KEILAH

The woman’s voice cut through the thick silence again, cold and deliberate. “Aren’t you starving? Isn’t that what got you where you’re not supposed to be?”

I stood there, utterly flabbergasted, my mind racing to catch up with her words. Shock, confusion, frustration—all of it churned within me, but what I was most aware of was the pounding of my heart and the irritation of Damien’s mark. It itched, stinging in a way I couldn’t ignore.

The woman’s eyes never left me, her gaze unwavering as she spoke again. “Come, get something to eat before I change my mind. As for your friends, they’ll be fine that way.” She...