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SIXTEEN

“ A new saddle isn’t going to stop you from falling face-first,” Kel muttered. She pulled the buckles around Coup’s ankle tight enough to bruise.

Coup shrugged. “Savita would catch me.”

Kel huffed and stepped back. Maybe if he cracked his skull, some of the arrogance might leak out.

Part of Kel did want to wrench open his skull, to see what else lay inside. When she’d first seen Coup this morning, he’d been even snarkier than usual; biting quips and bitter comments.

There was no trace of their unexpected truce from last night, and so she quashed any hint of understanding she might have been tempted to throw his way.

Kel moved back until she stood beside Dira.

To Dira’s right— very close to her right—stood Rahn, then Bekn.

Rahn had woken them at dawn, far too animated.

Already dressed in a uniform consisting of a pale blue coat and white shirt, Rahn dragged them to their new training track.

She offered them uniforms of their own, black and burgundy.

Coup had wriggled into his riding leathers faster than Kel could blink.

Where his old gear was worn and faded, his new uniform glistened like dark metal and fresh blood.

It fitted him like a tailored glove. The dense padding inside the leathers broadened his shoulders and puffed his chest. Two brown curls fell across his forehead, his hair otherwise perfectly coiffed, and the faint stubble across his cheeks only sharpened his jaw.

He’d undoubtedly have a Vohre fan base soon enough.

They all watched as Coup adjusted the buckles around his legs. Rube had been talented, but even his gear looked like junkyard scraps compared to Cristo’s tech. Savita jostled beneath the new saddle, bridle and reins, stretching her wings to their full length.

Kel didn’t miss Coup’s slight wince as he adjusted his weight.

“Are you hurt?” she asked, thinking back to the lethal stunt he’d pulled only days ago. He’d pressed against his phoenix’s saddle so tightly. Was his front covered in burns and blisters? If she asked to see him shirtless, she doubted she’d ever hear the end of it.

“Not enough to need a lecture,” he sighed, grimacing as he pulled himself further forward.

Confusion snaked through her. “You flew with me the other night—why didn’t you say anything?”

“You’d just have used it as an excuse not to let me come.”

Kel rubbed her face, smothering her growing irritation. “Just take it easy, okay? You shouldn’t be flying if you’re still injured.”

Coup brushed nonexistent dust off his arm. “I’m fine. Besides, if I die, you’ll get to tell Dira and Bekn ‘ I told you so .’ I’m sure you dream about that.”

“Can you take this seriously? I actually have to care if you live or die, now.”

Coup winked before lowering his goggles into place. “Stop brooding, Varra. You know Savita wouldn’t let me up here if I was injured enough to throw her off-balance.”

Kel’s cheeks heated. She stepped back as Coup guided Sav away from the Howlers.

Already warmed up, Sav rose from the ground with a single beat of her wings.

Coup led her through a few easy flight patterns.

They soared lazily around the oval track, ducking below the low netting and swerving between a few small obstacles.

Envy prickled at Kel’s skin as she watched Coup and Sav soar in elegant lines, already moving together seamlessly.

She tried to shove the prickling down; none of them had time to waste on frustration.

Vohre was known for its inventive CAPR tracks, built for artistry and shock value over practicality.

It was rare for the same track to be used twice.

She’d seen broadcasted Vohre races, but until they participated in one of their own she had no clue how they’d compare to Fieror’s.

If they were going to place in their first CAPR race, Coup would need every advantage he could scrape together.

Coup instructed Sav to pick up speed. The phoenix seemed unfazed by the unfamiliar gravel below her, itching to move faster.

Bekn cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “Show her off, Coup!”

Kel scowled at Bekn for making Sav sound like a prize auto-bike, but even she was curious to see how Rahn reacted to Savita’s full speed.

Coup howled in response. Then, they were off.

Rahn yelped and grabbed Dira’s arm as Savita blazed past, conjuring a storm within the hall. Winds shoved them back, knocking over loose obstacles and sending Bekn to the ground. Kel braced her knees and managed to only stumble a step.

Kel helped Bekn to his feet, grinning. This was familiar.

Watching Savita soar, fire crackling in the air, even with a new rider on her back.

This was safe and dangerous all at once.

If Coup was thrown off at this speed, he’d be little more than a splat of red on the ground.

It would be inconvenient to have to replace him so soon after arriving in Vohre.

Coup directed Savita around the track a few more times, his howls blaring through their new ear-comms. He dove when Dira instructed, eased up when Kel demanded.

“I guess it just took million-cere gear to get you to listen,” Kel said acidly, earning chuckles from Dira and Bekn.

