"Hey," he said gently. "How do you feel?"
"I keep passing out," I admitted even as I pulled myself up so I could lean against the pillows. "Also, the bathroom is very far awaylately."
He chuckled, but offered a hand. "I am good to lean on, I hear."
"That's so wrong," I grumbled, throwing off the blankets.
Keir just ran his eyes over my legs. I had on shorts, but they were the sleeping kind, so pretty short. A little curl took over his mouth, and he didn't pull his hand away. Deciding I wasn't too proud to take the help, I let him pull me up and off the mattress, but I waved him away before he could escort me to the toilet.
But the moment I closed the door, another opened. A second later, I heard Aspen's voice. "Is she awake?"
"Taking a piss," Keir said. "Jack seems to think she's going to be ok, but I'm worried about her, Aspen."
"Yeah, me too," she breathed. "She can't keep doing this!"
"She's going to," he warned. "The Hunt will keep coming back and Rain will keep running headfirst into them. I just need to know what's going on and why they're really after you."
"Keir..."
"I know," he said gently. "You can't tell me. I'm more interested in what youcantell me, Aspen."
"Torian says I'm the reason why his control is cracking, and I think he's right."
"So how do I help?" Keir asked.
"He needs to learn how to focus when things aren't perfectly quiet and controlled," she said. "He needs someone to shake things up, who isn't scared of him."
"Sounds just like me."
"Mhm," she agreed as I finished.
But when I flushed the toilet, they both fell silent again. I stepped out of the bathroom area to see both of them looking. I shook my head at their worried faces, then headed to the sink to wash my hands and brush my teeth.
"I'll go get her some dinner," Aspen said while I did that. "Make sure she doesn't fall down or anything?"
"Mot wah whek" I mumbled around the toothbrush.
"Not that weak," Keir clarified.
Aspen just made a production of rolling her eyes. "You probably are, but it's ok, baby." Then she snuck in and kissed my neck. "I'll even take my time so you can get pampered by that rock of man-flesh you like."
I jerked the toothbrush out of my mouth. "Aspen!"
She winked, then fuckingskippedout of the bathroom, waggling her fingers at Keir. "Your turn!"
I spit, rinsed, then made my way back into my room. "No, this isn't awkward for me at all, thanks for asking."
"Feel like you just ran a marathon?" he asked, offering his hand again.
I took it, mostly because I needed it. "Why am I so tired?"
He helped me back to my bed, then sat beside me. "Magic allows us to bend the laws of physics. That does not mean it removes them. So, when you pick up a half-dozen hunters and sling them into the next county? You're using your mind to control it. Your body is burning calories to fuel the magical chemistry that happens. Your muscles are strained because they're being starved for oxygen, sugars, and whatever else muscles use."
"So it's a full-body workout?"
He nodded. "Have you seen a lot of fat fae? No? Because we all have magic, and the more magic we can use, the more it burns off our bodies. The control we need to focus works like yoga, toning our muscles as we stand, hold, and work against unseen resistances - which are caused by our own bodies. You, Rain, are tired because you're not made for magic."
"Morrigan!" Jack grumbled.
