Donadei’s Cross

The golden cross that Donadei wears throughout the novel is a representation of his hypocrisy and weakness. During the competition, Donadei is Luzia's biggest competitor. However, when he is challenged with genuine power, such as Luzia’s magic or Teoda’s gift of prophecy, he relies on scheming to win. The cross reflects this because it is actually a talisman, or a magical item made to enhance the magic of those who have it. In spite of this, he convinces himself that he is the true winner which, ironically, allows Luzia and Santángel to survive their execution because she uses her actual power to drain Donadei’s talisman and escape. Without that false power, Donadei is left with nothing but his hubris and people as evil and selfish as himself.

Santángel

Ironically, Santángel is actually a representation of Vίctor’s...