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The screen switched over to beautiful views of our stunning isles.
One thing was for sure,I thought.The ruler of our land is a gifted storyteller.He used music and images to enhance each word that came from his mouth, and even I was finding myself transported to a beautiful time. One that was different from this.
“That first king, Rey José Maria Filipe de Juárez, was imbued with a great power in his blood. Many believed that such a power came from our beloved volcanoes. They kept us safe in the Second Age when the rest of the world was drenched in chaos. While many of those first citizens could heal themselves, the king’s power was unique. Something he passed on to his family: a golden magic.”
A new image played of a golden man on screen. His skin was as yellow as gold, and his hair glistened in the fake lights. Even though I knew that this was a dramatic representation, my skin still went slick with sweat.
Golden magic? I had never heard of this before, and I’d spent my entire life walking through streets filled with shrines dedicated Rey José Maria, his wife Lucia, and their sons—José Maria the eighth, and Milo. They spoke of their goodness, their dedication to the country. Some people even whispered about life under their care being better than what we currently had, but… the only person who I’d ever seen use golden magic was… me.
“Some say it was the smoke that awoke something primal inside of us. We still use replications of such smoke in our auditions for the tournaments. Rey José was the strong roots for six more generations of powerful monarchs to pass through.” Canciller Duarte’s voice rose, the power of his speech seeping into every square inch of the room. Everyone was enraptured.
Everyone except me. I was going to pass out.
“When our beloved Monarch, José Maria the seventh, was murdered little more than fifty-two years ago, may he rest in peace,”—the Canciller’s voice grew dark, and everyone, both in the auditorium and in our small kitchen, repeated his words,—“his family was slaughtered by the foreign enemies, as well. After this betrayal, we have kept our borders shut tightly.”
My breath came faster and faster, but Agustín Duarte’s eyes glistened when he looked up into the brilliant lights. “We lost such a glorious part of our magic that day. But fate has blessed us once more. Though not descended of royalty, our magic flowered in the most unexpected of places.”
Anticipation was so high in the room. I could feel it soaking into my skin. It was physically hard for me to look anywhere except right in front of me. My head was pounding, and I felt dirty. My hands were slick, so I desperately wiped them on my clothes.
Magda touched my elbow. “Are you okay?” she asked quietly.
I shook my head, but didn’t budge from my spot. I didn’t need anyone else noticing how I was acting. Especially not when the Canciller continued.
“Now, as we all know, every audition is recorded.”
I scowled. Everyone did not know that, only Élites.
“As Canciller, I have the pleasure of being presented with a few shining examples of power among our young people. I enjoy seeing what the next generation is capable of, and this time was no exception. In fact, this round, I saw something so incredible that I am inclined to share.”
The screen went black and a strange popping nose broke over the speakers which caused chatter to fill the room packed with elegant Élites. This wasn’t a clean transition like we had seen while listening to the Canciller speak.
Everyone in the room started.
“What the hell is this?” Lucero called.
Someone else said, “Who turned off the screen?”
“This is supposed to happen,” Leticia hissed.
Another girl said, “Did the power go out?” just as Fernando responded with, “The lights are still on.”
A strange scratching sound came from the screen, and a video of poor-quality came to life.
I winced. My head hurt so badly, I was sure that whatever came next would cause a living hell for me. Scratching and tapping sounds came from the speaker, and I winced at the singularly unpleasant sound.
Another scratch, and a disembodied voice spoke. “Audition seventeen. Renata Valarde Bordón, Quinta Isla. We are currently in the Historic Downtown, also called the Uva District, at the Grande Hotel.”
My blood went cold. Everyone in the room was glued on the dimly lit room that appeared on screen, but it was already carved into my dreams. The camera was angled to look out of the two-way mirror which had looked at me.
Magda froze at my side. While I looked different from my day-to-day appearance, if one was paying close attention, it wouldn’t be that hard to pick out my high cheekbones and large eyes.
I heard my voice come over the sound.“Disculpe, Señor Castillas?”I sounded strange, my voice was too high. My eyes were wide, and I was wringing my hands in front of me.
Antonio told me that he would take care of this tape. No one was ever supposed to see this. No one was supposed to know. What happened? My eyes burned and my head pounded.
The next few minutes passed in a blink of an eye. Sweat beaded my forehead, and my throat burned. I stared at the ground, listening to my exchange with Maria, the audition assistant.
When I said,“I haven’t brought anything with me. I don’t know what to do,”everyone broke out in a chuckle. Like my naivety was a joke.
