Page 18 of Of Flame and Fury

Anger surged through Kel, and Sav swiveled toward her. The sparks along Savita’s back turned to flames, curling overhead, as if reaching for Coup. Kel’s muscles tensed.

“Stay at the paddock’s edge or head back to the cottage,” Kel called to Dira and Bekn. “We don’t want her overwhelmed.”

Bekn grumbled. Coup interrupted the wordless protest with a slow, raised hand. “I’ll be fine, Bek. My new best friend isn’t going to let anything happen to me.”

“Just don’t trip on your own ego,” Kel muttered, keeping her face blank. She didn’t want Sav to see how easily he rattled her. “This is already dangerous enough without you falling over.”

Behind her, she heard Bekn and Dira traipsing back, toward Kel’s cottage. Though Dira left without complaint, Kel knew she’d be watching from the windows.

“It’ll be hard not to trip with you breathing down my neck,” Coup said.

Kel sucked in a long, deep breath and tugged on leather gloves over her bandages. She tried to breathe out the frustration tensing her muscles. If Savita sensed any reservations in her tamer, she’d grow even more anxious around Coup. And despite a near-overwhelming urge to shove Coup into Sav’s fiery maw, Kel knew they both needed this to work.

Slowly, Kel shuffled toward Sav with a hand outstretched.

“Hey, Sav,” she crooned, “try not to breakeverybone he has, okay?”

Sav leaned into Kel’s hand, eyes still trained on Coup. She tilted her head and nuzzled at Kel with enough pressure to force Kel back a step. The phoenix inched forward, stepping between Kel andCoup. Her wings ruffled, stretching slightly, as if to shield Kel from the rider. A thunderous rumble echoed through Sav. Though her heart pounded, Kel fought back a laugh.

“She doesn’t seem to believe we’re friends.” Kel tapped a finger against her chin. “I wonder why?”

Coup didn’t respond. His features were unexpectedly taut, grave, just as they’d been last night. He lowered into a half-squat and edged closer to Savita, palms outstretched. His riding leathers hugged his broad shoulders and tense legs, far more sculpted than even a rider’s needed to be.

Kel cleared her throat. “Make sure to keep your eyes on hers instead of the ground. Right—like that. Carnel phoenixes are smarter than spinels, but also more aggressive. They need to know that you’re—”

“Not a threat, but also not prey,” Coup finished, under his breath. His movements were smooth, practiced. “She needs to know I’m not dinner, but that she can also trust me with her back turned. I get it, tamer. Stop micromanaging.”

Kel rolled her eyes as Coup inched closer, closer, already a hundred meters closer than Sav had let Oska—or any of the Howlers’ previous riders—within their first month of meeting. Perhaps Kel should have been relieved; they could race a lot sooner than she’d anticipated. But Kel couldn’t help the disappointment that snuck through her.

Couldn’t Sav have injured Coup just a little?

Kel’s jaw dropped as Coup approached Sav head-on, barely two paces from her beak. Still squatting, he slowly raised a single palm over his head. The sparks dancing along Sav’s feathers calmed as she scrutinized Coup.

A minute passed in silence as rider and phoenix stared at each other. Kel held her breath. Palm outstretched, held high, Coup lowered his gaze to the ground. A test.

Kel instinctively started forward. She reached toward Coup, unsure what she planned to do—intercept Coup and Sav, try to prevent the impending slaughter, despite how many times she’d yearned for it.

She looked up and saw Savita peering down at Coup’s lowered head, his vulnerable posture. She blinked, slowly. Then she tucked her wings, folding red, yellow and orange feathers back on themselves, before releasing a high-pitchedsquawk.

“Your last tamer must’ve been thorough,” Kel said, unable to hide her disbelief. Though riders needed to understand basic phoenix nature, she hadn’t expectedCoup—who seemed to risk his phoenix’s life as often as his own on the tracks—to display much competence.

Coup shrugged, still inching closer to Savita’s side. “He was rather useless, actually. I’ve just spent a lot of time in public aviaries.”

Curiosity hungered for Kel to askwhyhe’d been in public aviaries, but she didn’t want to show unnecessary interest in Warren Coupers. Not even if her traitorous phoenix let him too close.

Sav remained focused on the rabbits burrowing beneath her. Shock—and more than a little annoyance—shot through Kel when Coup reached a hand up to Sav’s neck.

The phoenix let out a low, cautioning grumble, but didn’t move. Coup stayed statue-still, his gloved fingers spread against a cluster of raspberry-colored feathers. Slowly he tilted his head toward Kel, a brow raised, as if to ask,What were you worried about?

Frustration hitched her breath. Somehow, he’d fooled Sav into letting him touch her on their very first encounter. It was sure to make the cocky bastard even cockier.

Kel placed her hands on her hips. “Don’t get smug. Sav is probably just bored and eager for a new chew toy.”

Coup’s lips parted into a maddening grin.

Before he could respond, a cheery voice called, “The media was right! Looks like cozying up won’t be so hard, after all.”

Kel scowled at Dira’s distant, cackling figure.

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