around her, blocking out most of the light from the club. She tried to squeeze between them but Modai caught her wrist again and held it, crushing the bones.
Retra made herself think outside the pain, the way she’d practised in Grave. She had survived the agony of the obedience strip where others had died from it. So could she think through this. ‘No one.’
‘Why were you running?’
‘Is there a rule not to run?’ she asked.
‘The rule is not to keep things from us.’
She held his dead gaze with one of her own. She would tell him nothing.
‘You’ve caused trouble among the Guardians,’ hissed Modai. ‘I knew you needed to be watched. Tell me what you are doing or –’ He lifted his other hand as if to strike her.
Retra twisted away, feeling his fingernails scratching her skin as she wrenched her wrist from his fingers.
She ran towards one of the passages but somehow the Ripers were in front of her before she could reach it. How could humans move so fast?
Retra glanced behind her to the crowd collected on the dance floor. The Ripers’ movements had caught their attention and they stopped dancing as a tall figure cut through the middle of them.
‘Modai?’
The Riper stepped back, head bowed in immediate obedience. ‘Lenoir.’
‘What has this batling done that you seek to harry her?’
‘I sense her falseness.’
‘Has she broken any of our rules?’
‘No, Lenoir.’
‘Then I suggest you and Leyste find other amusements.’ Lenoir’s voice was soft, almost gentle, and yet Modai became rigid.
Leyste? Retra searched the face of the unknown Riper – was he Leyste? Why did Leyste and Modai wish to taunt her?
She glanced back at Lenoir but he continued to stare at Modai.
Both of them had pale skin, dark, straight hair and lean, muscular physiques. How was it that on Lenoir the combination was so magnificent, and yet on Modai it was repellent?
‘Hey there! Sorry, did I interrupt something?’ A body barrelled into the middle of the group, breaking the tension.
It was Rollo. His red hair was dyed black and plastered to his head with sweat; his bare chest covered with snaking tattoos. He grinned and grabbed Retra around the waist, planting a wet kiss on her lips. ‘Been looking everywhere for you.’
Retra stiffened but didn’t move. Rollo felt hot and damp, his skin slippery against her bare arm and neck. His breath smelt sweet like her father’s, after prayer meetings and prayer wine, when he came to her room and spoke in maudlin tones of his disappointment in his son, and his marrow-deep conviction that she would not be allowed to follow the same path. Stay pure, Retra, Father had said, over and over. Stay pure.
But Charlonge’s warning chafed against her father’s, as if one sought to rub the other out. Modesty is a sin in Ixion.
She leaned into Rollo’s arms, pretending to welcome his affection. ‘M-me too,’ she stammered. ‘Where were you?’
Modai gazed at them with suspicion.
‘Come on,’ Rollo said. He began to steer her away from the Ripers towards one of the passages.
Retra felt Lenoir’s gaze follow her.
‘What did they want?’ asked Rollo, when they entered the next cave.
‘Nothing. I mean, I was running.’
‘So what?’
Retra shrugged. ‘Modai wanted to know why. I wouldn’t tell him. I didn’t think I should … have to.’
‘Stubborn, huh? Most people would tell Modai anything he asked. He’s so frossin’ scary.’
They walked over to a dark nook furnished with low couches. Couples huddled together on the seats, some kissing, others more than kissing, hands roaming each other’s bodies.
Retra wanted to turn away from it but walking in the near dark required concentration.
Rollo crooked his head against hers, clamping her body against him. ‘Don’t look behind but Modai’s followed us,’ he whispered.
They walked, entwined to an empty couch where Rollo fell onto the plush seat, pulling her down with him.
Modai stood at the cave entrance, watching.
Retra slid closer to Rollo and he put his arm around her again. They looked like any of the other couples there, she told herself. She tilted her face up to look at him and he pulled a face at her.
‘I saw you come in but I was kinda annoyed at how you ran off on me at the re-birth, so I was going to ignore you,’ said Rollo with disarming honesty. ‘Then I saw Modai hassling you.’
‘You know him?’
He rolled his eyes and licked a bead of sweat from his upper lip. ‘Everyone does. They say he’s the one who makes you disappear if you’re a troublemaker.