Burn Bright - By Marianne de Pierres Page 0,3

took bites of the strangely flavoured food. It was not unpleasant and it took the edge off the gnawing in her stomach.

‘Rules for everything in Grave,’ one girl said. ‘And the bells. Everything must be done by the bells. I’ve been waiting since I was twelve to come here.’

Others joined in. None of them spoke of missing home or family, only celebrated their escape from penance and prayers and isolation.

I’m not like them, thought Retra.

She didn’t crave parties and fun. All she wanted was to see Joel, and feel safe again. The familiar ache returned to her chest – the one that had driven her from home to find her brother. How long had he been gone? How long, waking up every morning with that heaviness pressing at her heart? Endless, endless days of feeling lost.

Did he cower like me on the bow of this dismal boat?

No. Joel never cowered, not even before her father and the Council of the Seal Enclave. He’d been born with free will in his veins; wanting to read what he wanted, do as he pleased. He’d tried to teach her to be the same but mostly she was too scared. The one time she had, she’d been caught – listening to the Angel Arias. Joel had stood up for her against them all. Taken the blame.

Part of her had rejoiced that day; but another part wished he had kept quiet, the way they’d been taught. Keeping quiet meant Father would not have snake-whipped him and he wouldn’t have run away and left her alone.

A noise woke Retra from a chilled and uneasy doze. Disorientated, she looked around for the source of the disturbance, standing to peer over the side of the barge. The dark sea boiled where it met the boat’s underbelly, sending sprays of water up the side. The salt stung her eyes. She clung to the railing, listening to shouts and screams coming from the waterline. Something was wrong.

Suddenly, the party lights extinguished and invisible wings beat in the air above her. She dropped to her knees and crawled back towards the cabin, frightened to stay where she was.

Just before she reached the stairs, the barge juddered as if running into something and she sprawled forward. Her outstretched hands touched flesh. She bit off a cry as a hand grabbed her arm and helped her to sit upright.

‘Hey, it’s all right,’ said a soothing male voice.

She strained to see him. He seemed broad; solid, in the grainy light. Alongside him Retra recognised a smaller figure whose swathe of white hair glowed with light of its own.

‘Cal?’

Cal leaned against the guy, their shadows melding into one, and whispered too loudly, ‘She’s a Seal.’

The guy moved his hand quickly from Retra’s arm.

She wanted to tell him that she wasn’t contaminated, that she was just the same as him, but the noise around them intensified with urgent shouts and footsteps.

Several Ripers appeared and sped past them, so quickly that Retra heard the clatter of their boots but only glimpsed the flicker of their long coats.

The boy next to her climbed to his feet and peered over the side. Retra and Cal copied him.

A blood-red flare burst across the starboard sky and Retra saw a sleek, stingray-shaped powerboat floating alongside them. Leashed echo-locaters hovered on giant wings above it, screeching.

‘How can she harness them like that?’ asked Retra. She shivered, picturing how they roamed the night skies of Grave, preying on the smaller of their own kind. Cannibals, Joel had called them.

‘It’s Ruzalia the pirate,’ said the boy. ‘She can do anything. She’s a body snatcher who steals people for crew. Or because she fancies them.’

‘Who told you that?’ asked Cal.

‘It’s in the confetti. They warn you.’

Retra tried to make out his features. ‘What do they say?’

‘If she raids the barge, stay still. Don’t attract attention in case Ruzalia takes you. They say she uses the ones she steals to amuse her. Perform and sing like trained animals.’

‘Maybe we should go to the cabin?’ Retra began to step away from the draught caused by the beating wings.

‘No!’ said the boy. His hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. ‘Don’t! That’s where the Ripers took the over-ager. Ruzalia will search everywhere. Especially down there.’

His touch shocked Retra but something about his voice made her feel safer. He had confidence, like Joel. She automatically moved closer to him.

Sensing her reaction, he relaxed his grip. But it tightened again as a body loomed up over the edge of the