Elodie paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "It would be my duty to inform those in command if there is something concerning about your health, or if I suspect you're acting in such a way that jeopardizes you or others."
"And you?" Kira asked the man in front of her.
The corners of Quillon's eyes tilted up. "Only the Overlord or his marshal can compel me to reveal the results of your exam."
And they likely already knew the worst of it.
Kira shrugged. "Blame the doctors and healers that came before you. They taught me to be careful where I place my trust. There's no way I'm allowing you access to information I didn't even share with my friends."
Elodie made an angry sound, but Kira didn't budge. If she needed to, she'd walk out of here. She didn't want to do that. Dying held no appeal, but she would do this on her terms or not at all.
Quillon read the resolve on her face and nodded. "Very well. If that's what you wish."
Elodie shook her head and pointed at Finn. "I suppose the oshota is leaving too."
Kira's stare was thoughtful as she watched Finn hold up the wall, his expression a sea of calm. "He can stay. He's earned my trust."
The surprise in his eyes was stark. Kira stilled at the sign of naked vulnerability before he bowed his head and murmured several words in his own language.
Elodie's expression softened before she sighed, knowing when she was beat. "Kicked out of my own sick room. I can't believe it."
They were quiet as the healer made her exit.
When it was finally the three of them again, Kira focused on Quillon.
Reluctantly, she admitted, "I feel heavy. Slow. More tired than normal, but that could be a result of taking primus form."
The climb up the cliff hadn't helped.
It was the best description she could think of. For most of her life, she'd tried to ignore the power crouched at her core.
The tangle of thorny vines she normally associated with herkilay quiet and dormant in her middle. For now, there was no pain, but that would change if she accessed herki, the vines becoming razor sharp.
"We call itkipoisoning. It's exceedingly rare. I've only seen one other case similar to yours in all my years as a healer," Quillon said.
Not good news considering Kira had a feeling Quillon had been around for more than a minute.
"What causes it?" Kira asked, staying focused.
"It's difficult to say. Many conditions have to be in play for it to happen. I'm sure your isolation from the Mea'Ave played a major role. Couple that with what I suspect was sustained exposure to battle conditions and continued overuse of yourki, and you have a confluence of events that have led tokipoisoning," Quillon said.
Kira's jaw worked as she digested this information, all of which she'd long suspected—except for the Mea'Ave part. That was new.
"Did the other person who suffered from this survive?" Kira asked.
Quillon and Finn shared a glance, communicating silently.
It was Finn who finally answered. "Yes. Like you, he sustained heavy damage to hiskipathways in battle. It took many years, but he was able to recover. Since then, he has become a warrior of high status."
Relief filled Kira. If what he said was true, this didn't have to be a death sentence. Yes, the timing wasn't ideal, but she could work with this. She'd lived with the specter of the end for so long it was strange to have hope again.
"What's the treatment plan?" Kira asked.
Quillon shifted. "It is a two-step process. You'll need treatment from me every day in the beginning. As time passes, the treatment frequency will drop off, and I’ll monitor your progress as you reconnect with yourki. I can help heal what you've broken, but making sure this doesn't happen again is another issue. That will be up to you to address."
"That's what I'm here for, isn't it? To learn how." Kira raised her eyebrows. Otherwise, her presence was pointless, and she'd go on her merry way after receiving treatment.
"I don't think it will be as easy as you assume," Quillon suggested gently. "My preference would be to start treatment and wait until yourkihas stabilized before commencing training."
