Grace shifted her weight on the bed, drawing her legs up to sit cross legged. “I haven’t been feeling so well lately, and I lost the ability to heal myself.”

Adare straightened. “You once had the ability?” At her nod, he didn’t move. She had lied to him. Exceptionally well. Just who was this female? Whatever showed on his face had her wincing and looking away.

Faith grabbed the back of Grace’s shirt and pulled it up.

Grace grasped the bottom of the shirt in front to keep herself covered. “Faith? Knock it off.”

Faith’s face turned pale and she angled her head, looking at Grace’s back. “The marking is almost gone.”

What? Adare shoved off his chair and strode around the side of the bed, forcing the queen to jump out of his way. He looked down at the perfect imprint of his marking across Grace’s back. It was several shades lighter than it should have been. Sure, the one on his hand had faded, too, but that was to be expected after it had been transferred. It should never have faded on Grace. “I don’t understand.”

Grace pushed her sister away, red blooming across her face as she pulled her shirt back down.

Faith pulled a guest chair over and dropped into it. “You said the marking had stabilized.”

Apparently Grace had lied to everybody. Adare retook his seat, watching her as if he’d never seen her before. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because there wasn’t anything you could do,” Grace said quietly, gesturing toward the several manila files spread across the counter. “Those must be my medical records. Right, Emma?”

Emma nodded. “Yeah. I’ve been reading through them.” She pushed a stray strand of hair away from her face. “Your mating was unconventional, to say the least. We never knew what the consequences would be.” Two of the machines buzzed across the room, and Emma hustled over to a printer that began spitting out documents. She gathered several and read them, recrossing the room to the other records. “Huh. Interesting.”

Adare growled.

Emma looked up. “Oh. Sorry.” She turned toward Grace. “As you know, when an enhanced human mates an immortal, her chromosomal pairs increase from those of a human at twenty-three to those of a mate at twenty-seven pairs, thus granting immortality, except in the case of beheading or extreme fire.”

Grace nodded.

Emma read the page in front of her. “We tested you right after the mating, and your pairs did increase. However, now they’re decreasing. You’re at twenty-five right now. It’s sort of like you’re unraveling from within.”

Grace frowned. “That’s what it feels like.”

Adare had to keep a calm head. He’d lose his temper later. “Because we didn’t have sex during mating? That’s why?”