Chapter 43
The solstice moon hung low and heavy over the Fairy Kingdom, its silver light spilling through the barracks window and stretching long shadows across the stone floor. Arden lay on her narrow cot, staring up at the ceiling as the soft chorus of night insects drifted in from outside. Her body felt wrung out from the day—the stiff posture, the polite smiles she’d forced into place, the way Douglas’s burning stare had clung to her, but her mind refused to settle. Thoughts buzzed and collided in her head, restless as a hive that had been kicked open.
She stared at the glow of her phone, the blue light softening the exhaustion etched into her face. Her thumb hovered over the send button, trembling just a little. Apologizing felt like trying to smooth a jagged edge that had been scra
