Page 86 of Tailwind

‘I’m not picking a side.’ It was the sensible thing to do. ‘Plus, I like my own odds—’ I fished in my pockets for some money to put in the pool. ‘Quinn wins and Thorne bins.’

A synchronized ‘Oooh’ came from the duo as I entered the betting pool.

Then, to our collective surprise, Cam joined in too.

‘Vaspre wins, a Boll bins – I don’t really care which one.’

Trea and Lynk cheered. The betting pool was set just as the flare popped. My chest tightened as I watched the race start.

Compared to the roar of dragons and the comms in my ears, this was hauntingly quiet. I sat back, no longer hungry. I didn’t have much appetite left for anything anymore. A week at home with nothing to strive for had left me feeling empty with no will to fill myself back up.

Colly was chasing Theo into turn two when there was a knock at the door.

‘Fuck off!’ yelled Trea, eyes still focused forward.

The knock sounded again, the visitor clearly wasn’t bothered by the off-putting welcome.

‘Get the door,’ said Cam.

It wasn’t clear who it was directed at, but Lynk was the one to follow the order. The scrape of the chair legs on the stone floor was followed by a clatter as it tipped over. A consequence of watching the cast rather than where he was going.

‘Who visits during a race? Honestly,’ he muttered.

Cam and Trea leaned in sync as Lynk walked past the cast, not willing to miss the action for more than a second.

I blew out a breath as Colly’s overtake was nullified by the agile reptilian arcans swarming the circuit. He still needed to work on his upper-body strength. A pang bounced around my chest. I wouldn’t get to train with the gangly eternal sunbeam.

‘Lena?’ Lynk called from behind me at the door.

‘What?’ I was as engrossed in the race as the others now.

‘It’s for you.’

As one Cam, Trea and I all tore ourselves away from the cast and looked to the open doorway. Lynk was clutching the door, holding it open for the unexpected guest.

‘What the fuck—?’ Cam wasn’t caught off guard often, but this seemed like it would do the job.

Standing at the door of my sister’s cottage in the quiet suburb of nowhere was Bach Lotiere.

Someone had muted the cast of the race. I hadn’t seen it happen, but I was now sitting around Cam’s kitchen table with the greatest Volitant rider in history in complete silence.

Lynk had stayed by the door, watching out of the window he’d since closed. Trea had moved to lean against the exit to the hallway, covering the only other way into the room. I wasn’t sure why. Was it to protect Bach from any sudden intruders or to stop him from escaping? Maybe it was a habit for when guests dropped by unannounced, though I doubted there was a rule among the crew for this particular circumstance.

What was most unnerving though wasn’t my hero sitting in front of a wall full of my childhood achievements, including – but not limited to – when I lost my two front teeth leaving me with a gap-toothed smile. No, it was my sister.

Cam was somehow exuding more domineering energy than Bach. Whereas the latter was sitting politely, his hands folded in front of him on the tabletop, Cam was leaning back in her chair, looking down her nose at him. It was of great concern to me that she seemed ready to break into a fist fight at any moment.

Bach either didn’t notice or didn’t mind the energy coming from Cam. I’d watched enough interviews to know he didn’t hold back from confrontation. His blond brows were slightly furrowed, making him seem concerned. Threatened though, definitely not. I would always bet on my sister in a fight, but Bach Lotiere was a thick athlete thanks to his twenty-eight years of dragon riding. That said, he looked less impressive than usual. The light stubble on his jaw was longer, his hair more than just windswept, and there was a definite favouring of his right side.

I tried not to think about it being my fault.

‘Would you like some food? It’s good.’ My voice didn’t come out as anything more than a hoarse whisper. Being any louder would have felt like yelling.

He nodded. ‘Yes, please.’

I fumbled to get the cupboard door open to fish out another plate, nowhere near as deft as Trea.

‘What do you want with my sister?’ Cam’s question was curt at best, leaning towards accusatory.