I rub my arms against the cold night air that drifts through the castle doors as I go downstairs. It is freezing tonight, and I worry for the phoenix since he is almost completely featherless and I hope he will be warm enough. Voices in the mess hall make me cringe as I approach it, but I need to eat something; I am beginning to feel quite shaky. I can’t survive off toast alone. Yet dread pools in my stomach as I glance toward the doors, sucking in a breath I force myself to enter.
I keep my head low as I make my way into the line, wishing I still had my hoodie to obscure my face. The smell of the food makes me ravenous, and my stomach growls hungrily. The man in front of me turns and looks down at me before snarling and I take a step back only to bump into another who sneers at me.. Retr
