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Unfortunately for me, he was still holding my arms, so I went down with him. When my body collided with his, he tumbled backwards, flat on his back. I landed right on top of him.
The anger was hot, filling me up to the brim until I could take no more. My eyes burned; not with sadness, but rage.
“I hope that one day, every last one of you damned Élites die,” I said down to him through gritted teeth. For good measure, I spit directly in his eye.
Instead of fighting me, he took it. Slowly, he released my arms, but I didn’t move from the spot. I wanted him to say something, to tell me to go to hell, or deny what I was saying was true.
He didn’t.
I sneered and pushed myself off his enormous, hard chest.
It wasn’t until we were no longer touching that he spoke again. “It is not my choice. None of this was my choice, Carmen.”
I turned away and started walking through the brisk air. The sun was beating down on me, and the magic of the mountain had quickly faded.
“Neither was any of this!” I called over my shoulder.
“I didn’t say I thought any of this was right,” he said again. I could hear him getting up, hear him getting closer to me. “I know you think I am a monster, and maybe I am. But I have no choice in any of this.”
It was my turn to snort. “As if that changed anything. From what I know, you are one of the most powerful Élites around.”
“No.” He said simply, with that strong, curt tone of his. “No es lo mismo interpretar un papel que convertirse en el personaje.”
I didn’t respond.
* * *
Time passed,and we trudged up to the mountain’s highest peak. The further we climbed, the more treacherous the terrain, but the intense ascent only honed my thoughts. Trees and shrubs were sparse and bent by the ever-blowing wind. Maybe it was the frozen air, but my anger cooled.
Unfortunately, Antonio’s words got under my skin. I hated myself for it, but some part of me believed him.
He had told me when he could’ve lied. And I knew he was capable of it.
Hours passed before Antonio abruptly stopped in front of a bush. I followed his gaze and saw a sizable rabbit eating under a bush. Antonio gestured me forward with one finger near his lips. My stomach growled, eager for fresh food.
I advanced slowly, arms outstretched, my feet barely making a sound on the snow.
At the last second, it dashed away with incredible speed.
Acting upon my instincts, I lunged forward like a lion pouncing upon its prey. My hands clasped around its furry body tightly, trapping it in my grasp. The animal struggled briefly before going limp in defeat. Antonio helped me to finish the hunt quickly, and I looked away while he worked with precision and care.
“I thought you might still be hungry after dinner last night,” Antonio said quickly. His face was frozen in a blank expression.
I nodded quickly. “Thank you.”
He didn’t speak as he put the rabbit between us. I saw it for what it was—a peace offering.
“Do you know how to clean one of these?”
I blinked, sad at the death of the little creature. A part of me hated this inherited softness that refused to be beaten out of me. The way I didn’t want to kill, and the way I continued to see goodness in my mentor.
The scent of fresh game wafted through the air, and I held my breath.
“Sort of.”
Antonio wasn’t condescending, just quiet. For a second, I wondered what he meant when he’d told me that playing a part didn’t mean becoming the character. If he wasn’t Antonio Castillas, wealthy and powerful, who was he?
“That means no. Come here so I can show you how it’s done.”
