Sister Cities

Part 3: Jinx

Ekko comes closer, looking at me sideways like I looked at him. "They have weapons," he tells Vi. "Outside. On the ground. And I won't make them put them down, either. But they won't use them unless I give the order."

"Then don't give the fucking order," Vi says.

"I'm not promising that."

"She's just scared. Look at her. She hasn't eaten in days— she's not a threat, at least not now. She can't even kick."

I drop my head back down so I'm flat on the not-table. I can too kick. I just need a second.

"Can we talk to her?" Ekko asks. "Or is she just gonna sit there and cry?"

"I don't know. Are you listening, Powder? Can we talk?"

I didn't know I was crying. "Don't call me that."

"I won't call you Jinx."

"Then I won't talk."

"Call her Jinx," says Ekko.

"She's not a jinx."

"It's her name, and we sort of need to have some amount of communication with her."

Vi scowls at him, and keeps scowling when she looks back at me. "Fine. Do you remember what happened, Jinx?"

I scowl back and don't respond.

"You kidnapped me and Caitlyn last night and tried to make me shoot her. You killed Silco. You blew up the Council building and most of the councilors and knocked yourself out."

"Too bad you didn't blow yourself up too," Mylo says.

"Shut up," I say through my teeth.

"You can't just pretend it didn't happen," Vi says.

"I wasn't talking to you."

She looks at Ekko. He shakes his head. "So you remember?" she asks me. I nod. "Well, now we're about to go to war with Topside. They're looking for you. It's probably in your best interest to be quieter."

I laugh. "Why doesn't your girlfriend just tell them where I am?"

"She's helping us hide you."

"Aw. I bet you thought that was super-duper sweet."

Everything shakes. Ekko stands over me, snarling, his hand pressed against the not-table beside my head. "Maybe consider that Caitlyn, Vi, me, and all of the Firelights are risking our necks for you. If you get caught, we're all dead."

"Back up," Vi says sharply.

"We saved her damn life."

The chain on my left handcuff still rattles from his movement, sending little pieces of light through the air. "You shouldn't have bothered," I say. "I don't need you."

"You would have died," Vi says. "He's right about that."

"Then maybe you should have let me."

"Too bad, because we didn't. We saved you, and you're here, and we're gonna figure out a way to live from now on. And you're gonna participate. Do you hear me?" ("Do you hear me? Do you hear me?")

Why did you leave me?

Because you're a jinx! Do you hear me? Mylo was right.

"You don't want this." I'm crying again. Shut up. I'm not weak. I'm not weak. I don't need her. I don't need them. Shut up shut up shut up. "You don't want a life with me. You wanted to let me die."

"That's not true." Her eyes are wide, flickering from me to Ekko and back. Her fingers tremble on my legs. "That's not true, Powder."

I take my opening and aim another kick at her. She's surprised for a second, then tightens her hold, putting all of her weight into it so I feel like the sheet over me has turned to iron. I sit up, and she leans forward, and we end up nose to nose.