Burn Bright

Retra walked several circuits of the main dance floor at Ravens before she saw Cal. The girl was dancing alone among the billowing funnels of smoke discharging from vents in the walls. Freshly painted tattoos decorated her arms and neck and her expression was sour.

‘Cal?’

She looked at Retra without really focusing. ‘What?’

‘It’s Retra. Seal Retra.’

Recognition slowly stole into Cal’s face. ‘You? Alone?’ She glanced around vaguely. ‘Where’s your girl shadow?’

‘Suki’s waiting out on the platform. She doesn’t want to come in here – since that boy was taken by the Night Creatures.’

Cal pulled a face. ‘Thought she was the too-brave-to-care type.’

‘She’s brave,’ said Retra in defence of her friend. ‘But where she comes from they believe in omens.’ Her eyes slid to the end of the dance floor and the corridor that led to the back of the club. ‘Maybe she’s right. Suki heard that Markes was taken from here by Ripers.’

‘Who told her?’

‘Some girls at the confessional in Vank.’

‘So what if he was? They took him for a good reason, not bad. What’s it to do with you anyway?’

‘I-I … some of the Ripers can’t be trusted. I want to warn him.’

‘He’s with the Youth Circle and they know more about this place than you do.’ Cal sneered and turned away.

Retra left the club and found Suki and Rollo standing at one end of the platform. Suki was staring out into the dark, and Rollo was staring at Suki.

‘Come away from the edge,’ Retra said to her friend.

‘Usually it’s me that’s saying that sort of thing to you.’ Suki’s eyes were dark with eyeliner, and melancholy. ‘Do you think he’s dead?’

‘Who? The boy … the one that the Night Creatures …’

Suki nodded.

Retra didn’t know what to say. ‘You saw what we saw. The blood and everything …’

‘Maybe they don’t kill you. Maybe they just keep you out there with them.’ She shivered. ‘That would be worse.’

‘Did you find out anything?’ asked Rollo.

‘I saw Cal. She said Markes was with the Youth Circle.’

Rollo gave Retra a charged look.

‘We should hurry. Do you know where they meet?’ asked Retra.

‘Switch to the Danskoi line and get off at a station called Syn. That’s all I know,’ said Rollo.

Hearing the grinding of the cables, Retra pulled on Suki’s arm. ‘Come away. Let’s go.’