It felt like a million years before a healer finally emerged again from the operating room to deliver news of Azia's condition. They were pleased to report that Azia would survive the attack, but her recovery would be slow. They wanted her to remain in the healer's ward for several days in order to completely heal.

They could have told Zeke that she must be confined to a bed for months and it wouldn't have mattered. The only thing Zeke cared about was that she would be alright. ...