Chapter 18
Chapter 18 Would Milk and Toast Work Instead?
Marshen
The most eye–catching feature was its upper torso: a smooth blanket of deep navy velvet dotted with scarlet splotches, identical to a mask with a blue face and blazing red eyes.
Marcel, too lazy to bend forward, let Iris spirit animal glance across at Lyra.
“You swapped meals for me before. Go get another replacement p>
He’d grown accustomed to his once lofty status, and old habits surfaced in his demanding, imperious tone without him noticing.
Lyra looked genuinely troubled.
Last time, the cafeteria cook had made it clear she hated extra hassle and only bent the rules out of pity for the new cell block attendant.
On top of that, Jessa had warned her earlier that all Sentinel meals were nutritionally calibrated to strict scientific standards.
She tried a gentler workaround instead.
“Can I pick all the celery out for you p>
The tiny iridescent spider perched at the window arched its body, lifting two front legs to broadcast its clear irritation.
Marcel’s stubborn voice drifted over. “No. I won’t touch anything that even smells like celery p>
This left her stuck with no easy fix.
Lyra meant to reason with him, but his rigid stance made it obvious he refused to put up with any minor inconvenience.
She hesitated, tangled in frustration over what to do.
Just then, Felix spoke up in a sickly honeyed, amused drawl. “If he won’t eat it, hand it over to me. I’ll gobble anything brought by my sweet Lyra p>
Lyra squeezed her eyes shut.
Why did he have to butt in right now?
Back in his cell, Marcel grew irritable waiting for her to fetch a new meal.
He threw a petty tantrum.
“Either get me a brand–new tray, or I won’t touch a single bite p>
With that, he spun around and stormed off, his vivid little spider scurrying off the window ledge to follow.
Lyra heaved a weary sigh and resolved to deliver all the other meals first before circling back to him.
16:47 Tue, Aug 25
Chapter 18 Would Milk and Toast Work Instead?
Franks
When Marcel watched her walk away without complying, his temper flared even hotter.
Sed gotten him a replacement last time!
Up on the third floor, Lyra’s chest twisted with nervous unease.
Jessa still hadn’t sent maintenance staff, yet she still had to continue her work.
Horrendous snarls and crashes rumbled from behind the steel cell doors. Moving with extreme caution, she hauled a heavy slab of raw meat and slid it through the narrow service window.
Roar!
A thunderous beast roar exploded outward. The thick iron gate shuddered violently, as if the raging psychic beast trapped inside would smash straight through at any second.
Gory sights she’d witnessed earlier in another cell block replayed vividly in her mind.
Lyra froze, utterly petrified.
Her face paled sharply. She shoved the meat fully inside the cell and slammed the small service shutter shu in one frantic motion.
A low rumble echoed out.
The beast stopped battering the door, instead treating the meat like a mortal enemy.
It tore and gnawed at the flesh while growling nonstop to vent its unbridled fury.
Seeing food deliveries calmed the feral creature slightly, Lyra felt a faint flicker of relief settle her nerves.
She forced down her terror, her heart hammering against her ribs as she repeated the feeding routine for every cell on the third floor.
Once all the food was delivered, she fled the area without lingering a single second.
She returned to Marcel’s cell.
“Would milk and toast work instead p>
His stunning, delicate spider hopped onto the ledge, snatched the slip of paper in its fangs, and scurried back inside the cell.
Marcel’s disbelieving tone came instantly afterward.
“You expect me to settle for plain toast and milk p>
Lyra frowned in confusion.
How were toast and milk plain?
“The cafeteria cooks all meals in one big batch. You hate celery so much you can’t stand even a hint of its scent–there’s almost nothing left they can fix for you right now p>
16:47 Tue, Aug 25
Chapter 18 Would Milk and Toast Work Instead?
The tiny spider messenger bounded back once more, grabbed the note, and darted inside to show him her reply.
After reading her words, Marcel fell silent.
In the end, the spoiled young Sentinel conceded with obvious reluctance.
eat simple milk and toast than take one bite of anything tainted with celery’s odor
After dropping off
She’d originall he
meal, Lyra pulled out a small notebook and jotted down every food he detested.
planned to argue with him, but his unyielding stubbornness made her abandon that idea.
She admitted to herself that she lacked firm resolve sometimes.
If a
person hated a food this fiercely, there was no sense forcing it on them.
Plenty of other meal options provided balanced nutrients to meet the physical needs.
Once she returned the empty tray to the kitchen station, she headed back toward Building Three’s cell blocks.
Jessa was probably still handling the incident in that other cell block and had not come over for now.
Lyra decided to wait around for a while.
As boredom washed over her, Felix’s cheeky singsong voice cut through the quiet.
“Lyra, honey, you must miss me terribly to stick around after your shift ends.
“Why don’t you slide the service window open so we can chat face–to–face p>
Lyra only shot a quick sideways glance his way and ignored him entirely.
Felix was endlessly skilled at entertaining himself.
He rambled away happily to himself, snickering out of nowhere before bursting into loud, unhinged laughter.
Truth be told, the constant distant roars of beasts mixed with his deranged cackles made the whole corridor deeply unsettling.
Lyra leaned forward to peer out the main entryway.
Still no sign of Jessa anywhere.
Had she forgotten?
She pulled out her pager and tapped it twice to send a reminder alert.
Instead of Jessa responding, Felix’s voice drifted over again.
“Do you also think you’re irresistible today p>
415
TV
Chapter 18 Would Milk and Toast Work Instead?
Lyra stared blankly, utterly speechless.
estrode over to Cell 120 without a word and slid the service shutter open.
Finished
Before Felix could stick his grinning face out through the gap, she raised her stun gun as a clear warning.
Felix froze mid–tnovement, resting his face flat against the window frame.
“I know you’ve been waiting around just to see me p>
Lyra pressed a rigid finger to her lips, signaling him to stop his ridiculous teasing.
Felix wore a lazy smirk, his eyes locked unblinkingly on her figure.
“So all you wanted was to stare at ine
in silence. Lyra p>
Lyra closed her eyes and drew a deep, steady breath.
She truly had no idea how to handle him anymore.
A rough, gravelly croak suddenly cut through the air.
Her eyes flew open to spot a glossy jet–black raven perched lightly on Felix’s shoulder, tilting its head to stare straight back at her.
576
admin
Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.