Burn Bright

by Marianne de Pierres

  He leaned his cheek against hers and she felt his body quiver. ‘You talked to him?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘You believe the things he said?’

  ‘I’m not sure. I think I do. In a way.’

  They moved together to the music for a while before Rollo spoke again. ‘I went a bit crazy after they took you. When the Circle didn’t lift a finger to help I knew that I couldn’t tell them about the Ripers being in Grave. They may not all be spies, but they’re weak. They mean nothing and do nothing.’ Even through the noise of the music he sounded disappointed. ‘There’s something else but you mustn’t tell anyone else. Not even, Suki. She’ll just laugh.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I’ve joined with Dark Eve.’

  ‘No!’ Naif stood still, making him bump into her and stand on her foot. Her ankle gave and she would have fallen if he hadn’t grabbed her waist.

  She righted herself, wincing. Then she thumped her fist into his chest and glared at him. In the amber candlelight his skin looked sallow and his eyes glittered with brittle excitement.

  ‘Fou! Why did you do that?’

  He disguised his hurt with a belligerent look. ‘Because they want to change things here like I wanted to do at home. Only I was too scared of the Council. I told Eve about the Riper I saw in Grave, and about the Ripers’ plan to catch Ruzalia. She told me that my information was really important, and that she wanted me to join them. She’s amazing, you know.’

  Amazing. That’s what Joel had called her. ‘Join her to do what? Carry her weapons?’

  He opened his mouth to answer and then snapped it shut. He shook his head at her as if he would say no more.

  Naif’s anger swelled easily and unchecked. ‘You’ve already told me you’ve joined them. It’s a bit late to start keeping secrets now.’

  ‘Well, maybe I shouldn’t have told you anything.’ He hunched his shoulders. ‘I was just … relieved you were all right. Fross knows why, now? You’re so weird. Here you are putting me down for wanting to change things here, and yet look at the things you’ve done. Smashing a Riper with a stool and then trying to stop the Circle inducting Markes. At least the Leaguers are welcoming and they tell you what they’re going to do next. You’re so random.’

  ‘You think because they’re welcoming it makes the things they do right? That’s just stupid.’ The angry words continued to tumble from Naif’s tongue.

  This time hurt showed plainly on Rollo’s face. ‘Why are you always putting me down?’

  Her wave of anger turned quickly to guilt. Was he right? Was she treating him the same way that Cal had treated her? Yet he frustrated her.

  ‘And anyway,’ he said, ‘I think it’s stupid pretending you can talk to a Riper. They tell you what to do and you listen. That’s all.’

  In truth, though, Naif didn’t know what she really thought about the Ripers. She was – would always be – loyal to her brother, but Lenoir had saved her life. And he seemed so genuine about wanting to protect them all against Brand.

  Rollo let her go and she stepped away from him. The gap between them quickly filled with dancers, and a moment later she could no longer see him or Suki.

  Or Modai.

  Confused and disconsolate, Naif let the music draw her to the front of the nave where she could watch Markes.

  His gaze lingered on her for a moment as he shifted from something fast into a ballad with a mesmerising melody. Couples stopped dancing and reached for each other.

  Naif stood perfectly still, so as not to ruin her harmony with the music. This song was for her – she knew it – and she let it sweep her from her unhappiness to a place of pleasure. It was like being with Lenoir again, having his warm tongue against her thigh, his breath on her skin. The memory of her Enlightenment seemed as fresh as if it had just, this moment, happened.

  When the music finally stopped she felt raw with emotion. She hovered at the jube that separated the dancers from the nave, waiting for Markes to climb down from the altar. But others had the same idea and she had to cling to the screen to keep a position at the front.

  ‘He wrote that song for me,’ the girl next to her told another. ‘We met at Illi.’

  Naif flushed with embarrassment, realising her foolishness. All the girls thought he’d written that song for them. She read it in their faraway looks, on their parted lips. His music did that – made everyone feel special.

  The girl suddenly stumbled into her. ‘Fross, sorry!’ she said. ‘Someone pushed me.’

