The healer crouched without hurry and reached out, fingers hovering before he gently touched Kaya's wrist. He raised his hand toward her face as if to check her eyes.
"Grrr—" Veer's growl ripped from his chest, low and feral. With one powerful sweep of his wing he smacked the healer's hand away—"Smack!"—feathers scattering, a stinging gust of air.
The healer only frowned, unshaken. "I'm just checking her eyes," he said softly, as if explaining something obvious.
Veer's glare never left him. Every muscle in his body trembled with the effort to stay controlled. With a furious, reluctant exhale—"Hhhff…"—he eased his wings back a fraction, still coiled like a trap.
The healer leaned closer, opened Kaya's lids, studied the whites and the pupils with professional calm, then took her pulse again. He drew in a long breath and looked up at Veer.
"Her condition is not well," he said bluntly. "You must come inside with me."
