Burn Bright

‘Your brother is Clash?’ Suki gave a low whistle. ‘No wonder you didn’t want to talk about it.’

‘I didn’t know until we saw them outside the club when the Night Creatures took that boy.’

‘No one goes to Danskoi,’ said Charlonge. ‘Not even the League. It’s forbidden.’

Naif stared at Suki. ‘Where did Rollo get that mad idea?’

‘That girl of yours,’ Suki pointed an accusing finger at Markes. ‘She came and told him you’d been taken there.’

‘Cal!’ said Naif and Markes in unison.

‘Why would she do that?’ asked Charlonge.

‘I told him not to trust her. She’s loony over you.’ Suki pointed her finger at Markes again. ‘She saw you leave the party and thought you’d gone off together somewhere, so she made up a story to get Rollo all crazy worried. She pretended Brand had taken you to Danskoi. If Rollo and the League and the White Wings went there after you, she knew the Ripers would punish them and then the gangs would hate you. She doesn’t like the fact that everyone thinks you’re a legend.’

‘How do you know all that?’ asked Naif.

Suki balled her fists and waved them in the air fiercely. ‘I know liars. So I waited until they’d gone and I made her tell me the truth.’

Markes looked at Naif. ‘I-I’m sorry, I never thought –’

‘We’ve got to stop him,’ interrupted Suki. ‘The Ripers will take him – all of them.’

‘Maybe we can get there before them.’

‘Maybe.’ Suki’s eyes lit with hope.

But Markes began to tremble fiercely, as though shock had finally claimed him. ‘The Ripers are down there fighting each other. When they’re done they’ll kill us all anyway,’ he said hoarsely. ‘There’s nothing anyone can do.’

Naif rounded on him. ‘We don’t know what will happen. If Lenoir wins then it will be all right.’

And if he doesn’t? None of them said it but the question hung heavily between them.

‘Suki, can you take Markes to Illi or Agios? He needs petite nuit to recover,’ said Naif.

Her friend stuck her hands on her hips. ‘I want to go with you to find Rollo. I’m not getting stuck with him.’

Markes bit his lip as though he might cry but to Naif’s relief he rallied. ‘No!’ he said. ‘I’m not going to rest. Not now. Suki, is it? What have you got on you?’

‘You mean stuff?’

He nodded.

Suki slipped her hand into her pocket and brought out a pod and some black beads.

‘Give me the black ones.’

She shrugged. ‘Have you had them before? They jack you pretty high.’

‘Good.’ He reached forward and picked the beads off her palm. Then he put some in his mouth, holding them on his tongue until they dissolved.

Within a few moments he shook himself free of Naif and Charlonge.

Naif remembered Lottie, dying from burn-out. ‘What are you trying to do? Kill yourself?’

‘Whatever’s happening with the Ripers will change things here forever. And the League’s about to break into Danskoi. I’m not going to lie down through the end of Ixion.’

The end of Ixion? Naif’s heart thumped harder. Can it be? Joel and I could leave and go somewhere else. Not Grave, but another place perhaps? The possibility elated her as much as it scared her.

‘I’m coming as well,’ whispered Charlonge. ‘I want to see Joel.’ Tears trickled down her face leaving wet, shiny tracks.

Suki crossed her arms. ‘Well, I’m definitely coming because I’m the only one here who knows how to fight.’