CHAPTER THIRTY #2
Below, the interiors were partially caved in and anything higher than the middle floor became too inefficient. No modern augments could be added to the pillar without damaging it further, so no arcanite-powered lift system. Only stairs.
I ran my hand along the scales of the stone dragon that lined the wall of the staircase.
Each scale had been hand-carved in larger-than-life size, bigger than my handspan.
If it hadn’t been for the curve of the wall I wouldn’t have been able to see the head and tail at the same time.
The eye was on the next floor up, a piece of bright raw arcanite that followed me as I walked. It was also as big as my head.
Following the stone dragon upwards I reached the first of the purple banners marking the Ballenir floors.
I turned down the open corridor, feeling out of place in my orange uniform, though it was the uniform that stopped me from being turned away by the burly security guards.
The breast of my shirt was embroidered with a pair of white wings.
I was a rider now and we went wherever we pleased.
I reached a cross-section, with curved pathways leading off in three more directions.
I tried to remember if this floor was a match or mirror to my own, before giving up and picking the route that would most likely take me to the outer rooms used for the aviaries.
I’d barely stepped in the new direction before I was interrupted.
‘He’s on the next floor.’
I turned on my foot slowly, cursing myself. Omar Wilver had come from another leg of the intersection and seemed very amused to find me there. His uniform was a purple version of my own, with blue embroidered wings on the breast.
I sighed, giving up any pretence of being there for another reason. Lurking around looking for Theo had never been something I’d planned on doing, yet somehow Omar had caught me at it multiple times.
‘Thanks.’ I offered him an awkward smile. ‘I’ll just, uh …’
I began to sidle past him, hands in pockets, when he spoke again.
‘It’s good to have you back.’ He offered his hand. ‘Welcome to Volitant Chroma. Sorry I didn’t get to say it before.’
‘Thank you,’ I replied, a little dazed. ‘That means a lot.’
‘Good luck today.’ He started to walk off down the corridor. ‘And, hey, let me know if you’re going to be flying next year too. I’ll send you an invite to the Rider Union meetings.’
‘Oh, sure.’ I blinked as he walked away.
I’d been preparing myself to fight my way back into Volitant. Maybe not physically, not this time, but there had been a fair amount of bracing myself for the worst.
I stood limply at the cross-section of corridors deep in the Sky Pillar at a loss for something to rally against. Then I remembered I was on my way to see Theo. It wouldn’t be long until a fight found me.
After taking far fewer detours on the next floor up, I reached Theo’s aviary. My fist lingered over the ancient wooden door for a whole minute before I opted to go in without knocking.
I slipped inside, holding back a shiver as the cold air swept in from the endless sky surrounding the pillar. Framed against the gigantic opening was Theo’s dragon, Taicasso.
He watched me, his bright blue eyes steady as I nodded to him. The dragon had known I was outside the door and didn’t seem the least bit bothered by my presence.
‘Hey, one last layer on your wings before I go for interviews. The clouds are getting—’ Theo’s voice floated out of the adjacent rider room, followed by Theo himself.
He was dressed in his flight suit already, collar open and sans armour.
He paused when he noticed Taicasso had stopped moving.
Then followed his gaze to the door. To me.
‘Hey.’ It wasn’t much, but it was all I had.
His hand drifted up into his hair, pushing it back. For the first time in a while, he didn’t break out in a smile when he saw me – smug, friendly or otherwise. His shoulders tightened. His eyes looked at anything other than me.
Theo picked up some spray from the workbench, wrapped a bandana around his face and started applying the protective layer to Taicasso’s wing. He kept his eyes on his dragon while he spoke. ‘Congratulations on your new job.’
As always I was pulled towards the scaly creature in the room.
It was easy for Taicasso to be the focus of my attention.
His purple scales were iridescent in the morning sun.
He was more slender than Gottyk, but taller.
He had four short, straight blue horns that sprouted at the back of his head in pairs, reminding me of Ascil and her four wings.
I stayed by Taicasso’s right side as Theo worked on the left. It was easier to talk with a dragon between us.
‘I sent a message to your parents’ place. I wasn’t sure if you’d already left though.’ I was being honest. After signing Hough’s contract I’d gone directly to the Comms Office and sent two – one to Cam and one to Theo. Then I’d gone back to the ranch and had the joy of telling Josie in person.
