Chapter Twenty-Seven
Cricket and Radley stood at the starting line of the track. The course had been uploaded to the computer an hour earlier and Radley had spent the time going over the track and noting all the different sections of the course. There were five sections within the eighty-mile course, and the weapons wouldn’t be activated until the second section of the course, as per usual. Some of the rules were always the same, and Cricket was relieved that this one was. It would allow them to make it through the first section without anyone firing weapons at them. Still, though they knew the course now and they stood at the starting line waiting for the signal to get in their cars, Cricket couldn’t help the tension that sat on her shoulders. So much was relying on this race. So much could go wrong.
“Breathe,” Radley commanded from beside her. “We’ve got this.”
“The other teams are staring at us,” she whispered, glamouring her wings away so she’d be able to fit in the car. Her shoulder blades immediately began to itch but there was nothing to be done for it.
“Let them stare. We’ll face off against them soon enough,” he replied, looking around a those gathered.
The order of the cars was a random draw and somehow, they’d managed to be smack dab in the middle of the group. It was better than being in the back, but still, those in the front had a slight advantage. They’d have to work to pass them all.
The crowd in the stands at the starting line screamed and shouted at them, cheering on their favorites in a way that was vaguely threatening. Though they were protected from any projectiles, it still didn’t stop the savage crowd from throwing stuff at the barrier. More than a few items were thrown in their direction. Cricket finally stopped staring at them after she realized their anger wasn’t necessarily directed at her, as much as at her family.
Peri came out on the track then, in advance of her father. She knew her father would be appearing shortly, though she wasn’t sure what his words to her would be. Still, she smiled gratefully at Peri as he came through the crowd, a bright smile on his face.
“I was worried you wouldn’t be able to come down,” Cricket murmured as she embraced him. It wasn’t proper but she didn’t much care about that right then. Peri had been with her for so long, he’d earned her care.
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world, bug,” he murmured. When he pulled back, his eyes were sparkling. “I tried to sponsor you, but—”
Cricket waved away his words. “I expect nothing from you, Peri. It is I who owes you everything.”
“Never-the-less, I still got you something for your race when I was denied sponsorship.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a dagger. She held out her hand for it and the moment it touched her hand, a zing travelled through her. Though it was a simple blade, she stared at it in horror. “What did you trade for this, Peri?”
“Nothing I wouldn’t have gladly given for you, bug,” he reassured her. “The witch who magicked it reassured me that whomever you stab with that will no longer be a problem.”
“You’ve been messing with witches?” Cricket hissed. “Peri, that’s not—”
“Cricket,” he interrupted, touching her hands where they carefully held the blade. “I may not be your father, but you’re still my baby. I raised you up, and if all that I’m able to do to help you in this moment is trade a little bit of something for a dagger, then I’m going to do it. Don’t take that from me.” His eyes shone with his words, as if he was afraid that was exactly what she would do. “Besides, the deal is already done. You don’t want to waste it.”
Her throat grew thick with the things she couldn’t say, not on a racetrack before the entire world, so instead, she nodded gently. “Your sacrifice will not be wasted,” she murmured. “I can’t ever repay you in such a profound way.”
He shook his head and touched her hands one more time. “There’s no need. Just go win the race, bug. Now look alive because Lord Snapdragon is headed your way.”
Peri stepped back with a bow and moved away from the track, back to his proper place. Sure enough, when Cricket turned, her father cut through the crowd as easily as if it were water and he was a ship. It was an apt description for the head of the Snapdragon family. Her father was a warship in many ways, but more so because of the expression on his face. He was so icy, it always surprised her that there wasn’t a trail of frozen earth behind him when he walked.
Radley, sensing the tension, moved over to the other side of the car, giving them more space than he had when he’d given Peri time to say his words.
“Father,” Cricket said respectfully, bowing her head. In front of a crowd like this, she had to be proper. He came over as if he were going to give her some great advice, but Cricket knew that wasn’t why he came at all. His eyes were hard on her, the only emotion easily made out that of anger.
“Daughter,” he returned, stopping right in front of her. “I see you’re still intent on going through with this.”
Cricket met his eyes. “You and I both know I couldn’t pull out after the reveal.”
He nodded. “As was your plan.”
Lord Snapdragon was imposing to everyone, but to Cricket, she could still remember the man he’d been when her mother was alive. She could still remember the smiles, the care, the adoration on his face as he looked at her mother frolicking through the garden. When she’d died, a bit of his light had gone with her. Sometimes, he looked at her like that, but the older she got, the less he did. Right now, there was no care in his expression. He was not her father. He was the head of an empire.
“I see the way he looks at you,” her father said, his voice so soft, Cricket wasn’t sure if Radley could hear it. However, she knew precisely who he spoke of.
“This isn’t about him,” Cricket denied, directing the conversation away from the wolf she feared would be killed for simply caring for her. “This is about our deal.”
Lord Snapdragon raised his brow. She could tell he wanted to say more on the issue, but likely, he assumed his problems would be corrected by the end of the Games. Instead of carrying on, he nodded. “Do try and attempt not to embarrass the family, daughter. The press would have a field day.”
“That’s it?” she asked, staring up at him. “No, ‘good luck, Cricket’? No, ‘I love you no matter the outcome’?” She was being a smartass. Cricket knew very well what her father was willing and not willing to show publicly, and he would never show such emotion or favoritism despite her being his daughter.
Something flashed in Lord Snapdragon’s eyes, but he only said, “You’ve made your bed. Try not to die. I’d hate to have to make another heir.”
Then her father turned away from her and made his way through the other teams, his imposing blue wings drawing eyes as he passed.
Cricket tried her best not to be hurt. After all, she’d expected nothing less from the business mogul, but it still cut deeply. He was her father, or he used to be, but he’d been encased in ice since her mother had died and all that was left was the cold man who told her not to die.