CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
My heart pounded in my ears as I scurried down the upstairs hall toward the stairs. My hands shook so badly that I rattled the platter in my grasp, and the wooden handle of the large fork hopped up and down. The hood covered my face, but I kept my head bowed just the same as I reached the top of the elegant staircase.
I could feel the eyes of the guards on me as I took a deep breath and made my way down the steps. One of them stepped in front of me and his shadow hung heavy over my quivering form.
“Where are you going?”
I cleared my throat and held up the meat platter. “I-I’m going to feed the guards in the dungeons.”
The guard leaned forward and took a whiff of the platter. Beneath my hood, I could see his nostrils flare and his lips curled back in a snarl. “W
