The trip to the healer's lodge was shorter than the one to Kyria Rhaptis’s home, but it was no less disturbing. I couldn’t shake that odd sensation on the back of my neck. I kept sneaking looks, but I found nothing but shadows cast by the smattering of light stones in the camp. I was alone on the walk up the hill, but neither I nor my heart slowed down during the entire trip.

  The upside of the walk was that I learned that the temperature regulation enchantment worked. The cold air of the evening had none of the bite I had come to expect even when wearing multiple layers. My face and arms weren’t protected, but sticking my hand in my white coat and popping its collar took care of that. I had to look ridiculous, but at least I was warm.

  I stopped at the door to the healer’s lodge. I knocked and got no response. They had no listed hours, but it was too early for them to be asleep. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I knocked again. This time the door pulled back with a creak.

  From the gap spilled the scent of medicinal herbs and words dripping with scorn. “Human, what do you want?"

  I didn't flinch. I had a patient, and it was my responsibility to follow up. If anything, I took the Vísir opening the door more than a crack a win.

  "How is my h?rlie?”

  "He's fine. Did you expect otherwise?"

  I gritted my teeth, not risking the provocation. She had twisted an innocent question into one that, if given the wrong answer, would tread on her honor. She would never give me the benefit of the doubt. However, some things had to come before personal slights.

  I kept the edge out of my voice. “I don't know what to expect. We do not have [Healers] of your skill where I'm from. I wanted to see how he was doing.”

  "He's fine."

  She stepped back to shut the door, but before it could close, I stuck my foot in front of it. Honor be damned. I was done dancing around. I had a patient, and I would check on him.

  “He is fine doesn’t cut it for me, He practically died on the floor of that mine. I want to know how he is, and I would like to see him if he is still here."

  Eyes narrowed, she regarded me in silence. Seconds ticked by. She could have pushed the door hard enough to move me. She had the strength. As Dorian had said, she was at least Tier IV. The door, however, did not. We both knew it. Was removing me worth getting a new door?

  Apparently, it wasn’t.

  She hid none of her disdain. “As I said, he is fine. And only because you served in his healing will I let you know that he is not here. He never had to come here. It was not needed when I was done with him.” Her scowl turned into a cruel smile, and she drove the point home—and right through my heart. “I know what you fancied yourself a [Healer], but it is clear that you aren’t one. Unlike you, the methods at my disposal are not so limited."

  My blood boiled. My face grew hot. My jaw clenched hard enough that my teeth should’ve cracked. I wanted to argue, but she was right. I was not a [Healer] despite what Dorian believed. I was a cheap imitation. Yet, I had a role. My patient didn’t even need follow-up care. I had helped lessen her burden even if the Vísir would never admit it.

  The old woman’s cruel smile grew as I stewed. I tried to bring my emotions to heel. After all, I needed one more thing from her—if she could provide it. I just couldn’t bring myself to ask her. Not right now. I couldn’t give her one more thing to lord over me, and I would never let myself be in her debt if I could avoid it. I would first choose to dodge beating every time I needed water before that. Baths would have to become a thing of the past—these [Self-Cleaning] enchantments may make that feasible.

  I started to pull my foot away but stopped. Actually, I did have one more thing I should do. One more thing I’d left hanging. Something I owed her and hadn’t made right.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  "Is your apprentice here? I need to make…amends."

  She didn’t quite hide her surprise, and she knew it. Her frown deepened. "She is not available. Now move your foot before you lose it."

  The air took on a distinct energy not dissimilar to the time when Dorian had annoyed Kyria Rhaptis. I had pushed the limit, and I had nothing more to gain. I stepped back, and the door slammed shut. It was close enough to my face that I could make out the grain of the wood despite the dark.

  The vein in my forehead throbbed with each heavy thud of my heart, but I held back my scream of rage. With a force of will, I unclenched my balled fists. People joked about having a list, but until now I’d never understood that it could be more than that. I had never wanted to hurt anyone. However, I now had a list, and she was definitely on it, right after those Volki.

