Shine Light: the night creatures by Marianne de Pierres

Author:Marianne de Pierres
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Young Adult Fiction
Publisher: Random House Australia
Published: 2012-10-19T05:00:00+00:00

No one recognised her as she entered Illi. The grand marble church was not decorated for a ball as it had been the last time she’d seen it. Though the wall hangings and the gleaming furnishings were the same, Markes did not play from the pulpit for an entranced audience, and Lenoir did not watch her from the gallery above. There were no tables laden with honey bread and mulled grape.

Instead, young ones drifted from table to chair, laughing, talking and eating. Though it had only been a few weeks since she’d left Ixion, Naif was momentarily captivated by their exotic appearance. Many of the girls wore hats adorned with long, delicate feathers, reams of lace or clusters of sequins. The boys’ attire ranged from black silk pantaloons to leather to satin. Silver chains and buckles and studs hung from their wrists and decorated their shirts and belts and boots.

They seemed untouched by the disunion between the Ripers, yet they must have sensed it; must have seen some changes. Lenoir’s presence had been so pervasive before. Now it would be Brand’s stamp on their thoughts and deeds.

Feeling conspicuous in her stained pirate’s hand-me-downs, Naif hastened to the stairs. Lenoir had said Rollo slept here, which meant he’d be in one of the rooms above that were kept ready for petite nuit.

She searched in every room along the long corridor, her heart hammering with fear that she might be discovered by a Riper. Finally, she found him in the last room. He wasn’t alone. Bodies lay in the other five beds, not asleep but in a dreaming state akin to it. Naif remembered the strangeness of petite nuit and the confusing transition to wakefulness. Since having her badge revoked she had been able to sleep again, though she never seemed to get enough of it.

She crept to Rollo’s side and leaned over him. His eyes were wide open, unseeing, and he smelled of stale sweat combined with the faint sweet perfume of beads. It distressed her to think that Rollo had put aside his reason for coming here and fallen back to partying. He’d been the one who’d seen the Riper in Grave. He’d been the one who’d convinced her there was a connection.

She touched his arm. His skin was pale and clammy and he appeared thinner. Even his red hair had lost colour and sheen. The beads did that to you, Charlonge had told her once. But Naif had only ever taken them a couple of times.

‘Rollo,’ she whispered in his ear. ‘It’s Naif.’

He twitched and scratched his stomach but kept staring ahead.

She tried again, remembering that it took some time to leave petite nuit behind.

‘Rollo, I need your help. It’s Naif. I’m back.’

This time he sat bolt upright, blinking and swallowing. ‘No!’ he cried and began to flail his arms.

She jumped back to avoid being hit.

‘Shhhh! Rollo! Be quiet!’ She glanced nervously at the door. If a supervisor came, or a Riper . . .

Rollo coughed and rubbed his face.

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