forum Opportunistic Omnivore: Scavenging the Remains of the Divine || OxO || Closed || 18+

Started March 15, 2023 by @ElderGod-kirky group

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Aideen hummed and continued flipping the ring, catching it mid-air. A good enough answer, and she knew she was stretching it because of how short they've known one another. But if Eurion could find something that he loved about Sláine so early, then she was taking it as a good sign for their relationship in the long run. "Cute," she said, her head tilted at Solise who blinked back. The spirit wasn't willing to give up secrets, and Aideen tsked in annoyance. "Fine, keep his secrets." The prince had spoken too quietly for her to hear when he had been fussing over Eurion, and she was curious. But Solise was not helping, and she didn't want to have that conversation, so she moved on.

And move on she did. "Has Sláine done anything to make you feel afraid? Him. Not the lying ass Gods with an agenda, but Sláine. The prince you have spent this entire time fawning over and arguing back with me when I said he's an asshole." Aideen went right for the throat, and turned her attention back to the assassin next to her. Solise put more of her weight into Eurion's chest to act as a comfort, because she knew that this was yet another question that would cause him a bit of distress. Rightfully so, because it cut to the core of everything, but that didn't mean anything for Eurion's mind. She cooed softy and peered up at the assassin.

Sláine hissed at the kick and lashed out at her, just to grab her ankle and push it away from him, but his glare was prominent. Not that he'd do anything else, which was evident in the way he let go and didn't move away. "What, do you want me to just storm the Gods' realm and grab whatever God will do the trick?" he demanded. The swift kick had jarred him out of his thoughts long enough for them to jostle around and reset his thinking, now more focused on her calling him an idiot and insinuating that his worry over losing Eurion would lose him anyway. "The most I knew about them, or even cared to know, was their legends. Because that's all they were to me. How the fuck am I supposed to find a way around a bond like that when they've only just inserted themselves into my life?" Sláine gestured to the air in front of him. "The Middle has been my patron since the beginning of my lineage, and it is kind. I am bound to it until my death, but it is not nearly as severe as Eurion's bond with the Gods."

Eurion tensed, his grip around Solise tightening as he felt his heart race. Theoretically no, he hadn’t, Sláine himself hadn’t done a thing to him, at least to this body. But when the Gods had had control of his mind, when he had seen and felt what that witch had, when he had been shown Sláine himself acting that way towards him? He couldn’t help but feel as if his prince had. Logic screamed at him. It screamed that he was wrong and deep down he knew he was because whatever he was about to say next he had a feel Aideen wasn’t going to like, but if she wanted answers, if she wanted truth, she would get it. Lying, Eurion felt, wouldn’t go down well with the guard and as much as he liked to believe himself to be good at it, one criminal to another it was easy to pick up on the cues that would give him away.

“I felt it, what he did to that witch. Every ounce of pain,” Only amplified by the hold the Gods had on his mind, the torture of it all, “He hasn’t hurt this physical body but-“ In that moment, it hadn’t mattered. Sláine had done what he had and there wasn’t anything he could do to change it. And now the assassin had the association between him and his magic, that event, how similar it was to the Gods themselves and as much as he knew, he knew he wasn’t like that, all he could focus on was the fear that came with it, “I saw him hurting me, doesn’t matter what realm it was in, I saw and felt all of it.”

Adelphia grabbed at Sláine’s horns, sitting forwards until they were close enough that she could talk in a hush, almost annoyed and angry whisper, as much as her voice remained level. It was more to keep Sláine focused on her, to knock some sense into his head, “Get your head out your ass and think for a moment. Legends are based on fact, books are written on legend and those fuckers have been around for a long time. If three survived there will be more, you find the right one and you ask for help - fuck, ask the Middle for all I care. There will be something in this large world that will describe what you need. I would be surprised if there wasn’t another messenger out there that experienced the same shit and maybe they were smart and wrote it down.” Because this wasn’t the Gods first rodeo, there would have been others, others who wanted out and would have been smart enough to find it or make it and write it somewhere for others to find.

Aideen reached her breaking point. She had tried so hard to be respectful of the situation and not judge the assassin, to not be a bitch to him the entire time, but come on. How thickheaded did he have to be? She reached over and slapped Eurion in the back of the head. "Chao na. What did I just say, stupid?" Aideen then started slapping his shoulder in frustration. "Phusai ong. Think about what you are implying to me right now. You'd rather believe something the Gods have shown you, something you never saw or felt with your own eyes? You are seriously telling me that the man who is sweet on you, who even you admire his calm and patience, who has helped you, is that terrible?"

She slapped him upside the head again, as if that would knock some sense into him. "For even just a second, use that head of yours, khikhan. Think. I understand that it's difficult to differentiate real from lie, but think about it. Did Sláine physically inflict that pain onto you, or was it the magic of the Gods, who were the ones showing you that memory already? I'll give you a hint—" Aideen didn't let him respond. "—it wasn't Sláine. You want to know how I know that?" She jabbed a finger towards Eurion, then pointed out towards the curtain, the world outside of their conversation. "Because that man was on the fucking floor asking his brother if it was okay to give up. Because in his mind, to you, he is just as bad as the Gods, and he would rather die than harm those he cares about." It was a low blow, that much she knew, but the guard needed him to really think about who they were talking about.

Aideen's gaze was intense and demanding Eurion's attention. "So I will ask you again: has Sláine himself caused you fear at any point in time? Or was it just a conjuring of the Gods that pitted you against him, when they were the ones in control of your mind and projecting an image you never even saw in the first place? Put everything you just told me together, every memory you have of your prince, and put it next to the image the Gods gave you. Do they match? At all?"

When Adelphia's hands met the prince's horns, a bolt of several emotions shot down the bond unwittingly. Surprise, annoyance—and a shock of pain that was more from the surprise of the sudden grip than actual harm. It was as if the bond wanted to alert Eurion, even if the prince was okay and not even aware of the signal. He snapped his teeth in instinctual response to the grip, but when it registered what was happening, he calmed down just enough to be simmering in irritation. "Yes, you're right, the world is large. Do you really expect us to just happen upon a maybe at this rate? Travel is slow on foot, and by air you miss a lot. You'd have to scour the entire world—" Sláine paused, blinked, and trailed off as an idea came to him. It was a bad idea, but one nevertheless. More than he had before. "The library," he whispered. "The heart of the Middle is a library, full of a copy of everything and anything that is written down. If someone did record their experiences with the Gods, it would be there."

