Sister Cities

Part 18: Jinx

I closed my eyes and saw my father's sins

They covered me like a second skin

I peeled them off, and sure, I bled a bit

But now I'm free to sink my own damn ship

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Vi comes back to our room looking angry and starts spouting a stupid plan Ekko made before I even ask. It's not actually that stupid, but she's scared he's gonna die, so she wants to punch someone about it. I'm the only enemy she has access to right now, but she doesn't choose me. She paces instead.

"I don't get how this is gonna stop Sevika, though," I say. "She won't accept a government run by anybody but herself."

"Yeah, I know. He hopes stopping the enforcers will at least give us a few days to grab people who will fight on our side before she attacks— either that, or he'll somehow demand terms that are so perfect, she'll stop on her own. It's fucking ridiculous. We'll lose him for nothing."

"He'll stop the enforcers," I say.

"Unless they just go on in and take him out once he tries to engage them."

Ekko's too clever to let that happen just like that. I tell her so, but she scoffs.

"When he's done scouting, he'll come back here and I'll tie him down," she says. "He's not doing it."

I giggle. "Are you just mad he stood up to you?"

"I don't give a shit if he stands up to me! The problem is that I want him around, and he wants to get himself killed."

I wonder for a split second if she's ever complained to someone else that she wants me around.

"Why would she have?" asks Mylo. "Ekko's the last piece of her family that you didn't blow up. You're just a jinx." ("Jinx jinx jinx jinx jinx.")

Vi sits on the end of my bed and looks at me. I look back even though it makes my stomach hurt.

"I'm so glad you're here," she says, "and not out there in the middle of all of this."

Everyone betrays us, Jinx. Vander. Her. They will never understand. It's only us. You're my daughter— I'll never forsake you.

Because if I was in charge of the rebellion, it would win in a landslide, and she thinks that's what I'd be doing if I wasn't locked up. Which is true. If she hadn't taken me here, I would have woken up and found Sevika and become the boss. I would have shot down every Topsider I could reach and watched them writhe on the ground in their blood. I would have seen Silco's plan through and won us a nation, and I would have been the best daughter in the new world.

You're strong now. Just like you were always meant to be. Jinx is perfect.

"Are you happy with us?" Vi asks.

"What?"

"Are you happy staying with me and Ekko and Caitlyn and the Firelights? I know I made the choice for you. And I— keep making the choice for you. But I hoped you would like it here. Do you?"

I can't look at her eyes anymore, because it's not fair that she has blue eyes and I don't.

Her hand moves onto my knee. "Jinx?"

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

It's okay. We'll show them. We will show them all.