‘I got it. You landed a sponsor, I’m glad you got what you wanted.’ His words held no warmth, making the open-air room even colder.
My heart picked up speed as I tried to decide whether to take the bait. I should have figured out what I wanted to say.
‘Yeah, she’s in fashion … the clothes you got me actually.
She’s the grandmother of one of the kids at the drake track.
Netti, the little girl. I couldn’t believe it …
’ I trailed off. He kept his head down, working on Taicasso, who was either not picking up on the tension in the room or couldn’t care less about it.
‘Great. Now you have a sponsor, you don’t need me anymore.’
I clamped my lips together and took a deep breath. He wasn’t making this easy. I tried to remember what Josie had said about getting answers, about clearing my head before the race.
My silence at least got Theo to look at me. He tugged down the bandana, letting it fall loose around his neck. His jaw had a layer of stubble across it.
‘If you have nothing to say, Paldon, why are you here?’
‘Oh, really? You’re sulking?’ Any and all patience was discarded, I was well and truly provoked. ‘I didn’t have to come here, you know. I have a career-defining race in a couple of hours, so I’d appreciate it if you could wrap up the grumpy shit.’
He held his arms open, being dramatic as always. ‘Oh, forgive me for thinking moping was allowed. I’ll just get over it and not hold it against you for five long years, shall I?’
So, that’s how we were broaching the topic? Fine. I used the rising adrenaline and swept under Taicasso’s neck – the barrier that had been keeping us apart.
‘Vaspre, you don’t even have anything to be mad at me for! Don’t even try to compare this to what you did!’
He balked. ‘You wanted something and used me to get it. How is that different?’
My head nearly exploded as all the arguments tried to get out at once.
‘I asked you for a favour and you said yes. How is that in any way comparable to what you did? You didn’t just fly dirty, Vaspre, you used me.
There was no other rider you’d have dive-bombed like that.
But you knew I’d pull back to avoid the wyverns getting hurt. ’
I heaved in a breath. ‘Yeah, I was mad that you won. I was mad that you got the Ballenir job. I was mad that my chances were screwed over, but I knew that could happen. It’s racing, Theo.
There’s only ever one winner. The reason I’ve hated your guts for the past five years isn’t because you won. It’s because of how you won.’
Theo winced. His familiar brown eyes softened slightly, before he blinked and rolled his head, rubbing at the back of his neck.
‘I will … concede those first two points.’ His jaw flexed.
‘But the reason I could take a risk like that is because I could trust you, Lena. I know you won’t push if it risks the wyvern or the dragon – but it also means we can race side by side without limits.
If our positions had been reversed, you’d have done anything to win too. ’
The frigid wind bit at my fingers as I stared at him.
‘You don’t even regret it, do you?’
He wrung the bandana in his hands, twisting it round in frustration.
‘Of course I regret it.’ His voice rasped. ‘I lost my best friend over it. I lost you. You don’t think the guilt has been eating away inside of me this whole time?’
‘So guilty that you’ve avoided me for five years? I know why I didn’t want to be around you. What’s your excuse?’
He had the audacity to laugh. ‘At first I thought you needed time to cool off. There was no way you’d have let me back in if I’d rushed it.
Then … When I started with Ballenir all I wanted to do was tell you about it.
Every detail. But each time I went to send that first message I just felt like I’d be rubbing salt in the wound.
I couldn’t find a way to do it without—’
‘Without admitting you were in the wrong?’ I cut in, unable to contain the knot growing in my chest.
He didn’t rise to my taunt. Instead, he nodded.
‘And without making it worse, Lena. Why do you think I jumped at the chance to blackmail you into hanging out? Into speaking with my parents again? You’d gotten a taste of flying in Volitant and would have done anything to keep it, even spending time with me.
‘I’ve done what I can to repair things, to make up for what I did. If that doesn’t result in us being friends again, then fine. I’ll be content knowing you got what you wanted – what you actually deserved five years ago.’
‘Such a noble sacrifice …’ I’d wanted to sound strong, to scoff at his words, but the tightness in my throat gave me away.
He sighed. ‘Yeah, actually it is. Our friendship means everything to me. It always has. But if this time we’re choosing to let it go then I understand why.
But I’m allowed to be disappointed, Paldon.
I know you don’t owe me anything and I’m not going to ask for more, but the past few months … yeah, I was hopeful. That’s on me.’