But there was a catch, and he shook his head in bitter dismissal. "Except you have to be invited to the library, and something or someone is fucking with the Middle already." They'd never get in. Neither of the twins had a pass because they had never been invited, as they had never had a desire to step foot inside. Of course, Sláine wanted to, but it was a sacred place, full of books on people's lives and every record to ever exist. He felt unworthy of even looking at it, let alone being invited in.

Eurion hissed and cursed at Aideen, "Fuck ouch did you really have to-" Then he was hit again and he was glaring and rubbing at the back of his head, "Stop hitting me you ass." All it was going to do was give him a headache which he certainly did not need at the present moment. He knew that look all too well, had seen it from Adelphia and Cara far too many times but it felt oddly different coming from the guard. Her gaze had him scrunching his nose in annoyance, but also contemplative thought. Because she was right. Unfortunately, Aideen was once again correct.

He hadn't seen the event happen, and as much as it had felt real, it wasn't. In the end, Sláine had never hurt him as much as it had felt that way when the Gods had shown him the images that they had. Whether it was a fabrication of what happened, or if what Sláine did to that witch was real or not could be addressed later. The magic that the prince wielded was something completely different. It was similar to the Gods, yes, and that terrified him in case it ever went against him but it hadn't. His prince hadn't hurt him, and if what Aideen said was true about him asking his brother if he could give up? Eurion felt the shame of it all wash through him. Truth and lie were always muddled in his brain but for once, for once in his life he had to trust his gut, and trust Aideen, too, it seemed. As much as Eurion disliked the woman her points were correct.

Everything that the assassin knew about his prince didn't match what he had seen. Everything about Sláine's nature, how he had been gentle with him in all the moments leading up to the incident, been at his side even though they barely knew one another? He wouldn't hurt him. The realisation had him groaning, both from annoyance at himself, from the fact that Aideen was right, and he could definitely feel a headache blooming from where the guard had hit him, "No, they don't match. Sláine hasn't hurt me at any point."

Adelphia let go of the prince's horns when he finally came to the conclusion that there was, in fact, a way to potentially find a way for Eurion to get out of the hellscape of a bond he was trapped in, "Where there is a will, there is a way. If someone is messing with The Middle then you need to figure that out and then get yourself that invite. If you are so determined to help Eurion then you're going to have to find the path that leads to that library. If you don't then you're going to be having the same conversation with yourself for your entire life, or until the Gods end up doing something drastic and you lose him. I'd rather not have to attend his funeral anytime soon."

"Aemnaelv!" Aideen exclaimed, finally letting up on attacking the recovering assassin. Solise wiggled out of Eurion's grasp only to perch up on his shoulders, like making herself a pillow for him as her too-large body draped down and her purrs continued to rumble. Happy, Aideen moved away to give Eurion his space back. "He finally gets it. Right now, it doesn't matter what he has or hasn't done. You can be scared of his magic all you want, that's not my problem." The shifter gestured to the curtain again. "But him? Before you decide that he is someone to be feared, figure out if there's anything worth being afraid of. Or else the Gods win."

She waved a dismissive hand and put Caoimhe's ring on one of her fingers. "You can still be a little unsure about being around him for a bit, that's all on you and what you need to clear your head. If the truth of that moment scares you, then that's a problem for that time. But at least then you have all the facts. And even then, he still hasn't hurt you. Just keep that in mind." At least she had done her job, even if it involved smacking some sense into his thick skull. It wasn't up to her to dictate his recovery process, both mental and physical, so she wasn't going to demand he go kiss and make up with Sláine, but at least he had the right mindset going forward. Aideen tsked and added, as an afterthought, "You owe me now. I'm going to have to scrub my mind clean from all the shit about Sláine. Did not need to know any of that." Nevermind the fact that she'd absolutely pry into his sex life because it was funny.

Sláine reared his head back once freed and actually had the forethought to scoot away from the hellion of a healer. "That's low," he accused softly, even if she was right. He didn't want to attend Eurion's funeral anytime soon either. Never, actually. When the Fae went, Sláine would be gone too—that is, if they even survived that long together. But the prince couldn't afford to think about that. Right now, he busied himself with ways to figure out what was going on with The Middle.

Slowly, Sláine talked through his thought process. "When both of our heads are cleared, and we have more room, Caoimhe can summon his spirit guide, and we both can try to link with The Middle to figure out what's going on. Beyond that, I don't know what exactly we can do. But I'll try," the prince added in a rush, because he had a feeling Adelphia was looking for another reason to hit him. "I'll try what I can to get to the library. That's all I can promise."

Eurion sighed, leaning back onto the spirit and letting his eyes fall shut softly. He couldn't believe out of everyone that would be able to knock some sense into him that it was Aideen of all people that had got him to pull his shit together. Whether or not she had wanted to help which Eurion figured was a definitely fuck no from what she added last, at least she had done it. He didn't know if he would have been able to be around Sláine for a while had she not smacked some sense into his head.

The magic was still going to be a problem, but maybe he would be able to talk to Sláine about it. Not today, not for a few days, but eventually, when they were okay. Even though his prince had never hurt him with the magic when he had cast that shield over them on that first day it had felt all too similar to the Gods magic. Gave him that same spine-tingling fear that they did, and that fear was only now amplified by what he had seen him do to the witch. Eurion hated the fact that he was scared of Sláine. He didn't want to be, he really didn't because it hurt his soul, he could feel that bond flickering and urging them together, pushing them towards one another like comets hurtling for a collision. Sláine was safe, the prince was safe but his magic made him feel otherwise. They could figure it out later but now wasn't the time. They had too much shit to do, had to get to Dalthia, and had to get to figure out what the Gods wanted, "Yeah, whatever. Thanks, I guess for," He gestured vaguely to the air around them, "Helping, I suppose. But if you didn't want to know any of that shit you shouldn't have asked."

Adelphia shrugged softly, once again sitting back on the couch. She knew it had been a low blow, but it was necessary. If they didn't do something then things were only going to get worse. The Gods had been, what they would have said to be gentle. She didn't want to know what it would look like when they decided it was going to be different, especially with Eurion and Sláine's relationship. They would both suffer no matter what happened and Addie didn't want to be there when that day came, "I'll take that promise. But you better try otherwise next time I'm not going to be so nice when it comes to getting you to pull your head in."

