from the ceiling. “My name is Jynx.”
Maverick followed in after Bolt. It felt like he had hit a wall of heat. His feet burned on the floor and each stale breath urged him back outside. It was hard imagining anyone being in this house for more than a few hours, never mind living here.
Still, there were many strange artifacts around the room to distract him from the heat. Piles of books stacked in one corner, in another, were shoes of various colors. Strange tribal masks hung on the wall. Some were demonic, blood red with fangs. Others were completely blank, simply a piece of white wood with eye holes.
Towards the back of the room was a glass display of knives. Prince stood there, eyeing the knives intently.
“Now that we’re all here, let’s get some knives,” Prince said.
Bolt’s eyebrows shot up. “But Sasha—”
“Do you have the money?” Maverick crossed his arms. He could feel his sweat accumulating. But if Prince could stand the heat, he could too.
Prince nodded. “Enough for three.”
“Wait guys!” Bolt stepped between them. “Sasha said not to.”
Maverick rolled his eyes. “If you don’t want one, don’t take one.”
Bolt’s eyes dropped to his feet. He shuffled uncomfortably, biting the inside of his lips. “I don’t think we should.”
“Bolt, you need to learn to think for yourself,” Prince said. “Sasha can’t babysit us forever.”
It was strange hearing Prince use those words without spite. However sick he was of them, he couldn’t deny their truth. The era of blindly following Sasha was fast approaching its end, and these knives would finally end it.
“I am thinking for myself,” Bolt insisted. “It’s not a good idea.”
“To protect ourselves?” Prince frowned.
“To kill.”
“Bolt, if it was between me and a fucking Hawk, you can be damn sure I’m the one getting out alive. Hawks don’t deserve any better.”
Bolt clutched his bandaged arm, unconvinced.
“Look Bolt, I’m buying three. If you want one, it’s yours, otherwise I’ll just take two.”
Bolt looked around, unsure of what to do.
Maverick felt a smile creep onto his face as well. Their final drop was next week and he would be damned if he ran it like all the others.
About time.
JYNX
Jynx sat near a window with the breeze in her face. She swung her head back and swished the alcohol to the back of her throat. Before the taste hit, she swallowed. It was a good warm feeling, unlike the scorching heat of her home.
“I guess Sasha’s pups are finally leaving the litter.” Her voice softened. She glanced at Prince, still playing with his knife. “I hope they don’t think they can sleep here.”
Prince chuckled. “This place is an oven. Not even dogs would sleep here.”
He held his knife as if scared to break it. The twisting silver handle shimmered in the moonlight, highlighting the engravings carved into it.
“I’m the daughter of The Dragon, isn’t it fitting that I prefer the heat? Still better than sleeping in a tent like you.
“What’s better than sleeping under the stars?” Prince grinned.
Jynx returned his smile. “When this storm everyone is talking about hits, you’ll understand.”
“I’ve slept through storms just fine. We just set up our umbrella roof. It’s really pretty, you can see the rain through the umbrellas but because they’re all colored, it makes the rain look colored as well.
“If you say so.” Jynx threw the plastic bottle of moonshine at Prince. It was old, its plastic wrinkled beyond repair. Inside was a clear liquid thick enough to be syrup, revolting in both taste and smell. “Why didn’t you leave with your friends?”
Prince caught the bottle. It only took a small sip for his mouth to twist in disgust. “Ugh.” He complained, wiping his mouth. “I need Sasha to cool down before I go.”
“Look at you, already acting like a married couple.”
“Shut up.” Prince threw his head back, mimicking Jynx, as he drained a
Maverick followed in after Bolt. It felt like he had hit a wall of heat. His feet burned on the floor and each stale breath urged him back outside. It was hard imagining anyone being in this house for more than a few hours, never mind living here.
Still, there were many strange artifacts around the room to distract him from the heat. Piles of books stacked in one corner, in another, were shoes of various colors. Strange tribal masks hung on the wall. Some were demonic, blood red with fangs. Others were completely blank, simply a piece of white wood with eye holes.
Towards the back of the room was a glass display of knives. Prince stood there, eyeing the knives intently.
“Now that we’re all here, let’s get some knives,” Prince said.
Bolt’s eyebrows shot up. “But Sasha—”
“Do you have the money?” Maverick crossed his arms. He could feel his sweat accumulating. But if Prince could stand the heat, he could too.
Prince nodded. “Enough for three.”
“Wait guys!” Bolt stepped between them. “Sasha said not to.”
Maverick rolled his eyes. “If you don’t want one, don’t take one.”
Bolt’s eyes dropped to his feet. He shuffled uncomfortably, biting the inside of his lips. “I don’t think we should.”
“Bolt, you need to learn to think for yourself,” Prince said. “Sasha can’t babysit us forever.”
It was strange hearing Prince use those words without spite. However sick he was of them, he couldn’t deny their truth. The era of blindly following Sasha was fast approaching its end, and these knives would finally end it.
“I am thinking for myself,” Bolt insisted. “It’s not a good idea.”
“To protect ourselves?” Prince frowned.
“To kill.”
“Bolt, if it was between me and a fucking Hawk, you can be damn sure I’m the one getting out alive. Hawks don’t deserve any better.”
Bolt clutched his bandaged arm, unconvinced.
“Look Bolt, I’m buying three. If you want one, it’s yours, otherwise I’ll just take two.”
Bolt looked around, unsure of what to do.
Maverick felt a smile creep onto his face as well. Their final drop was next week and he would be damned if he ran it like all the others.
About time.
JYNX
Jynx sat near a window with the breeze in her face. She swung her head back and swished the alcohol to the back of her throat. Before the taste hit, she swallowed. It was a good warm feeling, unlike the scorching heat of her home.
“I guess Sasha’s pups are finally leaving the litter.” Her voice softened. She glanced at Prince, still playing with his knife. “I hope they don’t think they can sleep here.”
Prince chuckled. “This place is an oven. Not even dogs would sleep here.”
He held his knife as if scared to break it. The twisting silver handle shimmered in the moonlight, highlighting the engravings carved into it.
“I’m the daughter of The Dragon, isn’t it fitting that I prefer the heat? Still better than sleeping in a tent like you.
“What’s better than sleeping under the stars?” Prince grinned.
Jynx returned his smile. “When this storm everyone is talking about hits, you’ll understand.”
“I’ve slept through storms just fine. We just set up our umbrella roof. It’s really pretty, you can see the rain through the umbrellas but because they’re all colored, it makes the rain look colored as well.
“If you say so.” Jynx threw the plastic bottle of moonshine at Prince. It was old, its plastic wrinkled beyond repair. Inside was a clear liquid thick enough to be syrup, revolting in both taste and smell. “Why didn’t you leave with your friends?”
Prince caught the bottle. It only took a small sip for his mouth to twist in disgust. “Ugh.” He complained, wiping his mouth. “I need Sasha to cool down before I go.”
“Look at you, already acting like a married couple.”
“Shut up.” Prince threw his head back, mimicking Jynx, as he drained a
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