Seraphina looked at the bandage before she looked at my face.
"When was it last changed?"
I had expected a greeting. Possibly a question about the entrance hall. Instead, I was standing beside a treatment table while she examined the knot near my wrist.
"This morning."
"Before or after it bled through?"
I looked down.
The small mark was visible along the fold. I had hoped the clean outer layer made it less interesting.
"Before. I hadn't noticed it coming through again."
"Then sit down."
I sat.
The Healing Hall was busy without looking overwhelmed. Students waited along one wall. A senior healer moved between the larger treatment areas, checking records and answering questions. Near the door, an assistant sorted clean cloth into shallow trays. I had come for an ordinary hand injury.
I repeated that to myself while Seraphina brought a bowl closer. An ordinary hand injury did not need to become a complete account of why Cedric Valdrake couldn't use his own core properly.