Aideen rolled her eyes at the assassin's half-assed attempt at saying thanks, as well as his suggestion. "If I hadn't asked any of that, would you have on your own?" Her own discomfort aside, she didn't believe for one second that if she hadn't pried into their relationship, had Eurion delve into the details of how he viewed Sláine and what he liked about the prince, he would do it himself. Utter bullshit if he tried saying he would. "I wasn't asking for me. Trust me, it's weird. He's like a brother to me. It was to get your head screwed on right." Solise grunted a little in protest, now no longer approving of the harsh treatment, and Aideen snorted. "And now you've got yourself a little guard dog to nip at people's heels for you. Talk to her about him if you want from now on. Maybe it'll help, maybe it won't, I couldn't tell you." And Solise might just talk back if she thought Eurion was less overwhelmed.

The guard was silent for a moment, inspecting her hands and thinking. An eye for an eye, she supposed. Though she didn't want to hear any of that about the prince, she did pry into Eurion's private life and smack the shit out of him. "I was afraid of their magic, too. Once upon a time." It was a soft admission, a tiny sliver of vulnerability. Aideen huffed a quiet laugh as she thought about those days. "I was a kid, of course, but even when growing up with the knights, I was afraid. You hear these tales of great warriors that bend the world to their favor, an ancient lineage of protectors and monarchs that have sustained and grown the land for hundreds of years. Blessed High Witches in a league of their own. It's hard not to be scared when you think about it. They could change the world as we know it if they wanted to."

Then she looked to the ring, the one she stole off the eldest prince. "But meeting those mighty warriors changes all that. A witch's magic is not their nature. It doesn't make them a villain if they have a terrifying power. It's what they do with it that matters. And these idiots are protectors. Pranksters. They toss a chicken around the palace because it's funny, and change the setting of a room to confuse the visiting nobles." Aideen glanced over at Eurion. "I still have a healthy respect for their capability, that will never go away, but it's natural to fear something like that."

Sláine stuck his tongue out at Adelphia, huffing in lingering annoyance at her tactics. The irritation had gone down once he finally came up with a potential solution. He could think about that, focus on that, instead of the unknowns surrounding him and Eurion. "There won't be a next time," he insisted. The prince didn't know if they'd ever return to the little cottage, but he hoped they did. Not to get bullied by a healer, but to really get to know the people that had saved Eurion's life time and time again. Who had housed them when they needed it, and put up with their crises. Either way, if they did end up visiting, Sláine was adamant that he'd protect himself from her quick hands and feet.

Aideen was once again correct. Had she not pried into their relationship, Eurion probably wouldn't have asked any of those questions. Chances were he wouldn't have attempted to reconcile with Sláine, at least not for a long while. Being in the same proximity would have been difficult but there wasn't any chance that Aideen would have let Eurion go from their deal. As much as Sláine had been able to visit their realm Eurion was still the best connector between them and he had agreed. Even though the twins liked him Aideen didn't and he wouldn't put it past her to at least attempt to kill him if he made a run for it.

But she had helped, reluctantly, and in her own little way, but she had helped. Eurion couldn't be upset if her methods were a little unorthodox because he wouldn't have done it on his own. But the admission had the assassin turning his head and opening an eye her way. Aideen had been afraid? Eurion hadn't heard of the tales of the twins and so he hadn't been impacted by the stories the way she had. He supposed it made sense, but he couldn't imagine the guard being afraid of either of them. They were so close, family. At the end of the day it had taken time to get to the point that they were at now but if Aideen could overcome her own fear of them, then maybe he could get over his fear of Sláine's magic with time, too, "I just- their magic is so much like the Gods, he shouldn't have even been able to walk into the Gods realm like that but he did," Eurion sighed, "I guess with time the fear will go away but…" He trailed off, his mind going back to what the Gods had shown him but he was quick to shake them away.

Adelphia nodded a little, a soft smile returning to her lips at the prince's newfound determination, "Next time we meet that dickhead better be free of those Gods." As much as it was a tease more than anything because it didn't matter to her when they met next, but she did hope that Eurion would be free. He had been under their control for far too long, and maybe this was the change he needed.

Aideen weighed her hands back and forth, like they were a scale and she was balancing her thoughts. How did she explain this to him in a way that made sense to him, not just her? "Magic is scary." That's one way to start off. "To anyone that is unfamiliar with magic in any sort of capacity, it is scary. I could traumatize a little boy who never knew of shifters, because to him, I just disappeared and a bird replaced me. Poof, gone. He'd be terrified, no?" Her eyes shifted towards Solise, draped over the assassin's shoulders and happily being used as a pillow for the headache-suffering Eurion. "Magic as great as theirs is going to be scary to anyone who thinks of the possibilities and implications. It's survival."

Solise blinked over at Aideen, wondering where the guard was going with this when her attention was on the spirit. The guard reached over to bop her on the nose, then pet up the length of her face. "Solise is Middle-created. She is a product of the magic given to the Mac Arthfael family. Not their magic," she was quick to clarify, "but a product. She is her own entity with her own abilities." Aideen ruffled the spirit's ears affectionately. "Magic like theirs is naturally terrifying until you look at what they do with it. Sláine will show you in time that it's not like the Gods, either on purpose or just naturally. Give him time." But that didn't validate the reason he was afraid of Sláine's magic, and she internally groaned when she realized she actually had to do that. "But you also have to understand that he is protective. You being mates likely only heightened that." Aideen pinned Eurion with a look. "How would you react if your prince had taken a deadly blow for you? And the person who did it was still standing and gloating?"

Sláine laughed, even if it was quick. "Glad to know you're true friends." Eurion a dickhead? More like stubborn, but he wasn't going to argue with her. "I'll try my best to honor that demand." He sketched a bow, though it was a little difficult from him being on the floor, but the sentiment was there, and he was feeling better about the situation. Not completely, the sting would still be there because Eurion wasn't by his side, but better.

