72
I swim fast to catch up with Cat as she heads back the way she’d come, away from the island and through the entrance cave to this small lagoon.
I’ve spent time with four contestants now: Silke, Thorun, Cherry and Miranda. All four were at various stages of the game, either still working their way through the tunnel, gaining pieces, already on the island, or consoling weeping infants and plotting ways to win.
So far I hadn’t seen anyone attempt to take the life of another contestant.
They all had bigger problems, although I had seen one of the twins from Zurich floating face-down near the edge of the island.
I don’t know which one it is; I’d never managed to work them out.
In my head I’d called them Number Thirteen and Number Fourteen, which would have made Falcon proud, but it isn’t something I’m proud of.
Flipping her over and up onto dry land I saw no evidence of violence.
It seemed she’d drowned. There was no sign of either her sister or her baby.
Walking the island I’d come across no one else until I saw Sona running through a stand of bamboo, Thorun swimming towards the exit tunnel, and Cat by the shoreline.
I knew others wouldn’t be far away because I could hear shouts from the cave and snatches of conversation from the other side of the island.
Many lamented the fact that they had no idea how to solve the puzzle because they hadn’t collected enough clues.
I imagine that although there’d been no violence in the caves, that will change when more people reach the island and pieces are the hottest currency.
Taking them from others, or colluding with others, is the only option as far as I can see.
Although, naturally, someone else has come up with an alternative.
Cat.
As she reaches the entrance and begins fighting the current, I join her, dodging out of the way as Aditi hurtles out of the cave, her baby in its basket barely missing my head.
“Cat, what are you doing?”
“I didn’t get enough puzzle pieces,” she scowls, spitting out water and fighting hard to make headway. “We can’t solve it without more.”
“Cat,” taking her by the arm I pull her to the side of the cave entrance, away from the racing water and near to the shore. “That’s madness.”
She rolls her eyes but allows me to pull her into the reeds by the waterside.
“You need to obtain more pieces another way. Going back isn’t feasible.”
“I thought you were supposed to be getting to know us, Viscount,” she snaps, “not interfering in the contest.”
“This is me getting to know your rationale for suicide,” I grin.
“I have to go back,” she says quietly, looking from me to the forest in front of us before moving to push aside the reeds and step onto dry land. “But you’re right. I can’t go against the current; it’s ridiculous.”
“So, your plan?” I follow her as she steps out of the dense reeds and cranes her neck to look up the steep, forested mountainside. “Tell me you’re not thinking what it looks like you’re thinking.”
“I’m thinking,” she sighs, “that I need to go over the mountain, drop back into the river and float through the tunnel again, collecting the clues I missed as I go.”
She starts moving deeper into the tree line, not waiting for my reply.
“Cat,” I mutter, reluctantly following. “It could take days to get over this mountain. And there are no cameras here. It’s dangerous.”
“I don’t have days,” she mutters, “so I need to keep moving. I couldn't care less if I’m filmed.”
She takes another four or five paces before turning to look at me.
“Are you coming, or not?”
I sigh heavily before overtaking her and leading the way.
“I’ll push through the undergrowth. You follow,” I grunt. “I can pull you up the steep parts.”
“Isn’t that cheating?” She huffs.
“No cameras,” I smirk back over my shoulder at her, “and anyway, they say the only rule is that there are no rules. I’m simply embracing that.”
“Great,” she scowls, “I get coveted alone time with the bachelor and a helping hand. But there’s no point, because even if I win, I won’t get what I truly want.”
I shake my head as I keep walking. I knew she wouldn’t let this go.
“Cat, when, if, you get to the final two, I’ll tell you everything you want to know about marriage to a vampire and immortality.”
“Tell me now.”
“There are things I can’t tell you and things I won’t tell you until the time comes.”
“If I’m killed on the show the truth dies with me anyhow,” she huffs, “so I can hardly run to the tabloids and say ‘hey, vampires still kill people for food and a whole heap of other shit too,’ now can I?”
“It’s not that,” I sigh. “There’s so much lore and law involved in vampire affairs. It’s not a simple explanation.”
She reaches forward and grabs my forearm, pulling me to a stop.
Turning around I meet her earnest gaze.
“Try.”
Frowning, I nod before turning and continuing the climb. She’s just not going to be satisfied unless I give her information.
“It has strings, Cat. It’s not a free pass to eternity. It’s not something you’d want if you fully understood it, and it’s not something I’m ever going to offer any wife of mine.”
She’s silent for a long time, and I wonder if she’s thinking up another argument to find out more, or if she's so pissed she isn’t planning on speaking to me for the rest of the journey.
Either way, the heat is so oppressive and the climb so exhausting, I’m not in any hurry to continue our conversation.
As we reach a less treed part of the mountainside I turn back to suggest we take a break, for her benefit, when a shot rings out.
Taking two quick strides I push her down just as a second and third shot ring out and, groaning, I fall to my knees.