Page 33

TWENTY-FOUR

K el wriggled in her seat, squashed inside the oversized auto-engine carrying Sav.

Dira and Rahn had taken another four-wheeled unit loaded with their racing gear.

Even just a few meters ahead, Kel could barely make out their vehicle on the straight road.

Dusk had already given way to heavy shadows, and stars glistened overhead in clear, silvery clusters.

To her left, Coup yawned. “I can’t believe you’d rather ride with me and Bekn than your bestie.”

Kel tried to wiggle closer to the window. Coup had no qualms about stretching his arms along the back of the seats.

“You’re still a pain in my ass,” Kel said. “But I’d rather put up with you for half an hour than third-wheel Dira and Rahn’s flirting.”

That, and Dira had been avoiding Kel since their fight four days ago. Kel had apologized a dozen times to her friend, yet Dira still looked at Kel with shuttered eyes.

Coup grinned. “Sure, tamer. Tell yourself whatever you need to.”

Kel’s cheeks heated. The insult she should have thrown back died in her throat. There was too little space in the auto-engine’s cabin. She should’ve just put up with Dira’s anger.

Bekn drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. “If you’re going to flirt, save it for the CAPR cameras.”

“We are not ,” Kel growled.

Since the last race, Vohre’s media had only magnified its coverage of the Howlers. Rerun commentary speculated on Coup and Kel’s relationship. Magazines printed close-ups of their faces above romance headlines. It had become impossible to avoid the rumors.

Desperate for a change of subject, Kel muttered, “I still think this race is a terrible idea given Sav’s rebirth.”

“Whatever his reasons for hiding information—Cristo wouldn’t let us compete if he thought Savita would implode mid-race,” Bekn countered.

Coup softly elbowed Kel. “If you’re still that worried, you and I can march into Cristo’s office and demand answers. He can’t say no to CAPR’s latest power couple.”

Kel glared at him. Though the offer beneath the mockery was sincere, it made her lips twitch.

Over the past few days, Coup had tolerated Kel’s rehashed concerns more than the others.

Perhaps it was because his employment was twined more closely with Savita.

Still, no matter why, his willingness to listen had kept her paranoia from consuming her.

She ignored Coup’s teasing for the rest of the journey, focusing instead on the possibilities of what lay ahead.

Kel had no clue what awaited them. It was illegal for CAPR teams to have any knowledge of a race prior to arrival.

Media outlets were only permitted to release footage once every team had checked in.

She shivered, trying to imagine what might lay ahead; what could be worse than using a phoenix’s inherent fear of water against them?

As they unloaded the vehicles and approached the wide track, Kel’s questions remained unanswered.

“Come on,” Kel said, guiding Sav from the transport unit. “Let’s find our booth.”

Their booth ended up being raised along a private stretch of stands, which they’d climb to watch the race from.

Rahn and Bekn carried their gear as Dira and Kel helped Coup into Savita’s saddle, along a dirt patch not far from the starting line.

Though flanked by a larger crowd than she’d ever seen, there were no obvious threats along the looping track.

No mechanical clouds for weapons to drop from, no netting to tangle wings, no murky waters to spread fear.

Just a clear, glittering darkness for Savita to soar through.

Tall screens towered above the stands packed with roaring fans, ready to broadcast the race. Despite the clear track, the crowd screamed their anticipation. Silver tablets glimmered through the dense crowds, fingers darting across the devices as they placed wagers.

A chill ghosted down Kel’s spine. What was informing their bets? The open track didn’t seem to favor agility, strength, or size.

She’d much rather know what unholy dangers awaited them. The clear evening was nothing more than a prelude, but to what?

The winger and tamer moved together with their usual ease, perfected over the years. If Dira still harbored anger toward her, Kel knew she wouldn’t let it affect their performance on the track.

Minutes later, when Coup was in place and Bekn and Rahn had returned, there were still no answers. Kel could see other teams similarly huddled, squinting at the track’s clear sky.

When Rahn frowned down at her tele-comm, Kel almost lunged to her side. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“It’s just Canen. He’s in the crowd today and wanted to wish us luck.” Rahn scanned Kel’s face. “Are you okay? You look a little…”

“Sleep-deprived? Wrecked? Unhinged?” Dira supplied.

“Thanks for the multiple choice,” Kel muttered. At least Dira had forgiven her enough to tease her.

Kel glanced back at the track. “I can’t remember the last time Fieror had a simple track like this. Does Vohre ever just want teams to… race?”

Rahn’s lips twisted. “Definitely not. There will be something waiting up there for Coup and Savita.” Rahn squinted out at the track. “Wait—can you see that?”

Every Howler followed Rahn’s gaze. Even Savita, scraping her talons in excitement, glanced up.

“I can’t see anything. Just the stars,” Kel said.

