Odette's POV
The food smelled like heaven — rich and buttery and warm in a way that wrapped around me like a hug I didn't know I needed. The clatter of plates had barely faded before I was already reaching for the edge of the table, my fingertips brushing porcelain as Mara guided me gently.
"There, madam," she whispered, her voice careful, nervous. "The chicken is on your left. The stew—right in front of you."
I nodded, my stomach practically growling in response. For the first time in what felt like forever, I was free from that suffocating prison, sitting somewhere that didn't smell like stone and control. Even if the monster himself was seated across from me.
I could feel him there. The weight of his stare pressed against my skin like heat from an open flame. It made every movement deliberate — every breath measured. But I wasn't going to let him ruin this moment for me. No. He could glower all he wanted. I finally had good food, and I was going to eat my heart out.
