Pre-emptive posts are more fun than summaries
Jaime frowned as she reached out sleepily for Mal and encountered the wall instead. The wall. Their bed didn't have a wall on that side. Pale blue eyes snapped open, and she scrambled into a sitting position. She looked around wildly, struggling to fight down the threatening panic. "Mal," she whispered as if she could will him into being simply by saying his name. "Mal, Mal, Mal," she moaned, tears springing to her eyes.
Her heart was thundering as she eased out of bed slowly. "Where's Mal?" she asked herself, and when she didn't feel any sort of tug or stirring from her power, she cried out and crumpled to her knees. "No," she whimpered as she curled up on the floor. Oh, god, no. She couldn't be somewhere - anywhere - without him. Curling around herself, she sobbed softly, moaning his name, pleading with an unknown someone to give him back to her, please just give him back.
Eventually, when she'd cried herself sick, she realized she wasn't going to get anything accomplished just laying there. Wiping at her eyes, she pushed herself up to her feet. Jaime crossed to the desk, studying the papers there.
Greetings, Captive -
If you are not rescued by midnight tonight, there is a very strong chance you will die.
Enjoy your stay.
- Damion
She read the single line three times before she set the paper down.
Was this what yesterday had been about then?
Well, that was stupid. Of course that's what yesterday was about. Finding the weak links, and exploiting them. She settled on the edge of the bed, and tried to think. She couldn't be the only one here, she decided. Part of her was moderately proud that Mal was deemed ... what? Enough of a threat that she should be taken?
Most of her, however, was terrified out of her mind.
She was alone in Riverfell. In Riverfell, where the man who killed her in her dream was a reality. In Riverfell, where a small army of people could kill her ... even if they had to wait until midnight to do it.
So what to do? She could wait here. She could find the others. She could find a safe place - though that thought pulled a bark of laughter from her throat. Was there even such a thing, in Riverfell?
Where is there a safe place? Jaime thought. She felt a few faint tugs, and one stronger one. It wasn't as strong as her usual pull, so she reasoned that meant it wasn't as safe as it could be.
Smoothing her hands down over the nightshirt she was wearing - and trying to ignore the fact that's all she was wearing - Jaime eased to the door. Pressing an ear to it, she listened to the hallway before she eased the door open. The pull was guiding her toward a door at the opposite end of the hall, and never had a single hallway looked so long.
Bare feet glided nearly silently over the floor as Jaime began to walk slowly, pale blue eyes focused on the door. Her lips were parted, her breathing shallow, her body trembling as she walked. She'd been afraid before, but it had never been like this. Never this deep, never this all-encompassing. The door was drawing closer, slowly closer, and she wondered if she'd ever reach it at this rate ...