  A figure with moon-white hair, wearing a halter dress, elbowed her way past them both to climb over the jube and saunter right up to the altar.

  ‘Who does she think she is?’ said the girl angrily.

  Cal.

  Markes slid down and began packing his guitar into a case. He glanced up at Cal as if startled by something she said. Then his gaze roamed the crowd until somehow it found Naif again. He closed the lid of the case and walked straight over to her.

  The girls screamed for his attention but he didn’t seem to hear them. He stopped in front of Naif, leaning down to her.

  ‘I’ve been looking for you. What happened?’

  Naif glanced around nervously. ‘Not here.’

  He frowned and nodded. ‘Come.’ He put out his hands and lifted her up over the jube. Others tried to follow them but Ripers appeared and pushed them back.

  ‘What are you doing with her?’ said Cal from behind them.

  ‘I want to talk to Retra. Hold my guitar and wait here,’ he replied, as he drew Naif past the altar into the darkened depths of the sanctuary.

  ‘They brought me in through a side door. Let’s go out through there.’ He dropped a casual arm over her shoulder, which sent her heart spinning. She hadn’t been this physically close to him since the barge. Could Lenoir see them? She glanced back into the light of the nave and transept. She couldn’t make out the gallery from here.

  ‘There,’ said Markes. He pointed towards a deep, shadowy apse that contained a tall, iron stand. Upon it rested an unlit candle, as large and broad as Markes’s shoulders.

  As they got closer to it, Markes dropped his face to hers and nuzzled into her neck. For an instant her world filled with the same melody he’d been playing. Her head swirled and her heart soared.

  ‘What –’

  He lifted his head and peered through the curls of his fringe into the light at their backs. ‘In case someone is watching us,’ he said. ‘Looks like we’re doing … what everyone else here is.’

  Naif wanted to reach up and pull his face back to hers, but burning fingers of anger reached across Agios and gripped her throat. Lenoir! She gasped and edged away from Markes.

  But he didn’t seem to notice anything, intent now on leading her behind the statue to the outline of a door, where he fumbled with the bolt for a moment before it came free.

  Naif stepped through first.

  He followed her out in the warm night, standing under a small pond of lantern light. From where they stood, paths led across and down the mountainside, each marked by a faint glow.

  Now that they were truly alone, Markes let go of her and pulled his sweat-damp shirt loose from his waistband. He slipped his hands into the pockets of his pants. Shoulders hunched over a little, he kicked the toe of his boot into the dirt.

  ‘Why did you try to stop me from joining the Circle? You act so weird around me. Like at Vank.’

  She couldn’t tell him about the demons. Even Suki hadn’t understood. ‘That time in Vank, Modai made me eat an entire Rapture pod. I didn’t know what I was doing.’

  He lifted his head, startled. ‘Why did he do that?’

  Naif shrugged. ‘I don’t know but he seems to follow me, and watch me.’ She shuddered. ‘At the Youth Circle, I had a premonition. You know, like something bad might happen to you.’

  ‘But it’s an honour to become a member of the Circle. Cal says you’re just jealous.’ He frowned. ‘But I don’t think you’re like that.
Are you?’

  ‘The Ripers want to use you and Charlonge as bait to catch Ruzalia.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘We heard them speaking of it just before they brought you to the circle.’

  ‘I don’t remember much, other than meeting Lenoir. Bran gave me something to swallow. Said I needed to take it if I was to be presented.’ He frowned as if trying to recall what had happened. ‘I don’t trust them or the Circle. You’ve heard of the gangs here?’

  ‘You mean the Wings and the Freeks and whatever?’

  She nodded. ‘Plenty of them think that the Circle spy for the Ripers.’

  Markes raked his fringe away from his eyes, and for the first time she saw them properly. They looked cloudy as if he’d taken something; a pod or beads.

  ‘I don’t know what to believe. Did you know that some people are talking about you like you’re some sort of hero?’ he said. ‘And others say you’re the one that’s been spying for the Ripers. That Lenoir’s watching over you especially.’

  ‘Who says that? Members of the Circle?’

  Markes dropped his head again.

  ‘Lenoir helped me when I was hurt – that’s all.’