Eurion reached a hand up to rub at his eyes, then to scratch at Solise’s ear from where he could reach. He would have done the same. There wasn’t a single ounce of him that would have been able to stand to the side and watch if the roles had been reversed. Of course his magic was different, it wasn’t God-like in any sense of the word and quite frankly came from somewhere w lot darker considering it’s nature, but he would have used it to tear the other apart if he could. It was something else the Gods had always held against him - never being able to access the full potential of his magic and what he could do what Eurion didn’t want to find out, not if it ended up making him like them in some way. He was going to avoid that in every way he possibly could, even if it meant putting himself at a disadvantage in the long run.

His mind, however, was turning towards Aideen’s comment about them being mates. Another thing that he was going to have to address with Sláine. Eurion had hoped for a lot more time before it came to light what they were, especially to Aideen and Caoimhe and definitely to Sláine himself. Everything was so much more complicated because he had to throw himself in front of that blow. But he wasn’t just going to stand by a let Sláine take it, no matter how much more equipped he may have been to handle the attack. He guess that only proved Aideen’s point about the way he had acted back on the woods, “Still can’t believe he’s my fucking mate.” He mumbled, more to himself than anything, “Typical that one of the prince’s I had to kill - who isn’t even Fae - would end up being them.”

By now Cara couldn’t help but skip her way over to the two witches now that the conversation had shifted to something less depressing and serious. Especially now that it was about her best friend, “Best friends is the correct term, actually,” She poked Sláine on the forehead before settling on a cushion on the floor, “His only ones up until you mob so, you better not be stealing him away.”

Aideen chose to interpret Eurion's silence how she wished, which meant she was smug. Because she had nailed it once more—he would, in fact, do the exact same thing. Really, any one of them would go all out to protect and save the ones they cared about. Caoimhe and Aideen were established lovers, that had that deep connection, but Eurion and Sláine were mates. They didn't have the time or experience to develop a connection like that, but they had that innate bond that heightened everything between them. If the prince was protective of his friends, it came to no surprise to her that he had gone all out when Eurion had been harmed so badly. But she didn't bring that up again because she had pushed the subject enough for the day.

"Is it such a bad thing?" Aideen asked, genuinely curious. As she watched Solise lean into the scratches and position herself to be receptive to more, she wondered how Eurion felt about the mate situation. Sláine clearly cared enough about the blooming relationship for his spirit to be so fond of the assassin, and if he hadn't known about it until Cara opened her mouth, then there was something there beyond it that had him drawn to Eurion. But what about the assassin? Did a small part of him resent being mated to a prince, and one that he had to kill out of all of them? A non-Fae on top of it? Aideen spun her ring around her finger and added, "I won't tell him either way. This entire conversation stays between us." Sláine might be her friend, but she wasn't going to blab about anything they've talked about. If Eurion wanted to talk to him about anything they've discussed, then he could on his own time.

Sláine sighed and resigned himself to being attacked by the two witches. "I'm not trying to steal him away, so take it up with him if you feel that way," he said, poking Cara's forehead back. "You're free to love up on your best friend all you want, I have no qualms with that." His intent wasn't to take Eurion away from his friends. If anything, he wanted his assassin to have those connections and bonds with others. He was glad that Eurion had that support and social circle, even if it just consisted of the two women.

Eurion continued to scratch at Solise, behind her ear and under her chin. It was nice to have such a friendly and soft companion, even if she wasn't exactly his. The comfort that Solise offered was lovely, warming in the way that Sláine was but in her own sense, it wasn't the same, but it was similar enough that it reminded the assassin of his mate. Ultimately, he was growing fond of her, and as much as he wished that she would stay with him, Eurion knew that she would eventually have to go back to Sláine. For now, though, he was loving his soft and portable pillow and was going to make that as known as possible to her.

But, he sighed softly, returning his attention back to Aideen, "No, it's not a bad thing. I don't care if he's Witch or Fae or his three arms," Maybe that was pushing it, but for the sake of his point it stayed, "It just doesn't feel real, that's all. I never expected to ever find my mate, I gave up a long time ago so it's just a shock. I was hoping for more time before I told him but clearly, that backfired." He hadn't had time to process it himself. With all the information he had on Witch mates, too, Eurion had been wanting more information from Sláine himself, to see what he had felt about the whole thing. Now he didn't even know if he was going to be able to have a proper conversation with the man without saying something that might fuck them up further. Deep down he was aware that what had happened with the Gods wasn't his fault, how he reacted. But he couldn't help but feel bad, shamed, that he had thought that what he saw was true, that he had believed them, if only for a short time. He was still afraid of his magic, but Sláine himself? No.

Adelphia batted at Cara who huffed at her partner, "She's just teasing," The healer said who looked like she was going to protest but ultimately gave in, "We know you're not stealing him away, Cara is just possessive. I think it's a dove thing." The shifter gasped and hit at the witch who simply laughed, blowing her a kiss, "You both deserve one another. I doubt you've had it any easier than he has. The two of you are fated and there's nothing that can change that. Appreciate him while you can otherwise one day you may regret it."

"Hm," Aideen hummed, accepting that answer. At least her friend wasn't mated to someone who was upset over the nature of their bond, though she wouldn't blame him if he was. Eurion was Fae, had waited for so long, and just found out that the man he's mated to is not only a Witch but a man he had been sent to kill. Aideen flicked her fingers lazily and shrugged. "Blame your dove friend; she's the one that revealed it to him while he was waiting for the healer to make sure you don't die on him. If it makes you feel any better, he hasn't freaked out about it much besides that initial shock of it." But that might also be because he had a lot of other things to deal with, and it got pushed to the back-burner of things to freak out over. As Solise cooed and leaned into the scratches, more and more willing to stay with Eurion from the free attention being lavished upon her, Aideen narrowed her eyes at the spirit in accusation. "Don't you have a prince to check in on?"

The spirit flicked her tail but otherwise didn't react. "He is being ambushed by the witches," Solise said. Her voice projected to both of their minds, keeping Eurion in the loop. "The dove doesn't like me much, so I'll stay here." She had seen the dirty look she got when initially trying to cuddle with the assassin, the jealousy that poured over the woman in the morning when she saw the arm wrapped around Solise. Cara clearly didn't play nice with those that gained the attention of her best friend, and Solise was happy to stay put while Sláine was being entertained by the hosts. Besides, she couldn't pass up the affection she was getting from Eurion.

Aideen rolled her eyes and let it be. "Whatever. Either way, I was just wondering if you would've rather it be someone different. Maybe someone a little less complicated."

