The garden path was darker than Wish remembered.
The villa's perpetual twilight had deepened into something closer to true night—shadows pooling thick between the hedges, the bioluminescent flowers providing only scattered pinpricks of light that did more to disorient than illuminate.
Wish walked with her crystal light held up in front of her, the small orb casting a warm golden glow that pushed back the darkness just enough to see a few feet ahead.
And muttered.
Constantly.
"Twenty seven hours. Capture a man's heart. Sure. Easy. Absolutely fucking simple." Her voice dripped sarcasm as she navigated around a corner. "Except every single man I approach is going to take one look at me and—"
She gestured wildly with her free hand, nearly dropping the light.
"— well they, see exactly what everyone sees. Fat. Unwanted. Desperate."
Her throat tightened.
