Burn Bright (10 page)

‘What can they do?' Retra felt suddenly exhausted, as if the energy that she'd gained from
petite nuit
had burned through her already.

‘They're the ones who represent us to the Guardians. They're specially chosen, and they get extra privileges for it. Look, there's one of them there.'

Retra followed the line of Rollo's pointed finger to a guy sharing a single armchair seat with a girl. He looked much the same as anyone.

‘They have a circle tattoo on their temples.'

In the dim light it was hard to see, but Retra had noticed circles on others. ‘What sort of privileges do they get?'

Rollo shrugged. ‘Not sure exactly except that they get to go everywhere except the forbidden places, and they don't need to rest as much as we do.'

‘Don't they burn out quickly then?'

‘'parently not. Ripers tweak their adrenal glands to give 'em extra time with no deficit. But they have to pledge their service to Ixion.'

‘What does
that
mean?'

‘Being good citizens. Not like the gangers. Telling the Ripers if they see people breaking the rules.'

‘If they serve the Ripers then how will they help you?'

He shook his head glumly. ‘I don't know. Who else is there to go to?'

Retra didn't know what to say to him. ‘When will you tell them?'

‘Soon. I wanted to find my way around before I open my mouth.' He grinned, cheering up. ‘I'm loud but I'm not stupid. Will you come with me to the Circle? You can tell them about how things are for you in Grave; how evil the Council are.'

‘Perhaps,' said Retra. Kero and Krista-belle hadn't sounded impressed by the Youth Circle. ‘But not now, I have somewhere else to go.'

‘Another club?'

‘No.' Should she tell Rollo what she was doing? He'd seen something important in Grave. Maybe he should come with her; learn more about Ixion before he went to the Youth Council. ‘It's a meeting. I've been invited to become a member of the White Wings.'

‘You! In a gang?' Rollo made no effort to hide his astonishment and disbelief.

‘You've heard of them?'

‘I've been resting at Goa. Place stinks of mould, and there're vines growing in through the cracks in the
walls: giant roaches come in on them. Or so someone said. I couldn't relax, waiting for one to land on my face. Anyway, that's where the Wings mainly hang out. They're way cool. Especially Kero. Word is he can take anyone in a fight except for Dark Eve from the Cursed League.'

‘I wouldn't know about –'

‘Take me to the meeting!'

Retra felt uncomfortable. ‘I'm not sure –'

‘Why not?' Rollo gave her a wounded look. ‘I told you about the Council and the Ripers.'

‘It's just that …' She started to defend herself but trailed off when she saw his gaze drift across her shoulder and his eyes grow wider.

‘Look at those
hot
pants,' Rollo gasped.

Suki was standing behind Retra, alone, pretending not to see them.

‘That's Suki.'

‘You know her?'

Retra nodded.

‘Well, for Grave's sake, Retra, introduce me!'

Retra got up and went over to Suki with Rollo at her heels. Suki tried to turn away but Retra stepped around in front of her. ‘It can't be long until Early-Eve. We should go to the meeting now.'

‘Oh-you-still-want-me-to-come-do-you?'

‘Yes, I do,' said Retra. ‘But the bead you took is making you agitated.'

A relieved smile spread across Suki's face. She
scratched her skin. ‘Dunno what that means but it's making me itchy.'

‘What colour bead did you have?' piped in Rollo.

‘The-red-one-who-are-you?'

‘I'm Rollo. Retra and I go way back.'

‘We do no–'

But Rollo cut across her. ‘The red ones are usually okay, but some people react more to them. It's the black ones that are really strong. You don't want to take them. Phew!' He tapped his head. ‘Like a bomb's gone off in your scone. Now, where's this meeting?'

Suki gave her fiercest stare, which came off a little weird as she hopped from one foot to the other and scratched her arms. ‘What's-it-to-you?'

‘Like I said, Retra and I are buddies, and I'm thinking of joining the Wings as well.'

