Page 51 of Of Flame and Fury

But this wasn’t a race of speed. Coup approached the tail feathers of another phoenix. Their bodies would never fit side by side. Savita gained speed and, under Dira’s direction, she slowly inched below the ginger phoenix. Sav ducked her head to avoid the talons and skimmed the water’s surface, lower than the other phoenixes dared to go.

But it wasn’t the water jets they had to watch out for.

The phoenix above Savita finally noticed her approach. The creature released an earsplitting crow and lowered its head. Its black beak opened and moved too fast, not toward Savita—but Coup. As if to rip him from the saddle and swallow him whole.

“Get out of there!” Dira shouted. “Fall back—now!”

Kel clamped her fists around the rail as Savita slowed and fellback. Any slower, and Coup’s head would no longer be attached to his body. She heard Bekn exhale at her back.

Kel pressed a hand to her sternum, trying to slow her breath.

As if furious at letting prey escape, the other phoenix swung its body to the right, slamming hard into Savita’s side.

Savita screamed, swaying in the air. The collision wasn’t enough to knock her into the water, but she tumbled and spiraled, forcing Coup to clutch the saddle pommel as he was turned upside down, dangling from Savita’s back.

Kel held her breath. In the distance, softer, flickering flames seemed to stir to life along Savita’s neck. By the time Savita steadied herself, six other phoenixes had swarmed past, narrowly missing her wings.

The crowd roared with delight, a violent chorus begging for carnage. Every near-collision earned a low howl, every injury brought on a primal cheer.

The noise tinted Kel’s vision red. Though Savita was unharmed, Coup had probably borne the brunt of the attack. There was nothing she could do. Nothing—

“Coup,” Dira said stiffly. She swapped a quick glance with Rahn, then placed a hand against her ear. “Listen to me. Lie against the saddle seat and keep your arms pressed to your sides. Don’t attack any phoenixes at the front of the pack—only let Savita lash out at the slower, smaller ones that the crowd doesn’t care about. Even if the others attack you, stay low and stay fast. Savita isn’t the biggest, but she’s the fastest. Don’t hold back.”

Don’t hold back.

Most saddles and leathers weren’t built for a phoenix’s full speed. Some riders were foolish enough to accelerate near a race’s end, where they could dismount before burning. Most tech couldn’t handle that kind of heat.

But Rahn’s designs were better than most. Dira wouldn’t risk Coup’s life if they weren’t.

Kel watched Coup shift beside the saddle pommel and lean low, arms tucked. It was impossible to deny how well he moved with Savita, how quickly he adapted to the phoenix’s moods and sudden movements. His muscles twitched a second after Savita’s, as if she guided him, rather than the other way around.

“Sav, get ready to break some records,” Coup howled.

Across the far side of the track, Savita gained speed. Her wings dipped low and the wind caused streams of water to rise into the air. Water jets attacked left and right, jets of near-black water chasing Savita a half-second too late, until one bubbling stream shot out toward her midsection.

The water collided with Savita’s stomach. Sav rose as if yanked by a string. Coup jolted down against the saddle, then back up. A phoenix to Sav’s left snapped its beak at her, sensing vulnerability. Though Sav swerved haphazardly to avoid a clamp around her neck, the phoenix bit into Sav’s left wing and plucked a bloody cluster of feathers. Sav shrieked and managed to pull away, tilting to swipe at the attacking phoenix with a talon.

Kel felt dizzy. She watched as Savita righted herself. Coup seemed uninjured, but she could barely see through the black spots crowding her vision.

“What’s going on? Is he hurt?” Bekn pleaded, eyes darting between Kel and Dira.

“Everything okay?” Dira shouted down the line.

Savita’s wings still failed to correct her jilted course. Though she’d escaped the other phoenix, one wrong stroke and her feathers would catch in the thick, leather netting overhead.

“We’re good!” Coup shouted back, giddiness clouding his voice.

Kel echoed his words to Bekn, and asked Coup, “How badly is Sav hurt?”

“Ashes!” Coup swore, swerving around a sandy phoenix to his left. “She’s fine, Varra. The bird barely took a few feathers, and a little splash won’t kill her.”

Kel ground her teeth, caging her retort. At least the black spots in her vision cleared.

Coup clung to the textured pommel as Savita flipped and spun around other phoenixes. Some tried to stop her approach with claws and beaks—but this time, Coup and Dira anticipated it. Kel watched him touch the sensitive patch of feathers at the base of Sav’s neck. He stroked different feathers to warn her of attacks from behind, above, below. His movements were light, assured.

Slowly, they soared closer to the front of the pack.

The crowd crackled with energy, their shouts colliding like fireworks. Some cheered and others booed as Savita moved faster. Tiny flames began to lick at the tips of Savita’s feathers. This was as fast as they’d ever dared to fly with Rube’s leathers.

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