Chapter Thirty-Nine

Summary

• Ruhn visits a medwitch clinic to see a witch who'd earlier impressed him with her intelligence at a crime scene. Despite the chaos outside, the clinic is soothing, and he feels comfortable while he waits for her.
• The medwitch talking with Ruhn is revealed to be very beautiful, but Ruhn is more captivated by her intelligence and the mellifluous quality of her voice, due to Fae sensitivity to sound.
• Ruhn discusses witches and their powers, noting their many gifts—seers, warriors, potion-makers—but highlights healers, as, due to their work, are often the most visible in Crescent City. He notes that the young medwitch must be especially skilled, considering her age and the fact she is working in a clinic.
• Ruhn asks the medwitch to help him solve a particular case—a magical object that was broken and needs to be repaired. He needs to exercise caution as he does this, thus he asks for her discretion. Despite her lengthy pondering, she admits she does not know how to fix the artifact, but suggests that with medical advancements, the artifact might be treated as something living, rather than inert.
• She advises him to proceed carefully and suggests that he might get an answer from Hypaxia, her queen. Ruhn shares that he can't wait till she starts receiving visitors. The witch bids him farewell, leaving Ruhn pondering over her words while he conducts his own research.
• During this interaction, Ruhn is drawn to medwitch's grace and intelligence, noting that she wasn't trying to impress him, but treated him only with professional courtesy; her demeanor leaves him intrigued long after their meeting ended.