Burn Bright

Suki led the way to the neglegere, and talked to Retra through the screen as Retra bathed. The girl’s idle words trickled over her like the water, soothing and cleansing.

When she emerged, wrapped in a towel, the room was filled with other heavy-eyed girls, peering in their lockers and chattering.

‘Hey! You’re the Seal who saved Krista-belle,’ said one of them loudly. She was pulling on a mesh top that barely covered the tips of her breasts.

‘Her name is Retra,’ said Suki. ‘She’s going to start her own gang. You wanna join?’

Retra stared at Suki in shock.

‘Whatcha gonna call it?’ asked another girl with violent pink streaks through her short black hair.

‘Naif’s Chosen,’ said Suki promptly.

Retra wanted to wrap her hand across her friend’s mouth to make her stop, but Suki was fired with mischief.

‘The Chosen will do what the Youth Circle is supposed to do. Only better. They’ll make the Ripers listen.’

‘Sounds boring,’ said pink streaks. ‘I like the League. They’re way cool. Clash’s gorgeous.’

‘This will be more than that. Retra knows how to handle herself,’ said Suki.

‘We’ll think about it,’ said the mesh-top girl.

When they’d left, Retra rounded on Suki. ‘Why did you do that?’

Suki shrugged. ‘Like Krista-belle said, you’re famous. In my village if luck comes your way you grab it. One time, my friend, Rani, was attacked by a bear up on the pass. It would’ve killed her but it slipped on the rocks and fell into a crevice. She waited for it to starve to death then she crawled down and skinned it. She came back to village with the skin on her back. Everyone thought she’d killed the bear, and she was given a place on the town senate for bravery. Her family got extra firewood and beef-chew every winter.’

Before Retra could offer comment, Suki pulled open a drawer in her locker. ‘You ever worn makeup?’

Retra shook her head, caught out by the quick change of topic.

‘I’ve been watching the others. Reckon I know what to do. Come over here.’

Retra sighed and submitted. In truth, the process of having her eyes and lips painted distracted her from worrying over Joel, or thinking of Markes, or Lenoir. She could still feel the Riper’s touch, and the memory of his hungry look caused little twists of nervousness in her stomach.

When she and Suki were ready, they found Rollo.

‘Hurry and get your tonics. Got mine already.’ He held out his hand. A blue bead rolled around in it.

‘No. They make me see strange things,’ said Retra.

‘Like what?’

‘Demons,’ she whispered.

‘Demons! Don’t be fou!’ said Suki.

When she saw Retra’s confusion, she explained. ‘Mad, I mean, crazy like the Bonies who live halfway between our village and the men below. You know why they’re called the Bonies? We used to bury our dead halfway down until we found them digging up the graves. They ground up their bones because they thought it would make them stronger. They thought they’d be able to come and take our village from us then. They are fou – mad from living in a place where the oxygen is too thin for them.’ But then she added with a touch of grimness, ‘Just to put an end to it, we burn our bodies.’

‘Nice,’ said Rollo.

‘No,’ said Retra stubbornly. ‘I don’t want any.’

‘Suit yourself.’ Suki headed into the confessional, leaving Rollo and Retra standing together alone.

Retra felt the curious glances from those on their way out to the clubs.

‘You really are famous,’ said Rollo. ‘Everyone is looking at you.’

Retra sighed. ‘Suki told some girls that I am starting my own gang. They must have told other people.’

‘What?’ Rollo burst out laughing. ‘You?’

Retra frowned at him and changed the subject. ‘Are you still going to tell the Youth Circle about the Riper you saw in Grave?’

He shook his head. ‘I don’t think they can be trusted. Kero thinks they spy for the Ripers. Maybe I should tell Dark Eve instead.’

‘That could be dangerous.’

‘This place is dangerous.’

The girls that Suki had talked to in the dressing room sauntered past them, giggling and whispering.

‘Not everyone thinks so,’ she said, suddenly longing to be carefree like them.

Rollo watched them as well, licking his lips in mock desire. ‘I think I’m hanging with the wrong crowd. Owwww!’

Suki was back and had him by the ear, pinching it hard. ‘Stop pruving, you dirty flesher.’

‘Oww … wassat mean?’ asked Rollo, struggling to get his ear back.

‘Pruving,’ she repeated. ‘Staring at girls.’

Retra hid a smile at Rollo’s shocked expression.

‘And fleshers are males without mates,’ Suki added.

‘But that’s what I came here for,’ said Rollo, rubbing his ear. ‘To look at girls.’

‘Not while you’re in our company,’ said Suki. ‘It’s rude.’ She turned to Retra, her eyes already shiny from whatever substance she’d swallowed in the confessional. At least she was speaking at normal speed. ‘I just heard something’s happened to Markes. He was taken from one of the clubs by Ripers.’

Retra grasped her hand. ‘Which club?’

‘Ravens, they reckon.’

The memory of the demon images flared in Retra’s memory. ‘We should find out if he’s all right.’

‘Why bother?’ asked Suki with a shrug.

‘Markes helped me on the barge when Ruzalia nearly took me.’

Suki’s jaw dropped. ‘Ruzalia the pirate? You never told me that.’ She put her hands to her hips and humphed. ‘Well, that’s typical. But I’m not going to Ravens again. Not after what happened out the back there.’

‘Will you wait for me on the platform then?’

Suki looked at Rollo and cast her eyes upward. ‘I suppose so.’

Retra smiled at her. ‘Don’t you mean, “I guess so”?’