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We stepped away from each other, and Merrick slapped him on the shoulder as he passed, laughing. “I don’t know, I think it would’ve been pretty funny to watch you somersault all the way down the hill, taking out the big lug down there with you.”
Lachlan looked back at Merrick with narrowed eyes. “Oy! I’m not a big lug. I’m a big man, and that doesn’t make me dumb. Besides, even if I am a bleedin’ idiot, it wouldn’t stop me from bein’ able to kick your arse.”
I laughed as I followed them down the last bit of mountain. There were no trails from where the portal had dumped us, so we literally had to forge a path down the mountain on foot. The first several hundred feet had been such a steep drop that we’d had to climb down, clinging to the rock face with the help of our magic.
As we got nearer to the base of the mountain, the terrain had leveled out a bit, and now it was a walkable decline.
“Why do you think that portal in the cave sent us all the way to the top of a fucking mountain?” Merrick asked as he jogged down the last bit of steep, mountainous terrain.
“We weren’t at the top,” I said absently, and he rolled his eyes.
“Close enough. It felt like it. But still, the point stands. We escaped the cave. Shouldn’t we have been dropped off somewhere nearby the next clue?
“That’d be too fucking easy. I’m pretty sure the gods set this whole thing up to mess with us. Maybe they just like watching us struggle.”
Bitterness tinged Trace’s voice, and I couldn’t argue with it one bit.
“Personally, I think maybe we’re coming up on something other than another clue. It could be the end of the game,” I pointed out. “I mean, we’ve been in this realm for weeks. We’re beat up and exhausted. I sure as fuck hope we’re getting close to the end.”
Lachlan stopped, resting on one of the boulders at the base as we caught up. “Do you think it’s kind of strange that we haven’t seen any of the other contestants? I mean, it’s kinda silent out here.”
A twinge of worry fluttered through my chest. I wasn’t sure if the worry was for the other contestants, or for us.
“I’m sure they’re fine. They’re probably either lying in wait to attack us, or they’re coming at it from a different direction like Knox and Chetna did. Maybe they’re even closer to the goal than we are.”
I still didn’t know exactly what the goal was. We were making our way toward the glow I’d seen in the distance, but just as with the dome all those weeks ago, I had no idea exactly what we’d find when we reached our destination.
It just seemed like the most promising path to pursue.
“Yeah, that makes sense. I’m assuming this is all set up like one huge scavenger hunt, with different clues in different locations all pointing to the same ultimate prize,” Merrick said thoughtfully. “So it’s entirely possible other contestants are coming from the opposite direction we are.”
“If any of them are still alive,” Trace muttered, his expression darkening.
I bit my lip, fighting down the rush of guilt that filled me. Gods, I hated this. Fuck Knox for throwing a damn spear at Merrick’s head. If he hadn’t tried to attack us, we could’ve all come through the portal.
I had no problem racing a couple of competitors down a mountain to try to beat them to the next clue, or whatever awaited us in the jungle. Sure, it would be dangerous and possibly deadly, but it wasn’t the same thing as outright fighting our classmates.
“They’re alive. They have to be,” I said, for what felt like the millionth time.
Lachlan took in a deep breath as he hauled himself to his feet, draping a heavy arm around my shoulders. “Look at it this way, sweetheart. The fewer people you have to compete against at the end, the more you can embarrass yourself trying to beat me to the gem.”
My gaze shifted up at him, and I rolled my eyes, hiding my smirk as I caught the teasing gleam in his eye.
It was weird. Back at the beginning of the semester, his words would’ve made my blood boil with rage, but now they just filled me with a warm amusement. Maybe it was because I knew he respected me as a fighter, and I also knew he was trying to lighten the mood and draw my mind away from my worries about whether we’d left our classmates behind to die.
Poking him in the ribs to make him squirm, I cocked an eyebrow at him. “Don’t be so sure, dickwad. You are the master of underestimating me.”
He caught my wrist, pulling my hand into his larger one and tangling our fingers together.
“I did. Once. Don’t think I’ll be makin’ that mistake again. I shoulda recognized a badass bitch when I saw one.”
A strange ache tugged at my heart. Some girls might not take that as a compliment, but I absolutely did—and I was certain that was how Lachlan meant it.
“Watch out, big man,” I murmured. “I might start to think you’ve got a thing for me.”
He froze, his gaze finding mine in the early dawn light. All hint of humor faded from his expression, and a loaded silence hovered between us.
“Guys,” Trace called out. “Look at that.”
