Page 39 of Of Flame and Fury

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

Coup winked before lowering his goggles into place. “Stopbrooding, 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.Thiswas familiar. Watching Savita soar, fire crackling in the air, even with a new rider on her back.Thiswas safe and dangerous all at once. If Coup wasthrown 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 Bekngrimaced. “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 lowthwomp. Kel rushed over, her tele-comm beeping incessantly.

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