"I'm not going to sit down and shut up while my mate works herself to death, Kitten."
"We aren’t mates yet, and if you want to have some say in that, we have to bepartners. You haven't told me a damn thing. You haven’t explained what you want me for, or what's so screwed up with fae magic that you and your family are all slightly insane. You only forced me to come here, and got rid of the couch when I threatened to sleep on it. You’re trying to control and manipulate me, and in a relationship, that has consequences."
His jaw clenched slightly. "Fine."
"Fine what?"
"Fae magic always comes with a cost. Sometimes it makes sense. Other times it doesn't. Most fae only pay it when they actively use their power. My family and I are the royals because our power levels are the highest, and we suffer for our magic continuously."
"What do you mean?"
"Liv's power is spring. Spring fae magic is growth and energy. Her own energy levels are too high. She has to be moving and exerting herself constantly to keep from getting overwhelmed by it, and has panic attacks when she tries to slow down."
Holy shit."Merrily?"
"Autumn. Death, and illusions. Her skin is sensitive to everything. Fabric. Weather change. New places. Pressure. Touch. Air quality. Darius is over summer, and his suffering is similar to Liv’s, but for an entirely different reason. The opposite—he feels numb if he’s not doing things. Needs constant stimulation."
"What about you?"
"You don't need to concern yourself about me."
I scowled. "Just tell me. I can’t imagine it’s good. I know you control ice and pain."
He lifted my sports bra back to his nose and inhaled again, though I couldn’t imagine he could smell a whole lot.
I stole the bra back.
He tucked his hands in his pockets. "It’s unpleasant magic to possess."
"How does it affect you?"
"I feel it. Constantly. The pain."
I blinked. "What kind of pain?"
"It feels like having small needles or icicles buried in my skin at all times. Small prickles, everywhere. Gets worse if I move quickly, or too much."
"All of the time?"
"I've adjusted to it."
"You can’tadjustto that."
"You can try." He studied me for a long moment. "The first time we touched, you eased my pain. That’s when I knew you were mine."
"So you're using our bargain to force me to mate with you because I somehow protect you from your magic."
He didn't answer, unsurprisingly.But he’d just given me way more information than I expected him to, so that was fine.
"Touching is what takes away the pain?" I asked.
He dipped his head.
"That’s why you want to share a bed."
He didn’t answer.
"If you had just told me that from the beginning, I wouldn’t have argued with you so much."
