The white of one eye appears between the trembling cage of his fingers, staring at Jay in blind terror. For a long moment, he's either shocked into silence to too far buried in his own panic, in the pound of blood into his brain and the wavelengths of his own dismay, to answer.

But answer he does.

"...he says not to tell anyone," he whispers. The words are barely audible. "He'll make it hurt if I do."