Teeth and Wings (Race Games 2)

Chapter Twenty-Six

The Competitor Ball was an excuse for the elite to celebrate the possible death of so many promising racers while making bets. It was televised for everyone to see, cameras all over the room to catch even the tiniest exchanges. Each team would be introduced in front of the crowd, and although they’d already been introduced before, the Competitor Ball was a way to solidify the details. Sometimes, things happened and teams were forced to drop out. It brought shame on them no matter the reason but it couldn’t always be helped. Things were different now in the Games, just slightly, but that didn’t mean the sharks that made up the rich were any less blood thirsty.

The Race Games were a risky endeavor for anyone who chose to deal with them. It was risky for the racers. Some years, there was no winner at all. Sometimes, there were no survivors. It was risky for those who chose to pay for competitors to be eliminated. If they failed, it was well known that someone had attempted to kill them, so wars were waged long after the Games. Power exchanges happened often once information came to light and it always came to light. All one had to do was look at the last major shift in power, the vamps. Danica Dyers and her vampires had started a chain reaction and now, a human sat on the Council alongside the rest of the racers. She also had grown to be one of the most prolific mechanics for the Games in the year since she’d won and caused the Games to stop for a few months while the shift in power happened after the corruption of the old vamp king. So many things had changed, but one thing had not.

The Race Games were still as corrupt as they’d been before.

As Cricket and Radley walked through the large archway into the extravagant ballroom, whispers followed them inside. Eyes were on the team who was getting the most coverage in the race. The media loved drama and a Snapdragon entering the race under a pseudonym and choosing a wolf as a teammate was the height of drama. They’d been chosen as the main source of entertainment and that already put them at odds with the other teams who were trying to earn their own five minutes of fame.

In addition to the cameras focusing on them from every angle, every person in that room seemed to focus on the fae with her arm threaded through a wolf’s elbow. It was proper etiquette, but there were those who looked on with disgust. Fae and wolves didn’t mix and yet, here they were, going against all that was proper. It was blasphemy, but Cricket kept her smile on her face. She didn’t even have to fake it despite her worry. Having Radley there to steady her made everything better. Even if everyone was excited at the chance to kill a Snapdragon.

Cricket’s eyes found her father’s in the ballroom where he stood dressed in his finest conversing with the elven Councilman. The elf was certainly in her father’s pocket, but she didn’t think on it too much. Everyone was in someone’s pocket. She was simply trying to claw her way from her own prison.

Radley leaned close. “Do you think your father will sponsor us?” he whispered just loud enough for her to hear. In a room like this, with so many invested in them, if they wanted privacy, they’d have to leave. The best they could do was speak low enough that most couldn’t hear.

Snorting, Cricket shook her head. “No, he wouldn’t want to play favorites. Likely, he’ll sponsor another team. Perhaps, the elves. We’ll earn this win without him.”

His brows raised. “Seriously? He’d go against you like that?”

“It’s the way of the fae,” Cricket shrugged. “It’s unfortunate but it’s all about appearances and clout. If I win with my father as a sponsor, no one will credit me with the win anyways. It’s for the best.”

Radley was silent for a moment and when he spoke again, his voice was sad. “My mother tried to sponsor us.”

“She did?” Cricket looked up at him, studying the sadness on his face.

“They wouldn’t let her. She didn’t have enough money. Apparently, there’s a buy in to be a sponsor.”

Cricket’s face twisted in anger. “I didn’t know that. I assumed anyone could sponsor.”

“So did I.”

“Which means the Race Games are influenced mostly by the rich,” she breathed.

He nodded. “And thereby controlled by them.”

Their eyes met briefly in understanding. They’d been warned of the corruption, had known it, but hearing the true depths of it was humbling. Cricket knew she belonged in the group that influenced it, but she was starting to feel less and less like a Snapdragon. None of this was right. It had all started as a way to prove her worth to her father but now, things were starting to become clearer. When she won, she’d advocate for change in some way. She’d use her name for something good.

Cricket stared out over the crowd of people and creatures, studying them all. All the races were represented. Elves, fae, vamp, wolf, dragon, kelpie, necromancer, crow, and demon. The only group not present were the goblins and those that didn’t typically race. The witches were never involved, however, the High Wizard of the North always seemed to be present at these events. The flamboyant man currently stood in the corner by the drink table, sipping a glass of something clear as he stared at Radley.

“The High Wizard is watching you,” Cricket murmured to Radley. Theo St. Munic’s lips curled up as if he could hear her words and she blinked at him.

Radley shook his head when he followed her gaze. “He’s looking at you, sugar plum. Not me.”

“Why do you think he is?” she asked curiously, raising her hand and finger waving at him. Theo winked in reply.

“What are you doing?” Radley hissed. “Don’t encourage things. That man could literally kill you and no one would bat an eye.” He looked down at her. “Besides, he’s probably staring at that ridiculous dress you’re wearing.”

Cricket looked down at the dress she’d ultimately gone with. It was white but had a sheen to it that shifted between pink and white in the right lighting, as if it were made of crushed pearls. It was cut out in strategic places so, though it touched the floor elegantly, there was more skin on display than if it had been short. She might as well have covered up with leaves; there’d have been more coverage.

“I thought you liked the dress?” she mused. In truth, she’d picked it to purposely tease Radley. It was a fae creation, meant to leave little to the imagination without revealing anything. She’d felt powerful wearing it once she’d seen Radley’s expression.

“That’s beside the point,” he argued, forcing his eyes back to hers away from the cleavage revealed. “Either way, we don’t want to make an enemy of the High Wizard. He sponsored the vamps during the power exchange. So don’t antagonize him.”

Cricket glanced at the High Wizard again where he sat watching them carefully. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say he could hear their conversation from across the room, but that should have been impossible. “He doesn’t look antagonized to me. Also, I think he can hear us.” On cue, Theo blew her a kiss and her eyes widened. “He can,” she breathed.

“Well, that’s just fan-fucking-tastic,” Radley groaned. “We’re going to die before we ever race.”

But Cricket shook her head, feeling her words with certainty. “No,” she countered. “We won’t.” And then she inclined her head to the High Wizard in respect and he returned the gesture. There was some sort of understanding between them. The only problem was, Cricket didn’t exactly know what it was.

“Hi!”

Cricket nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden excited word. As it was, she found herself whirling toward the voice, her hand going to the hilt of the knife hidden beneath one of the panels of her dress. When she saw the familiar human woman, she immediately relaxed and blew out her breath. It wouldn’t have been great PR for her to stab the Vamp King’s woman.

“Danica Dyers,” Cricket replied, holding out her hand in the human way of saying hello. Instead of grasping her hand in hers, Danica instead raised her fingers to her forehead in the traditional fae greeting. “Ah, I see you’ve been taught proper etiquette,” Cricket replied, repeating the gesture toward the woman.

“Phi taught me well, though I can’t say I’m very good at most of it,” Danica replied with a smile. “He tries though. And he never gets angry when I forget.”

“The sign of a good mate.” Cricket nodded with a smile. Anyone and everyone could see the clear adoration in the two vampire’s eyes when they looked at their human. When Cricket had seen Danica nearly die on TV, she’d gasped along with the rest of the world. When news made it around that she’d lived, Cricket had been relieved. Someone like her shouldn’t be killed so early.

The corner of Danica’s eyes crinkled as she looked between Radley and her. “How did you like the Ferrari? I made sure to make all the adjustments myself so she could get you through the course.”

“Perfect. The paint was a nice touch.”

Radley huffed beside her, still annoyed at the paint color, but Cricket only smiled.