Kira woke to a splitting headache and the low murmur of voices around her, along with the rhythmic scrape of metal sliding against something. She opened her eyes to a familiar gray ceiling, blinking up at it as she reoriented herself to the situation.
"Looks like she's coming out of it."
"Did you have to hit me so hard?" Kira asked with a groan.
Harlow paused to examine the knife he held. "You said to make it look good."
"Maybe not that good."
She could have done with a little less force. There were still twinges of pain as she shifted to push herself up onto her elbows.
A pair of hands caught her, the person they belonged to peering down at her with concern.
"Easy," Quillon warned, guiding her to lie back down on the bed. "You're not fully healed. Let my soul's breath finish its work."
Kira didn't resist the healer's fussing. "You're being overly cautious. I'm fine."
"You're not fine. You have a concussion," Quillon informed her with a censorious look. "A fact I find concerning given the frequency with which you collect head injuries and the state you were in a few days ago. I believe I warned you of the dangers of pushing yourself too hard."
Kira grimaced. Now that he said it, she did have a vague memory of him cautioning her on several things. Most of which her primus, and thus her, hadn't paid much attention to.
"Your recklessness will cost you one day. My skills aren't infallible. You risk permanent damage if you continue like this."
Kira settled deeper into the bed. "It's not that I don't understand what you're saying."
It would go against Quillon's healer instinct to allow her out and about considering the state she was in not that long ago. It must be infuriating to have a patient who refused to pay attention to his advice.
Especially one who was still in the early stages of recovering from ki poisoning.
It wasn't that Kira didn't want to listen. She couldn't.
As someone who walked the warrior's path in addition to the healer's, Quillon had to understand that sometimes circumstances didn't allow you to pay attention to what your body was telling you. In moments like these, you had to push forward, regardless of the danger or the possibility of permanent injury.
Time was of the essence. Kira couldn't afford to go easy on herself. Every second she lay here, Jin and Elena sunk deeper into danger.
That was unacceptable.
Quillon's face held frustration. "Talk some sense into her."
Harlow remained focus on the knife and block of wood he was whittling. "She's not going to listen."
Quillon shook his head as he stomped toward the door, muttering under his breath about stubborn idiots.
Kira felt sympathy for the healer as she watched him go. She'd done it. She'd finally driven Quillon mad.
She'd like to say she was surprised, but she did have a history.
"He's angry."
"Yes." Harlow set aside the block of wood and sheathed his knife. "That was quite the show earlier."
"Do you think they bought it?"
"Kashori and Asanth, yes. They're all too willing to believe the worst of you. Your cousin seemed less convinced. She likely suspects something."
Observant of her. Kira didn't know whether to be proud or worried about that fact.
"And the emperor's people?"
