beats per minute

by Alex Mae

  Raegan nodded. Then, all of a sudden, her mouth lifted in a slightly lopsided smile. ‘Well, things could be worse. When I’m not completely weirded out about the fact that I am now even more of a freak, it might even feel kind of cool. I get a fancy new title, at the very least.’ Her voice softened. ‘And I forgive you, of course I forgive you… if you can forgive me about the thing with Adriana? I mean, we’re pretty much even.’

  ‘Well put,’ Bree said gratefully. At that moment, the dial on the safe began to spin madly, around and around. The two women looked at each other.

  ‘Except you don’t know everything. Not quite.’ Bree looked at the safe again.

  ‘That’s what I was afraid of,’ Raegan sighed. ‘This isn’t the end of the line?’

  A tiny, tight smile on her face, Bree shook her head; in the next moment, she gripped the dial and the door swung open, revealing a tunnel. Just large enough for a human to squeeze into initially, Raegan could see that it opened out as it went along - but not much.

  ‘Is this a good time to mention that I am claustrophobic?’ Raegan quipped to hide how scared she was.

  Bree grimaced sympathetically. ‘Thing is, I can’t really take you back at this point; the only way is in, as it were.’

  ‘Fan-frickin’-tastic. Well, then... age before beauty.’

  There was no time to really process the hammer blow Bree had just delivered, the impact of which left Raegan reeling, squirming with anticipation. This feeling quickly faded as she climbed inside the dreaded tunnel, following Bree on her hands and knees.

  ***

  The temperature dropped more steeply the deeper they got into the tunnel, and after ten minutes or so Raegan half expected to see icicles dangling from the ceiling. Her claustrophobia was getting worse. She inhaled and exhaled slowly in an attempt to relax, watching as her breath materialised in a frosty cloud.

  ‘How much longer?’

  ‘We’re nearly there.’ The tunnel was so small that Bree could not even turn her head back to face Raegan; her voice, travelling in the other direction, sounded very far away.

  Finally, thin shafts of light began to pierce the darkness, creeping into the gaps between Bree’s crouching form and the walls of the tunnel. Raegan’s heart picked up speed. She hadn’t really imagined what might be waiting at the end of the passage.

  After such a build-up, the sight that greeted her was admittedly a little disappointing.

  The tunnel had opened out into an ordinary corridor, walled with concrete which was also pretty ordinary. The only non-boring feature was a line of gold-burnished alcoves set into the wall at regular intervals, each housing a lantern and a statue. Raegan’s knowledge of sculpture was woeful, particularly for the daughter of an art expert, but their long hair and heroic poses made her think of the Greek gods in her mother’s Hellenistic art book.

  It struck Raegan as an odd place to keep such a collection, and she told Bree so; but her friend did not reply. She had stopped in front of one of the walled gaps between statues. Raegan waited next to her and tried not to fidget. By this point she knew to keep her mouth shut.

  But she couldn’t help the tiny gasp that escaped her lips a few moments later.

  The stone wall began to mutate before their eyes. Like strands being spun in a spider’s web, shards of material appeared in thin threads, weaving together rapidly and delicately into the surface of the stone. A faint wind blew through the tunnel and Raegan’s teeth chattered – whether this was due to the chill or jaw-dropping shock, she did not know.

  The honey-gold web was darkening and changing texture: smooth, layered, with a delicate grain pattern. Oak. The slit that appeared in the middle and the wrought iron handle also pushing through the web seemed like a jokey afterthought. The doors, now fully formed, were massive, solid, and darkly imposing.

  Bree turned around; even in the shadowy gloom of the tunnel, she could see the lift of her friend’s cheek. The smile was comforting. ‘It was always there, you know. Only now you have been allowed to see it.’

  ‘But... why?’

  ‘Best not to ask. For your own protection – the less you know, the better.’

  Raegan stared at the door, brain working excitedly. Whatever was inside must be important to the whole Regency - not just Bree - or it wouldn’t warrant such tight security. But why was her friend involved in the first place?

  Bree was already reaching for the iron handle. Her hand was about to make contact when she hesitated. ‘I can trust you, can’t I?’

  As Raegan stepped forward the stiff line of her friend’s back greeted her. She wished she could see her face. ‘Of course you can.’

