Page 32 of Of Flame and Fury

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’mgoing to use this job to gain the money and knowledge I’ll need to open my ownmedia 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.

THIRTEEN

“Stop!” Kel screamed.

She jumped up and slammed her hand against the emergency button on the wall. The train lurched to a halt. Bekn fell to his knees and Coup cursed.

“Flames, Kel!” Dira barked.

Savita’s distant screech vibrated their carriage.

Kel pressed her face to the misted window. She tried to peer to the left, where she’d seen a sharp splash of red, before hurrying to the carriage’s doors. She thumped theEXITbutton over and over. The glass doors refused to budge.

“What’s going on?” Bekn demanded.

Kel ignored him and tried to pry apart the heavy doors. A moment later, a pair of calloused hands joined hers.

Together, she and Coup strained to part the glass. Bekn and Dira stood behind them, no longer shouting. Their curiosity fell against her back like a shadow.

Alchemists!She hoped she was wrong.

The doors shuddered open.

Kel leaped to the ground and stumbled over the train tracks, stubbing her toe. The rest of the Howlers followed close behind.

A few meters back, in a small forest clearing, lay a circle of boulders. Streaks of red smudged two rocks, scarlet veins glowing against the stone.

It was so out of place in the sea of green and brown. She’d hoped it was a dead animal. A deer or a bird. But a labyrinthine pit had formed in her stomach at the amount of blood she’d seen.

So much.Too much.

Beneath the red smears lay two bodies. A mother and a small child, tangled together.

From the dried blood trailing down their fingernails, their nose, their every orifice, it was clear what had killed them.

AB.

“Call for help,” Kel whispered, so softly she wasn’t sure anyone heard.

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