Chapter Fourteen
The Porsche handled as well as Danica assumed it would. She’d spent the entire first day learning the buttons and engine as best as she could, but driving the beast was a whole different ball game.
The engine hadn’t just been updated. It had been updated. Where before, it was a 3.0 liter six-cylinder engine, the body had been cut away and heavily modified to allow a 5.3 liter v8. She’d taken out the turbo chargers last night and replaced it with a supercharger that had been in the shop. Arden apparently thought the turbos would be best but with a supercharger, there was less lag. Turbos took time to spool up, and though it was milliseconds, those tiny spaces of time could mean winning or not. She wondered how Arden would feel when he realized she’d worked on the car and changing some things.
Having spent the morning driving the car at a leisurely pace around the track within the compound—there was really no other term that fit the place—Danica felt confident that she knew the cars dimensions more so now. She knew how close she could get to things without hitting them, down to the inch. Which meant her instincts would be vital in avoiding any obstacles. She’d sped up and flown around the track after that, flying around obstacles that would have wrecked other drivers, but she’d grown up on dirt tracks and demolition derbies. She was used to there being obstacles in her way, whether other cars or pieces that had been broken off.
She was currently sitting at the start line, the car in park, the rumble echoing around them. Arden kept glancing at the car with a frown, as if he could sense there was a difference in the sound but didn’t want to say anything. Danica smirked where he couldn’t see and climbed from the car to meet both vampires’ eyes.
“Your skills are impeccable, just as I expected,” Phi commented with a smile. He bowed his head slightly in respect and she tried her hardest not to fluff up at the compliment. “For the race, you know we’ll both be in the car with you, so we should practice as a team. The traps are the most pertinent to practice dealing with.”
“You keep mentioning traps,” Danica said, tilting her head. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail for practicing, but she hadn’t put on a helmet yet. If they were really going to practice, she’d gear up beforehand.
“There’s a reason so many die in the Race Games.” Phi, noticing her eying the gear set to the side, picked up the coveralls and passed them to her. They were fire retardant, meant for racers, and would help protect her should she wreck. She didn’t plan on wrecking—after all, if she couldn’t handle a practice course, then the real thing wouldn’t be a possibility—but it was always best to be safe. She was human. The vampires might be able to survive a crash, but she certainly couldn’t. Hell, she no longer even thought of them as anything other than vampires. Apparently, her brain had just decided it made sense and ran with it. “The Games will be televised, bet on, and people can sponsor traps and teams. We do not need sponsors—”
“Because Phi counts as a sponsor,” Arden added with a wicked grin, but Phi continued as if he hadn’t spoken. Danica tilted her head at him as he kept talking, wondering about all these allusions to Phi being someone important.
“I’ve rigged the practice track with a few traps that have been used in previous races. They’re never the same, but I can at least give you an idea of what we’ll be facing.”
Danica zipped up the coveralls and grabbed the helmet. She pulled it on and adjusted it until she was satisfied. She didn’t ask how they had known her exact sizing. Money probably paid for a lot of things, including someone knowledgeable in women’s sizing.
“Let’s do a practice run with all three of us in the car so you can acclimate to the shift in weight and then we’ll try with the traps,” Arden said, moving over to the passenger side of the car. “Who’s riding in the back?”
He directed the question at Phi and though it was a harmless enough question, there was enough weight behind it to make Danica pause with one leg inside the car, her eyes on both Arden and Phi’s faces.
“My title doesn’t matter in the race,” Phi answered, nodding toward the back of the car. “I’m the navigator. It makes sense for me to ride in the back seat.”
“What title?” Danica asked, raising her brow. Curiosity ate at her. Was that why Phi was so secretive? When Phi didn’t answer, instead climbing into the back of the car, she dropped into her own driver’s seat. “Oh, sure. Keep secrets.” She shook her head and turned to look at him as Arden climbed inside. “Are you a fucking prince or some shit?”
Danica had been half joking. There were a million titles someone could have that put them in higher standing than someone else, but when Phi didn’t answer and his shoulders tensed, her eyes widened. “No.”
