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As our guide was distracted, chatting with another healer, I lowered my voice and confessed, “I don’t like working around regular healers, doctors, trained people. They either worship me to an extent that makes it creepy, or theyhateme.” I couldn’t imagine submitting myself to their judgement every day. “I volunteer, though. Occasionally. It kills me that I could help people,savepeople, and don’t, sometimes.”

I’d never openly said as much to anyone, not even Silver. She understood me, but I hadn’t spelled it out. What was it about Lucian that made me spill my guts after one glance into his gray eyes?

“You know, I flew commercial, once.” He made it sound like it was a journey into the unknown. I opted not to tell him I flew commercial every time I took a plane—generally in economy, unless I was traveling with my parents. That hadn’t happened since I was a kid. “The security staff said something interesting. You should put your seat belt on before helping anyone else. That stayed with me. Of course, if the plane had crashed, I ought to have prioritized landing it safely over anyone’s mortal security contraption.”

I grinned back at him.

“The spirit of the advice is sound, though. You can only help others if you’re well.”

He understood. He didn’t think I was selfish to not spend twenty-four seven locked inside a hospital room.

“Thank you.”

Lucian didn’t ask what I was thanking him for.

“This way, if you please!”

We followed the woman into the aviary.

29

KLEOS

Ihealed the owl’s wing, though I had to get the healer to break it first under a sedating potion. It had started to set at the wrong angle. My purview was growing and mending; I couldn’t do much to tissues already out of place.

The healer did her part and looked at Lucian’s file when it was my turn.

“You’re the largest animal rescue and sanctuary in the underside. We’re dealing with a dark ritual issue, and I wondered if you’ve had any encounters with marks like these in the past.”

She made a face, the picture of distaste. “This takes me back years—decades, really. But yes, there was a wave of that sort of thing. A few strays ended up right here for cremation. Dogs, rabbits, and the like. Why, you weren’t even alive then, young man.” Her eyebrows knitted together. “This isn’t starting up again, is it?”

I expected Lucian to remain vague. I would have. To my shock, he told her, “Not on animals, Mrs. Francis. The marks were found on humans. I assumed the perpetrator would have had practice before jumping to a more complex life-form.”

She clicked her tongue. “Appalling, the extent some people go to for a bit of power. Well, I’ll sleep better in the knowledge that our founders watch over us.”

She made a gesture I wasn’t familiar with, one that seemed to profess respect and deference: both of her palms flat against her shoulders, she lowered her head. Lucian responded with a slight bow. The whole exchange felt like a formality—yet another thing that escaped me here.

We had our answer, but as promised, I helped with the hound, next. They had to yet again immobilize him, and I healed the bruised tailbone within seconds.

Mrs. Francis was showing us the way out when another healer rushed forward, hesitating when she spotted us, visibly intimidated.

“Well? What is it, Maud?” the elderly woman snapped impatiently.

Maud cleared her throat. “It’s the fox, ma’am. He seems well enough, but he’s mighty agitated now that he’s awake. He isn’t letting anyone close, and he wants out, we think.”

Of course, she looked at me quizzically.

This wasn’t normal behavior for a wounded animal coming back after a long period under a spell, especially with considerable blood loss—he should have been too exhausted for much movement—and the one irregular thing that happened to him was me. Yet another reason why I didn’t like to play god: I got the blame when anything went wrong.

I’d opened my mouth to say I had no clue what was going on when the animal in question dashed out of the room and raced down the corridor, his three caregivers running after him. They had very little chance to catch up, given his speed and agility. I would never have guessed the animal had been on the brink of death an hour ago, the way he moved.

And he was charging right at us.

Lucian stepped in front of me, his arm pushing me behind him in a smooth, protective move that came so easily he didn’t even seem to think it through; but the fox was no threat. As soon as he was within reach, he slowed down and pushed his head right into Lucian’s leg.

Oh.

Well, I certainly related.