Page 76 of Hyperspeed
“Okay, little comet,” Kai whispered. “I trust you.”
I released a shaky exhale. This would be the second time tonight that Kai had put his trust in me. But this time I’d fucking earn it.
The tunnel exit surged closer. Quorik pulled away from Kai’s side, gearing up for a hit. Then I saw my chance.
I hit the fuel-mix boost and shot through the gap. My rear tyre brushed his nose before he even swung. With one sharp flick of my wheel, Quorik’s vehicle fishtailed hard, skidding straight into the tunnel wall in a shower of sparks.
It was just what he’d planned to do to Kai, and as we exited the tunnel, Quorik’s vehicle burst into flames.
“Fucking hell!” Kai screeched as I appeared alongside him. “Is he okay?”
“Just keep driving, Kai,” I replied, panting from the adrenaline. “It’s all part of the game.”
“We need to check if he’s okay!”
“No we don’t. People crash here all the time. This isn’t the ASL with stewards and officials to enforce the rules. If you wanna play dirty, you’ve gotta be prepared for others to do the same.”
For a moment, he said nothing, and we drove alongside each other in silence.
But Kai being Kai, it didn’t last for long.
“I quite like it when you’re dirty, Revvy.”
Once again, my laugh was genuine.
The race was a photo finish.
On the last straight, Kai and I maxed out our boosts, utilising the last of the dual-ion mix. We hit the line neck and neck, my front wing crossing just 0.04 seconds ahead.
The LED board at the side of the highway announced the result, and Kai let out a colourful string of profanity. Then he spent the cooldown lap laughing like it was the best loss he’d ever taken.
And perhaps it was, because tonight had been a shit tonne of fun.
Back in the shuttle park, we stopped side by side, close to where Al was waiting for us. “That was epic!” he boomed as we climbed out, pulling Kai and me into a bone-crushing hug.
Seriously, I think he cracked a few ribs. And by the grunts coming from Kai’s mouth, he wasn’t faring much better.
“It was fucking brilliant,” Kai wheezed when Al put us down, trying to catch his breath. He tossed his helmet into the vehicle and turned to me. “Youwere brilliant.”
I pulled off my helmet, revealing lines that glowed with an orange hue. Kai traced the lines with his finger, a soft smile on his face.
“Why don’t you two head to my shuttle and change? I’ll get everything packed up.” Al patted the rear wings of both vehicles, eyes glittering as he looked between us. “I'll meet you there in ten.”
“Okay,” I mumbled, my eyes still on Kai.
“Shall we?”
He gestured for me to lead us, so I did. I steered him through the knot of bodies, our progress slow as every other bystander stopped us for a congratulatory slap on the back.
As expected, people swarmed Kai, and he met each well-wisher with his trademark grin and easy banter. What I hadn’t counted on was how many people stopped me too.
In the past, I’d slipped away the second the checkered flag dropped. I told myself it was to avoid the stares, to dodge the novelty of being the lone Iskari.
But tonight, their greetings were genuine, the excitement aimed at both of us. And for once I didn’t feel like a curiosity to gawk at. Just a winner.
When we finally made it to Al’s shuttle, we both reached for our respective clothes. Kai had seen me naked in the locker room, but considering how much had changed in such a short amount of time, I was nervous to undress in front of him.
The last time had been a spur-of-the-moment thing. I hadn’t had time to think, because Kai had decided for me, ripping my towel away before I could blink.
