Her heart sank when the men stopped, as if engrossed in their conversation; they couldn’t move on. They must have been instructed not to let her out of their hearing. After all, she could do a lot of damage if she believed herself mortal.
Alina pressed her lips together. She hated herself for it, but what choice did she have?
She gave a high, musical laugh. “Oh, Zaiden!” She slapped his arm. “You’re sweet to worry for me, but there’s no need. I was out of my mind today. I talked to Rex, and he reminded me that while I look different now, the serum runs through my veins, so with time I’ll look like the other girls. He even said my appearance could help me go far, like make me famous!” She almost grimaced and gave herself away. She was taking this too far. “Pria is so full of opportunities, and—well, um, I just love it here!” she finished, not knowing what else to say. She hoped the men were convinced, because Zaiden’s expression was killing her.
“Are you okay?” he asked. His eyes flickered to the men nearby.
“Of course!” Alina exclaimed. “Why do you ask?”
“You’re” —he cleared his throat— “acting a little strange.”
“I’m a new person since I talked to Rex.”
He stared at her for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, well, it seems you’re right.” He looked away. “You are like all the other girls.”
Alina’s heart plunged. She opened her mouth to confess everything but stopped and bit her lip.
Zaiden glanced once more at the men as he turned back to his house. “I’ll see you later, Alina.” He ran his fingers through his hair as he walked away.
The two men looked at her, and she flashed them a smile. This seemed to satisfy them; they turned and continued on their way, leaving her alone in the street.
She wanted to rush after Zaiden, grab his arm, and explain everything. But she’d promised to tell no one, and she knew so little about him. Someday, she hoped, they would be close friends and he could learn the truth about her.
As she started toward home, a warm rain began to fall, something Father Sampson gave sparingly. Appearances meant everything to him, including the weather. But at times, his moods crept in, disrupting the constant sunshine.
This storm fit Alina’s mood perfectly. Invigorating, brisk, and cleansing, the rain poured over her like her feelings for Zaiden—fresh, unsteady, and exhilarating. The ground seemed to shake beneath her feet as the rain dripped through her clothes and tickled her back. When she reached the end of the block, she paused and glanced back toward Zaiden’s home.
She blinked her eyes. Am I dreaming?
It wasn’t a dream. He was watching her through the rain, his bronze hair slicked back and his wet shirt clinging to his shoulders. At her distance, Alina couldn’t tell if he was relieved, or sorry, to see her go.
Alina walked into her home, drenched, and Jade sprang from the couch to retrieve a towel from the closet. She ran to Alina, searching her face as she wrapped the towel around her.
Alina beamed. “Don’t worry, Jade. Rex explained everything to me. I can’t believe I thought I was mortal! In Pria? That’s impossible!” She squeezed out a giggle as she ran the towel over her face and hair. “He said my beauty will come, and I’m sure it will. I’m already improving—look, the red bumps are gone!” She framed her face with her hands. Of course, the blemishes were still there, but she hoped this might prove her conversion.
Jade smiled knowingly. “Yes—I knew Rex could explain things better than I could. He has a way with people. What do you think, should we go to the feast tomorrow?”
Alina knew Jade had no desire to go. The feast was an excuse for people to dress in fancy clothes, overeat, and over-drink, to celebrate the harvest they didn’t need. Father Sampson would speak about the hard work mortals must do to obtain food, and how Pria had such plenty—for their enjoyment, and not because they needed it.
But Pria was different to Alina now, and she and Jade could no longer hide in the background. The more involved they were, the more convincing her indoctrination would be. Now she understood why she didn’t have friends growing up. Father Sampson isolated her because any close friend might come to learn her secret. This no longer mattered; she didn’t care to be friends with the superficial people of Pria. But perhaps Jade could renew friendships with those she loved.
“Yes, we have to go. I promised Rex. I think he likes you! You should give him a chance. Every woman in Pria would envy you.”
“Oh, I have no interest in Rex,” Jade replied, but Alina caught a blush. “On second thought, maybe we shouldn’t go tomorrow.”
Alina almost agreed; she didn’t want to go, either. But she had an act to keep up.
“Let’s go, please? I promise I won’t mention anything about Rex. But I want to talk with him again. He helped me feel so much better today.” She searched Jade’s eyes for understanding.
Jade nodded. “Sure, we can go. But remember how busy Rex will be. He probably won’t have time to talk with all those people around.”
Alina hadn’t thought of that. Disappointed, she put on her best smile. “Okay. We’ll have fun anyway.” She yawned. “Well, I’m tired, I think I’ll go to bed.”
Now she realized why Jade told her to keep her nightly routine a secret. All of Pria would envy her if they knew she slept each night. Jade concealed the truth because the longer the pretense held up, the longer they could be together, and Alina would be safe.
Tears came to Alina’s eyes, and she reached out to
