Page 60 of Of Flame and Fury

“Dira,” Coup began, “do you think it’d work if I—”

A sudden, howling wind leached through the comms. A large blood phoenix ahead suddenly descended as if yanked from the sky, somersaulting through the darkness. The bird screamed with its rider, making the crowd clap even louder as it neared the ground. Other approaching opponents gave the blood phoenix a wide berth, though it corkscrewed through the air so jaggedly Kel was stunned it didn’t take out any other competitors.

Distantly, Kel heard the phoenix’s collision with the hard track.

Another gale rushed over the Howlers from the impact. The grounded phoenix’s flames calmed, paling from crimson to coral. Kel spotted red pools spreading out from the limp bodies; the rider hung awkwardly from their saddle, legs still buckled, as motionless as their mount.

TWENTY-FIVE

“What the hell was that?” Bekn shouted.

“Coup? You okay?” Kel shot down the comm.

Coup swerved around the empty space where the phoenix had been. There were no hints of what had caused its crash. “Did anyone see what happened? It wasn’t an attack—there are no others near us. The phoenix just fell!”

His voice crackled, but whether with static or fear Kel couldn’t tell. Kel and Dira exchanged wide eyes. Coup and Savita continued in a straight line. With the blood phoenix’s nosedive, he was back to fourth place.

“There’s a rider creeping up on your right,” Dira shouted. “I don’t care if it takes you off track. Stay above it.”

Kel’s head whipped further down the track. The lean firebird was still yards away from Savita, not near enough for Kel to have noticed, but Dira was right. The creature tilted its wings ever so slightly, veering toward Coup’s flanks, as if to cut him off.

Coup grunted an acknowledgment, soaring higher. Around him, those strange tiny, sharp colors lit the sky. Kel squinted intothe sky, silently begging Coup to stay farther away from whatever was lurking up there.

A few seconds later another gust of wind whistled through the comms, and a beige phoenix was ripped from the sky. Kel leaned forward to see the tumbling creature wreathed in flames as it rocketed to the ground.

The firebird released a high, terrified screech, loud enough that Kel imagined all of Vohre would hear. The crowd roared, almost as loud, though the roaring turned bitter as the bird managed to straighten. The rider scrambled to regain control. With a handful of slow, labored wing strokes, the creature caught itself before hitting the track’s black tar.

Kel whipped back to find Coup along the track. A cluster of those strange, colored lights lit the sky directly ahead of him.“What the hell is going—”

Kel heard the breath wrenched from Coup’s lungs. Sending wild gusts into the crowd, Savita spun in violent, blazing circles through the air. Kel cried out as the crowd cheered. Tiny lights scattered around Savita’s hazy outline, and Kel heard the heavy, strained beat of Savita’s wings through the comms. Three more phoenixes soared ahead of Savita, sending the Howlers into seventh place.

“Coup!” Kel screamed.

Heavy breathing filled the comms. Dizzying seconds passed before Savita’s wings slowed, gliding momentarily before climbing higher.

“I’m fine,” Coup stammered. “I–I don’t know what happened. We passed through a cluster of those colored lights and winds started messing with Savita’s wings.”

Coup sucked in a deep breath before adding, “It was strange—hot and cold. Pulling us in different directions.”

Kel exchanged another helpless look with her teammates.

Bekn leaned toward Kel, speaking into her ear-comm. “But you’re okay?”

“Yeah. Savita is, too. But it’s impossible to see the weird lights until you’re surrounded by them.”

“Fall back,” Dira commanded. “I can’t guide you if the lights are moving. They’re too hard to see from here, but we might have a chance if you slow down.”

“The winds cranked up Sav’s flames,” Kel added, peering through the darkness. “Does she feel hotter than usual?”

Coup’s silence was answer enough. Kel pulled out her tele-comm to check Savita’s vitals. They were heightened, though barely above what they usually were in a race’s peak.

Refusing to slow, Coup managed to swerve around another cluster of floating jewels.

The spinel phoenix placing eighth wasn’t so lucky. The pale creature to Coup’s right was hurled sideways by an invisible force. Kel winced as the rider’s arms bent at unnatural angles, as if their very bones were being tugged in opposite directions. The phoenix spun and spun, red flames glowing brighter. The rider went suddenly limp, falling against the firebird’s side as they plummeted toward the ground.

The collision rattled the stands, enough that the Howlers had to grip each other to stay upright. Dazed, Kel scrambled to catch sight of Coup again. Coup and Sav were finally looping back toward them along the enormous track.

Her gaze lifted up, higher, to the nearest cluster of glowing spots. They flared brighter as the blood phoenix placing first raced past, and Kel caught a clear glimpse of their miniscule size.

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