Sláine looked down at his hands, summoning his magic and letting it develop into a mini, palm-sized torrent of leaves and autumn ribbons. It swirled between his hands, contained and calm, and he bent it just enough to make it form a rough-hewn replica of Eurion's smiling face. "I do," the prince said softly. "I appreciate him with every moment we're together. Even the small things." Like at the first inn they stopped at, when Eurion had dragged Sláine along to make sure he was feeling okay. How he had caged the prince between his body and the door and held his face so gently, asking him to be truthful. Or when Eurion pouted and whined until Sláine cuddled close to him while in bed. Letting himself be used as a pillow when he needed the rest. Every moment together, Sláine cherished and appreciated.

Of course it had been Cara that had opened her big mouth without thinking. As much as Eurion loved her to pieces she got on his nerves just as much as anyone would, especially when it came to revealing information that was definitely not needed at the worst of time. Such as telling Sláine they were mates while he was dying. He couldn’t be too annoyed, she hadn’t had known that the prince was unaware of the bond, but still, it wasn’t exactly something to be said at a time when one of them had been dying. Cara had a habit of accidentally making things worse as much as she meant well.

“I’ll talk to Sláine about it all soon. When we have time and when Cara is poking her nose into my business.” As much as Eurion presumed that Sláine was okay with the bond, he still felt he needed to say something to him, talk about it. It was only fair to his prince, and to him, too. His thoughts were quickly pulled to Solise, however, when she both spoke into his mind and about how his prince had been ambushed by his friends, “How the-“ His hand still for a moment before turning back to the gentle pets and scratches, “Doesn’t matter. As long as he’s okay then that’s the main thing.” And Cara wasn’t teasing him or acting too jealous. Eurion worried for when they had to leave and the drama that was going to ensue.

At Sláine’s words, Cara couldn’t help but coo softly. Even though she was a jealous friend she would admit that the two were cute together. Sláine had held Eurion so close, wanted to be with him so badly and spoke so lovely of the man. She wanted Eurion all to herself, well, her and Addie could share, but she wasn’t unreasonable, “You two are so cute.” She sighed, almost dreamily as she watched the prince get lost in his thoughts and how his magic conjured up the silly
portrait of the assassin, “I remember when Addie and I first met, she was such a mess she couldn’t even talk to me properly.”

Aideen snorted at Eurion's lackluster reaction to Solise's sudden decision to speak to the assassin, it being overruled by his concern over the prince. No, she didn't need to worry about them now that he had his head out of his ass and realized just who he had been manipulated into being afraid of. His concern was cute, even if he should be more worried about himself than Sláine. "He's not the one that took a fireball to the chest," she pointed out, poking Eurion's arm. "Comparatively, he's doing just fine. Just had to be healed some last night after he came back with his hands all fucked up."

Solise perked up her ears and listened in on the other conversation, wanting to aid in soothing Eurion's concern. She also tapped into their connection, and relayed all the information she could gather. "He is thinking of you," the spirit said. "The dove is teasing, but he is thinking of you." Aideen scrunched up her nose and stuck her tongue out in disgust, and Solise switched to speaking only to Eurion to keep their conversation relatively private. "We have not met officially yet. I am Solise, the spirit guide of your boy toy. He is reminiscing over the things he appreciates about you. Something about an inn and a door." Her tone was soothing and soft, mature, but humor danced between the words. She had spent far too much time watching over Sláine to be shy about knowing certain things about the prince.

Dispelling his magic with a huff, Sláine jerked his chin towards Adelphia. "I'm not divulging any secrets, but someone seems to think she knows all." He had never said Eurion had tried to kill him, but he wondered if they knew, or at least thought it was the most likely scenario. But even if that were the case of why they met, they had only really been in a position of getting to know one another when Sláine had been put in charge of looking over the assassin. Eurion hadn't been happy with the situation, had tried sleeping on the floor like the stubborn bastard that he was, but that had quickly changed up. Was it proximity that sparked the bond to life? Sláine's gentleness with Eurion's moment of vulnerability? Or was it the prolonged night of them being tangled together that had slid it into place beneath their noses?

Sláine had so many questions about him being a mate to a Fae, but he saved them for a later time. For now, he humored Cara. "Eurion and I were more or less at odds with each other, so it wasn't an inability to talk, just a lack of wanting to."

Eurion couldn't help the soft blush that spread across his cheeks at the spirit's words. Boy toy. Sláine wasn't his boy toy, they weren't even boyfriends, partners whatever it was because none of that had been established. They had in fact had no time at all for that and instead, they had been thrown into an entirely different situation that had the two of them currently on non-speaking terms. It didn't help that he was thinking about the inn, how Eurion had pushed Sláine against the door, used his height and build to his advantage to keep the other there until he was telling him how he was feeling. The feeling had his stomach twisting in a delightful way.

Gods, it felt like he had a crush all over again. Like he was back to being a teenager and found someone his age attractive and didn't know how to function when they looked his way. It was funny, embarrassing, really, that he was so much older and still feeling the same way. It shouldn't have been a surprise. Sláine was his mate after all, but he hadn't expected to feel shy when talking or thinking about the other. Their bond twisted, glowing as they both thought about the same event, the feelings attached to them and how Eurion was currently turning a light shade of pink. There were so many fluttery feelings around that he didn't know what to do with them or where to place them, instead, he unconsciously sent them down the bond to his mate, "It's nice to meet you properly, Solise. I'm Eurion. Thanks for the comfort." As much as Cara was a small one and he had always been willing to snuggle with her, the spirit was bigger, softer, and considering her connection to Sláine, he felt in some way connected to her, too.

Cara brushed through her hair with her fingers, humming softly at the prince's words as Adelphia tuned out of the conversation, her own thoughts twisting to Eurion and knowing that she should check up on him soon. Also to avoid the embarrassment of whatever Cara was going to reveal about how terrible she had been when it came to wanting the shifter's attention and love.

"I wanted nothing to do with Addie, I'm guessing Eurion was since he's such an ass sometimes," She snorted, "Either way, I ended up getting into a fight and breaking my leg, she was the one that fixed me up. Not exactly the best way to meet but I have a feeling that it would have been the same with you and Euri? He is an assassin and you don't just meet prince's out of nowhere. Still can't believe he's mated to a prince."