  ‘This must stay between us.’

  She settled for touching her friend’s shoulder. ‘I’ll never tell anyone. I promise.’

  It was like for the first time the shutters had come up behind Bree’s hazel eyes, showing the vulnerability within. ‘I’ve never brought anyone here, Raegan. Never.’

  A lump formed in Raegan’s throat that made speech impossible. She settled for nodding.

  Bree pushed the doors open.

  A white and black chequered marbled floor, like a huge chessboard, stretched as far as the eye could see. Rising like islands from the polished stone were vast, round plinths, velveted in duck-egg blue, with small railings of gold wrapped around each one. These varied in size, with some higher and some wider than others. Some were interlinked with delicate golden footbridges. Some were so tall she could not even see the surface.

  Above these plinths, the huge, oval walls stretched, encircling the room like great arms. Shelves of books were broken up by dials, maps, and even screens which might have been for computer data -though the figures whizzing past looked unlike anything Raegan had ever seen.

  But it was the ceiling that really took Raegan’s breath away.

  There wasn’t one.

  At least, that’s what it looked like at first glance; as she stared at it, she realised that it was a huge transparent dome of fine glass, offering an almost panoramic view of the night sky. And what a view! The stars were bolder, brighter than she had ever seen them; closer, somehow...

  ‘Impressive, isn’t it?’ came a quiet voice from above her.

  Bree’s glossy dark hair fell around her face as she leaned over the side of one of the plinths. ‘Join me up here when you’re ready.’

  Raegan felt like she would never be ready; she could spend hours just wandering around this huge, strangely beautiful room. And then with a jolt it hit her that the room might be under surveillance - and she wasn’t supposed to be in here. Sticking with Bree was definitely the best plan.

  When she had climbed the stairs set into the side of the plinth, she was taken aback to find Bree talking quietly to a thin girl sitting amongst a mass of cushions. The cushions - so luminously silver that they were almost white - were piled around her; the sight reminded Raegan of when she was a kid and used to build forts out of pillows. It had made her feel safe.

  Bree nodded for her to come closer, never letting go of the other girl’s hand. Her eyes, when she looked up at Raegan, were unusually softened.

  ‘Is this...?’ Raegan began and found she did not know how to finish. She didn’t know who this girl was. At the same time she couldn’t help notice her friend’s uncharacteristic gentleness; how Bree’s eyes followed as the other girl ducked her head shyly, the tender way in which she spoke to her. Was this why Bree acted the way she did? Was this who Bree loved?

  ‘This is Sukey,’ Bree replied. With the lightest touch, she tucked a lock of hair behind the other girl’s ear. Her hand lingered against the downy cheek. ‘My sister.’

  Raegan sank down beside her in surprise. ‘Sister.’

  ‘Yes. Raegan is a very good friend of mine, Sukey. Won’t you say hello?’

  Sukey did not respond. Her chin still touching her chest, she began to murmur to herself. Her slight body twitched.

  ‘Is she ok?’

  ‘She’s not havin
g a good night.’

  They sat quietly for a few moments, watching as Sukey settled down on Bree’s lap, retreating further into herself. Finally Raegan could not be polite for any longer.

  ‘Bree,’ she asked quietly. ‘Why did you bring me here?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ Bree met her eyes for the first time. ‘All the pretending... it got a bit much to keep up. With you, I mean. Caught me off guard. You really are a good friend, Raegan.’ She had never known Bree hesitate. ‘I’m not great at this. Having relationships. Of any kind. It’s been me and Sukey, alone, for so long.’

  ‘Has she always been… here, then?’

  ‘For as long as I’ve been at Prime, yes. She wasn’t always like this.’ Bree lowered her voice. ‘She’s a Regent, too.’

  ‘A Regent?’ Raegan was flabbergasted, though she could see how it made sense – why else would Sukey be at the Unit? But she looked so frail… ‘Did being a Regent do this to her?’

  ‘In a manner of speaking. I know how it looks, but it wasn’t quite as bad as all that. Sukey wasn’t driven mad by some terrible experience she had as a Regent: these are her powers. She has visions. Sees things before they happen.’

