Page 100 of The Robin on the Oak Throne

“Oh.”

Kierse glanced up at Graves, but he was as unreadable as ever. As if he didn’t want his opinion of the topic to influence however she was feeling. Not that she knew exactly what that was.

“The loss of your parents, your life on the streets, the subsequent Monster War.” Mafi glanced at Graves. “Working with a certain warlock. All of it has left its mark on you. If not physically, then mentally. The Monster Waralone is enough trauma for any one lifetime. The fact that you went through it all.” She splayed her hands out. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“I had a tough life.”

“Yes,” Mafi said with a short laugh, “but not just that. Trauma can cause all sorts of changes in your brain and how it responds to stimuli. While common responses are anxiety and depression, it can shape who you are in other ways, like hyper-independence.”

Kierse blinked at her. “Okay? What does that have to do with my memories?”

“The spellmighthave taken your memory, but it’s possible that you repressed those memories all on your own as well. That what happened to you was so traumatic, your brain shut itself off from the pain.”

“Oh,” she said with wide eyes. “That sounds…possible.”

“You might find that as you work through these memories, whether with Graves,” she gestured to the walking memory machine in the room, “or alone, you might need to process them afterward, separately. Possibly with a professional.”

“Wait. Are you suggesting therapy?” Kierse asked with a stilted laugh.

“What’s wrong with therapy?”

“I don’t see how talking about my problems is going to fix them.”

“You’re the only one who can fix your problems.” Her pointed glance at Graves was telling. “But therapy gives you an outside perspective from a third party who isn’t involved in your life. They might help you see it from another angle. We have a psychiatrist on staff…”

“A psychiatrist?” Kierse asked. “And that’s different than a therapist?”

“A psychiatrist can do everything a licensed therapist can do and also prescribe medicine.”

“Medicine,” she said skeptically. “You think I need medicine?”

Mafi arched an eyebrow. “At this time, no, but I want to recommend the best specialist for you. And luckily, we have the best in the business for monster-human psychiatry.”

“Are you sure I’d need that?”

“I plan to treat your brain the same way I would any other organ. Your mental state is as important as your physical state. If you broke your leg, you wouldn’t shrug off seeing a specialist for the injury.”

“If we could afford it.”

“Money doesn’t seem to be a problem anymore,” she quipped. “So let’s keep our mind open, shall we? We can get a lot farther together if we all look at this as a combination of magic and science. You came to me for my specialty. If I need to steal something, I’ll come to you. Got it?”

“Sure,” Kierse said.

Mental health just wasn’t talked about on the street. When your entire life was centered around survival, dealing with your trauma any way other than finding your next meal and keeping a roof over your head wasn’t possible. She’d never looked into her past even when it seemed to have gaps. She hadn’t wanted to know what she’d find.

“So what’s your suggestion, Emmaline?” Graves asked finally.

Mafi met his gaze warily. “Our most distinguished psychiatrist, Dr. Carrión, is back home in Peru at themoment. Her specialty is monster mental health in a post-Monster War New York City. I would suggest Kierse come to see her when she returns. I can let you know when that is.”

Graves looked at Kierse. She blew out a breath and nodded. “Done,” he said.

Mafi handed Kierse a bunch of paperwork about the benefits of therapy and told her to read through it.

“More homework,” she mused. Her eyes found Graves as they headed to the car. “Why do I always have homework when I see you?”

“Always trying to make you a brain and not just a little thief.”

She rolled her eyes. “I can be both.”

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