Blood & Honey (Race Games 1)

Chapter Thirty-Three

The Porsche shot forward, closing the distance between them and the dragon’s Ferrari. Of course, the Italian looking dragons would drive a Ferrari, Danica thought as they drew closer. Somehow, the supernatural creatures still seemed to fit into stereotypes she would have placed on them. Danica focused on the rear fender of the car as the bridge came into view.

“Are there any traps on the bridge?” Danica asked Phi.

He already had his tablet in his hands and was tapping away before Danica finished her question. “Not until the midway point. Whatever you’re going to do, best to do it before we reach that. The Fae are still ahead of the dragons.”

Flames erupted from the dragon’s car and Danica flinched as it engulfed the Porsche. She didn’t let up from the gas, but it was difficult.

“The car will withstand it for roughly ten seconds and nothing more,” Arden warned, his hands wrapped around the edges of the bucket seat.

“I only need five seconds,” Danica replied, pushing the Porsche to its limits. Without waiting for something else to go wrong, Danica urged the car forward. The nose of the Porsche met the rear driver quarter panel of the Ferrari.

Arden hissed. “Do you know how expensive this car is?” he growled, glaring daggers at Danica.

“Probably less expensive than the price on your head,” she shot back.

The hit at their speed turned the dragon’s car sideways in front of them, until they were out of the flames and Danica was looking into the driver’s window. The dragon, a large Italian man, snarled at her from inside as he reached for something. Danica didn’t wait to see what sort of weapon he was going to pull out. With every ounce of power the Porsche had, she pushed their car toward the edge of the bridge. Without any resistance, the Ferrari hit the barrier and went through it as if it did nothing more but serve as decoration in a race meant to kill. The Ferrari tipped, the dragon’s eyes widened in panic inside, just before it tipped over the edge and plummeted into the water below.

Behind them, one of the demon teams flew by, honking their horn tauntingly.

“Time to go,” Danica announced, throwing the Porsche in reverse away from the edge before dropping it back into first gear and gunning it. The rear tires squealed as they fought for traction a moment before the tread grabbed onto the asphalt and they shot forward.

“That might be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen,” Phi murmured from the backseat.

Danica glanced in the rearview mirror and grinned.

“Speak for yourself,” Arden grunted, touching his hand to the dash. “It’s okay, baby. She didn’t mean it. I’ll fix you once we win the race.”

Snorting, Danica closed the distance between them and the demons before quickly gaining their position back. She felt a little bad about pushing the dragons out of the race, but she reassured herself when she didn’t hear any trumpets sounding.

The demons faded behind her quickly. “One more place to go. How many miles do we have left?”

“Twenty,” Phi replied quickly. “We’ll be entering the final quarter in the next five miles. The traps will be worse.”

“And all the teams who are in the King’s pocket will make their move against us,” Arden added.

Danica was so focused on the road in front of her, avoiding debris and traps in the road, that it took her a few seconds to realize the car was ringing. She glanced down with a frown at the dash and the notification announcing an incoming call.

“You expecting a call in the middle of a race?” she asked, confused.

Phi shook his head at her in the mirror and Arden’s face twisted. “No one should even have the phone number of the system in here. It’s encrypted.”

“Maybe it’s Theo?” Danica asked. “Wouldn’t he have the resources to contact us?”

“You’re right,” Phi murmured as the phone continued to ring. “Answer it.”

Danica pressed the button on the steering wheel and immediately, a high-pitched sound filled the car. It made Danica grimace, but it didn’t hurt. Arden and Phi, however, reacted violently.

Arden grunted and jerked backward first, veins popping out of his neck as he ground his teeth.

“Arden! Phi!”

Phi did the same in the backseat, falling backward, his eyes rolled back in his head. It was as if they were having seizures. Danica tried not to panic but it was difficult. Her fingers went to the button to hang up the call, but the voice that came through the speakers suddenly over the sound made her pause.

“Relax, Danica Dyers. It’s only temporary and you’re going to want to hear what I have to say.”