Raven's Will

35. There Are No Maps

Jett woke in a panicked flurry of blankets and confusion. Cold damp air and a faint yellow glow greeted him. Nothing was familiar and for a second, he had no idea where he was or why he was here. He clutched the blanket – soft and warm – in tight fists, his breath unsteady as he stared into the shadowed room.

Instinctively, his eyes sought out the only source of light and settled on a flickering flame set inside a lantern. This lantern rested on a small table, giving off a warm golden light. He fixated on it like a lifeline, as if its presence could help ground him, help slow the rapid beating of his pulse.

"Oh," said a woman's voice. "You're finally awake."

She spoke flatly, like she was displeased, and Jett couldn't help but flinch. For a moment, he wondered if he was in a prison, because the atmosphere of this place was claustrophobic and unwelcoming.

He sought out the source of the voice and found it sitting in a chair next to the lantern. She was little more than a dark shape, the lantern unable to do more than illuminate the one side of her shoulder and face. There were more shadows than light, and as Jett stared at her, he started to remember why he was here.

It did very little to soothe his unease.

"Why are you here?" he asked, voice raspy with sleep.

She made a soft, frustrated sound. "Because you need watching, apparently."

Right. Jett rubbed at his eyes, recalling the events from the previous day. His dear brother had given him a reluctant babysitter named Alainna. He sighed. "I don't need watching. He's just being ..." He gestured, unable to find the right word.

She said nothing, yet he could feel her watching him. It made him incredibly uncomfortable. Had she watched him the whole time he was sleeping? How very creepy of her. It was a miracle he'd even managed to fall asleep in the first place.

With a scowl, he shoved the blankets aside. He was still in the clothes he'd been wearing before, and now they felt grimy. And the few bandages that still remained on his face were even worse. He hurriedly pulled those off and dropped them on the floor, not even sure why he still had them because at this point, the scratches were almost healed.

Jett made a face, wishing for his flyer suit. It was so much better than these stupid rags, since it never held onto dirt and sweat like these.

Still, that was the least of his worries right now. There was another matter that held increasing urgency.

"Is there... is there a place I can um, you know?" He waved his hand in a vague gesture.

She just looked at him. "What?"

"You know," he gritted his teeth. It was a good thing it was dark in here, as she couldn't see the embarrassed flush warming his face. "The bathroom. Is there one I can use?"

"Oh," she shifted her weight in the chair, sounding somewhat embarrassed herself. "Right. Sorry. This way." Without further ado, she grabbed the lantern off the table and pushed past the door, which happened to be a heavy curtain hanging over the hole in the rock wall.

Jett eyed it curiously before he followed his guide. As far as doors went, it kind of sucked. He thought about complaining to Raven, but immediately decided against the idea. Raven would probably take the curtain door away and replace it with a trio of salivating rabid dogs that would just sit in the doorway and pant through toothy grins.

Nope, Jett definitely was not going to complain.

They walked in silence until they reached one of the main tunnels. This one was lit with a string of lights along one side, and although it provided enough light to see by, he was grateful for the lantern. Something about the little flame flickering merrily in its glass case was comforting.