Page 56 of Jinxed

Mr Baird studies me thoughtfully, his hand stroking the base of his stubbly chin. Maybe being a double agent is the reason behind his scruffy appearance. The lines around his eyes tighten, as if he has aged by coming into the buildingand taking off his ‘Moncha’ employee mask. ‘No, there’s no doubt that you deserve to be at Profectus. Any school would be lucky to have you – and you will go on to do great things one day, anyone can see that. Moncha are lucky. You are a very loyal person, Lacey, I can see that. Just think about what I’m saying. You and your baku have an unusually strong connection. There are people on the lookoutfor unusual bakus. If Carter suspects that there’s something more to Jinx than meets the eye... then I’m worried you could be in grave danger. I’ve been trying to keep an eye on you but things keep happening out of my control – like your selection on to Tobias’s team, the wild card entry... that are drawing attention to you and your baku.’

I shake my head and prepare another lie. ‘I sentJinx intentionally into the ring. He wasn’t disobeying orders. I promise.’

‘Good. Because if by chance that isn’t true, and in fact Jinxisn’twhat you say he is, then you might need my help. You won’t ignore that, will you?’

Now I can’t help it. I hug Jinx tighter to my body, my grip vicelike around him. ‘I promise,’ I say. ‘But Mr Baird, I swear to you – Jinx is totally and utterly normal.’

IEXIT THE WAREHOUSE, JINX IN MY ARMS, feeling sick to my stomach. I take a deep breath, searching from side to side, and it takes everything I have not to break into a sprint. Mr Baird offered mea car back, but I’d rather make my own way. I don’t want to have anything more to do with BRIGHTSPRK. The rain, at least, has let up – but the sidewalks are slick. I edge my way along until I reach a streetcar stop.

As I wait, I get plenty of time to think about Mr Baird’s story.

A baku that’s independent. Autonomous. That can make their own decisions.

Jinx is the rogue baku.

That means peopleare looking for him.

Powerful people. I could be in danger – and so could he.

I knew Jinx was different. I’d tried so hard to cover it up, laughing off Jinx’s quirks and taking responsibility for commands I didn’t make. But if Mr Baird suspects enough to blow his cover, or if Carter acts on his intuition... that means others can’t be far behind. Others who might take Jinx by force.

No one knows for sure, I remind myself. I don’t think Mr Baird would have let me go so easily if he was certain.

I can’t hang around here any longer. I need to get home. I can’t use Jinx to get myself a cab because of the black mark, so I spend a fruitless twenty minutes attempting to flag one down the old-fashioned way. Eventually a driver picks me up – I think out of nostalgia – or maybe pity. Payingfor it is going to use up the last of my meagre savings, but it will be worth it.

When I get home, I sprint through the building, not even stopping for Darwin, the porter, who yells out my name as I pass. The elevator doors are shutting as I round the corner, and I manage to nip in just in time. I need to see Mom. I need to tell her everything – come clean to her about Jinx.

But what if she wants to turn Jinx in...

I’m not sure that I could do it.

The keys fumble in my hand as I attempt to get into the apartment.

‘Mom? Mom, are you home?’ I cry out when I’m finally in. There’s no answer. I try to think back to whether this is one of her late shift days, but I can’t remember.

It doesn’t take me long to search the small apartment, my grip still as tight as ever on Jinx, refusingto let him go. There’s no one there.

My heart almost leaps out of my chest as a loud ringing bursts through the silence. It takes me a moment to place it, but then I realize that it’s our house phone. I run to the wall that it’s hanging on, blowing off a cover of dust and moving piles of envelopes stuffed behind the receiver – we almost never use it since our bakus are automatically linked tothe building’s communications.

‘Hello?’ I say tentatively.

‘Lacey?’

I breathe a sigh of relief at the familiar sound of Darwin’s voice. ‘Yes, it’s me,’ I say.

‘Okay, glad I caught you – for some reason I couldn’t get through to your baku?’

I stare down at the lifeless form of Jinx in my arms. ‘Yeah, he’s out of action at the moment – long story.’

There’s a pause on the other end of the line.Bakus are never supposed to be out of action. But then Darwin is used to strange things from me, and he moves past it smoothly. ‘You ran upstairs so fast, I couldn’t tell you. Some of your friends arrived a little while ago. You had them on your pre-approved meeting list so they should be down in the basement. Also, if you have the chance, my baku has been playing up—’

What?My mind is racing.My friends are here?How is that possible? I thought they hated me. But maybe there’s still a chance to redeem myself...

I don’t even listen to Darwin as he rambles on about needing me to fix his baku. I don’t have time for repairs right now. I mumble something about coming to see him later, then hang up the phone and race back to the elevators.

The basement is deathly quiet when I reach it– not even the sounds of Paul tinkering away. A feeling of foreboding descends on me. What if this is a trap? What if Carter is here, only pretending to be my friend? I try and reassure myself. Darwin has met Team Tobias. He wouldn’t let in just anyone.

But when I walk past the parked cars and around the corner to the lockers, my heart sinks. There’s no one there. But there is evidence that they’veonly just recently left. On the wall across from the locker, written in giant spray-painted letters, is the word TRAITOR.

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