Page 110 of Of Flame and Fury

Coup raised a brow. “Theothers?”

“I believe she means us,” a voice called.

Kel spun around. The familiarity of the woman behind her—navyeyes, weathered skin and dark hair—was quickly buried beneath the memory of flames licking at Kel’s sides, a phantom knife stabbing into her hip.

Bryna’s lips quirked up. “It’s good to see you again. I’m glad you changed your mind.”

FORTY-EIGHT

“What the hell is going on?” Kel barked.

Bryna lifted her arms in a seemingly peaceful gesture, though she held a sancter rifle in one hand.

“Who’s this?” Coup asked, frowning. “And why does she have asancter rifle?”

“I met this one”—Bryna pointed to Kel—“during her jaunt in Vohre Forest. I made her a proposition, and I’m so pleased that someone else on her team was smart enough to take me up on it.”

Confusion barreled through Kel. How did Rahn know Bryna? Behind Bryna, figures stirred in the shadows. People were patrolling the hall, dressed in black leathers that were almost identical to Cristo uniforms.

“She’s a leader in the Fume. She almost killed me,” Kel sneered.

Brynatsked and waggled a finger. “I did no such thing. I just offered you the chance to prove your intentions, and your friend here has done just that.”

Bryna looked to Rahn, who was fidgeting, her face white. “We only have three more aviaries to secure. Cristo’s other guards aretied up out of sight. The keys you gave us let us into the security offices. We waited until their scheduled breaks and overpowered them easily enough. Just like you said.”

Rahn nodded. “Someone will discover the breach by the next change-of-shift in half an hour. If you have a way to communicate that to your team, make sure they know. Though hopefully we’ll be out of here by then.”

Kel threw her hands up. “What thehell, Rahn?”

Rahn swallowed, the confidence draining from her face. “I-I’d never heard of Bryna before. I didn’t know there was a group of them hiding in Vohre Forest. But I knew enough about the Fume to convince them to get here. Because of my mom—they’ve been trying to convince me to spy on Canen for them for years.”

The venom in Rahn’s voice was so alien. Even Dira’s eyes widened in shock.

Rahn turned to Kel. “The leather bracelet I gave you for the last race didn’t just record your location—it recorded all audio. The signal was weak and the data didn’t come through for a few days, but… I listened to everything that happened in the forest. So I snuck out to retrieve the device. And have a word with the Fume.”

The Howlers gaped at her.

“I knew they’d listen to me if I gave them my surname,” Rahn continued. “So, I took one of Cristo’s fastest armored bikes and found some of the Fume near where Kel dropped the bracelet.”

She said the words so simply, as if venturing into Vohre Forest, alone, was as simple as a stroll through the city.

After a pause, Rahn added, “I went to speak with Estra in the hospital this morning. But… she’s unconscious. She’s alive—but I couldn’t wake her. I—I think it’s too late for her. So I did the only other thing I could.”

Guilt fluttered in Kel’s stomach. None of them had time to waste on indecision—but Rahn’s entire world had been forced upside down. Even Dira’s eyes softened.

Coup, on the other hand, folded his arms. “You’ve got to be kidding. You invited a Fume leader into Cristo Industries?”

Brynatsked again. “Not just a Fume leader, boy. As much of the Fume as I could gather at such short notice.”

“It still might not be enough. He’ll have an army protecting the race hall and plenty more sancter rifles than I could steal for you. But this was the only way I could get us backup in time,” Rahn said, glancing down at her watch again. “We’re out of options.”

Bryna sighed. “I don’t trust you and you don’t trust me, but for now, the enemy of my enemy is better than trust. We’re here to take down Cristo Industries. Whatever comes next—well, we’ll figure that out once these phoenixes are safe.”

Reluctantly, Kel nodded. On that, at least, they could agree.

Bryna paused. Then, in one jerky motion, she extended her sancter to Kel. “You look as if you’re about to collapse. You need this more than I do.”

Adrenaline sparked as Kel wrapped her hand around the cold grip of the sancter. She could feel a gentle crackle of electricity beneath the metal.

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