My boots pounded against the dark stone floor.
I did not look back as I turned the first corner. The rolled parchment felt hot against my skin where I had tucked it under my tunic. The image of the curved blade was burned into my mind. The dark blood stain near the handle kept flashing before my eyes.
Every shadow in the long corridor looked like a threat. Every torch on the wall cast a scary red glow across the stone. I kept my hand on the handle of my short sword as I ran.
I heard loud footsteps ahead of me.
I stopped instantly and pressed my back flat against the wall. A group of four guards walked past the main hallway. They wore the silver silk badges of Duke Varn on their chests.
I held my breath in the dark shadow of an archway. My chest burned from the fast run. Cold sweat ran
