“You’ll have to ask Vaelor that yourself,” she told him.
“Ask me what?” Vaelor asked, suddenly standing behind them.
Mara noted that Blaine jumped back a little from Vaelor’s presence. Good.
She looked up at Vaelor and smiled. “Good morning. Have you had breakfast yet?”
“Not yet, but I have more of that soup you liked. Do you want some of that?”
“That would be great.”
“Let me heat it up for you.”
He took a food pouch out of his pack, two bowls and a water container. He handed everything but the pouch to her. Then he walked over to the fire and began to warm up the pouch.
“So, it’s like that,” Blaine commented with a sour tone in his voice.
“Like what?”
“You two are boning.”
She glared at him. “Are you twelve?”
“I’m just saying what is painfully obvious. He’s fucking you so that you will fall for him and let him win if you guys get to the end.”
“He is absolutely not doing that!”
“Not fucking you? Or not using you to get his own way?”
“Maybe I’m using him.”
“Are you? Because you can use me instead if that is your game. What do you say, you and me?”
“Vaelor and I are not using each other in that way. We’re partners and we are determined to get to the end. And as far as you and me, there is no you and me and never will be.”
To emphasize her point, she stood up, grabbed the packs and walked away moving closer to Vaelor on the other side of the fire.
Vaelor looked at her in surprise, then glared at Blaine. He came over with the food pouch.
“What did he say to you?”
“Not worth repeating. I’m hungry.”
He allowed her to drop the subject—for now. But he would get the details from her later. He opened the pouch and poured the soup into the two bowls.
They ate quickly. By the time they were done, everyone was getting ready to leave to head toward the next challenge location.
It didn’t take long to arrive at the site. The GSG technicians were running around doing last minute touches. Once more, Vaelor found a technician that he was able to convince to take the packs under his care personally. Intimidation went a long way. They all took their places in the red circles when the camera drones began to buz around and bright lights flared out.
The air shimmered and—of course—a massive hologram of the Game Master exploded into view above them. Behind him, the hologram audience materialized in a wave of glowing blue silhouettes, already buzzing like they’d been waiting all day just to yell at them.
The Game Master raised his hands dramatically.
“Welcome viewers to the next Galactic Survivor Games challenge. There were only four pairs left now. The best of the best. Vaelor and Mara. Blaine and Dugan. Klosh and Rattan. Esto and Vor.”
The audience roared and clapped for their favorite players.
The Game Master continued, voice booming across the ice.