Retra was dumbfounded by Rollo's easy twist of the truth.

‘So you know where the Grotto is then?' said Suki before Retra could stop her.

Rollo gave Retra a victory smile. ‘Sure. Down the mountain from Illi. You have to go back to Vank station and switch kars. I can show you.'

Retra glanced around, carefully. Modai had moved a little closer to them. Perhaps it was better have Rollo with them. He seemed to have an instinct for handling situations. ‘Modai is still watching us. Suki and I'll go first. You should wait a few moments. Look bored, and then leave. We'll wait for you on the Vank platform.'

Rollo nodded in approval. ‘Sounds like a plan. Make sure you wait. You won't find the Grotto without me.'

‘What's-going-on?' asked Suki. ‘Why is Modai watching?'

‘He's been watching Retra since we came through the Register together,' Rollo said. ‘He hassled her just a little while ago. I saw it and distracted them. He says she's caused trouble among the Guardians.'

Retra winced at the totally unguarded way Rollo spoke. As if the three of them were confidantes when they'd only just met.

‘What?' he said, sensing her reaction. ‘That's the truth, isn't it?'

‘It's-okay-she's-not-used-to-talking-to-people-It's-the-Seal-thing.' Suki linked arms with Retra. ‘Come-on-silent-Seal. Let's-go.'

Surprisingly, Suki's teasing didn't offend her and she was smiling when they ran into Markes and Cal in the foyer. They were with a boy who had circles tattooed on his temples.

‘Retra?' Markes looked her up and down. ‘You look different.'

Retra thought he did too, but didn't say so. He wore fitted black pants and a thin white T-shirt that showed off his broad chest and strong arms. His guitar was slung over his shoulder. At least he wasn't speaking quickly like Suki.

‘Hello, Markes.'

‘You're not leaving yet, are you? I'll be playing soon. Ruin has come to listen. You should stay.'

The boy with the circle tattoos put out his hand. Something about his milky-blue eyes made Retra uncomfortable. ‘Hello, Retra, and …'

‘Suki,' said Suki. ‘We-can't-stay-we've-got-something-important-to-go-to.'

Retra squeezed Suki's wrist in warning, but it was too late. Ruin's attention was caught. So was Cal's. She flicked her straight white hair back from her face and stared hard at Retra.

‘Hey, Seal, I heard you upset the Ripers already. Good effort.'

‘She-was-protecting-one-of-us,' said Suki.

‘Whatever. What's so important that
you'd
miss Markes play? More trouble?' asked Cal, provocatively.

‘Mind-your-business.' Suki scowled at Cal. Her almond eyes narrowed to angry slits.

Retra tried to think of something to allay Ruin's curious look. ‘We're meeting some boys at another club. That's all,' she said.

‘Okay. See you later then.' Markes seemed disappointed.

‘Yes,' said Retra. She wanted to take him aside and explain but it was too risky. He might tell Cal. Or worse, Ruin. From what Rollo had said, the Youth Circle didn't approve of the gangs at all. She took Suki's arm and drew her on.

‘What
is
her problem?' snarled Suki.

‘Her name is Cal,' said Retra. ‘Don't look back.'

They hurried back along the path to the station. This time nothing spoke to Retra from the dark. Still, she was shivering despite the sticky warmth when they boarded the kar.

‘What's wrong?' asked Suki, as they took one of the back seats.

Retra didn't answer her even though Suki's voice sounded more normal and she'd stopped scratching.

‘Look,' Suki said, after a while. ‘Friends talk to each other. That's what they do. Tell each other things.'

Retra licked her lips and forced herself to speak. ‘Do they?'

‘Haven't you ever had a friend?'

Retra stared out the window. Joel was her friend. Did that count? And Toola had been for short while, though Retra knew her real interest had been in Joel.

But Suki wouldn't let it go. ‘You've
never
had a friend? That's impossible.'