  ‘You got hurt?’ Markes glanced at her and his expression became halfway apologetic. ‘I didn’t know. Was it Brand?’

  She nodded.

  ‘Look, you’re kinda strange, Retra – but nice. Must be the Seal thing.’ He held out his hand. ‘Thanks for being worried about me, but do me a favour and just let it go.’

  She would have been grateful to him – when she was Retra – for the handshake and the kind words. But Naif didn’t care so much for his stubborn ignorance. She kept her hand at her side. ‘My name is Naif now.’

  ‘You’ve taken an Ixion name. That’s cool. I’d better get back then, Naif,’ he said.

  ‘To Cal?’

  Markes rolled his eyes and grinned. ‘She’s nicer than you think. Underneath, I mean. It’s just her way to be … direct. Her father is a warden.’

  Naif felt sick. A warden as a father. What would that be like? The warden assigned to watch her family had been so cruel. ‘There something I’ve wanted to ask you. In the compound we weren’t allowed to play music, or listen to it, unless Father approved. Was it different for you?’

  ‘I come from a family of church musicians. We’re allowed to be trained for that purpose.’

  ‘So musicians beget musicians. Wardens beget wardens, and councillors beget councillors,’ said Naif. ‘I didn’t know that was the rule. My father was a prayer leader. I … girls could not be prayer leaders.’

  He nodded. ‘Seals are different.’

  ‘So Cal would have become a warden if she’d stayed?’

  He nodded and looked uncomfortable. ‘Look, are you coming back inside?’

  ‘Soon.’

  ‘Don’t take too long or the Ripers’ll come looking for you. People are saying this party is for you. Is that right?’

  She shook her head. ‘Why would there be a party for me? I’m just the same as everyone else.’

  Markes gave a half grin. ‘Yeah? I don’t think so.’

  He left her then.

  Naif crouched down and hugged her knees, feeling curiously deflated. What had she been hoping for in their conversation?

  She wasn’t sure. Her emotions kept changing. Smiling came more easily, but so did dissatisfaction. All the checks and measures she’d learned as a child had crumbled away, leaving turmoil.

  ‘Ret?’

  The whisper drifted up from one of the paths that led down the side of the mountain. She peered along it. She knew the voice but couldn’t see him. ‘Joel?’

  ‘Walk towards my voice but don’t look down.’

  Her heart quickened and she did just as he said, feet crunching the light gravelly surface. Dry brush broke off and caught in the train of her skirt. She bunched it up and kept walking.

  ‘Stop now and fold your arms. Just stand looking down the mountain at the lights. Keep your voice low. Ripers might be watching.’

  ‘There are no Ripers out here,’ said Naif.

  ‘They are everywhere, little sister.’

  Naif badly wanted to look at him. His voice came from a fall of rocks close by. He must be crouched behind there.

  ‘I heard you’d been taken by the Ripers. What did Lenoir do to you?’ he demanded in an angry whisper.

  ‘N-nothing. It was Brand. Lenoir saved my life, Joel.’

  ‘Tell me,’ he demanded.

  Naif took a breath to explain again. ‘The wardens gave me an obedience strip when they put us on probation to stop me trying to leave the compound.’

  ‘What did it do?’

  ‘It gave electric shocks if I went near the gate to the compound.’

  ‘So how did you get away then?’

  ‘I practised hurting myself to get used to it, so I could escape.’

  ‘You practised hurting yourself?’

  Naif licked dry lips. ‘The way you told me. It was all I could think of to do. I couldn’t stay there after you left. Mother was heartbroken. She barely spoke. And the warden, he used to …’ She stopped there, unwilling to share what happened, even with Joel.

  ‘Ret, I’m sorry.’

  She gave a tight little nod. ‘Brand found the strip and cut it from me. I was bleeding, dying, when Lenoir … he stopped the bleeding.’

  ‘Brand used a knife on you?’

  ‘She’s cruel and dangerous, Joel.’

  ‘And she will pay for this,’ he said with whispered fury. ‘How did she know you?’

  ‘She tried to tear my clothes off at the re-birth, and then I interfered when she attacked one of the White Wings – a girl called Krista-belle.’