Solise's snicker echoed through Eurion's mind, and she outwardly trilled into his ear while nudging his cheek. After the years of looking after Sláine, even witnessing a brief moment between the two when she had first arrived in their realm, she knew the tell of pink cheeks. "Anytime," she promised, dutifully leaving the Fae to his own spiraling thoughts and fluttery emotions instead of nosing her way into their private life more than she needed to. "It is nice to meet you as well, though I'm afraid I will have to leave you to the care of your friends soon." Sláine was sufficiently distracted enough from the event and his separation from Eurion, but he still required comfort. Aideen watched the spirit and assassin curiously, and after realizing she wasn't going to be included anytime soon, got up to join Caoimhe in the kitchen.

The incoming wave of feeling caught Sláine off guard, but they washed over him and his heart. He folded his arms over his pulled-up knees and buried his face up to his nose in them, just in time for the light dusting of pink to bloom over his cheeks. If they truly were going to be okay down the line, if the prince dared to hope that Eurion would lose that fear of him, what other memories would they create to reminisce about? His very soul was aflutter with a lightness he hadn't experienced in a long time when he thought about a short moment in time, all because of Eurion. He was warm all over thinking about every tiny moment he had with the assassin, and the feelings from the bond were hoarded close to his heart. Maybe they would be okay again. One day. He dared to hope, if only to save himself from being miserable the entire time.

In return, to let his assassin know he was thinking about him too, Sláine tentatively sent his own complicated feelings down the bond. He wanted to go over there himself, to fall into Eurion's side and hold him close. His very being craved to be in his assassin's space, for his lips to touch the other's skin in an invisible claim. Fuck, he still had some lingering bruises left on his chest from when Eurion had decided to mark his claim over the prince. Just that thought alone sent his mind spinning into thoughts and feelings he didn't want to face, not when he struggled to stay put, to talk to Cara like he wasn't dying inside at his inability to be with Eurion. When had he gotten so attached? So invested in a relationship that wasn't even an official relationship? It had taken hold of him so quickly, yet gradually, that Sláine couldn't place the moment he had started craving Eurion's touch and presence until he couldn't have it any longer.

To Cara, he tried acting like he wasn't going crazy internally—though the prince refused to lift his head or unbury his face. "Trust me, I don't think he can believe it either." Sláine considered the pros and cons of elaborating, then went with it anyway. "We met when he was trying to kill me and my brother. Aideen got to him first, and I was put in charge of watching him for the night."

Eurion sighed softly. The thought of the spirit leaving wasn't nice but he guessed he shouldn't complain. Solise wasn't his spirit guide. Hell, he didn't even have one. It was only because she was connected to Sláine and had been so loving towards him that he didn't want her to go. Eurion could only silently hope that he would be able to spend more time with her at some point. How long had she been around for? Since the inn, he guessed, considering his shadows had noted her presence softly in the background while he had been tangled with his prince in the bed. He didn't want to think about how much she may have seen of the two together at that moment, and his mind racing, his cheeks darkened, when he remembered what they had done.

It was only pronounced more when he felt Sláine send his own feelings back down the bond. He hadn't realised he had sent his own towards his prince but he must have. Eurion wondered what the other was thinking about. Currently, his own mind was turned towards their shared moment of indecency which he hoped hadn't been in the presence of the spirit. The touches, the kisses, how Sláine had looked and sounded, it all just accumulated into one big mass of emotions that were being sent racing down to his prince. As much as he couldn't face the other, he hoped that it would be just enough to let him know that he was still thinking about him, still craving him, as much as his fear of his magic was pressing into the back of his mind, "Suppose you should check on Sláine, then." He mumbled, trying his best to ignore how red he was.

Cara snorted again. She didn't comment on the fact that Sláine didn't make eye contact with her and had his face pressed into his arms. She also had a feeling that if she did then Adelphia was going to slap her on the head for making the other feel uncomfortable for some reason or another. Either way, she hummed and continued, "That's not surprising. That man always has some high-ranking person on his hit list. I remember when he took out one of the Fae nobles and ended up having to escape through a sewer. You did not want to be in a room with him for at least a day afterwards. Thank Gods you hadn't known him then."

Solise snickered as she slid from her perch on Eurion's shoulders. The assassin sounded disappointed, but also strangled, as if his thoughts had taken quite a turn. She supposed that Sláine was being assaulted by those thoughts right now and would be in need of her comfort in these trying times, and Eurion maybe needed some time alone. "Enjoy your peace," she chimed in a singsong tone, then leaped off of the assassin's lap and trotted across the floor and beneath the curtain to get to Sláine. On her trip over, she noted Aideen and Caoimhe softly conversing, and a quick tilt of her ear revealed they were discussing what had happened the night before—specifically, Sláine's mental well-being. Neither one believed he was okay, no matter how much of a front he put up. The spirit sighed, then jumped into her prince's lap the moment she got close enough.

Sláine wasted no time in scooping up Solise and burying his face into her soft fur and feathers. Eurion would be the death of him. Right when he was talking to his best friends, no less? He couldn't have waited to torture the prince until later? Sláine's tortured groan was thankfully muffled by Solise's body, but his mind was racing with so many thoughts and feelings that he couldn't differentiate between his own and Eurion's. Is this what it's like to have a mate? Being subject to the best possible feelings at the worst possible time? Because of his assassin, his thoughts plummeted to the very inn Eurion was thinking of. What they had done, how amazing he had felt in that moment, the thrill he had coursing through him at the dominating switch that had flicked on in his assassin.

They then changed to hypotheticals, instances of this very thing happening but with other thoughts, more intense thoughts. What exactly could be sent down the bond intentionally? What all would Eurion experiment with him? Fuck. Sláine hugged Solise closer and curled up as much as he could with her in his lap. His mind was a thousand miles away, barely paying attention to Cara as she talked, but he tried to keep up for the sake of saving face. "I—why shouldn't have I known him then?" he asked, confused and wading through an onslaught of so many things crowding within his mind. Fucking Eurion. No. No, no thinking that. Damn Eurion.

Eurion hummed softly to Solise as she left, leaving him alone in the mess of pillows he had found himself in. Now that she was gone he was able to sink further back, shifting slightly uncomfortable with the pain from his chest. Adelphia’s healing had helped with the speeding of the process and the wound itself wasn’t as bad as it had been yesterday. Considering he was also alive that was always a positive, he supposed. The pillows were soft, allowing him to rest his head gently back and close his eyes. The problem was, however, the fact that every time he closed his eyes he saw Sláine.

