Which was probably true, but that didn’t make it okay to go into the city so soon after an episode.
“Jazz—”
“Charles,” she said, mimicking my tone.
I sighed and rubbed my eyes. One of the contact lenses slid. Cheap piece of shit. I adjusted the lens as best as I could and blinked several times.
“She does look like she’s gained some color,” my uncle interjected. “You guys should take advantage of the quiet while you still can. Who knows when someone else in your radius will pass?”
I frowned at him. He was supposed to be on my side. We’d talked about this. My uncle gave me an innocent smile.
“Fine,” I snapped. “At least let Anthony know where we’re going.”
Jasmine grinned, the prospect of a field trip making all earlier signs of fatigue evaporate. She led the way into the station. “Just let me grab my contacts and we can go.”
I cast a scowl my uncle’s way before following her inside.
Jasmine spun around to grin at me. “Hey! When we’re done window shopping, do you think we could stop at the tea shop in Pike Place Market?”
“Nobody our age drinks hot tea,” was my rebuttal.
“All the more reason to keep up the tradition. We’re already abnormal. Might as well lean into it!”
“Have fun, you two,” my uncle said before making his way to his desk.
“We will,” Jasmine promised.
My uncle pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and placed it on the desk’s surface. Then he raised his eyebrows at me as if to say, “Call me if anything happens.”
Who else would I call? I mouthed back. I was still annoyed with him for being such a pushover.
He just kept giving me that expectant look as he slid into his swivel chair.
The rest of the journey through the precinct was quiet between me and Jazz. All around us, people talked on their phones, typed on their computers, and took statements from strangers. These visitors gawked at my sister and I as we walked past but the officers barely paid us any mind. After four years of watching Jasmine skipping through the halls with me as her skulking shadow, I guess they were over it.
Jasmine took my hand once we were in the elevator. “Stop frowning. You’ll get wrinkles.”
I glanced at her. Her bright pink knitted sweater was too long for her. The dark leggings and rain boots made her look like a child. Her large eyes and lack of curves didn’t help her seem any more mature.
God, I really didn’t want to take her out. She was so determined to enjoy things, anything, but I knew how much pain she was in. I saw it every time she died and was bedridden. After a field trip sometimes, when she thought no one was looking, she looked so sad and tired. Being inside all the time frustrated her, but being outside didn’t help her either.
I wanted to keep her here, where she was safe, where we could take care of her, where there were few reminders of the life she couldn’t have. Where the prying eyes of this obnoxiously curious city couldn’t reach her. Uncle Victor thought we should do whatever it took to make Jasmine happy. It was hard to be the bad guy when I wanted to make my sister happy too. She deserved it. But, no matter what we did, she could never actually be happy, at least not for very long. I would do anything to free her from this curse, even if it meant bearing the entire weight of it myself.
Jasmine’s face softened. “You’re thinking again. You know what it does to you.”
I tore my gaze away from hers and glared at the elevator door. That was the worst part of this waking nightmare; I couldn’t help her. Not really.
“Did anything interesting happen at school today?”
“Some girl walked in on me while I was taking a leak.”
Jasmine laughed.
That made me loosen up a little.
“Wish I could’ve been there to see the look on your face! Why’d she go into the boys’ restroom?”
I slid the metal slate aside and let her exit the elevator first. “She’s new. She’s still learning it isn’t a good idea to mess with Randi. From the looks of her, I’d say she enjoys messing with people like Randi just to get a reaction from them.”
A mischievous smile formed across Jasmine’s face. “Was this new girl cute?”
I thought of that fearless smirk, those defiant eyes, and the switchblade she hadn’t hesitated to whip out the minute I’d pissed her off. No. I didn’t think anyone would dare call her cute.
I forced myself to scoff. “She was wearing a vest over a shirt with a flying pig on it. Who does that?”
“Someone who belongs in Seattle,” was Jasmine’s reply. “We’re back, Anthony!”
The doctor sat at Jasmine’s desk, but looked up when we came in. “How’d it go?”
“A young secretary from the mayor’s office was murdered,” I said. “Someone’s trying to intimidate and/or learn secrets about Mr. Ward.”
“It’s Charlie’s theory anyway. Uncle Vic’s doing research as we speak,” Jasmine said. “I’m feeling much better now so we’re going window shopping. Want to come with?”
“Maybe next time.” Anthony gestured to the pages arrayed before him. “I still have several more of your papers to go over.”
Jasmine tssked. “All work and no play makes Tony a dull boy.”
The doctor turned back to his work with a little smile. “Have fun.”
October 24th, 1720
My fear has been realized.
Segil and Izz found my journal and confronted Dymeka and me. They accused us of treachery and betrayal. They even recruited Nij and Fadele to accuse us of perfidy. My intentions were always rooted in the deepest of affection, never animosity. We were merely concerned with the manner of their behavior. The men began to quarrel, nearly ending in blows, while the women scorned me. But Dymeka stepped away and hid me
