Page 37 of The Deadliest Game

Antonio looked up at me and quirked his brow. I smiled weakly and shook my head. For a moment, I was transported back in time. I hesitated in the doorway, savoring the familiarity.

"Ah, Renata!” Alvaro exclaimed, noticing me. "Glad you could join us." He gestured to an empty chair beside him, and I took my place next to the public relations man. He had done miracles for me, literally. “We need to prepare for your interview with the Canciller on Thursday. They will begin airing them on Sunday at the start of the games while you’re trekking through the forest.”

The moment of nostalgia evaporated, and I instinctively took a step back. We had discussed the dozens of events I was supposed to attend during these two weeks, and I was always uneasy about this particular addition.

I stepped inside, greeting everyone before taking a seat. “In the past, his interviews are always random. Does he come up with prepared questions?”

Alvaro shook his head. “Sadly, no. He could ask you about you and Isaac, which is a red-hot topic right now, or maybe he’ll delve into your plans to survive in the snow. We aren’t going to practice predicting what he will ask, but I have planned a specific strategy.”

“Oh? I asked.

He smiled. “We need an angle for you. For so long, we’ve been working with the benevolent mystery girl. We need to decide if we are going to continue with that or allow the Canciller the opportunity to unravel some of the intrigue you’ve been shrouded in.”

Antonio spoke up, “I think it is good for her to be known by the people. She is very good at getting people to like her.” He looked at me and smiled.

I smirked. Alvaro’s grin was incandescent. San Volcán, I was so glad Ana wasn’t here.

Then Señor Pérez explained something on a map, and we went back to strategy.

"Are you well?" Antonio asked softly, his hand squeezing my shoulder gently.

I flinched and shook my head.

"This is just another challenge, and I have no doubt that you'll rise to meet it."

For a moment, I allowed myself to believe him, to let the weight of his certainty bolster me against the tide of fear that threatened to drag me under. For a while, I’d assumed that it would be hard to go back into my life. But now, listening to them as if I had never left, I wondered if it was ever truly possible for people to change their destiny.

“We have confirmation that Renata and Isaac are allies, and the two of you will work together in the tournament,” Joaquín said.

My eyebrows went up, and I listened carefully to his calculations.

Antonio was glowering as Joaquín went on and on about Isaac’s skill. I had seen Isaac today. Maybe it was time to find Magda. If she was staying with the Flores Jimenez household, then she was accessible to me.

My heart fluttered like a bird breaking free from its cage and I opened my mouth, intent on asking Antonio about Magda, and, as if sensing my gaze, he looked back at me.

“Yes?” he asked me.

I hesitated. There were other people here, and I didn’t want to give up too much of myself. “Is Santiago staying around here?”

It was an innocuous question and Señor Pérez furrowed his brow like I had asked him to add Santiago into our careful plans.

He tilted his head to the side. “They had to return to their estate because of a problem they had with Santiago’s younger sister. They will be back in time for the festival in a few days.”

I sat back in my chair, slightly deflated. “Very well. Let’s talk about the volcanos. La Doncella and La Niña are usually snowy, but La Dama is quite tropical. Yes?”

Señor Pérez nodded, so I continued, “Can we go over how I can adjust for that once again?”

Señor Pérez practically groaned.

Alvaro Martinez stepped in. “How about we talk about the celebration? Each of the candidates from the Quinta Isla are going to perform something for the crowds. I’ve heard that you can dance very well. We were making preparations last week, and that’s what we put down.”

I swallowed, but nodded my head. “That would work just fine.”

“Flamenco is okay?”

Antonio snorted, and I glared at him, only to find his eyes shining.

I directed my question to him. “Will that be dangerous for me?”

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