‘There was a girl called Toola, but after my brother left and the warden came to live with us she stopped …'

‘What? Being your friend?' Suki frowned. ‘I don't really understand your world but not everyone from Grave is as private as you. Look at Rollo. He's not like that. What's it like there?'

Retra leaned back on the seat. She'd only ever
thought
about her world, never spoken of it to another person. Perhaps she could tell Suki.
The Council can't hear me now,
she reminded herself.
The warden can't touch me.

‘Seal South is stricter than the rest of Grave. We aren't allowed to speak to others at will. Only at certain times.'

‘That's just plain loco,' said Suki.

‘We're taught that our Elders left the Old World to found a better place with stronger morals. The Old World had become depraved and without rules. The young were vicious and selfish and self-destructive. The Elders called their behaviour a sickness.' As she spoke, the memory of her history lessons flooded back. ‘They sailed among the stars looking for the perfect place to start again but their travelling ship malfunctioned and they were forced to make their home on this world. They built Grave, and sealed it off from the native barbarians who shared the land with them. Growing walls kept the barbarians out, and over time they gave up trying to fight us and left us alone.' Retra stopped, eyes widening. ‘I always thought that part was just a story. But now I see that there are other cultures on Grave. Maybe your people are the barbarians?'

Suki crossed her arms. ‘Well, for a start, this world is not called Grave. It's called Stra'ha'ine. And your people sound like barbarians, not mine.'

‘I suppose so,' allowed Retra, not wanting to upset the girl.

‘You mean, “I
guess
so”?'

They both smiled and the awkward moment passed.

Retra continued with her story. ‘Some of the Elders believed in firmer rules than the others. They moved to the south of the city and put up their own walls. They called them the Sealed South Walls. That's where I'm from. That's how we got the name.'

‘So what's it like in Seal South?'

‘Cold,' she said.
In so many ways.

‘What about your parents?'

‘They believe in the rules. Especially my father. Mother does as he tells her. She used to read to me but he told her to stop. She used to brush my hair out at night but he said it encouraged unclean thoughts.'

‘
Unclean thoughts
.' Suki smirked. ‘Why wouldn't you want them, anyway?'

But Retra was too caught in her memories to react to Suki's teasing. ‘After my brother left, Mother didn't speak much. It was as if all the life went out of her.'

Suki screwed up her nose. ‘Your home sucks. Mine was just boring. Hunt, kill, skin, salt, cook, eat, clean and bury. Then start all over again. But we laugh a lot.'

‘What about Liam?'

‘Won't be the end of the world if he doesn't come here. I mean, that Rollo's kind of cute.'

Retra didn't know what to say to that, so she didn't say anything.

When Rollo arrived at Vank the three caught the next kar on the Illi line. He sat in front of them and hung over the seat the way Krista-belle had done before, chattering to Suki about Goa and the White Wings, while the kar creaked along its cables like a tired beast.

Retra stared out, noticing how Ixion's lights seemed a little dimmer and the dark seemed lighter. This must be what Kero meant by Early-Eve.

‘What causes the ever-night?' she asked, interrupting them.

Rollo stopped short and stared at her. ‘The anomaly, of course.'

‘What in Stra' is an anomaly? asked Suki.

‘The Golden Spiral. When we crossed into it on the barge, the dark came. It's some kind of disturbance in the normal way of things. The Grave Council have been studying it for years without an answer, so they call it an anomaly. It's just another name for something abnormal.'

‘In Stra'ha we call it the Blur. Have you ever had spots floating across your eyes when you stared at the sky?'

Rollo nodded.

‘It's like one of those. A dark spot in front of what you see,' she said.

‘Does that mean it's everlasting?' Retra wanted to know.

‘Who cares?' said Suki. ‘It's not like we'll be here forever. One day we'll be withdrawn to another place.'

Retra hunched her shoulders at that and stared back out the window. She would be gone before then.