She spat, rinsed, finished her brushing as if being watched by an entire tribe in morning-after misery was normal, then turned and walked back toward her room.
Veer, Cutie, and the sparrow were still there.
As she reached the doorway, she stopped.
"Wait," she said.
All three straightened at once.
"Do you have a physician here who can do a full body… examination?" she asked.
Immediate panic.
Veer's face drained of color. "What happened?" he blurted. "Are you sick? Is something wrong? Where does it hurt? I knew it—that's why you were weird yesterday. Tell me where. I'll get the best healer."
Cutie stepped in, eyes wide, voice soft but urgent. "Yes, tell us. I can check first. Is it your head? Your chest? Dizzy? Nausea?"
Hands came up toward her face, like they were going to check her temperature, her pulse, anything.
Kaya slapped them away, hard enough to sting.
