Page 73 of Jinxed

Three other security bakus, the thick-legged, sinewy black metal panthers, jump up on to the tables behind the boar. I swallow. Aero’s not going to be able to handle this on his own.

Luckily, we’re not alone either.

Oka burststhrough a door at the far end of the room, Lizard and Jupiter not far behind. We’ve come at Carter from both sides. Now it’s a fair fight.

Carter grunts, but still doesn’t look afraid. ‘Hunter, get that eagle.’

Aero flaps his wings, raising himself up off the ground. But the boar is good – so good – and Aero is restricted by the ceiling height. Hunter has had upgrades to his back haunches, andwith a powerful run-up, launches high into the air. He side-swipes at Aero with his tusks, almost taking a slice out of the eagle’s wing.

Tobias is forced to send Aero into defence.

The panthers divide up the remaining bakus between them. Oka and Lizard rally around Jupiter in an attempt to protect her. Ashley barks at them to leave her alone – she can do it. I feel a surge of pride for my friend,especially as she launches Jupiter over the top of Oka and into the oncoming path of a panther.

Carter has underestimated me again. That’s always his mistake – to see me as the weak link, the one who shouldn’t have made it, the underdog. I place Slick down on the floor and send him scurrying around to Jinx, while I distract Carter by facing up to him directly. My hands ball into tight fists.He’s used to having baku fight baku. Well, he’s about to get another thing coming.

Carter grins as he sees me approach. ‘What you going to do, Lacey, hit me?’

‘If you don’t give me back Jinx, then yes.’

‘Well, I have another surprise for you. In school we might only be able to fight baku against baku. But here? The security bakus can fightyou.’

My heart stops, and I spin around, screaming‘Watch out!’ to Kai, River and Ashley as the panthers leappastthe bakus and aim their attacks at the people themselves. It goes against everything I believed Moncha Corp stood for. And it’s the opportunity that Carter needs. While Tobias is distracted by my screams, he sends Hunter up to bring Aero down. There’s a sickening crunch of metal against metal, as Hunter’s tusk pierces Aero’s belly.

But despite the noise and action, I manage to slip Slick past. He gets to Jinx just as one of the panthers jumps at me. He just misses – because Tobias shoves me out of the way. I roll on the ground, direct my fall towards Carter, then lunge at him to take him out at the ankles. Caught by surprise, he falls to the ground and I pin him there. ‘Got you, you thief!’ I shout. ‘Call off your baku!Call him off!’

‘No way!’ he says, defiant even with his cheek pressed to the ground. But I see exactly what I need spilling out of the top of his backpack. Black marks.

Risking taking a hand off Carter for an instant, I chuck the bag of black marks at Tobias. ‘Use these!’ I shout. Tobias snatches the bag out of the air and uses the marks to subdue Hunter and the security panthers.

Carter wrigglesbeneath me and I use both hands to subdue him again.

He writhes his limbs. ‘What’s the point of you “saving” that thing? Moncha owns the baku, not you. My dad is going to hunt you down. Hunt you down and find that baku – no matter where you go.’

‘What? You’re not going to tell your dad anything except that you made a big mistake. Otherwise you’re going to have to explain to him how you had Jinxin your hands and let him slip away. Another failure in your father’s eyes. Is that what you want? Because you can come looking for Jinx. But you won’t be able to find him.’

For a moment, Carter looks scared. ‘You don’t understand. He won’t stop there. You don’t understand what this baku means to him. It could have implications for the whole company. If BRIGHTSPRK get him...’

‘No one is goingto get him. No one is going to get to use him.’

Carter shakes his head. ‘You’re so naïve. Dad has resources you can only dream of. One baku just isn’t worth it. It’ll be your whole career. Your future.’

I don’t doubt it. But I have to be brave. ‘Friends are always worth it.’

‘I’ve got Carter,’ says Tobias, touching my shoulder gently. ‘You go and get Jinx.’

I scramble up gratefully, then walkover to the cage, where I see Slick working hard to remove the black mark from Jinx’s paw. Just as I reach them, the mark pops off. I stretch my arms towards Jinx, my heart soaring as he saunters out of the cage, looking (as far as I can tell) unharmed. He leaps up into my arms.

My relief is heightened when I hear his voice in my head.

>>You came for me.

Of course I did.

>>Thank you, Lacey.

Any time.

Carter looks small, defeated, as Tobias lifts him up to standing. I almost pity him. He thought this was the best way to impress his dad... but it’s just backfired. ‘Go home, Carter,’ Tobias says, giving him a shove. Carter picks up his inert boar, struggling under the weight of it.

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