  ‘With the chair? I heard it was you but I didn’t believe it.’

  ‘What Brand was doing … was like the warden and I-I got angry. Anyway … Brand and Modai have been watching me.’ She took a breath. ‘Suki and I and Rollo went to the Youth Circle meeting. They are going to use Markes as bait to lure Ruzalia. I tried to warn him against joining them but Brand took me from there … and she found my obedience strip. When she cut it out, it tore my artery. Lenoir came and stopped the bleeding.’

  ‘Lenoir?’

  ‘Yes. Lenoir is trying to protect us all. He says the Peaks go to a better place; he calls it the next stage of pleasure.’

  ‘You believe him?’

  Naif took a deep breath. ‘I-I do. I think. At least, I believe he believes it. But the Ripers are divided. Brand wants to take over from Lenoir. They’re voting on it in two passes. If Brand wins, they’ll hunt the League down. All the gangs will be disbanded.’

  Joel made an angry sound. ‘Your friend, Rollo, came to us with a similar story but we weren’t sure if he was telling the truth. I must warn Eve. We’ll make sure Ruzalia knows. Is there anything else you can tell me?’

  Naif’s heart gave a painful thump. Suddenly she felt used. ‘I’m not your spy, Joel. I’m your sister. I don’t want to be a part of any gang. I want you to come with me. To leave Ixion.’

  ‘Leave?’ said Joel. ‘Why would I want to do that?’

  Naif clasped her fingers together. ‘This place – it’s not how it’s supposed to be. It’s –’

  ‘Flawed? Dangerous?’ said her brother. ‘Just like Grave. But I can change Ixion. Eve has shown me that. In Grave I couldn’t do anything. The Council, our parents, they suffocated us. But Eve has plans here. She’s amazing. I wish you knew her.’

  ‘Can you really change anything, Joel?’ Naif couldn’t keep the bitterness from her voice. She’d longed so much for her brother’s company again, gone through so much to reach him, and now … ‘Do you just want to be a hero?’

  Joel didn’t like her questions. ‘What’s happened to you, Ret? You used to believe in everything I did. You made it bearable for me at home, and I tried to protect you. Remember when Father found the Angel Arias?’

  ‘Of course I do,’ said Naif fiercely. ‘And do y
ou know how it felt when you left? You didn’t even tell me you were going.’

  ‘I couldn’t,’ he protested. ‘It was safer for you that way.’

  ‘Safer! Did you even think about how it would be afterwards? Father punished me every day for what you did, and Mother cried. She just cried all the time.’ Naif felt her anger returning. She wanted to shout at her brother.

  She’d never been angry with him like this before. Seals didn’t behave like that. But she wasn’t a Seal anymore. Lenoir had changed that. Lottie had changed everything. ‘Then the wardens came and put their electro-eyes in my bedroom. They watched me when I bathed and … Joel, they watched me do everything. And if I tried to leave the compound … the pain.’ She touched her wounded thigh automatically.

  His silence might have been guilt. Or indifference. Naif had no way of knowing without seeing his face. And she longed to do that. ‘Joel? Please …’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered. ‘Bye, Ret.’

  ‘My name is Naif,’ she replied.

  Nothing. No rustle of the bushes, or scraping of gravel. But she knew he’d gone.

  ‘Joel, wait!’ She started down the path after him. ‘Please come back.’

  But when she stopped again to listen, all she heard was the faint strains of music from Agios and a scrabbling sound.

  She swivelled, catching the slash of a dark figure in her corner sight. Not Joel. He wouldn’t try to scare her like that.

  Where was Agios? She could no longer see the church. Her haste had taken her past a large rock face that jutted above her now, obscuring the view behind.

  Just follow the path back, she told herself.

  But the path – so well lit before – had dimmed with barely enough light to see one step ahead. Naif began to retrace the way she thought she’d come, but the bare dirt disappeared and her feet became tangled in undergrowth.

  She stared blindly into the dark, seeing only the outlines of low bushes and, further down the mountain, the brilliant webbed lines of the kars.