“Tell me what this is, or I’ll never speak to you again,” Alina ordered.
“It’s bl—,” Jade cut off, catching herself.
“Blood?” Alina finished. She knew that word. Where had she heard it?
Blood flowed through the streets…
Blood is what runs in the bodies of the mortals…
Alina whirled around, her eyes wide.
“I’m mortal, aren’t I?” she whispered.
Jade didn’t answer.
“That’s why I’m different.” Alina stared at her. “Father Sampson messed me up so completely, I became mortal. That’s why he’s ashamed of me. He wants everyone to hate me because of it. Jade,” she demanded, her voice rising, “how long have you known?”
Jade shook her head. “Lina, I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re not mortal. You’re upset because of what happened today, so you’re jumping to conclusions—”
“You’re lying!”
Jade pursed her lips together. “It’s not what you think—”
“WHY DO YOU LIE TO ME?”
Alina burst into tears and lunged for the door. Once again, Jade slipped in front of her. With a hint of pleading in her voice, she said, “Go for a walk down Infinite Way. I hear Rex is putting up decorations for the Harvest Feast. You could watch—or talk with him to help you feel better.”
Alina stormed past Jade and slammed the door as she left. She bolted across the lawn, pounding her feet on the pavement as she walked. Why was Jade such a fraud? Like everyone in Pria, she pretended life was perfect and sweet when it obviously wasn’t.
But through her anger, Alina’s heart felt lighter.
I’m mortal.
I will die someday.
The thought of death, so mysterious and terrifying to others, comforted her. There was an end. She wouldn’t live forever as an outcast in a perfect world. Tears came to her eyes and she lifted her head, expressing gratitude, though she wasn’t sure to whom. Father Sampson? If his mistake made her mortal, she’d have to thank him one day.
Even Carthem didn’t frighten her anymore. Though a miserable place, her life couldn’t be any worse there. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with this new freedom.
She had no place in mind to go and hesitated when she reached the crossroads to Infinite Way. How strange for Jade to suggest she go see Rex. Alina had never spoken to him before and felt certain he didn’t know she existed. Did Jade know him? They didn’t speak to each other. She must have mentioned him for a reason, because as much as Jade concealed her feelings, Alina knew their quarrel had distressed her.
Curious, she turned down Aiona Avenue toward Infinite Way. She rarely, if ever, walked this road. It ran the length of Pria, intersecting the circular streets. The neighborhoods near Evergreen Loop were modest enough, but the closer she got to the center of Pria, the more lavish the homes became. Most of the popular kids, including Eris, lived on Aiona, but Alina had no idea which home was hers.
Today, she didn’t care. She half hoped to run into Eris because, armed with new knowledge about herself, she was ready for a fight and indifferent to the consequences. Nothing Eris said or did would hurt her now.
She stormed down the street, glaring at the homes as they became larger and flashier. She stared into each sprawling window without caring how rude it looked. These garish homes exceeded the ones on Emrys Street, which she sometimes passed on the way home from school. Instead of mid-sized swimming pools on front decks, these mansions concealed their infinity pools on rooftops and backyards, complete with waterfalls and elaborate balconies for diving. Pristine flower gardens adorned the front grounds, paved with sleek stones in every color—browns, greens, blues, and even pinks. The homes matched the yards in extravagance and luxury, each one competing to be more awe-inspiring than the next. They were nothing compared to the estates she’d soon see on Rex’s street, but she hated them just as much. In Pria, the value of a person mirrored the value of the home in which they lived.
A few people lounged outside, stretched out on chaises with panels in hand, eyes never moving from their screens as they sipped from crystal goblets. One woman on her balcony spoke so loudly into her panel, Alina overheard every word as she passed.
“I won’t forgive him this time. I’ve caught him with other women too many times. I’m going to tell him at the feast tomorrow that it’s over. He’ll come crawling back because he knows I can turn people against him. Anyone worth associating with, that is.”
Alina stared up at the woman in disgust. She didn’t notice Alina but leaned against the decorative railing of her balcony and scrunched her glossy ringlets. She placed a hand on her hip under a silk robe, her painted fingernails matching the hot pink of her negligee. Music blared from an open window below her, and as Alina glanced at the lower room, she did a double take. She’d found Eris’s home.
Eris stood before an enormous three-sided mirror, sweeping her flaming red hair into different styles and admiring herself. After each pose, she broke into a smile and giggled, then said something to the mirror. She shook her curly mane around her shoulders and turned up her nose, puckering her lips with air kisses. Alina watched, amused, then planted her feet directly where Eris would see her when she looked out the window.
“Girl!” a high-pitched voice squeaked out. “Why are you laughing and staring at my house?” Alina glanced up at the woman on the balcony. She crossed her arms over her pink negligee. “Why are you on this street, anyway? You don’t belong here. Off you go, or I’ll call Social Enforcement.”
Alina ignored the woman and glanced back at the window, hoping Eris would look. But she was busy dancing to the music, whipping her red curls from side to side as she tossed her head.
“Shoo!” The woman called again, flapping a hand at her. Alina released a disappointed sigh and turned to go, just as
