Phi climbed into the backseat and hooked up his tablet to the mount back there before working on his harness. Arden was last, climbing in after Phi was situated. He ran his hand along the dash. “It’s time to work, baby.”
“Man, you never call me baby like that,” Danica teased, but she ran her hand along the dash, too, bringing a smile to Arden’s face as he fastened his own harness.
The King was addressing the crowd, but Danica didn’t much care for what he was saying. Instead, she focused on the way Arden grabbed the small camera from the dash and crushed it before tossing it out the window. Danica watched as a handful of other cars, including the Fae team and the kelpie, did the same. Most of the other teams seemed to be made up of only two people. The goblin teams had as many who would fit in their vehicles, the truck one of them drove sporting five. Phi had explained the goblins never won and never cared to. They were simply there to cause trouble and that was it. It was an interesting dynamic. They apparently just liked to bring the chaos.
Danica started the car and listened to the rumble for a moment, taking a deep breath in preparation.
When a scantily clad female elf climbed the ladder and picked up the green flag she’d wave, Danica curled her fingers around the wheel. For a moment, when she blinked, she saw flames and heard screaming, felt panic, but when she blinked again, the picture she’d tapped to the dash out of the way filled her vision. The picture of her and her dad stared back at her, reminding her who she was and why she was here.
“You okay?” Arden asked, watching her closely.
Danica glanced at him and smiled. “Perfect.” The elf with the flag straightened and held the flag out over the cars, many of them revving their engines in anticipation. “Everything is perfect.”
You’ve got this, baby girl. Leave them all in the dust.
Danica released the e-brake, dropped the car in first gear, her eyes on the green flag. The elf looked out over them, a mischievous grin on her face. The flag blinked from green to red and back again, a tease that had a few of the cars shaking with near movement. Danica only focused on it intently, waiting, not revving her engine. The elf met her eyes, and something passed between them, a sort of respect that had the elf just barely nodding, so small no one would even realize.
And then the flag was waving.
Danica released the clutch, stomped on the gas, and entered the Race Games.