I wasn’t sure why he was asking, so I went with the most basic answer. “Most of you are telepathic.”

His eyes crinkled at the corners, but he didn’t press me for a more thorough answer. “That is true. In the same vein, some of us can heal. I can’t do anything about the scars, because they are already healed, but I can help with the internal injury, with your permission.”

“It’s as old as the scars,” I said, stalling. I’d never heard of a healing ability, not one that had been proven. There were rumors that the Valoffs had far more abilities than we knew about, but most people dismissed them as just that: rumors.

“It didn’t heal properly, and you’ve irritated it enough that I might be able to help with more than the minor swelling. It still won’t be fully healed, but it should be an improvement.”

“Why would you help me?” I asked, deeply suspicious. He had not only casually confirmed an ability that the FHP would kill to have, but he was also willing to use it on me.

Havil’s expression was gentle. “I’m a healer and you are in pain,” he said simply. He hesitated for a moment before continuing. “I can feel your pain, and it would take more energy to shield against it than it would to heal you. I healed Eli and Varro earlier. You can check with Eli if you have concerns.”

I filed away the information that he was empathic and then did exactly as he’d suggested. Over the comm, Eli confirmed that he felt great and that the whole thing had “tingled” but otherwise wasn’t invasive.

I let Eli go and reinforced my mental shields. I nodded at Havil. “If you are willing to try, then I would appreciate your help.”

He put his hands on the sides of my knee. “You might feel some prickles, but it shouldn’t be unbearable. If it is, let me know and I will adjust.”

Warmth turned into a mild burn, complete with the tingles Eli had mentioned. They intensified to stinging pain, and I sucked in a breath. My shields remained untouched.

“Sorry,” Havil murmured. “Just a little more, if you can bear it.”

“Do it,” I gritted out. I gave him a strangled laugh. “At least it’s better than the field surgery.”

Time stretched. Eventually the burning pain receded back to a mild warmth, and some indefinite interval later, Havil removed his hands. Sweat had broken out along his forehead and his deep brown skin had taken on an unhealthy pallor.