Nevan
My eyes widened with shock as I came to a halt, dismounting without the help of the stable hand.
I'd received a letter from Morwen in the dead of last night, sent by a carriage courier that was used only in life-and-death situations. In the letter, Morwen had urged me to come to Wellspring today, and that was exactly what I'd done.
In the beginning, I wanted to wait until the end of the palace visits, but I've known Morwen for years now, and I know she wouldn't purposely sound panicky for no reason. Now that I have arrived, I know why.
The dark veins of the curse had climbed the outer wall of the Wellspring estate, branching upward from the foundation in thick, root-like patterns that spread across the pale stone like cracks in old porcelain.
They hadn't been there when I left three days ago. Now the corruption was mapped across them in black lines that pulsed faintly in the fading light as though it was truly alive.
