“What do you see?” Jack pushed his face about as close as possible to my fingers.
“Little explosions.” Natt said. “Just a line of explosions stretching from one finger to the next.”
“The fuck?” Kate and Jack said.
“Jinx,” Kate got out first. “So no talking.”
I looked close. Storm riders could see things, but it wasn’t as easy as flipping a switch like Superman and his various visions. It took a lot of concentration to try and focus at a great distance or down close. More than once my eyes went cross-eyed trying to get there, but finally I was able to see what Nat described, like tiny fireworks going off.
“Screw that,” Jack said.
If something is exploding, it has to be caused by something. Why am I thinking fireworks? Wait, is something moving? I can feel it leaving my finger, but am I imagining what I’m seeing? What is—
The sparks disappeared as I lost all concentration at the sound of a loud slap. Jack went reeling, as if he had been dealt a Hollywood special effects slap.
“Motherfucker!” Jack rubbed at his cheek as he sat up.
“What? You get slapped when you break a jinx,” Kate said.
“No, I buy you a fucking soda!” Jack said. “Fuck! I think you loosened a filling.”
Nat shook
her head and growled something under her breath, then turned her attention back to me.
“Okay, Reilly, do it again, but maybe make it bigger so we don’t have to squint as hard. And the two of you kindly shut the fuck up or I’ll put my foot in both your asses.”
“Kinky,” Kate and Jack said together.
“Jinx,” Kate said.