Page 28 of Jinxed
Immediately the silver pads beneath my feet heat up, and I become encased in a projection that shows me the different areas of the battlefield – including the side of the doughnut that is invisible to me. My view automatically swerves so that I cansee from Jinx’s point of view – and above him, like a bird’s eye, if I turn my head slightly.
>>We’re connected!
‘Oh my gosh, you can feel this too?’
>>Absolutely. It must be how you would send me commands. You know. If I listened to that sort of thing.
I roll my eyes. ‘You would have to listen to me in a Baku Battle. What if something was coming behind you?’
>>Trust me, I would have much better instincts on that front than you.
As if to prove his point, he ripples his back, arching it so his tail flicks. At the same time, he lights up every one of his sensors, so it looks like moonlight sparkling off waves on an ink-black ocean. ‘Show off,’ I say, sticking my tongue out.
I play around a bit with the hologram, moving the field of vision this way and that, and watching as Jinx’sstats light up on the screen. It’s an impressive bit of kit – and the fact that you can’t tell it exists until you are inside the circle is even more impressive. The silver disks must not only be pressure points, but must form part of the leash connection.
I wish I could toy around with it all night, but I can see in the corner that the time is already flashing five p.m. School’s been out foran hour and a half – I’m sure most of the training sessions have finished already. Mom will be wondering where I’ve got to.
With reluctance, I step off the silver pads, and the hologram drops. I pick my backpack off the floor with a grunt, weighed down by the bits and pieces I’ve collected from the arena. Lots to sort out in the cave tonight.
I wave my hand in front of the door and it opens.I step through. But Jinx doesn’t follow. I spin around on my heels as the door slides shut on me. ‘Jinx!!’ I cry out, slamming my fists on to the door. ‘Dammit, Jinx, why didn’t you come?’ I push on the door, then press my hand on the keypad, but it flashes up a series of red lights at me: CODE INVALID.
I groan. I stand on my tiptoes, looking through the small window into the room. I see Jinx’stail dash across the floor – he’s not at all worried about being separated from me. Instead, I see him look back over his shoulder, catch my eye, and then disappear through a different sliding door on the opposite side.
I slam my fist one more time, shouting his name. But it’s no use. He’s gone. Now I have to find him in a maze of hallways, laboratories and classrooms, some blocked off by securitythat I have no idea how to navigate. So much for being able to make a quick getaway home.
My last glance through the window confirms that Jinx is no longer there – the arena is now dark and, thanks to me, clean. I take a mental note of which door he went through, so that I can make my way round in that direction. He can’t go far – I’m certain that he wouldn’t run away from me for good. Bakusdon’t do that.But maybe this one does, says an uncomfortable voice in the back of my mind. I can’t risk it. I have to find him.
I dig around for a pen inside my bag (Mom insisted I bring one, though I haven’t written anything down in ages) and jot down a rough map of the arena on my palm: the door where I am, and where Jinx has gone. It’s lame, but the best idea I can think of in the moment.Then I dash back along the hallway, to the stairs that I walked down with Mr Baird. There’s a couple of other doors leading from the stairwell, and – confusingly – both lead in the direction that I want to go. There’s nothing – no signage or even door numbers – to indicate which would be my best option, so I go for the closest. I yank at it, but it won’t budge. There’s no lock pad or even keyholethat I can see – maybe it only opens one way?
I run around to the other door, which pushes open easily. ‘Jinx?’ I call out tentatively. Nothing. I need to keep following the hallways around to the left in order to make sure that I’m following the circle around – and not heading further out into one of the numerous wings.
I keep moving, occasionally coming up against locked doors or dead-ends.I try every handle in desperation, pushing against every window in case there’s an alternative way through. I’ve moved beyond the surgically white hallways of the science wing, into a part of the Academy that has a more relaxed vibe – with beanbag chairs for resting in, and did I spot a ping-pong table? It looks like one of the visions of perfect corporate life that I’ve seen in old movies and televisionshows. Mentally I try and bring up a picture of what I know the school to be like – maybe this is where the kids who board stay? It would be a pretty cool place to live. But there’s no one around.
I come across a huge lounge-type room, with oversized armchairs, two elaborate fireplaces and inspirational messages printed on to the walls in foiled type that catches the low light. The lights turnon as I enter, and I brace for some sort of alarm – but nothing happens.
I catch a glimpse of Jinx in the far corner of the room. Just the end of his slinky tail, but it’s enough. ‘Wait for me!’ I cry out. I sprint across the hall, jumping over a low-lying coffee table and trying not to slip on the brightly coloured rugs.
Jinx is halfway through an open door when I take a flying leap and finallymanage to grab him, by sliding into him on the knees of my woollen uniform. I’m thankful I didn’t decide to wear the kilt after all – I would have serious rubber burns on my legs otherwise. ‘Gotcha!’ I laugh, grabbing him tightly around the stomach. Thankfully, he doesn’t struggle.
But that’s when I realize I’m not alone in the darkened room. A pair of heavy boots enters my sightline, their wearerbreathing heavily.
‘Get. Out. Now.’
‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?’ TOBIAS stands over me, his hands on his hips, his voice dripping with icy-cold anger – and an undercurrent of something else. Fear? But that can’t be right – I’m no threatto him.
At any rate, I’m taken aback by his tone. I scramble backwards towards the door, accidentally loosening my grip, and Jinx takes advantage to shoot out of my arms.
I close my eyes for a second, cursing him. My back hits against the door frame in my haste to put as much space between me and Tobias as possible. ‘I... I’m sorry,’ I say. ‘I was just following Jinx trying to find a wayout of here...’ I don’t want him to know that I don’t have control of what my baku does.
He presses his fingers against the bridge of his nose. ‘Finished detention?’
I nod.
‘You’re new here – you wouldn’t know – but these rooms are supposed to be totally private, that’s all.’ Tobias shifts his body to try and intercept Jinx. As he moves, I catch sight of his eagle baku on the ground, inert.My curiosity piques, and Tobias – realizing his mistake – rushes to block my view again. He’s breathing heavily and colour is rising in his cheeks.
He wants me out of there.
But I can see Jinx’s eyes glowing in the darkness of the far corner, and he doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to go anywhere.
