to Ravens was similar to the Drop – across a bridge from the kar platform straight into the club. The Ravens’ bridge, though, led into the bottom floor rather than the top.
‘How do you get to the Lesser Paths?’ Retra asked Kero as they climbed a wide, sweeping staircase that reminded Retra of a bird’s wing.
‘You don’t. Not from the bridge. Ravens has back doors. Not all the clubs do. I guess they were all built at different times. That’s probably why Eve likes it here best. More than one escape route.’
‘Escape route?’
He turned to Retra, his eyes narrowing. ‘She’s in hiding from the Ripers. Others from the League feed her, bring her clothes. She survives outside “normal” means.’ He wiggled his fingers in the air to emphasise normal.
‘Can’t the Ripers just alter her metabolism like they did to ours? Make her burn out quickly?’
‘They’d have to catch her first. She’s pretty good at hiding. Doesn’t take her petite nuit in the churches. Only comes to the clubs occasionally. Most of the times she’s on the Lesser Paths, out of sight. Or in the tunnels.’
‘What about the Grotto?’
‘It was risky for her to come to the meet. If the Ripers had caught up with us … but knowing Eve, she had an escape planned. We would’ve run interference for her anyway.’
Retra’s eyes widened. ‘Why?’
Kero shrugged. ‘We don’t agree with what Eve’s doing, but we don’t want the Ripers to get her either.’
‘But the Ripers are supposed to be our Guardians.’ She wanted Kero to agree but he didn’t.
‘Yeah, well, it’s not that simple,’ said Kero. He pushed open the double doors into the club and the music slammed into them.
Kero and Krista-belle headed straight onto the dance floor. Rollo tried to entice Suki out there with him, jumping up and down in front of her, pulling faces. She laughed and glanced at Retra.
‘Dance with him,’ Retra reassured her. ‘I’m going to look around.’
Suki gave her a wicked grin. ‘Don’t go beating up on any Ripers. And don’t go home without us.’
Home. A strange way to think of Vank. Still, she nodded before she moved off.
Dividing her attention between the murals of sleek black birds on the wall and the faces of the dancers, Retra walked around the edge of the dance floor. The eye of each bird glittered as though lit from behind, making Retra’s skin prickle.
Periodically a spotlight danced over the birds, creating a ripple effect as it passed across their wings. Retra was grateful she hadn’t taken the pod earlier. The effect of the lighting and the pod together would’ve made the birds seem creepily alive.
At the other end of the room she discovered a dais with a small drinks station. An uther stood behind it, pouring cups of fizzy orange drink from a large brass urn. Retra grabbed the back of a vacant seat and dragged it away from the tables, to the edge of the dais. The view of the dance floor was better here and it was cooler.
She found the Leaguers were hard to pick out from the other dancers with no bandanas or bat-wing capes or spikes to identify them. Eve was clever not to have her members stand out. And Rollo had said only her close guards wore the hard leather tunics. Was it possible that Joel was one of them? Or had hope played with her imagination?
And then she saw him.
Only a few steps away from her. Moving between the dancers with quick purpose.
Joel!
She slipped off the chair and under the railing, and ran after her brother, breaking through the black lace cobweb that connected two girls, knocking into another couple.
Just as she reached him, though, the club’s lights extinguished and the music stopped.
She reached out desperately, blindly in the dark. Screams rose from the club goers; delighted and scared at once.
No!
Then the glitter balls in the ceiling reignited and light dots glanced off arms and cheeks. Her hands touched her brother’s shirt and she pulled him close. ‘Joel,’ she breathed. ‘Joel, it’s me.’
He stared down into her face with disbelief. ‘Ret?’
His hair had grown long, straggling, and a light beard covered his jaw line. His brown eyes were the same though; alive and sharp.
‘I came to find you. I couldn’t bear it there any more without you,’ she said.
He pulled her into a fierce hug and she could feel his heart hammering against her face. He smelt so familiar that her eyes filled with tears.
‘What about Mother and Father?’ he asked.
She