Breaking Sky(56)

Chase shook her head. “It doesn’t matter what I can do. Kale…Kale said the government board won’t like how I handled that drone.”

“Nyx. Are you opening up to me?”

“Could you just be a human for once? They might take my wings. Before the trials even. Tomorrow.”

Kamikaze pilot.

“That’s what you’re worried about, Nyx? I swear you’re never aware of what’s at stake. After the trials, if the board approves the Streakers, you and me and that Cutesy-Pants-Canadian are going up against Ri Xiong Di. Think about it. They’re never going to back down without a demonstration of what the birds can do against the drones.”

Sylph stepped a little closer. “Yesterday was my awakening. I won’t mess up again. From the first time I got up in the air in Pegasus, I’ve imagined flying against the drones. I’m ready.”

Chase stared blankly. “I’ve never imagined flying against drones.”

“That might be your real problem. This isn’t a game. Never has been. Once you get your head around that”—Sylph sighed—“you might be a good pilot after all.”

Chase felt frozen to the concrete. Everything was linked to her flying. Her attitude, her relationships. Her fear of her dad and desperation to prove she belonged. Her mounting curiosity in Tristan and her ache to be closer to her RIO. All connected. Inexorably.

And suddenly the trials were simply a speed bump. The real test would be facing a drone fleet. Would it happen in ten weeks? Six months?

The only sure answer was soon.

“Nyx.” Sylph put her hand awkwardly on Chase’s shoulder. “Don’t look so destroyed. We have two months before the trials. I’ll help you face your fear before then.”

“Help or drill me into submission?”

“The difference being?” She risked a rare smirk. “You really won’t say anything about me and Liam? He’s my future.” The tall blonde looked around the hangar before letting her deep brown eyes settle on Chase. “Everything else could fall apart so easily.”

“I won’t say anything.”

Sylph left.

The word future hung in the densely cold air. Dragon had felt like her life for years, but Sylph was right. Chase’s world was so much larger than one jet—and yet it was still only one bombing from turning to screams and ash.





26


    BEHIND THE POWER CURVE


   Letdown


Chase headed to her room. Even though she sat on the edge of Pippin’s bunk softly and touched his shoulder gently, he jerked and pulled away when he woke.

“We need to be okay.” She rolled her eyes at her word choice considering Pippin’s dismissive definition of okay. “We need to be better. I need you. To fly.”

“To fly?” Pippin sat up. She half expected him to launch into one of his defensive maneuvers, but he didn’t. “How do you propose we achieve this ‘better’ state?”


“I don’t know. I only know that Tourn could show up tomorrow and take my wings.” She felt tears, but she held them in lockdown. “Things are heating up with Ri Xiong Di. That drone was…” Pippin nodded, and she could see in his eyes that that drone had scared him as much as it had terrified her. “There’s more. Kale called me a kamikaze pilot.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.” She pushed forward. “I know you don’t think I care about anyone, but I do. And I know you’re going through something. I am too.” She took a deep breath, wanting to tell Pippin about the talks she’d shared with Tristan. And that mad heat of a kiss. “Tristan…”

“Wait.” Pippin looked like he might be sick. “Did Tristan tell you about the hangar?”

“What?”

Pippin’s shoulders let down a little. “Nothing. Never mind.”

“You’re really hard to talk to, you know that?” She shook her head and forced herself to cool down. “When I’m with Tristan I have to do my damnedest not to tell him my life story, but you? You’re a wall, Pippin.”

“Look who’s talking.”

“Fine. I’m terrible at this! So answer me one thing. What would you do if you were me and you were trying to patch things up? And don’t say space.”

He leaned back on his pillow. “I’d fly Dragon. That’s what I’d do if I were you. All of a sudden you’re picking fights, messing up hops… Your head’s not in the game right now.”

“This isn’t a game,” she muttered.

“I know that. I’ve always known that. Do you?” His temper rose with each word. “I’ve seen the way you and Tristan look at each other. The way you’re scheming with Sylph all of a sudden.” He checked himself, and she could tell how much energy it took by the strain on his face. “You’ve always been the best at acting like no one else matters because the Second Cold War, the military, the Star, et cetera, and so forth—they’re all more important. I’ve hated you for that in the past, but right now I wish you’d quit needling me and just fly.”

“Hated me?” Her voice was small.

All of his anger was gone. That fast. “You know that’s not what I mean.”