Page 17

TWELVE

B y the time a blazing dawn had scared away the night’s chill, the Howlers were halfway to Vohre.

Dira, Coup and Kel hadn’t packed much. Dira’s guitar took up the most space between the three of them, while Bekn’s bulging suitcases were nearly too heavy to heave onto the overhead silver railing.

Aside from the bags he’d seemingly stuffed half a house inside, the rest of the train carriage was bare; a handful of cushioned armchairs, floor-to-roof windows, three marble tables and a small cabinet with fizzy Asciran drinks.

The opposing glass walls protected them from Cendor’s persistent heat, and Kel rubbed her arms against goose bumps.

Bekn paced the length of the carriage, speaking into a well-abused tele-comm.

Coup sat against the window opposite Kel, legs propped up on a polished table, indifferent to the glass bowl of sweets his feet knocked.

His head was tilted toward the window, an open book in his lap.

She watched as his eyes fluttered closed, so at ease in their new surroundings.

Decorated with a rich, earthy palette, Cristo’s private train merely hinted at his wealth. Kel shuffled down the carriage’s caramel carpet toward Dira, huddled over a table with a tablet in front of her. She didn’t look up as Kel perched on the arm of her chair.

Kel wiggled a finger under Dira’s ticklish chin. “How long are you going to be mad at me?”

Dira swatted absently at Kel. “I haven’t decided.”

Kel sidled a little closer, nudging Dira with her elbow. “Are you open to bribery? New sheet music, a new meat-free recipe book, a voucher for Vohre’s best fashion boutique?”

Dira lowered her tablet. “I’m allowed to be mad, Kel. You made this decision without even talking to me. Part of the reason I left Dresva was to stop other people making my choices for me.”

A lump formed in Kel’s throat. “I’m sorry, D. Really. I just— I didn’t know what else to do. But I should’ve talked to you first.”

Dira sighed. “I care about Sav just as much as you do. I came to Cendor because phoenixes… magic … it’s all so much more tangible here. I loved Sav before I even met her. She’s the reason I don’t want to do this. You don’t know how Cristo will treat her.”

Guilt sagged Kel’s shoulders. “I know.”

Though she doubted Dira would ever admit it, Kel knew her pride often clouded her judgment. Wingers weren’t pulled into the spotlight like tamers and riders—the positions that spent the most time with dangerous creatures. But that still shouldn’t have stopped Cristo from recognizing Dira’s talent.

Dira folded her arms and slouched back in her armchair. Seconds passed before she huffed, and her lips pulled up into the softest smile. “Oska would’ve hated this, wouldn’t she?”

Kel’s chest ached. “She’d have thought this carriage far too plain for a billionaire’s tastes. And she would’ve told Cristo as much.”

Dira released a short, breathy laugh. “We wouldn’t have had a moment’s silence this whole ride.”

They’d been informed the night after the race that Oska’s family was having her body flown back to Ascira for a small, intimate funeral.

It was as much closure as they’d get for their fallen rider.

Still, Kel doubted the wound would ever fully heal—for her or Dira.

In all their years of friendship, she’d never seen Dira cry, but hearing the news of Oska’s funeral had brought Dira closer than Kel had ever seen.

No one deserved to die like that, brutally raked apart above a cheering crowd.

Oska’s screams still haunted Kel’s dreams.

Kel placed a gentle hand on her friend’s arm. “She’d be excited to squeeze as much money out of Cristo as she could, though.”

Dira’s smile grew. Her gaze flickered to Coup and Bekn. “She’d hate our new rider. Almost as much as you do.”

Kel rolled her eyes. “Don’t pretend you’re excited to work with him.”

Voice low, Dira said, “No. He’s an arrogant dick. But CAPR adores him, and as long as we can channel that cockiness on the track, we can make some money.”

Dira lifted her arm and squeezed Kel’s hand. A moment later, she reopened the tablet screen and waved a hand. “Now go away. There are so many Vohre racing teams I need to pick apart before we compete.”

Kel offered a salute and rose from her perch. She moved back toward the armchair she’d claimed at the carriage’s other end, opposite Coup.

Coup stretched his arms out like a sun-soaked cat. “As Salta’s tech capital, you’d think Cendor might put in a little more effort to make the rest of the island hospitable.”

Kel fell back into her chair as the train lurched around a bend. “Cendor was built for practicality. What’s the use in building beyond the cities’ limits?”

