The first ward went dark while I was standing beside the well.
A thin c***k split the stone rim. A blue flame inside the basin guttered, then vanished. Every bird in the courtyard lifted at once, beating its wings against the gray sky.
People ran toward the chapel.
I followed them.
The ground trembled beneath my boots. At the base of the chapel steps, one of the carved stone lions had split through the middle. Blackness showed in the c***k, though the statue stood in daylight.
Elias pushed through the crowd. "Get back from the steps."
"What happened?"
"The foundation ward failed."
"Can it be repaired?"
"I don't know."
He'd said it again, but this time the fear in his face was visible. I could see his fingers flex, his shoulders rise with each breath. He wasn't calm because he was
