Raven's Return - Ruby Dixon

1

RAVEN

I wake up with a groan and a throbbing headache and a terrible taste in my mouth. With a cough, I sit up, wiping at my lips as I look around. Disoriented, I peer into the darkness, trying to recall what happened and where I am. I know I should be heading toward the far end of the camp, where the dragon has landed. Everyone's going to be gathered around Mari, T'chai, Veronica and Ashtar wanting all the gossip from the other tribe. There'll probably be a feast and a celebration of some kind.

I do like the celebrations. I like singing and dancing, and it makes me feel like less of a fraud when I'm in my element. Plus, when I'm singing, U'dron watches me like…well, like I'm something special. I like that, too. I rub my face, my skin covered in grit, and grimace. What was I doing? I rack my brain, trying to think. Right. I was collecting driftwood on the beach and had gone to the far end of what's considered “safe” territory. I'd seen footprints in the sand and they'd alarmed me because they were so small. I know what an alien footprint looks like—it's huge. And human footprints are “normal” sized. But this set of footprints was alarmingly small, and I'd had visions of one of the children wandering away, alone. I could return to the group and let the others know, but the tide was coming in quickly, and so I rushed ahead.

I followed the footprints farther and farther from camp, crossing over rocky shoals because I saw they continued onto the sand on the other side. I followed them…only to find myself in a tidal cave that got filled up with water. It was up to my knees before I could even think, and still I went deeper into the cave, because I didn't want to leave a kid behind.

I might be a shitty person, but I'm absolutely not that shitty.

The last thing I remember was something touching the back of my head, and then darkness. I must have run into a rock of some kind, or the water pushed me under.

Okay, so…I'm dead?

I'm dead. Fine. Whatever.

I rub my forehead, wondering why my mouth tastes weird and minty if I drowned. I open my eyes, squinting at my surroundings. It's dark as fuck, but I can't see stars overhead. I shiver, plucking at the wet material of my tunic. If I'm dead, why's it so fucking cold then? My tits are freezing and I can barely feel my toes. Okay, I must not be dead, then.

I'm still in the cave. Somehow. I blow on my chilled fingers, wondering if someone's going to come get me or if I'm on my own.

My mouth twists with amusement at that. Bitch, you have always been on your own, I tell myself. Quit expecting anything different.

Right. Okay, so I'm alone. I reach into the darkness and to my surprise, I touch something rough and prickly that feels like coral. It's the size of a Christmas tree, I realize, as I keep touching and find more and more of it. I…don't recall seeing that in the cave. If anything, the cave was completely empty when I entered it…at least from what I could tell. So did the coral wash up while I slept? Or am I in a completely different cave?

And if so, how the hell did I get here?

A rock skitters somewhere behind me. My skin prickles all over.

"Hello?" I get to my feet, and everything hurts. Everything. I cough up more saltwater and wince at my leg—it feels like it was scraped raw. "Who's out there? U'dron?"

I don't know why I call for U'dron.

Well, okay, I do know why. I'm quite possibly infatuated with the guy. He's big and strong and caring, and he's got this beard that seems to do a number on me. He watches me intently all the time, as if he wants to memorize every word I say. And he plays a mean drum and manages to keep the beat I lay down, no matter how odd. He doesn't know who I really am, so it's a little disheartening to realize that the person he flirts with is a lie. That the Raven he's friendly with is nothing but a big ol' fib.

So I tell myself I don't like him all that much. I tell myself that just like in the past, the only person I can count on is me. And that