CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR #2
‘It’s all the people she’s fought after a race.
’ Cam was lurking by the augment bench, arms folded across her chest and doing her best to not fuss as much as Gottyk had.
She’d been there when I’d woken up. Walking up the stairs might have been a challenge, but convincing Cam not to throw me over her shoulder and carry me had been harder.
I nodded, weary down to my bones. ‘Weird that it keeps happening.’
Both of them scoffed. I’d preferred it when they’d had a weirdly intense standoff before the race. Them being on the same team was far worse. There was a lot of anger, frustration and grief in the air, but so far none of us had dared breach it.
‘You didn’t tell me you fought with Theo after the Victrolia race.’ Josie lifted a single eyebrow.
The steamy spa flashed in front of my eyes. I dipped my head into my hands, hoping she’d take pity on me given I was still suffering after-effects of the race, the fight and the soul-crushing loss of my career. Again.
‘She fights with Theo after every race.’ Cam saved me, though I doubted it was intentional. ‘I’m surprised he’s not here right now arguing over her getting into a fight with someone else.’
‘Good point,’ Josie tilted her head. ‘Where is lover boy?’
Cam and I had the same reaction, only in different directions. My head whipped to Josie, warped in shock. Across the room Cam sent me the exact same one.
‘She’s joking,’ I said, massaging away the neck pain it had caused. I hoped the fact that Cam didn’t know Josie well could cover the lie. ‘Anyway, he’s probably doing the post-race press for the winners. He doesn’t have time for losers like me.’
I tipped my head back, willing gravity to pull the moisture back into my eyes. It wasn’t true, Theo had plenty of time for a loser like me – being smug was his default setting. The fact that I was, once again, a loser … that was what gnawed at my heart.
‘Are you coming home then? I’ve offered it enough times that you kind of owe it to me now.’ Cam didn’t grovel, she made me feel obligated instead. This time though I knew it came from the overwhelming urge to protect me.
‘She’ll stay at the ranch,’ Josie answered for me. ‘Then she can keep flying.’
Josie didn’t mention that I would be keeping her company too.
‘She can fly the wyverns at home. What’s the point of all those dragons if they’re not racing?’ My sister was getting surly.
‘I’m sorry what? You have wyverns at home?’ Josie sat up straight, waking poor Gottyk up from his beauty sleep. Nearly.
Cam froze. I leaned my elbows on to my knees, hiding my smile behind my hands. Cam Paldon, leader of the very illegal and very secret street-racing crew – the crew she forbade me from telling anyone about – had just made a mistake.
At least she was suffering with me.
The aviary door creaked open. I’d started to realize that no one knocked, but too late to do anything about it.
Bach held it open, stepping aside for Miss Hough to come in.
Seeing the two of them together was difficult for my scrambled mind to comprehend.
I was happy to see Bach – our brief meeting after the race, but before my life was ruined, had been a bright moment.
Miss Hough though was about to yank my heart out of my chest and file it with my broken contract, along with other failed projects.
She was far too clean to be in the aviary anyway.
The white outfit had been swapped for a cream one, still as sleek and seamless.
She wore straight wide trousers and a short cape, or perhaps a poncho, around her shoulders, which made her look more wyvern than human.
It seemed like something Theo would approve of.
I slid off Gottyk’s back. It seemed like the respectful thing to do since she’d at least given me the chance to fly again. My dragon woke up and stood behind me, his hot breath going directly into my right ear as he hovered nearby.
‘Sorry I couldn’t do it, but I appreciate your help.’ I offered her a smile. It was pathetic really, just a limp attempt to be polite.
She looked me up and down.
I hoped she would say something soon. I could see Cam twitching in my peripheral vision. Josie’s observation of me learning everything I knew from Cam was correct, particularly the fighting and flying instincts.
‘You don’t read much, do you, Miss Paldon?’
I bristled, not needing to see Josie to know she was nodding behind me.
‘I suggest you spend some time familiarizing yourself with the contract you signed. Just because the races have stopped doesn’t mean you won’t be busy before the next season starts.’ She reminded me of a teacher I’d had in school. She’d made me feel like an idiot too.
‘What?’ I glanced at Bach for help. He’d entered with her. Maybe he knew what the fuck she was talking about.
‘Apparently,’ he answered, smiling, ‘the wording was specific. You had to finish first, not win. I would have been here to see you sooner, but Miss Hough asked me to attend a meeting with her.’
