A child! A boy or girl stolen to be in the Palace and used expressly to ward off those with ill intent. Like me.

Could I sacrifice a lamb to kill the wolf?

No! I can’t!

But, almost as if I was a puppet and someone else was pulling the strings, I found myself walking toward the doorway anyway, playing the odds like Iltani did when she gambled. Odds were good he didn’t have a taster. If he did, odds were good that the taster wouldn’t get one of the pieces with the poison. If the taster did eat one, odds were good that if they only ate one, they would be fine. They might suffer a severe headache from ingesting a little bit. Experience some vomiting. But they would be all right.

It would be fine.

It would.

Kneeling down by the girl, angled away from the scent of rosemary and goat stew emanating from the doorway, I held out the bowl, my hands shaking so much I could barely hold the dish. “A replacement.” My voice was low, eyes averted.

She looked up into my face in confusion, casting a sidelong glance at the other servants, and went to stick her finger into the dish as if to taste it, but I moved it out of her reach. “Do not touch,” I whispered. “These are for the lugal only.”

Her eyes widened, but she must have seen something on my face that convinced her or was simply angry after being slapped, because she set her bloodied lips. “Give it to me. My many thanks.”

“Hold here at the bottom,” I whispered, and pressed the dish into her small hands. She swallowed a look of terror that came over her. A shadow fell over my shoulder, casting the silhouette of a man against the wall, and at once I knew it was him. Uruku. The feeling of his slimy mouth on mine in the dungeon came reeling back like a shock of cold water. Ignoring the urge to wipe my lips clean from the memory of it, I held myself still in my squat, fear rattling my bones as he stood there, tapping his foot. Sighing impatiently.

“My almonds, girl. Hand them to me.” When the girl didn’t immediately move, terror rooting her to her spot, he snapped.

“Quickly!”

I stilled my quaking, my head bowed, praying to Selu and Linaza and any other gods who could hear me that he would not recognize me. Would not even notice me cowering on the floor like a mouse afraid of being squashed.

The girl struggled to stand upright, blood smeared on her cheek. She tried to wipe it away, but Uruku interrupted her.

“No,” he said softly. “Leave it.”

The girl cast her eyes to her feet. “My lord.” She held out the dish.

“Ahhh, yes. There it is.” He eased the bowl away from her with long, clean fingers, and she dropped her hands to her sides. “Go now. Be gone. All of you.” The door squeaked on its hinges, but before it shut, a muffled voice echoed from within.