Page 80 of The Deadliest Game

He saw me and stood.

"Good morning," he greeted me, and I could tell by the sleep that still clung to his eyes that he had barely slept at all. "I've been waiting for you. We have a long day ahead of us."

I nodded, rubbing my arms for warmth. "Do you have any food left? My stomach is about to eat itself."

I didn’t feel the need to explain why I was hungry. That would've brought up what happened after dinner—what he said.

Isaac nodded, pensive. "I might have a little something left. Pero ya es hora de salir."

The sun peeked over the horizon, bathing the sky in pinks and oranges. Majestic cliffs with visible veins and layers of time were visible across the small volcano. It was so unnerving to see it without snow, looking windswept and ancient.

"I'll eat later." I finished disassembling and packing the tent. Once finished, I slung my pack over my shoulder, gripping my staff. "Vámanos."

"We will talk about last night later, as well." He grabbed my arm, forcing me to face him. Anger and something else, something desperate, flickered in his eyes. "Understand?"

I wrenched my arm from his grasp, blood rushing through my veins. "We don't have time for your petty threats, and I don’t love you. Now move before I leave you behind." It was a bluff, but I wasn’t ready to let him win.

Isaac's lips flattened into a thin line, but he remained silent, stalking ahead of me. I breathed a sigh of relief, following in his wake. We had a long day ahead, and it would be filled with tension. But for now, at least the silence was a reprieve. We had bigger things to worry about than Isaac's obsession with possessing me to make up for his mother's death.

We began the steep ascent, and my legs burned as we climbed over massive boulders and up sheer rock faces, using vines and jagged handholds to pull ourselves higher.

Isaac remained ahead of me, not offering a helping hand. I gritted my teeth against the pain, determination fueling my every step. I would not show weakness. Not to him.

As we climbed, I caught glimpses of the ocean. The salty air licked my nose occasionally, but it didn't torment me like it used to.

I understood why it terrified me now that I remembered my brother's death. That knowledge gave me the courage to look beyond, at the shimmering dome of Arrebol.

Home. So close, yet still out of reach. But I was doing well. My scores were good.

Distracted, I ignored the trickle of water, and my fingers slipped on damp rock. I gasped, scrambling for purchase. I caught it just in time.

Isaac glanced over his shoulder, scowling. "Hurry up. We're losing time."

I bit back a retort, saving my breath for the climb. His attitude grated on my nerves, but I couldn't deny we needed to progress.

Exhaustion weighed heavy on my limbs as we clambered up the cliff face, clinging to jagged rocks and vines for support. With each step, my energy waned. Yet Isaac seemed unaffected by the climb—he moved with steady grace and determination that almost seemed inhuman. My eyes widened.

He was using Ash, wasn’t he?

I told myself that it didn’t matter. I wasn’t in charge of him. People dotted the side of the volcano, the hot volcano, and there was this unnatural shifting under my feet.

Having already been silenced twice, I kept my mouth shut.

Finally, as the sun reached its zenith, we pulled ourselves onto a narrow ledge. I collapsed against the rock wall, chest heaving. Isaac remained standing, peering up the cliff face.

"We'll rest here for a few minutes before continuing," he said. "You'll need your strength for the next leg."

“Thanks for the concern," I said dryly.

He turned to me, eyes glinting. "You are hell-bent on ruining this match before it even started."

"And you are incredibly blind for thinking we could ever work," I said.

Isaac's lips twisted into a sneer. "So you would rather choose Antonio Castillas?”

I stiffened. "It's none of your business. You think the marriage contract will go through, but I don't want that."

He settled against the opposite wall, closing his eyes. I turned away, anger and hurt warring inside me. I knew that there had been a time when he did care—when I had somehow thought we would be good together.

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