  Raegan’s mouth dropped open. Why that should seem so left-field, after the night she’d had, she didn’t know. But she had never heard of such a thing.

  ‘She’d always had an odd predictive sense – an uncanny ability to know where I’d been before I’d told her, that kind of thing. When our powers started to develop it took over completely. I’d never seen anything like it. I was terrified. Our parents, too.’

  ‘What did they do?’

  ‘At first, nothing. They simply watched with ill-concealed horror. Left it to me. I’m not much older than her and so we were going through the Awakening at the same time. Sukey grew more and more reliant on me... then they took her away. Decided she was mad, nothing to be done. Locked her up.’ Bree’s face darkened at the memory.

  ‘That’s awful.’ Raegan felt slightly sick as she looked down at Sukey’s peaceful face, noting how tightly she gripped onto Bree’s hand as she slept.

  ‘They ordered me to keep quiet when I started my training, terrified that news of their less than perfect daughter might ruin the great Clifton name. Fortunately, as you know, I’m not excellent at following orders. I told Max. He brought her here. He rescued her,’ Bree stroked her sister’s pale forehead. ‘For that, he has my eternal gratitude.’

  The sea of cerulean velvet and chequered marble merged kaleidoscopically in front of Raegan’s eyes as she digested this. She still found it hard to think of Max as one of the good guys. As she mused her gaze fell on one of the other plinths. She straightened up, still staring. The plinth was quite high and at an awkward angle, but the foot poking out was pretty unmistakeable. The toes began to wiggle slightly. She turned to Bree.

  ‘Sukey’s not the only one with these powers, is she? That’s how Max knew to bring her here.’

  ‘Clever girl. Max was never one to act purely altruistically. Sukey’s not mainstream, but there are a few others like her. Even more useful to the Sentinel, in their way.’

  ‘So she has to stay?’

  ‘For as long as she has her visions, yes. Why do you think I’ve stuck around? I’m not exactly a jolly hockey sticks, stay-in-school type.’ Her lips curled in a mirthless smile.

  Raegan sank back on the pillows. She nudged her friend with her foot. ‘You need to give yourself more credit. You’re a good teacher.’

  ‘Thank you. I live to serve.’ Bree rolled her eyes.

  Here, with her sister sleeping safely in her arms, Bree looked happier than she had ever seen her. Raegan felt upbeat, too; lighter than she had all evening. But one thing still nagged at her.

  ‘Sorry to bring it up but... Sukey’s not mainstream, and so she has to stay here, you said. Will that be the same for me, do you think? Because of the Trace?’

  Bree looked thoughtful. ‘I’d never thought of it that way before. You’re a logical soul, aren’t you? It makes a certain kind of sense - I suppose being a Tracer is a bit like being a Sooth. Both are gateways to time. If all goes as expected, you will learn to call forth images of things how they were; Sukey sees things as they will be.’ Off Raegan’s look of confusion, she added, ‘That’s what they call Regents with visions. Sooths.’

  ‘Oh.’ Aware that her question had not really been answered, Raegan ran her fingers over the soft, comforting blue of the carpet.

  ‘But I really think that’s where the similarities end. The Trace will be another string to your bow. Where most of us have three controls over time, you’ll have four – there’s no need for you to be kept in here. Whereas Sukey...’ she looked down at her sister, sadly. ‘She has no control over her powers. Her stay here is as much for her own protection as for the Sentinel’s pleasure. She’s bombarded by random visions, all of which are murky and hard to decipher, and many of which do not come to pass. That’s all she has of being a Regent; no Body, unpredictable Heart and Brain.’ The elegant white fingers clenched into a fist. ‘Like other Sooths, she lies here all day and looks at the sky. That’s the reason for the podiums, I suppose. To bring them nearer to the stars. It comforts them – and the more comfort they need, the higher they go.’ She gestured to the towering middle podium, which stretched nearly to the ceiling. ‘I don’t know why. Sukey’s visions are bad enough but she’s never needed to go much higher than this. Yet.

  ‘The oldest Sooth hardly ever comes down from the middle podium.’

  The sudden silence made Raegan wonder if Bree had said more than she meant to; maybe she was angry at Raegan for asking. But then a sliver of water dropped onto Sukey’s hair, and a rasping tidal wave of explanation fell from her friend’s lips.