“I’m not opposed to following rules, Varra,” he shouted back. “Only useless ones. My last tamer had no clue what he was doing.”

A disbelieving laugh escaped Kel. “And you trust me, Coupers?”

“I trust you’ll do what’s smart for Savita. Which, by association, will be smart for me.”

Kel’s mouth parted, at a loss for words. Coup’s voice was matter-of-fact, with no trace of his usual teasing.

“I assume your expression means he’s being unusually cooperative?” Bekn asked from Kel’s side. His eyes darted to Kel’s ear. As mitigator, he was the only teammate without direct comms access.

She gave a dry smile and muted her new comm. Bekn noted the action. He opened his mouth and closed it, a soft crease forming between his brows. His gaze flickered back to Coup.

“Everything okay?” she asked, searching his face.

After a pause, Bekn said softly, “My brother was reckless enough with cheap gear and clear limitations. Now, with the kinds of things Cristo can offer…” He drew in a sharp breath. “Coup doesn’t see the impossible. He only sees obstacles to crash through.”

Kel mirrored his frown. “Coup may act the part, but he’s not entirely brainless. He must know his limits.” She looked back at Coup. “He’s lucky to have someone looking out for him.”

Coup cheered again from the other end of the hall, and Bekn grimaced.

“At least with Cristo’s backing, if Coup’s luck ever does balance out, he’ll have access to the best facilities in Salta.

” Bekn’s eyes brightened. “This sponsorship could lead to such incredible things for your— our —team. We could even—”

Kel’s new tele-comm beeped in her pocket, and she yanked it out to see a red notification lighting the screen. Frowning, she clicked into the app that monitored Savita’s vitals.

Dread shivered down her spine.

She grappled to unmute her ear-comm. “Coup! Are you still alive?”

Coup almost deafened Kel with his answering laughter. “Better than ever!”

“Savita’s temperature is too high. You need to land!”

Coup yelled, “She’s fine. She’s just—”

“Land. Now. ”

Coup swore and spun back toward her. Savita hit the ground seconds later with a low thwomp . Kel rushed over, her tele-comm beeping incessantly.

“What’s happening, Kel?” Dira called.

“Is Coup okay?” Bekn asked sharply.

Kel pressed a gloved palm to Savita’s feathers, not caring if more burns scarred her hands.

Savita’s plumage danced with its usual tiny flames. Yet… her temperature was too high, higher than even mid-race. Perhaps it was caused by anxiety?

Coup yanked off his helmet, his hair still impossibly, perfectly arranged. “What are you playing at, Varra? There’s nothing wrong. Stop being paranoid.”

Kel raised her chin, refusing to let her embarrassment show. “I’d rather be paranoid than scraping an overcooked rider off Savita’s back.”

He rubbed his face. “You need to put a cere in a jar every time you overreact.”

Kel folded her arms. “I’m not. She’s—”

“She’s magnificent.”

The Howlers spun toward the new voice, deep and smooth, and Kel momentarily forgot her fears. A figure approached them in long, confident strides. A pearly smile lit his face. His eyes tracked Savita’s every move with wide, glazed awe.

Canen Cristo.

He looked exactly as she’d expected. Tanned skin gleamed beneath the hall’s fluorescent lights, his black hair short and gelled. A blue blazer, tailored with gold thread, fitted snugly around his strong build. If anything, he looked younger than on media screens. In his early forties, perhaps.

Rahn grinned and hurried toward Cristo. “We thought you weren’t back until tonight!”

Cristo chuckled. “I couldn’t miss my new team’s first practice.”

Rahn gazed at Cristo as if he was an Alchemist reborn.

Cristo met Kel’s stare. “Rahn Xing was an easy choice as your new technician. I’m so glad she’s made herself at home with you all.”

Silence.

Rahn’s cheeks glowed cherry-pink. “I wanted to give you a chance to settle in before telling you.”

Savita squawked loud enough to shake the netting overhead. She raked her talons against the hard ground, a clear demand to be airborne. Coup murmured to Savita and began unbuckling his legs from the saddle fenders. Bekn and Kel fidgeted.

Cristo seemed oblivious to the tension.

“You’ll be working with us?” Dira beamed. “Every day?”

Kel bit back an unexpected laugh. Excitement vibrated through Dira as Rahn tucked a few loose hairs behind her ear. “If you’ll let me.”

In hindsight, it was almost too obvious. Rahn was their age, she lived in their unit, and had said she worked in Cristo’s CAPR department.

She was the perfect Cristo employee.

And—Kel couldn’t help thinking—the ideal spy, to ensure the Howlers followed the rules.