’t you at least have the balls to admit it.”
I run at Jinx again, but again he manages to get out of my way.
“What are you waiting for?” I say, taunting him. “Bring it on. Come fucking get me. Or are you too afraid of what will happen if you do? Because trust me, I’m not going down without a fight.”
“Look,” Jinx says, holding his hands up, “I don’t know what’s going on here. Whether you’re still dreaming or whether you’ve gone completely batshit crazy, but I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Oh, I know you’re not. Because I’m going to kill you before you can,” I say.
Jinx shakes his head, still looking totally confused. I’m not going to let him fool me. I run at him again and again he manages to avoid me. He knocks into a shelf and a few ornaments fall to the ground with a crashing sound.
Why isn’t Rye waking up? Why aren’t any of the team coming to investigate the noise? The truth hits me quickly.
“You drugged the hot chocolate, didn’t you? You wanted to make this easy. Kill me in my sleep like the coward you are. Well the joke is on you because I didn’t drink it.”
“I don’t want to kill you. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jinx says. “Please, Sailor. Whatever spell you’re under, it’s me, Jinx. I’m on your side. Fight it, Sailor. Fight whatever is happening to you. I know you’re strong enough.”
I didn’t figure War to be a man of words, but it seems his tactic is to make me doubt myself, to make me believe I have this all wrong. Well it’s not going to work. I got War’s identity wrong once, and I vowed I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. And I’m not. I’m not going to let him make me doubt myself.
I scream and run at Jinx, slashing out with my dagger. He jumps aside again. My blade catches his arm, but it’s barely more than a scratch. A thin line of blood appears on his skin and it convinces me somehow that I can do this. The Horsemen might be powerful, but they’re stuck inhabiting normal bodies. I can take Jinx. I’ve done it before in training, and this time, there’s a lot more at stake than pride.
“GODDAMNIT, Sailor! Snap out of it,” Jinx shouts.
“And make it easy for you? I don’t fucking think so.”
I step towards Jinx and he takes a step back. He still hasn’t pulled his own weapon out. He’s baiting me, biding his time. Well this is his last chance, because this ends now. I take another step closer and Jinx takes another step back. I take another step, and I raise the dagger. Jinx backs up another step and his back hits the wall. I grin. I have him now. He’s cornered, and if I strike quickly, he won’t even have time to reach for his weapon.
I launch myself forward and slash down with the dagger. I realize, too late, that I have underestimated Jinx.