  ‘The visions, when they come, are blinding. She’s never talked about the pain but it must be awful. Her body convulses like she’s having a fit. Afterwards she’s hysterical. And what for? Half the time they can’t even understand what she’s seen.

  ‘I have to come here almost every night or she won’t sleep. If she doesn’t sleep, she won’t have the strength to recover from the visions. And so I come.’ Her voice wobbled. ‘Sometimes she doesn’t even recognise me.’

  Tentatively, Raegan shuffled closer and placed an arm round her friend’s shaking shoulders. Bree was not exactly a hugger but for once the arm was not shrugged off. The three girls sat there for a time; Bree cradling Sukey and Raegan cradling Bree.

  ‘I’m sorry for boring you,’ Bree eventually broke the silence, her voice thick with unshed tears. She stayed leaning against Raegan.

  ‘You’re never boring.’

  ‘Well don’t let tonight put you off exploring the Trace, for Christ’s sake. Even if you have it, it doesn’t mean you can’t mainstream. Sooths always find it hard to mix in but Sukey is especially fragile. She’s unique. I mean, the oldest Sooth doesn’t have visions that often any more, but when she does, she is in perfect control. It’s quite amazing to watch.’

  ‘How many Sooths are there?’

  ‘At the moment, just three. They all live in here. Sometimes there are more – just depends. It’s so unpredictable.’

  ‘Why the big secret?’ Raegan wondered aloud. ‘I understand that people might get the wrong idea – like your parents. But surely if it was more well known then people could look out for the signs. It wouldn’t be such a shock, that way.’

  ‘But don’t you see how dangerous it is? Look at all the enchantments I have to pass through every night just to get here. And here isn’t even here, by the way; if you looked at Unit Prime from the outside you’d seen no sign of this tower. It’s a powerful weapon for the Sentinel and, if it fell into the wrong hands, could be lethal. They don’t want the Fay to ever find out that we have a prophetic strand to our powers.’

  ‘You talk about the Sooths like they’re not people. Just part of the Sentinel’s arsenal.’

  ‘Aren’t we all?’ Bree’s voice was tinged with bitterness.
‘You’ll discover that soon enough. Doesn’t mean I agree with it, but those of us in the know are ordered under no uncertain terms to keep our mouths shut; and keeping the presence of Sooths as secret as possible works out – mostly – because the gift is rare. Not as rare as the Trace, though.’

  ‘Trace.’

  The word made them both jump. It was Sukey’s first.

  Bree sat up without letting go of her sister’s hand. ‘You’re awake.’

  Sukey also uncoiled, as if in reply, shaking out her hair. She turned her dark eyes on Raegan.

  ‘You say it.’

  Raegan looked at Bree, confused. She prompted her sister.

  ‘Say what, Suke? Are you trying to tell Raegan something?’

  Apparently oblivious, Sukey’s eyes, dark, bottomless pools, were trained on Raegan’s face. ‘Trace. Say it.’

  After a minute, Raegan repeated the word uncertainly. ‘Trace.’

  ‘Yes! That’s you. You said it, not me!’

  ‘Sukey.’ Bree’s voice cut through Sukey’s giggles sternly. ‘It’s not nice to play games with people. If you have something to tell Raegan, tell her. No riddles.’

  At this, Sukey looked almost petulant; Raegan thought how bizarre it was to see such a childish expression on a face possessing two ancient, endless eyes.

  ‘Sukey.’

  After a nudge from her sister, Sukey leaned forward, speaking to Raegan intently. ‘That word that you said. You did not know it, but you have it. You should not be afraid to use it.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Sukey looked as though she was reaching out a hand to Raegan, and so Raegan made to take it in response.

  Sukey giggled again, snatching her hand away. ‘No. Look.’ She opened her hand slowly, as if showing something on the palm. Smiling mischeviously, she looked at Raegan again. The enormous black orbs drew Raegan in until she was drowning in the liquid surface.

  Suddenly Raegan was struck by a memory of a girl in a pale blue nightgown. A girl with shining dark eyes.

  ‘You!’ she whispered. ‘I’ve seen you before.’