Arden laughed at Phi’s obvious discomfort even as he worked on fastening his five-point harness. “Would you look at that? She’s guessed it on the first try.”
Danica glanced from Arden and back to Phi. Their eyes met and despite being in a small space, it suddenly felt even smaller, like the air had been sucked out. “You’re a prince?”
“Does it change how you look at me?” he asked. Arden stayed quiet, as if knowing the answer to that question were important.
Danica frowned. “Not at all. Should it? You’re still a part of my team.” She shrugged. “Besides, you’re not my prince. I don’t really have to treat you as such.”
Phi visibly relaxed at her words despite her admitting she would probably disrespect him and his title. “Good,” he grunted and flipped open his tablet.
“He’s touchy about his title,” Arden offered as explanation and Phi growled from the back seat.
“Stop talking about it and get your harnesses on.”
“Asshole,” Arden shot back, completing his seatbelt.
“Prick.” But there wasn’t anger in the words, only affection. “Some of the traps in the race will have markers designating them,” Phi continued as if there hadn’t been a massive revelation. “Those are triggered by one car driving over them and the trap is sprung for the car behind you.”
Danica followed his lead and nodded her head. “What kinds of traps are we talking about?”
“They can be anything from a hole opening in the ground to swallow the car, to giant spikes meant for impalement, to magical elements. There’s no rules. I once saw a trap marker trigger a goblin raid. Nasty business,” Arden answered. He shivered, as if the memory were a bad one.
“But I thought there was a goblin team?” How could a goblin raid be triggered when there was a goblin team?
“There is,” Phi replied, but he didn’t elaborate. “There are other traps which aren’t marked, and you’ll have to use your instincts to avoid them. We’ll be flying blind there and they’re meant to do as much damage as possible.”
“Weapons aren’t activated until a quarter of the way through the course,” Arden added. “So, we can’t fight anything triggered with weapons until then. It’ll be all down to your driving and your driving alone.”
“Arden made sure we have the best weapons.” There was pride in Phi’s voice as he spoke of his friend and Danica wondered just how close they were. Clearly, there was no romance between them, but there was a friendship there built on stronger emotions than normal. What had they gone through together to make them so close? “We’ve made sure to have the best engine possible for the car.”
“Which reminds me,” Danica interrupted. “I made some tweaks last night.”
Arden whipped his head toward her and growled, “you what?”
“Your work is good.” Danica kept her voice calm in case Arden took offense. “And I can’t argue the supernatural elements. I wouldn’t even know where to start with the fairy dust you mentioned, but there were a few parts that could have been updated and you chose not to for some reason. I just made the engine more efficient and added a few extra horsepower while I was at it. Oh, also, I switched out the twin turbo for a supercharger. Personal preference.”
Arden jerked his door open and knocked on the rear of the car until she popped the rear hood. She watched him in her rearview mirror until he disappeared behind the panel.
“He’s touchy about his machines,” Phi said, and it wasn’t lost on her that the words mirrored Arden’s when talking about Phi’s title.
“Tough titties,” Danica shrugged. “I’m a mechanic. One of the best in Indiana. I don’t drive a car that isn’t up to my standards.”
The rear hood slammed closed, and Arden stormed back to the passenger door. He didn’t say a word as he dropped inside and began meticulously re-buckling the harness he’d previously ripped open.
“Well?” Phi asked when he didn’t speak, his brows raised at his friend.
Arden glared at Danica, his hands crossing over his wide chest. “It’s adequate.”
Danica laughed at the hesitation in the words. “I bet that was tough to admit a human woman actually knew what she was doing, wasn’t it?”
Respect glinted in Arden’s eyes for a moment before he schooled his features. “Just go. We’ll talk about your skills later.”
When his eyes dragged down her form, she tensed, the tension in the car going up a notch. Suddenly, she was imagining what sort of carnal skills Arden might have, and she had bigger things to worry about, like winning a race she might die in.
“I’m in control of the traps,” Phi said, attempting to cut through the tension, but it didn’t work. However, his next words snapped Danica’s focus to the track. “Show us what you’ve got, speed racer.”
So, she did.