Ninth Race

  Brynna

  Brynna carried the coffees over to where Thessaly stood at the airport lounge window, staring out at the dawn-grey concrete. It was less than six hours since they'd left the venue of Thessaly's last concert, and if Brynna was any judge, the mermaid hadn't actually slept in the scant time she'd had back at the hotel. Her makeup was too complete, whether out of a deliberate desire to hide tiredness or just because she'd had to do something with the insomnia.

  She looked round as Brynna's reflection appeared in the window beside her, taking the cup she was offered. Under the brim of her cap, she looked up inquisitively at Brynna.

  Brynna said, "Don't worry, I got you all the cream, sweetie. You deserve it."

  Thessaly took the lid off the cup and nibbled gently at the mountain of whipped cream and sprinkles under which, somewhere, was buried a hot drink. Then her attention went straight back out the window. There was still an hour to their flight, the summer morning not quite broken.

  "You're pining again, sweetie." Brynna smiled as she said it.

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  "Oh." Thessaly looked down, avoiding Brynna's gaze.

  Brynna put her hand on her charge's shoulder, slid it across to pat the back of her neck. "Which is it this time? Did she not text you last night, or were you up all night texting?"

  "She messaged me before the show."

  Brynna took a sip of her own coffee, more for the breath of steam than the taste, and tugged Phoebe's itinerary out of memory. "Has she gone to Anatolia yet?" While Brynna and Thessaly were leaving Calabria and heading back home to Rindburg, Thessaly's short southern tour concluded, the Imperial League was going southeast, to the eastern end of the Taranto, for the next race.

  "Yeah, they flew yesterday. That was what she messaged me about, to say they arrived."

  "Oh, sweetie, she didn't forget you had a show, did she?"

  "No, she said good luck and stuff, I just, I dunno."

  Brynna leaned closer and gave Thessaly a one-armed hug. "Don't forget they're two time-zones ahead of us now, sweetie, she was probably in bed by the time you came off-stage."

  "You think so?"

  "She's not forgetting you sweetie, I promise." Outside, the airplane at the next stand eased gently into motion, reversing and turning towards the runways. "Did you see her face when we went to the race last month?"

  "Y-yes?" Thessaly's voice wavered the way it always did when she thought she ought to know what you were talking about.

  "Oh, sweetie, she's smitten with you, take it from me. She went so shy when she looked at me, like she was coming to meet your parents for the first time."

  "Really?"

  "Absolutely, sweetie, trust me. She's so cute, it's not that she doesn't like you, she's just shy. Give her time."

  Wednesday: Phoebe - supplement (1001 words)

  Thursday: Ian - supplement (429 words)

  Friday: Adelie - major update (1147 words)

  Saturday: Phoebe - supplement (169 words)

  Sunday: Race (5684 words); Phoebe - supplement (163 words)

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  Tenth race: Buildup starts 26th August, race day 1st September

  Mid-season break: 4th-8th September

  Eleventh race: Buildup starts 9th September, race day 15th September

  Twelfth race: Buildup starts 16th September, race day 22nd September

  Thirteenth race: Buildup starts 23rd September, race day 6th October

  Fourteenth race: Buildup starts 7th October, race day 13th October

  Fifteenth race: Buildup starts 14th October, race day 20th October

  Sixteenth race: Buildup starts 23rd October, race day 27th October

  Seventeenth race: Buildup starts 30th October, race day 10th November

  Final race: Buildup starts 11th November, race day tbd (likely 1st week in December)