Chapter 43. Hummingbird

CLARISA

I straightened my hair until it shone because it was difficult for me to untangle it so that it was silky like the hair of other girls. Unfortunately, when I tried to comb it, it stood up and dried out again, so I cursed out loud. My mother always said it was genetic, that badly inherited hair can’t be fixed by anything in the world. I gathered it into a tight braid without letting a single rebel hair escape.

I looked in the mirror; my beauty was fading, and stress was taking its toll on me. The whole thing with Dove, the queen, the imprisoned woman, and those horrible things I witnessed. I felt like I never wanted to go back to work again and never leave my house and lock myself up, despite not having many options. If I wasn’t going to work at the castle, clearly, I wouldn’t eat, nor would my family. My job was the best paid; I still prayed for that luck. Dove was my friend; I couldn’t abandon her even though I felt drained.

I didn’t like being so close to