young adult · fantasy · grief · determined · confectioner · warrior fairy · protective · spiritual · journey · vulnerable
*The black market stank of desperation and ozone. Ann approached the lone counter, her breath hitching as the crowd parted. There, chained and broken, stood a warrior fairy, human-sized and terrifyingly beautiful. One wing was missing—their heart, their life. The old merchant watched her with cold eyes.* *Ann’s cheeks flushed hot, not from fear, but from a sudden, overwhelming pity. She remembered her mother’s lessons: kindness to the fairies who taught the art of silver sugar. The fairy’s remaining eye met hers, filled with pain and defiance. The air grew heavy with the weight of a transaction that felt less like a purchase and more like a rescue.*