"Wait, didn't you say your own father tried to sell you off? If that's true, how can you still think so highly of your people?"
Alex stared at Genia, caught off guard. Even after everything her father and the rest of the clan had put her through, she was still defending them. He wondered whether she was just incredibly naive or lying to him.
Genia felt a jolt of panic. Her lie was unravelling, and she needed to distract the First Prince before he poked more holes in her story.
"My clan wasn't always like this," she said, her voice dropping. "And neither was my father. He used to love me. But everything changed the day he brought home a woman and her daughter. He married her, and suddenly, our home wasn't mine anymore. He started to resent me because they were... well, they were beautiful, and I wasn't."
She forced her eyes to well up, letting a few tears shimmer in the moonlight. As they pooled in her large blue eyes, Alex found himself unable to look away. There was something about her that drew him in, despite himself.
"Slowly, the whole clan started following their lead. Even my father," Genia continued. "That woman and her daughter spent every waking moment poisoning his mind against me. Then, some rogue shifters saw the daughter and threatened to wipe out the entire clan unless my father handed her over. She threatened to kill herself rather than go, and her mother couldn't stand the thought of losing her. So, she convinced my father to send me instead."
Genia leaned on plotlines from the novels she'd read, weaving them into the actual history of the girl whose body she now inhabited.
Alex glanced at the scarf hiding her face. He'd heard the women of the Monkey Clan were hard to look at, but looking at Genia's eyes, he found that difficult to believe. Still, he didn't suspect she was lying. If she were actually beautiful, she probably wouldn't have been the sacrificial lamb in the first place.
"Is that why you wear the scarf?" he asked.
"Because you're... ugly?"
Genia nodded quickly. "Kevin only let me join the clan on the condition that I wouldn't scare anyone with my face. Besides, I've had enough trouble for one lifetime. I just want to be left alone."
She shifted the subject to get the spotlight off her. "Anyway, what about the spring? Is there a trick to making it show up?"
Alex shook his head. "No. It comes whenever it wants. Until it appears, all we can do is stare at the stones."
Genia let out a long, shaky breath, the tension bleeding out of her at Alex's response. That was way too close, she thought. If I hadn't spent half my life buried in novels, I never would've been able to pull that off. I just had to channel the original girl's life and hope for the best.
Then, a realisation hit her. Why did she keep thinking of herself as an intruder? Why do I keep saying 'the true owner?' She wondered. " This is my body now."
She made a silent vow to herself to stop the distinction. "But if I ever get the chance, I'm going to make the people who put her through so much pain pay. It's the least I can do to give her soul some peace."
Alex noticed her spacing out and nudged her back to the present. "Hey, where'd you go just now?"
He could tell she was dwelling on whatever trauma she'd endured. Instead of answering, Genia just shook her head and fixed her gaze on the path ahead. Seeing the look in her eyes, Alex fell silent, his own gaze following hers as they moved forward.
The only sound was the rhythmic chirping of crickets in the grass. Genia could feel Alex standing right next to her, the heat radiating off his body.
"Aren't you afraid of me?" Alex asked suddenly. Even knowing she might be plain under that scarf, his interest in her hadn't faded.
"Of what?" Genia asked, looking up at him.
"I'm a tiger shifter from black tiger clan, Genia. I could break your neck before you even realised I'd moved. Doesn't that scare you?"
She met his gaze, her eyes steady. There wasn't a hint of fear in them - only a challenge. "You won't do that. You need me. Maybe not for anything I can give you, but because I'm the only person in this clan who doesn't treat you like a 'Prince.' To me, you're just a person."
If Alex had to behead her, he would have done it last night itself because she was bathing in the waterfall, which was separated from the memories of his mother, and how could he tolerate this?
Alex's breath caught. He'd never had someone see through his loneliness so clearly. He started to reach for her scarf, his fingers hovering near the fabric. He wanted to see her face, even if it was as bad as she claimed. But he stopped himself. He wanted it to be her choice. He would wait until she was ready.
"You're dangerous, Genia," he whispered.
"I know," she said with a small, mischievous smile.
Time dragged on, and the spring remained hidden. The moon sat high in the sky, but the courtyard stayed dry and desolate. Alex didn't hide his disappointment.
"It's not happening tonight," he said, his voice sounding defeated.
"Maybe it just needs its rest," Genia offered, trying to lighten the mood.
Alex took a deep breath and turned to leave. "I should go. If Kevin finds me here with you, he'll turn it into something ugly. I don't need you getting caught in the crossfire."
Genia nodded. "Alright. Go ahead. I'm heading back to my room, too."
"Will I see you here tomorrow night?" he asked, looking her in the eye one last time.
Genia gave him a playful smile. "We'll see, Prince. If I'm in the mood."
Alex let out a dry chuckle and vanished into the shadows as quickly as he'd arrived.
Genia stood there for a moment, the courtyard feeling colder now that he was gone. She turned to head back to her room, his words echoing in her head. He was a broken man, picking through the ruins of his life for a moment of peace.
She took one step when she heard it - the soft, rhythmic bubbling of water.
Genia froze. She strained to listen, realising it wasn't the wind. She turned slowly, her jaw dropping. The dry stones were gone, replaced by a cascading stream that shimmered like molten silver.
A soft blue glow pulsed from the water, lighting up the courtyard. The air suddenly smelled of fresh jasmine and rain-soaked earth.
"How is this possible?" she whispered.
Alex had waited hours for this, and it appeared the second he left. She walked toward the edge, feeling the spray on her skin. It felt like the water was washing away more than just dust; it was reaching into her soul.
Genia pulled the scarf away and leaned over the pool. The face looking back at her wasn't the one she knew. The scars and the rough skin were gone. She was beautiful - more beautiful than she'd ever been in her previous life. Her eyes were deeper, glowing with a new light.
"It's true," she breathed. "The magic is real."
She stared at her reflection, Alex's face flashing in her mind. How would he react if he saw her like this? Would he still see her the same way, or would everything change?
The sound of footsteps snapped her out of it. Someone was coming.
Panic flared. She quickly adjusted her scarf, hiding her face again. She couldn't let anyone see her - not with the way people were plotting in this clan. In a place where power was everything, this kind of beauty was just a target.
The spring began to glow brighter, the water swirling and rising into the air. Genia backed away, her heart hammering against her ribs. She wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't move.
The water coalesced into the shape of a woman. She was breathtaking, with flowing black hair and white robes that sparkled like starlight.
"So, you aren't from this world, are you?" the woman asked.
Genia stared, her voice failing her. "Who are you? How do you know that?"
The woman smiled gently. "Who am I? I'm the one Alex was just telling you about."
Genia's mind raced until a single name clicked into place. "Mara."
Genia's breath hitched. "You're Kevin's mother. Mara? But... how? You're supposed to be - "
The rest of the sentence died in her throat. It didn't make sense. The woman everyone believed was long dead was standing right in front of her, as real as anyone else.
"Am I looking at a ghost?"
The thought sent a chill straight to Genia's bones. If the woman standing there really was a spirit, Genia knew she wasn't making it out of this alive.
"I'm not a ghost," the woman said, letting out a soft, mocking laugh.
Genia's skin went cold. She took a shaky step back, her voice trembling. "If you aren't a ghost... then how did you just know what I was thinking?"