The Metaphorical Key Book I- Call of the Raven

Chapter XV.I

Aiden barely got any sleep and woke up early the next morning, nearly unheard of for the teen. He shifted in his and Curtis' bed, sitting up and yawning before getting up to pack up their things.

Dulcie was awake next.

"Aiden?"

She rubbed her eyes.

"Are you really awake first?"

Heat rushed to Aiden's face and he looked down awkwardly as he crammed the stuff they'd taken out of their bags back in. Their laundry was neatly stacked at the front door, carefully laminated cards with the number sixteen clipped onto each article with a safety pin, probably to ensure the right laundry went to the right room.

"No need to sound so surprised."

Dulcie laughed and rose to her feet.

"So, how much longer are our provisions going to last?"

Aiden shrugged and opened their bag. The group had been using the food as sparingly as possible, eating only when necessary. Aiden felt a little guilty at eating the most often, but the others weren't bothered and reassured him that new people always needed to get used to the low amount of meals.

"I'm not sure," he confessed. "I never know when any of us are going to be eating next, so it's not like I can give you a time."

Dulcie nodded.

"Fair point."

She swung herself out of the bed and glanced down at the still softly snoring forms of Curtis and her brother.

"We should get moving as soon as possible. We don't know if the Catago are on our tails, or if they're sending someone to retrieve the stone, or whatever thing they've concocted up now."

Aiden gulped and rose to his feet with the food bag and his personal bag clutched in his hands.

"You think they are?"

Dulcie nodded solemnly and sighed.

"There's a reason the Catago have been ruling for twelve years."

"Because they kill anyone who gets in their way?"

Aiden wasn't sure where the bitter sarcasm came from, and whether or not he liked the words that came spilling out of his mouth like sour milk running over a countertop.

Dulcie sighed.

"The Catago aren't all brute force, Aiden. Brute force doesn't get people anywhere- or at least not far, or anywhere important. You've gotta be smart, you've got to be cunning, you've got to be resourceful. And that means beating your enemy to the thing that lets you set them on fire."

With that, she leaned down to her brother, so that her back was to Curtis, leaving Aiden to shake in the shoes he'd just put back on.

When Pollux didn't wake up no matter how much she nudged his side, she knelt down to his ear and shouted.

"Wake up dunderhead! Let's go!"

Pollux bolted awake and his hand struck Dulcie's face. She toppled back in surprise, landing directly on top of Curtis.

He screamed at the sudden weight slamming into him and bolted up, letting Dulcie crash to the wooden floor.

He stumbled as he stood up, but quickly righted himself and turned beet red.
"Alright, that's enough. We should get going."

Curtis turned to face Aiden.
"Aiden, could you grab the laundry? We should really be going."

Dulcie suddenly burst into laughter.
"Wait, Curtis, did I scare you when I fell into you? Don't worry though, it's alright, I understand how horrifying it is when a fourteen-year-old crashes into you. They're very deadly."