The wound wasn’t healing. It was worse than before... the edges dark and irritated, spreading outward in thin black lines that curled along my ribs. My skin looked gray beneath the light, like something was eating its way through me from the inside.
He drew in a quiet, shaky breath. “How long has it looked like this?”
“Not long after the stab,” I said. “The bleeding reduced, but the pain didn’t. It burns deeper now.”
His eyes darkened with worry. “That’s not normal, Alexander.”
“I know.” I exhaled, resting my hand against the table to steady myself.
Before he could reply, the door opened behind us. The healer stepped in, carrying a small satchel of herbs and glass vials. She stopped short when she saw the wound, her professional calm faltering for a heartbeat before she masked it.
“W