Not that it was an issue, because he loved thinking about Sláine but his train of thought was less than innocent. With the memories of the inn, knowing that Sláine was thinking of the same or at least similar from the feelings that were being sent down the bond, it made things both worse and so much better. It got him thinking about what else he could get away with, where else he would be able to tease the prince. Maybe he could send those thoughts his way… Eurion figured he may as well try it, just to fuck with his prince, just to further the fact that he was thinking about him. Because his mind was already there, picturing Sláine on his back, his hands in his hair, letting Eurion make him up again just as he had done in the inn. Kissing down his chest and lower until he had his mouth right where he wanted him and knew Sláine would make the best sounds and reactions. It had the assassin groaning at the thought, of what it was going to be like when he was finally able to have his prince. Skyfall, they had said, and if anything he was determined to make sure he still held that promise. He sent all those feelings and thoughts down the bond, picturing what Sláine was looking like not, how red he might be.

Cars was oblivious to what Sláine was going through because she was too busy rambling about her best friend. Adelphia, however, was not, and she looked smug but didn’t comment or say anything, simply letting her partner talk, “Oh he was such a dick. Like, way worse than he is now. I mean, he’s an ass these days but when we first met him he was as stubborn as a mule and hated pretty much everyone. I could not picture him being with anyone, mate or otherwise back then. At that point I don’t think he cared as much as he did now so, that’s the difference, things would have been a lot harder on the two of you.”

It felt like ages ago that Sláine was desperate to know if Eurion still wanted to be with him. He still questioned it to some capacity, because he was not without his magic, and it was that big factor that had terrified the assassin. But now, with Cara babbling away and Adelphia looking far too smug for his liking in his peripheral, Sláine was desperate to not know anything about what Eurion was thinking about when it came to him and their relationship.

The prince swallowed back his groans and tried so hard to curl up and disappear, or have a hole swallow him up so that he could die in peace rather than suffer under the hand of his mate while surrounded by two witches that were not only strangers to Sláine, but Eurion's best friends. The feelings he could deal with, albeit not for very long. But Eurion had decided to apparently experiment with the nature of their bond, and Sláine couldn't escape the thoughts and images invading his mind. The assassin forcing Sláine on his back, kissing and biting his way down the prince's body, until he reached a point where he was making him writhe and moan and beg for more. Fuck, he wouldn't survive like this, not when Eurion seemed so damn horny and intent on torturing Sláine. But he couldn't stop himself from thinking about it, imagining all the possibilities of where that scenario would lead. How Eurion would simultaneously take his time tearing Sláine apart, bit by bit, but also devour him whole. Sláine pictured his assassin holding him down, whispering filthy commands, and himself submitting to it all with panting breath and legs spread. He's submit to anything Eurion wanted of him, he'd go down on his knees for no one but his assassin. Prince be damned. He was Eurion's first and foremost, and at the moment, he could think of nothing else but the most private and least innocent aspects of that claim.

Sláine was burning up right then and there, and hiding could only do so much. Solise did her best to provide a comfort, but even she could only do so much when the prince was faced with the overwhelming onslaught of his mate's lust. "Perhaps you should leave," she offered softly, just to Sláine. Maybe he should. Excuse himself from the conversation, feign being tired after an overwhelming night and early morning. Adelphia would know, of course, that it was a lie, but what else could he do? Eurion wasn't letting up.

"Maybe," Sláine bit out, only able to get one word through without giving himself away too much. Not that it mattered, Cara seemed too intent on rambling to care if he responded to her.

The reaction that Eurion felt from his mate only had the assassin smirking softly to himself. Sex didn’t involve magic, and it was easy to think about when there wasn’t any of that seeping into his thoughts. Easy to think about what it would be like to completely make Sláine unravel beneath him. Gods, it was making him go insane. A part of him was tempted to go out there and just grab him, pull him behind the curtain and see what he could get away with. For him, it made things so much better knowing there would be other people around. As much as Sláine had made it clear on the first day, and Caoimhe, too, that they had no want to walk in on the other, the assassin couldn’t find it any less than fucking hot to picture Sláine trying to keep quiet, letting Eurion do what he wanted to him, telling him all the things he wanted to do, all those praises and demeaning words right into his ear, letting him use him. He sent all those thoughts and wants right down the bond. Sent them through as a promise for Skyfall. He didn’t want to face his prince right now, but if he could test the waters, test his own limits through their bond then he would.

Aideen had been successful in smacking his sense back into him. Sure, the magic was an issue, but the more he let his thoughts stay with his prince, with both the innocent and definitely those that were far too sinful for someone who was injured, Eurion’s fear was lessening. The fear that Sláine would hurt him, the memory that the Gods had shown him, that event, it was slipping into the background and overcome by the mass of over emotions that he was feeling. He was a horny bastard but those wants of needing to be held were there, as much as they were being suppressed for the time being. Solise had been the comfort he had needed an hour ago, Sláine was who he needed now, in more ways than one.

It was torture for Eurion just as much. Because every time he felt Sláine’s own feelings being sent back it just made him want more. Want to push and see what he could get away with. Want to call for him and hold him and, probably fuck him, too, considering the state of his mind, as much as Adelphia would kill him herself for doing something so reckless. ‘Healing takes priority’ as she always said, but currently Eurion’s priority was messing with Sláine and needing him.

Cara continued to ramble although not for much longer, because it was Adelphia that placed a hand on her girlfriends head to get her to shush, “You’ve had a big day, Sláine, maybe you should take a nap for a few hours.” Both to save him from the embarrassment that he was currently feeling because it was damned obvious to the healer, especially with his strained words and the fact he was pressing his face into the spirit, and for his own well being. She wasn’t going to sit by when she knew that Eurion was torturing him and the prince hadn’t slept as much as he should have the night before.

Sláine had never been so thankful for someone being so perceptive before, even if it was beyond embarrassing that Adelphia knew exactly what she was talking about, and it was not, in fact, just a normal nap. The prince would take the opening, though, no longer feeling like it'd be rude to get up and leave in the middle of a conversation. "You're right," he agreed, letting go of Solise to rub at his eyes while internally screaming. "It's been an eventful few hours." The prince bowed his head towards the healer, then pushed himself to his feet while trying to not look like he was in a rush, even if he was absolutely going as fast as possible. Solise hopped from his arms onto the counter to bug Aideen and Caoimhe, definitely not going back to Eurion, and Sláine made a getaway to a guest room for his nap.

