Chapter 139 Where Fear Once Lived

• The dining room lies in shadows, light spilling only from the crystal chandelier above. Alaki sits beside me at the dining table, close enough that I catch the faint scent of jasmine from her skin, yet distant in all the ways that matter. Her shoulders remain rigid, every line of her body screaming of resistance even in stillness.
• I watch her from the corner of my eye, noting how deliberately she avoids my gaze. The fork in her hand hovers above her plate, performing the charade of interest without ever bringing food to her lips. Her fingers seem thinner somehow, more delicate, though the subtle curve of her stomach has become more pronounced. The changes in her body stand out in stark relief tonight.
• She’s not eating again.