There were other, smaller cities scattered across Cendor, but none nearly as large as Fieror and Vohre. The rest of the island was covered with scattered forestry. Cendor wasn’t a tourist destination like Ascira. Kel was proud of their cutthroat reputation. It was a freeing, lethal thing.

“ What’s the use? ” Coup repeated. “More investments? More CAPR tracks? More land to buy for free and sell for millions? I’m sure Cristo and the council have plans to demolish this entire forest for their next big venture.”

His tone was equally dry and admiring—and it crawled beneath Kel’s skin. She gestured to the trees beyond his window. “This is the only other forest dense enough to house wild phoenixes if they completely destroy Vohre Forest. But new CAPR tracks are more important, right?”

She wasn’t sure why she was picking a fight.

Maybe it was because she’d promised not to once they arrived in Vohre.

Maybe because Coup’s bruised eye had healed far too quickly for her liking.

Or maybe it was the temporary truce they’d shared last night, the feeling that she owed him something.

It pricked at her constantly, like a stone in her shoe.

Coup rolled his eyes. “Sure, Kelyn. I’d absolutely choose new cities over preserving the phoenix population. It’s not like my career depends on the continuation of their species or anything.”

Kel stood. “ Alchemists’ sake! How selfish are you?”

Coup scoffed. “ Me? You’re the one who claims to care so deeply for your phoenix, while forcing her to compete in the same exact races I do.

” He shook his head. “Your virtuousness must be such a heavy burden. You profit off the deforestation, too, Varra. Your motives for CAPR racing are no purer than mine.”

Anger tensed Kel’s muscles. “At least I don’t preen and pose for the cameras like a phoenix in heat! I don’t ignore my teammates on the track, I don’t pull reckless stunts that could risk all our lives—”

“Cut it out,” Bekn barked. He stood, blocking her view of Coup. “We all need money, and we all have miserable little sob stories. Let’s leave it at that.”

Kel narrowed her eyes, trying to burn a hole through Bekn to Coup. Alchemists! She couldn’t stand him . He acted like a carefree child skipping stones across a pond, ignorant to the ripples he created.

From behind Bekn, Coup sighed. “It’s just some fun team banter, Bek.”

“Only masochists would consider your banter fun,” Bekn said, voice dry.

Coup snickered. “You’re just on edge after last night. You’ve had a crush on Finn Erret for a decade, and he finally bought you a drink last night.”

Kel’s brows raised, watching Bekn’s stubbled cheeks redden. Finn was a rugged twenty-something who had kicked Dira and Kel out of The Ferret too many times to count.

Out of mercy for Bekn’s flushed face, Kel relented, sitting back on her padded chair.

Dira cackled from the back of the carriage, but said nothing. Kel raised her hands in surrender. Bekn perched on the seat next to her.

He clasped his hands together. “Why don’t we practice our bootlicking for Canen Cristo?

Let’s go around the room and say what we’re most excited about at our new jobs.

I’ll go first.” Bekn cleared his throat, ignoring his teammates’ eye rolls.

“ I’m going to use this job to gain the money and knowledge I’ll need to open my own media company that can sponsor the Howlers.

There’s no better mentor than Cristo himself. ”

Dira made a gagging sound, and Kel supressed a giggle. The dreams Bekn spoke of had nothing to do with phoenixes or jagged practicalities. It made Kel think Cendor’s static fire and ruthless heart wasn’t the sanctuary for him that it was for her or Dira, or even perhaps Coup.

It made her wonder about another Howler— ex -Howler—who had ambitions beyond CAPR. “Maybe now that we’ve moved to Vohre, Rube can come back to the team.”

It wouldn’t heal the scar that Oska’s death had ripped open in Kel. But it offered something warm, and familiar, when nothing else about their future would be.

Dira’s gaze lowered. “I’ve already tried reaching out to Rube. He isn’t returning my calls.”

“His loss. I’m sure Cristo will have technicians five times as skilled,” Coup said, folding his arms.

“And ten times as loyal,” Bekn added.

Kel smiled tightly. “You’re right. We can do much better.”

She lay back and let her eyes unfocus. She watched the trees pass in thick clusters. Sunlight struggled to pierce the towering canopy and branches blurred together in uneven patchworks. Emerald, shamrock, brown, lime, pine—

Red.