Rowan didn't really expect to be able to find the poison Alaric had left behind so easily, but once the idea was in his head, he couldn't let it go. Before he could stop himself he'd slipped into the shadows, leaving the smashed cake on the ground behind him.
The world blurred into grey and black, wavering around him in that way that never failed to make him feel nauseous. His stomach rolled with both the use of his magic and a guilt over how Wren would feel if he found out about it.
When he found out about it.
Rowan didn't want Wren to worry about him, but he just couldn't help himself.
This was his duty, after all. He would be back before Wren even noticed he was gone, and then he would confess later.
Rowan pretended like he wasn't lying to himself about how worry would be the only thing Wren felt and searched for the thread of the poison through the shadows.