“Yes!” Rahn chirped. “No— there , to the right. Between those two brighter stars. See the glimmering?”

Dira scrunched her nose. “The… moon?”

Rahn gave Dira a look. “ Below that. At first, it just looks like more stars. But there are different colors to them. See?”

The technician pointed to a thicker patchwork of stars. Kel stepped closer to the track’s edge, staring at the smeared fog. Tiny, glittering spots flecked the mist, like colored gems in a gray tapestry.

The warning sirens—signaling the race’s imminent start—rang before the Howlers could decipher the colored lights, sharper and closer than starlight.

Kel guided Sav to the dim starting line, where the Howlers surrounded the phoenix in a careful constellation of their own.

Fluorescent lights illuminated the stands, making it harder to spot anything amiss overhead.

Kel’s eyes roamed the crowd, circling the track in sky-high rows of metal seats.

There, in a raised stand, not too far from their own booth, she saw Cristo. He was standing, surveying the crowd.

Kel couldn’t make out much of him at this distance, just his blue blazer and pearly smile. Rahn beamed, waving both hands toward their employer. Cristo returned her enthusiasm before turning to a younger girl at his side. About Kel’s age, the girl mirrored his wide grin.

“Flames, Varra.” Coup pulled her focus. “The race hasn’t even started yet, and I can tell you’re looking for things to go wrong.”

Kel reached over and checked the buckles around Coup’s right leg. “Just stay low until we can figure out what CAPR’s planning.”

Coup sighed. “If brooding could make money, we wouldn’t need Cristo to back the team. Stop worrying. Winging it worked for us last time.”

Kel shifted around to his left leg and tightened his ankle buckles. Unease fluttered through her, doubts buzzing through her skull, so she wasn’t sure what made her lift her gaze to Coup’s and mimic his usual, teasing lilt. “Go on then, rider. Prove me wrong. Impress me for once.”

Coup blinked. “And how would you suggest I do that?”

Kel gave a small, satisfied shrug. “The media says you’re wooing me, but so far I haven’t seen many romantic declarations.”

“And phoenix racing screams romance to you?”

Kel tugged another leg buckle tight. “More than a staged stroll through a conservation center.”

Coup’s lips twisted into a lopsided smirk, before he lowered his goggles into place. “All right, tamer. This win is for you.”

Something coiled in Kel’s gut. She lowered her head as heat crept up her neck, giving Coup’s buckles one last tug before turning away.

Kel had barely climbed up to the Howlers’ booth when the sancter rifle flared across the sky like lightning. She whirled around just as a roaring gale reached her, sending her staggering back into Bekn.

Powerful winds swept across the crowd as thirty phoenixes launched into the sky.

The thin, metal railing dividing the track and the stands shook.

Hats and scarves flew into the sky, and the force of the fiery winds made it hard to suck in air, though the crowd still managed plenty of cheers as the phoenixes began their race.

Coup and Savita shot forward as if launched from a slingshot, painting a trail of fire through the stars. In mere seconds, he’d hurtled into fourth place.

“Keep an eye out for any obstacles,” Dira cautioned.

Rahn and Bekn stayed a few paces back, while Dira and Kel stood with their faces almost pressed against the sky-high metal railing. Could things really be so simple?

As if reading Kel’s mind, Dira added, “If there’s really no danger, the bigger phoenixes will make some to get ahead. Watch out for any overhead attacks.”

Coup muttered an agreement, voice muffled by a nearby phoenix’s shriek. The sound reached Kel’s ears a moment before crackling through the comms.

Coup stayed low in the saddle, helping Savita’s speed. The track would eventually loop back to the crowds, but Kel didn’t know how much she’d be able to see through the darkness, even with the help of the crowd’s overhead screens.

“There’s a cinder phoenix coming up beneath you,” Dira said. “Let him pass. He’s moving too fast and growing too hot for it to be sustainable.”

Moments later, a blazing phoenix shot past. Smaller and perfect for a race of speed, the cinder phoenix knocked Savita and Coup back to fifth place. Though he remained steady, Kel could imagine the daggers that Coup shot at the rider now ahead of him.

“Dira,” Coup began, “do you think it’d work if I—”

A sudden, howling wind leached through the comms. A large blood phoenix ahead suddenly descended as if yanked from the sky, somersaulting through the darkness.

The bird screamed with its rider, making the crowd clap even louder as it neared the ground.

Other approaching opponents gave the blood phoenix a wide berth, though it corkscrewed through the air so jaggedly Kel was stunned it didn’t take out any other competitors.

Distantly, Kel heard the phoenix’s collision with the hard track.

Another gale rushed over the Howlers from the impact. The grounded phoenix’s flames calmed, paling from crimson to coral. Kel spotted red pools spreading out from the limp bodies; the rider hung awkwardly from their saddle, legs still buckled, as motionless as their mount.