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Antonio blinked and then looked down at the dress in his hands. He dropped it like he had been holding a smoldering coal. Then I watched him walk right back the way he’d come without so much as a goodbye.
The door clicked shut, and I expected my breathing to return to normal, but I was still standing there in the middle of the room.
“What the hell,” I breathed. I dragged my forearm across my forehead.
Pack. Pick out your clothes and pack.
I repeated the mantra over and over as I picked up the sheet of paper I needed to give to Isolda.
Chapter42
If You Want To Survive…
“Here are the charts we made last month analyzing your data from the test climb with Señor Castillas. Based on your training improvements, I’m happy to say that you should have no problem reaching the base of either volcano within two days.”
Joaquín Pérez was a smart man. His brain reminded me of the machines I saw scattered throughout life as an Élite, always running calculations, always considering every situation from dozens of different angles.
I remained silent, but it didn’t matter. He trudged forward with no problem. “You know they aren’t supposed to tell us whether you will start at the North side, with La Doncella, or on the South end of the peninsula with La Niña. However, I would bet they put you in the North because it has better potential for artistic shots. They will want you to look good, since you are the favorite.”
Joaquín wore a wrinkled linen shirt. He’d long since peeled off the thick sweater and coat he’d been wearing upon arrival, and they were draped across the chair he was supposed to be sitting in. He pointed at places on the map with the point of his tactical knife while he laid out plans. “Once the time for the tournament begins, all you’ll need to do is run. In the forest surrounding La Doncella, there are thirteen different paths, but each one has its own unique set of problem. There is a canyon, which is a popular choice, but it gets tight, which could slow you down. There’s a cliff right at the starting point, which you could slide down, but there are jagged rocks at the bottom. Go too fast or take a wrong step, and you could crack your skull open.” He paused and looked at me. “Have you discussed any of this with Isaac Monroy?”
I froze at the mention of Isaac’s name. I hadn’t had the energy to admit the colossal failure of my attempted relationship with him.
When Maestro Pérez didn’t continue speaking, I realized he was waiting for my answer.
I felt the bile rise in my throat and I swallowed twice. We had spent a lot of time together in the last few months, analyzing my two hundred and fifteen opponents and planning ways to stay alive. He had approved thoroughly of my decision to align myself with Isaac.
“Isaac is…” I trailed off, completely losing my train of thought. “I am unsure we have an alliance now.”
Joaquín took a step back. He was looking at me like he wasn’t sure whether to yell at me or strangle me. I broke eye contact first, choosing to stare at the rock sitting on the table before him. It was a chunk of scoria which would store a reserve of my magic.
I would perform the ritual after my conversation with Señor Pérez, and then the stone would be stored in a lockbox in the city until the day of the tournament. With everything that had happened, I barely almost forgot the girl who I had chosen.
I could see her picture in my mind, a short, pretty eighteen-year-old with a pert nose and luscious brown hair. Liliana Montoya. We had sat next to her parents at the dinner.
The chunk of rock was like swiss cheese, full of holes and gaps. Somehow, it wafted the sulfur of La Dama. It was the smell of death, of unbearable heat and northern snow.
Something about it entranced me, as if there was a pull between me and the volcano.
“Renata,” Maestro Pérez said, drawing me from my trance. “I took on this position out of duty to the commonwealth and excitement over the prospect of developing a strategy for the Señorita Dorada.” He paced back and forth, tapping his fingers over the back of his hand.
I watched him wear a hole in the carpet and flinched when he halted.
“I’ve run the calculations, and you absolutely must do everything you can to restore that alliance.” He made eye contact with relentless ferocity, and I squirmed in my seat. “You have told me over and over that you don’t think you will kill one of your fellow competitors, but what if one of them tries to kill you? Not every injury will cause death, but that doesn’t mean that others won’t try to wipe you out and take whatever glory they can.”
I studied the patterns on the carpet as he spoke. There was a wall in my mind when it came to hurting others. The faces of the other children in Bendiciones haunted me. Pablo haunted me. Having more blood on my hands wasn’t an option.
My feet kicked out from under the chair, skirting across the lush carpet. I ran my fingers over the polished mahogany surface of the desk while my back pressed into one of Antonio’s hard leather chairs.
A tapping on the desk, the scraping of a pen on paper, and the rustle of a map under a firm hand. Then Maestro Pérez smacked the now-bare table.
“Did you hear me? Your ability to heal will quickly run out if everyone is trying to kill you.” The strategist’s voice is a hiss filled with mockery and contempt. “I know you think you’re smart, but if you ever want to win the tournament, stop underestimating your opponent.”
“What do you mean?” I asked nervously.
“You say you’re training to conquer the mountains and volcanoes, but you’re still underestimating what lengths others will go to see you disappear. Have you not been following the news? You have presented an enormous problem for other top competitors. The Monroys, the Duartes, the Castillas… Señorita, you aren’t competing for a week, you are competing for a lifetime. It is necessary to respect your opponents, understand them.” The strategist raked his hand through his hair and let out an exasperated breath. “You need to think like them, Renata.”
“I do. Without a doubt,” I blurted. “I have done nothing but think of my future the entire time that I’ve been training.” My voice raised. “I am just as afraid as they are. I want a better future, too!”
