9 Chapter 9: Fairy Dust, Taboos, and Rumors
Azura lay recovering from her venomous injury in one of the queen’s lavish suites. Muddled images of her childhood flashed through her feverish mind while she slept. She remembered her mother’s voice singing a familiar song that she had loved as a child. She sat nestled in her mother’s lap, rocking, listening to her soothing voice. The notes themselves were like a cradle, one of warmth and safety. Azura’s father entered the room and sat beside his wife.
“Azura, sweetie, it’s time for bed,” her father whispered.
“Can I hear the song one last time, father? Please.”
Azura’s father smiled and glanced toward his wife.
“I can sing it one last time before bed,” her mother replied.
Azura slid from her mother’s lap and hurried into her room. She j