  It wouldn’t take much. With these new powers that I wielded, I had so many options if I could set up the right circumstances. Seed an infection, then accelerate it? I could do that with a bit of potion and creative use of [Suppress Growth] and [Enhance Medicinal]. Sepsis wouldn’t be far behind, and it wasn’t a pleasant way—

  I stopped short at the vehemence of my thoughts. What was wrong with me? I had never been an angry person. Now I was scheming ways to kill people? Through medicine?

  This place was changing me. I scowled. No. It had already changed me. Even if I couldn’t be a [Healer], could I be a [Physician] acting like this?

  I didn’t have an answer, but I tore myself away from that place and headed towards home before I did something I’d regret. Lost in my anger, I missed the crawling sensation until it had intensified to the point that the hairs on the back of my neck and arms stood straight. I froze, trying to make sense of the situation, but by then, I was already too late.

  A faint silhouette not much longer than my own shadow detached itself from the darkness cast by a building. I didn’t manage to turn my head to look behind before someone shoved me. As I stumbled forward, I caught a dark shape with red lines in my periphery. Then I hit the ground hard enough to knock the air from my lungs. I rolled to a stop on my back, eyes to the sky, near the bottom of the hill.

  How could I have been so stupid? My body had warned me all night, and I had still walked right into this.

  I spat out the dirt that had found its way into my mouth, and I craned my neck to see the cause of my misery—the person at the top of my list. That sneer, that same joy at my pain hadn’t changed. “What do you want?”

  “I thought we should talk.” His cruel and hungry grin made a mockery of his sweet tone. “I thought we had come to an understanding last time, but here you go and steal more of our water. You even brought your Oresian to hide behind. But you see, I can be patient.” He cracked his knuckles. “It has given me extra time to figure out how to make this lesson stick.”

  Time froze. I blinked—or tried to. Nothing moved. The world stood locked in place giving me all the time in the world to ponder how screwed I was. This had to be [Quicken Thoughts], triggered instinctively. But why? From a resource perspective, it mattered little. Like with [Enhance Medicinal], utilizing it had become trivial after acquiring the skill. No headache. No cost. I could stay in this state for minutes, possibly hours with the world frozen.

  Thanks, hindbrain, for your sense of self-preservation. I really appreciate you prolonging my misery.

  No. I had to focus. This was not a good situation, but there had to be a way to make it better.

  The only reason they kept me alive was to torment me. I had been deluding myself by thinking there was any other reason. A dead Human meant little here. They would face little blowback. Dorian might try, but the Quartermaster wouldn’t allow it to go far. They probably still wanted me alive, but they would want me to suffer. Last time they had used a whole potion on me only to find me walking around as if nothing had happened. Of course, they didn’t know that I had only survived because they had used an entire potion. Would they use any potion now? How much potion did I have remaining after helping out? Would that be enough? Even if it was, I had to be conscious enough to use it.

  No amount of time granted by [Quicken Thoughts] changed the outcome. I had only one real option: to run. Of course, if I tried that in my current position, I would make it less than a step before they ran me down.

  I was done running. I had hit the next tier. That had to mean something.

  The world returned to its normal speed. I dug my fingers into the dirt and pulled myself to a sitting position. I didn’t dare show my back to this predator. Despite my muscles aching, I didn’t stop pushing them until I got myself back on my feet. The entire time, my tormentor just stood watching, his smile growing more feral the further I got off the ground.

  He didn’t rush me. He wanted a fight. Since I couldn’t run and begging was out of the question, a fight he would get.

  His eyes gleamed with excitement when I raised my fists. "Hopefully this time you won’t be so pathetic.”

  “You know? In all this time, you never told me your name.”

  He barked out a laugh. “Drudge doesn’t get to speak it. But if you must address me, try m’lord.”

  I feigned indecision. I took a deep breath, sucking in Aether and feeding it to my Mark and my body. Then I gave him the only response that I could live with. “You wish.”