A burst of flame tears through the night. It scorches the air and forces both of you to shield your eyes. Fire streams over the corpse of Bravos’s horse. You watch Quinn closely. She’s fascinated by the flames. It takes less than a minute for the unnatural fire to consume everything and turn the creature into a pile of ash.

Quinn’s still looking lost when your horse starts to slump. Shallow breaths tremble out before an agitated cry scrapes the back of Flicker’s throat. You don’t turn away from your horse the way that Bravos did. You kneel down and set a comforting hand on the side of Flicker’s head. You want Quinn to see. This is your partner, your best friend.

Flames burst to life. You keep your hand pressed there. Quinn rushes forward to pull you away from the danger, but you hiss a quiet warning. “Don’t touch me. This is our tradition.”

Fire rushes through and over the corpse, and you pull your hand away at the last moment. The heat is like a snakebite against your palm. Eventually, it forces you to take a few steps back. Quinn stands quietly at your side.

“Do they have to die?” she finally asks.

“Yes, they die so that they might become something more.”

Chapter 26: Noises at Night

The sky’s rusting overhead, nearly night, as I break out of the valley and onto the open plain. In the failing light, I see a stretch of hills that roll on for several leagues, with a series of canyons waiting beyond them. Focusing, I bring up my memory of the map. I trace those trails and set myself down on the right plain. I know we were never meant to clear this section of the course on the first day. The Racing Board knew we’d all close the first day out in the open. First blood will be drawn here with our ashes scattered in the moonlight.

I’m in the lead. A glance at the bracelet shows the nearest rider is about one hundred paces back. After Revel’s horse faded, Etzli stayed in sight but decided not to test her luck by coming any closer. Not like I’d risk knocking her off her phoenix this early in the Races. Too easy to accidentally break a neck and end my competition before the first day’s done. Besides, she’s the epitome of caution. I know she won’t approach now unless she has to.

I’d feel good about having the lead if I’d seen Pippa or Bravos at all today. Coming out of the gates was chaos. I remember getting an almost flawless start, seeing Bravos startle on my left, and pushing past the Dividian.