Door closed, he was finally free to let out a trembling breath and press himself against the wall. Paranoia had him wrapping his magic around the room to seal it, preventing any sound from coming through to avoid the others from hearing anything that Eurion might torture out of him. "Fuck," he whispered, and somehow he made it over to the bed while his mind was spinning and the assassin assaulted him with waves of thoughts and feelings that threatened to make him buckle and crumble to the floor. Instead, Sláine rolled onto the mattress and covered his eyes with his arms, face tilted up to the ceiling. He was going mad. Only just now learning of the bond, and Eurion was already abusing its connection between them. Promises and fantasies of the assassin pinning Sláine down, fucking him right in front of the others and forcing him to be quiet to avoid getting caught. Exhibition had never been on the top of his list of things he enjoyed, but with the lust pouring through the bond from Eurion, the prince had no choice but to feel a thrill at just the thought of it.

"You can't just need me like that," Sláine whined, squirming on the bed as his hands opened and closed into fists, "but not do anything about it." Not in the way that really mattered. Logically, he knew why it wouldn't happen and didn't fault Eurion for finding a loophole around his fear, but it didn't stop his quickly deteriorating composure from complaining. It wasn't fair that he could feel every ounce of need Eurion held for him, even through the fantasies and promises, but not have his assassin right by him to fulfill that need. The best Sláine could do was send thoughts of his own. Him by his assassin, curled into his side and holding him tight. Scraping his teeth over Eurion's neck and declaring himself belonging to the man. Dragging his touch everywhere he could reach. Moaning right into Eurion's ear just how the assassin liked it.

He sent his own need down the bond, the itch in his limbs to relieve himself of Eurion's torment now that he had the privacy of a room and a couple hours of freedom in a sound-proofed room. But he didn't. Not yet. He thought about it, let Eurion know he was thinking about it, but he didn't give in just yet. Sláine wanted to experiment with how long he could hold out. How far his mate would go when this house had others in it, when he was injured, in pain, and still not quite ready to see the prince in person. What was his plan? Did he even have one, beyond driving Sláine insane? If that was it, he had succeeded tenfold.

Eurion didn't exactly have a plan when it came to what or why he was sending all those thoughts and feelings Sláine's way. It had only started because his prince had begun to think about it, and the Solise conveying it back to him which had his own thoughts drifting to places that had been a distraction. The assassin hadn't been aware that it was possible to send things through their connection, only realising it when he had properly felt his prince returning whatever he had been sending. Now it was just experimentation. It made it all the easier when he could feel Sláine's complaints as much as he couldn't hear them, could feel what his prince was feeling, sending that need back at him. Unfair, really, and Eurion was more than aware that he should stop because it was a bad idea to test the lengths of both his teasing and their bond when they were in a rocky place. But he had never been good at listening to his gut and that insistent burning and yearning he had for the prince just furthered the want to fuck with the other in more ways than one.

It was why he pushed back harder, more intensely than he had been. Sláine wasn't helping matters for him, either, especially when his prince was sending thoughts of him moaning right into his ear. It had Eurion biting down on his lip. A weakness of his, he had always known, only heightened and made worse by the fact that he was desperate to draw more of those sounds out of his prince. Back at the inn, it had been great, but he couldn't help but imagine what his prince would be like when they didn't have to worry about being quiet. When Eurion was able to make Sláine properly scream his name and beg for him, and he sent all of that, all that want for how badly he craved to make Sláine unravel under him, right back.

Gods, he hadn't craved someone as bad as his prince for such a long time. Hadn't needed someone the way he needed Sláine. The intensity that he felt when it came to wanting to mark and claim and take Sláine as his own was unlike any other, and it sucked that he was currently both two injured and still afraid of his mate's magic, to get close. Because if he was able, if he was able to get past that fear - and be able to move without being in pain - he would have taken the man in that spare room without question. Had him in so many ways Sláine wouldn't even want anyone else. That possessiveness was also sent back to his mate, with the scenario of Eurion forcing his prince's head down as he took him, leaning over his back as he reminded him who, exactly, he belonged to.

Sláine's initial thoughts of Eurion had been innocent. Mostly. He had been thinking about being pressed against that door, sure, and the feelings it has conjured were only natural to remember—but Solise had been the entire instigator by twisting it into something entirely unholy. He couldn't even begin to imagine why she would do that, so he didn't even think to blame her, but now he was suspended in a conflicted state of need and confusion. Sláine needed Eurion there. He needed him above him, behind him, making good on that possessiveness that only heightened the raging lust that his assassin had conjured. He needed Eurion now, to make sure they were still okay, that this just wasn't the man being horny and needing an outlet. But even if it was, even if they weren't okay and it truly was just an outlet for a man with carnal needs, Sláine was happy to be the subject of them in the private space of the room.

The prince arched back into the mattress, and finally couldn't stop himself from reaching down, palm putting sweet pressure where he needed it. But it still wasn't enough. He craved every image Eurion sent him. He bit his lip against a groan at the thought of Eurion taking him in every way imagined. The prince knew that his assassin had a weakness, had a certain obsession with making Sláine beg and make as many noises as he could. So, a little embarrassed that this wasn't an inn or his own place even though he had soundproofed the room, he let out quiet moans as he palmed himself. Sent the echo of them down the bond, recounting everything he heard from himself to Eurion as both payback and a reciprocation.

Because as conflicted as he was at the moment, as much as he wanted Eurion to charge through the room and climb on top of him—or even lay beneath the prince and make Sláine do all the work—he was enjoying himself. It was pure torture, all the thoughts and feelings invading his mind and senses, but he fucking loved it. He wanted Eurion to know that, to know what he was doing to the prince. So he sent his assassin every spark of sensation he brought up within himself, and every fantasy that went racing through his mind. And, just to play with him even more, he specifically thought of Eurion bending him over a desk, the door unlocked, and the threat of their companions walking in while Sláine was unable to be quiet. Eurion whispering filthy degradations in the prince's ear about getting them caught, which only made Sláine moan even more. The prince himself bit his lip and pressed even harder, body arching up and moans slipping through.