“Training. Publicity telecasts. Then the Races await.”

Mother nods absently. She’s imagining Maxim or Gavriel or Cassiopia sitting down with me to ask interview questions. All the shows she pretends not to watch every morning.

I speak softly, not trusting my voice. “Thank you. I’ll get ready.”

Mother closes the door. She hooks her arm in mine, kisses me on the forehead, and leads me back inside. The room’s almost spinning. Father stands. Coffee’s spilled all over the table behind him, but he ignores it. Only Prosper has a voice.

“Is this serious? Are they serious? This can’t be serious!”

They sit me down on the couch because my legs are starting to shake violently. Mother rushes into my room, pulling clothes out of corners, stuffing whatever’s clean into a travel sack. Uncle Manu stands in the corner, reciting names of racers with Prosper and laughing like he’s a kid again. Father comes back with a glass of water and makes me drink it.

“You’re going to be okay.”

I try to give some sign that I hear him, but everything’s still spinning.

“Imelda,” he says. “You are Imelda Beru. Last night, you proved you’ve got as much fire as any of them. Be respectful, be careful, be yourself. You can do this.”

I nod.

Mother calls, “Where are your socks? Why don’t you have clean socks?”

I don’t answer. The room’s stopped spinning, but my mind’s racing ahead to Furia. I have to beat out the other scholarship kids first. I wonder who they are and what they’ve done to make the final cut. Even if I do manage to get myself chosen, it won’t matter if I’m not ready for the actual Races. Every year there’s a Qualifier, a Dividian rider like me. We always cheer for them to do the unthinkable. They rarely do. Only two have ever won.

I can be the third.

Fear and dread rise up in my chest, threatening to choke me.

“Hey.” Father’s voice cuts through the noise. “You can do this.”

He offers a hand and pulls me to my feet. Prosper nudges up against my side. I push back his hair and smile down. Mother’s there, too, pressing the travel bag into my hands. I kiss them all before shouldering the bag and heading for the door.

“Tell Farian what happened,” I call over one shoulder. “If I’m chosen, the exclusive is his!”