After settling Kaya back to sleep, Veer stayed beside her, watching her shallow breaths until half the night had passed. His hand never left her, as though letting go would invite disaster. But eventually, for the first ti, he forced himself to leave her alone in the room, even in her fragile state.
He staggered down the hall, dripping, his hair still wet. Then—
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The old healer jolted awake, heart leaping at the furious knocks. Rushing to the door, he swung it open—and froze.
Veer stood there, half-drenched, a towel knotted loosely around his waist, water still running down his chest. His eyes were lowered, unreadable, but there was a storm beneath them.
"Sir... what happened?" the healer stamred, stunned by his state.
But Veer didn’t answer. He shoved the man back inside, slamd the door shut, and stalked to the table. He dropped heavily onto the chair, elbows on his knees, staring at the ground. His silence was louder than any words.
Panicked, the healer rushed to fetch water. He set the cup before Veer with trembling hands. "Here... drink, sir. What happened? Are you—are you okay?"
Slowly, Veer lifted his head. His voice was low, rough.
"Uncle... the dicine Kaya took. Those drugs—they should only make soone drunk, right?"
The healer stiffened, caught off guard. "Y-yes," he replied too quickly, forcing a weak smile. "Just drunk. That’s all. Nothing else."
Veer’s eyes darkened. His jaw clenched. "I don’t think so."
The healer’s breath faltered. The certainty in Veer’s tone chilled him.
Finally, Veer leaned forward, his gaze sharp, almost predatory. "Tell ... what kind of beastman has eyes like hers? Sapphire blue. Shining like gems."
The room went still. The words struck harder than any blow.
The healer froze, his throat tightening. He had never spoken it aloud, but he too had noticed—how Kaya’s eyes had changed, how they glead unnaturally in the fight. He had told himself to look away, to stay silent. But now... under Veer’s gaze, he could no longer pretend.
Slowly, shakily, the old man sank to his knees. His lips parted, but no words ca. Fear glimred in his eyes, not for himself—but for what Kaya’s truth might an.
The healer drew in a slow breath, asuring each word like a man choosing stones to lay across a river. He t Veer’s eyes and spoke quietly, painfully honest.
"My lord, there are many things we cannot explain. I am a healer — yes — but a healer’s knowledge is mostly of our own people. We know our tribe, our marks, our sicknesses. What lies outside that circle is difficult for us to read. Only a few can even guess.
"Amber eyes belong to the eagle tribe, as you know. Your own shine is unusual — far brighter than what we normally see. Around you, most have brown eyes; so bear a faint Amber, but yours blazes. We can tell an eagle by more than its eyes: its veins, its color, its habits. Those signs gather together and make the tribe legible to us.
"But this girl you brought... she is a different matter. None in our tribe has ever seen her shift into any beast form. Yet today her eyes turned sapphire blue and burned like polished gems. When eyes glow like that, the beast within usually rages and breaks into its true shape. She did not change. Nothing in her body altered. It should have been impossible.
"Even with your father — even when he was not fully in his beast form — fighting him is a different world. He is Lord; no one underestimates him. He is brutal. For a woman to stand against him, to strike him — I was stunned. I could not understand it. And that is why I said what I did: she is not like the rest of us. She is a mystery."
Veer’s hands clenched against his knees as he stared at the floor, voice low and rough.
"So what can I do? If what happened today... happens again, then what? What in the hells can we do?"
He hadn’t told the healer everything — not about Kaya’s sudden change, the strange voice, or the agony that had nearly split his skull. Yet the man was already pale with worry just from what he had witnessed against Veer’s father. That alone told Veer enough.
The healer shifted uneasily, his lips pressed tight before he finally spoke.
"My lord... this may sound foolish, even insane. You may call it nonsense when you hear it...BUT..."
Veer’s ember eyes snapped up, glaring like fire licking at oil. "What but?"
The healer swallowed, forcing the word out.
"Snake tribe."
Veer froze. His head tilted, disbelief etched in his face.
"...What?"
The healer t his gaze with a grim steadiness.
"My lord, the snake tribe. You know of them. The snakes, the turtles, and a few others — they live far longer than us. Their knowledge runs deep. The snake tribe especially... their healers are fad for poisons, cures, and secrets no one else can touch. If this woman—if Kaya—were brought to them, they might have answers."
Veer’s neck jerked back, his lip curling in disgust.
"I’m not taking her to those stinking snakes."
The healer flinched at his tone, then pressed on with quiet urgency.
"My lord... this is not about what you want. The snakes are among the oldest tribes still walking this land. Their records, their knowledge — it eclipses mine and every healer in these mountains. The turtles, yes, you could seek them instead... but they are too slow, too far. To reach them may take months, and even then they may give you nothing. But the snakes—"
His voice dropped lower, almost pleading.
"The snakes might know. If you truly want answers about that girl... they may be your only path."
The mont the word "snakes" left the healer’s mouth, Veer shot up from his chair so violently it toppled back. His fist slamd down on the wooden table with a deafening crack, rattling every jar and vial on the shelves.
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