Not long after helping Eset, Melody began to feel a little ill herself. She wasn't sure what to make of it, but as the sense of unwellness grew heavier over her, she started to panic. Tavina wasn't available, and she hardly wanted to be the one responsible for getting Toula sick. Rather than risk it, she decided to isolate herself.

Things rapidly worsened from there. Her throat hurt — just a small nagging pain at first, but the next day Melody woke and found it unbearable. She nearly cried at the effort of swallowing a bit of water. The priestess returned to her bed. If Tavina was well, she might have gone to her instead, remembering Senmut's cold disapproval. But she was not, and so Melody determined that she would remain in her room until her illness had passed.