I started to sway on the spot. Gottyk’s warm nose bumped into my back. Finish first, not win. There was no way that was a loophole. The contract had been thick – I hadn’t even read the first page – but I hadn’t expected that level of exactness. Maybe I should have.
‘Mister Lotiere was helpful in negotiations.’ The corners of her thin mouth twitched.
She was enjoying dragging this out. ‘I had a few of the team bosses ready to speak to, but one seemed particularly keen, as he’s losing one of his riders to Victrolia.
I was in agreement, given that we have overlapping motivation.
You and their remaining rider did well over the summer. ’
‘Kiestral want to keep me?’ I looked between Hough and Bach, stunned. He was the only person I’d flown with during the break. But Thorne? To Victrolia? That didn’t make sense. Yet the cloud that had been hanging over me since waking up began to clear. It would mean I could still see Gottyk.
‘No, Miss Paldon …’ She watched me, waiting for me to catch up.
‘Oh.’ She meant Omar. I’d finally understood her point. ‘Oh.’
Theo and I were going to be teammates again.
‘Ballenir will send you their formal offer by the end of the day, but the agreements have already been made. Mister Lotiere vouched for your skills while I made sure to emphasize your other values. My team will be in touch over the break to schedule your promotions. If you need to get in touch in the meantime, this is my personal comms code.’ She opened her bag, which was really more of an envelope, and handed me a card. She softened ever so slightly.
‘Miss Paldon, I expected someone would try to undermine you today. The mountain you are trying to scale, it is one I now stand at the top of. Being the first to do anything is difficult, but being the first woman is gruelling. I word all of my contracts so I get what I want. It didn’t matter if you got the trophy or had been the first to crash – as long as you, in some way, finished first, you would be mine next year. ’
She snapped her tiny bag shut.
‘Enjoy your victory,’ she said primly. ‘The autumn collection is launching in a week. You’ll be needed there. Don’t be late.’
She clipped away in her heeled shoes, not wobbling once on the stray copper pellets that had escaped Gottyk’s stall. The aviary door thudded shut behind her.
‘I don’t trust her.’ Cam was quick to begin the debrief.
‘Oh please – you don’t trust anyone.’ I could hear the excitement in Josie’s voice as she jabbed at Cam. We both had jobs. The ones we wanted.
Bach came over. I stared past him, leaning back on Gottyk who still hadn’t moved away.
‘You could do with trusting a few less people,’ Cam argued back.
I ignored them. Instead I reached behind me to scratch under Gottyk’s chin. I couldn’t look at him.
‘It’s okay.’ Bach’s voice was gentle, like when he’d talked about Damina.
That made everything worse. I let out a sob that shook my whole body.
Bach pulled me in for a hug. Gottyk didn’t let us be apart for long, he shoved his head into Bach’s arms with me.
The tears wouldn’t stop. I didn’t care about the job. I didn’t even care about racing. I only cared about my dragon.
‘You’ll see each other again.’ Of course Bach knew. Those stupid all-seeing eyes weren’t just a PR bit – he knew the idea of leaving Gottyk behind for good was breaking me.
‘Lena?’ I’d only heard fear in Cam’s voice a few times in my life. This was one of them.
I was released from Bach’s arms and left to hold Gottyk myself. I clung on to my dragon, unable to see his big brown eyes through my teary ones.
‘Let’s give them their time.’
I was thankful for Bach’s suggestion, I didn’t have any words of my own. One by one they squeezed my shoulder, patted Gottyk and headed for the door.
‘Bach, did you know she has wyverns? Plural.’ Josie’s attempt to lift the mood drifted away.
‘Really?’ Bach sounded interested, talking over Cam’s grunts and shushes to Josie.
With one last thud of the aviary door I was alone with Gottyk. He cooed at me, letting me hang my arms around his neck as I shook, still crying. I couldn’t let go. Not since I’d seen him crawl out of his egg four years ago had I ever been able to think about anything else.
‘I’m sorry.’ I cradled his snout in my hands. ‘I’m so sorry.’
His inner lids blinked, then his outer ones.
I laughed, choking on my tears at the goofy attempt at cheering me up.
‘Did you know, buddy …’ – He tilted his head and rumbled, as curious as ever. – ‘… that I love you so, so much?’
Gottyk huffed at me, blasting my face with hot air.
Yes, he knew.