Burn Bright - By Marianne de Pierres Page 0,36

front of them turned around and looked. They started whispering to each other.

‘Sssh,’ Retra told Rollo. ‘Listen.’

‘Point is,’ added Kero now, ‘Brand’s dangerous. Krissie’s not the only one she’s touched.’

The Ghost’s leader spoke next. ‘One of ours, Amora, disappeared six strings ago. She was last seen at Bella Death, talking to Brand.’

‘The Ripers are our Guardians. This shouldn’t be happening,’ added the leader of the Freeks.

Murmurs started up.

‘What do we do?’ someone shouted.

‘We should bring the Youth Circle here,’ said the Ghosts’ leader. ‘Tell them what we know.’

‘No! They’re spies for the Ripers,’ said Kero. ‘We – the Wings – think we should post guards on the paths outside the clubs. Look after our own people.’

‘The Freeks support the Wings on this,’ said the Freeks’ leader.

Kero turned to the armour-clad girl who’d been silent throughout. ‘Where does the League stand?’

Dark Eve took her time answering, walking in a slow circle around the others, the way Krista-belle had. When she did speak, the Grotto fell absolutely silent. ‘Your plan is selfish. The ideas are narrow. What about those who don’t belong to the Wings or the League, Ghosts or Freeks? Plenty don’t. Who’ll look out for them?’

‘That’s their problem,’ said Kero. ‘Let ’em take care of themselves. Make their own way.’

A cheer rose among the Wings.

‘The League believes the Guardians should answer to all of us,’ thundered Dark Eve. ‘They use the Youth Circle to spy. Not represent. The League supports Ruzalia. She knows the Guardians for what they really are and she sends us a warning. Stand up to them, she says. Fight them. Take this place for ourselves.’

The Leaguers and a spattering of others cat-called in support, but just as many booed and hissed.

‘A lot would follow her, I reckon,’ whispered Suki. ‘She acts like a true soldier.’

Retra glanced at Rollo. His face shone with excitement in the candlelight and his breathing came quickly as if he’d been running.

‘What is it?’ she asked him.

‘I should tell her about the Council,’ he said. ‘Not the Youth Circle.’

‘What Council?’ asked Suki.

Retra stared at Rollo. She shook her head imperceptibly at him. Rollo’s information was dangerous. The less people who knew, the better.

‘We should vote,’ Kero insisted, drawing their attention back to the centre of the Grotto. ‘Who believes we should protect our own?’

All the Wings and the Ghosts raised their hands.

‘Who thinks we should fight the Ripers?’

The League all stood, but the Freeks were divided. Some raised their hands but others didn’t vote, bringing the weight of the vote down on Kero’s side.

His satisfaction was plain. ‘Majority says we protect our own. Meeting’s done.’

‘Which one’s the Seal? We want to know,’ hollered some Freeks down near the front.

One of the Wings sitting in front of Retra stood up. ‘Here. She’s right here!’ He turned and pointed.

A hundred or more curious stares fell upon her. Retra was overwhelmed by the attention and her legs started to buckle.

But Suki held her firm and pinched the skin on her wrist. ‘Be proud of it.’

On her other side, Rollo pointed and preened, making silly ‘I’m with her’ gestures. If her legs had been able to move she would have kicked him.

Instead, she clung to Suki’s words and dug down for the Seal-trained strength within her. Her back straightened and her shoulders squared. She kept her face as expressionless as she could manage.

The crowd began to clap. Then everyone was on their feet, swarming towards her. Bat-skin capes scraped against her arms, and many hands slapped her back in congratulations.

‘Good job, Seal.’

‘On ya.’

‘Brilliant.’

‘Wow. Brave work.’

The accolades blurred into a stream of noise but Retra was only aware of one thing; Dark Eve staring up at her, frowning.

Then shouts erupted behind them all.

‘Ripers!’ cried the sentry guards. ‘Ripers coming from Illi.’

The clapping ceased and the crowd stampeded up the stairs through the gate.

As the Grotto emptied, Retra moved with them, twisting and turning to catch better angles of their faces.

Joel, where are you? Joel?

Her gaze tracked back and forth. Dark Eve stood out among them all, taller than anyone else, more striking. But it was the figure next to her that sent Retra’s pulse racing; something deeply familiar in his posture.

She started to run towards him but he’d gone through the amphitheatre gate before she could take more than a few steps. Then Kero and Krista-belle were beside her, racing up behind the last of the Wings.

‘Hurry up.’ Krista-belle grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. ‘You of all people don’t wanna be caught down here. Kero