A month.
Somehow we were able to stay hidden for an entire month already and no one has come looking for us which I found more suspicious. The month seemed longer because every waking moment I wondered why it was that they haven't found us. Every sound made me jump, every shadow in the corner made me flinch and I fought to remind myself that I was a god and that I shouldn't being acting like this.
"Stop worrying. We have wards up to tell us if unwanted visitors show up and you also have us here to help." Set reminded me. It was strange that we had grown closer through this incident. Regardless of what I put him and his mates through he was still willing to help when asked.
"How's mom?" I questioned knowing that my mother wasn't too pleased with my father for sending me away the way that he did. Last I heard from Set she still wasn't speaking to him or even sleeping in the same room as him.
"She's good. Still mad at your father though." Set laughed as he exited the room, no doubt in search of his mates.
"Good."
Even though there was no way for him to know that all this was going to happen to me I felt the need to hold a grudge against my father as well. Everyone goes through things and I would have snapped out of my funk in a decade or two and all would have been right with the world.
But then again, if I was never sent there then I wouldn't have met Jali either and Ra knows what would have probably happened to him eventually. Marin probably would have gotten jealous of the brotherly bond him and Jelani had and this would have all ended up so much worse.
"You're always thinking too much Little Bird." Jali sighed as he turned the page of his newest book. On his third day out of the room he found the library and has been somewhat attached ever since. If you didn't seem him with a book in his hand then something was wrong. It was actually quite a refreshing sight to see him able to relax and read, compared to how I initially found him.
"Well one of us has to. So you relax and I'll figure out the rest of our lives as fugitives." I sighed, waving him off. His deep chuckle reached my ears, causing me to look up at him with a pout. "What?"
"Fugitives? Really?" He questioned.
"You're definitely a fugitive and I'm now one for aiding and abetting."
"That's a human thing. We live by different rules. As long as we don't destroy the gods and the universe we're good. We simply have to stay off of everyone's radar for a few years and they'll forget all about us."
"Really." I stared up at him with a dull look in my eyes. "You think that Jelani, Marin, and your family are going to stop looking for us?" I questioned in disbelief.
"Eventually." He shrugged his shoulders before turning another page.
"You're delusional." I sassed before I got back to planning our life on the run. There were a few other places we could hide that no one would think to look for us at if this one ever got compromised. Although I would rather stay here as long as possible. It took a bit of time to get used to but the shifters here really seemed to have forgiven me. They treat me like one of their own and it's confusing to say the least.
Jali and I both are allowed to roam about freely, although we usually keep close to the house. None of their pack mates question us or give us weird looks, except for the kids, they have a million and five questions every single day.
They even offered me a separate room so that I could be more comfortable but after trying to sleep in their one night I found myself back in the same room with Jali. It was more comforting to know that the only other person going through this with me was sleeping right next to me. He never made it awkward or weird and always woke me with a kind smile and ruffle of my hair.
"So, I've been looking into the matter and calling up a few people that I know and I believe it's possible to break the bond that you share with Jelani, and to a lesser extent, Marin." Nicholai spoke up as he entered the room.
"I thought it was as simple as saying 'I reject you.'" Jali responded as he dog-eared one of the pages to finally look up and pay attention.
"Even if this was under normal circumstances both parties would have to accept the rejection for it to take root. However, since Jelani most likely will not accept Horus' rejection and there's the whole bit with Marin it would probably be easier to force a rejection."
"Won't that hurt?" I questioned, having heard a story or two.
"It might but there are a few places that specializes in that sort of thing." He answered as he swiped his finger across a black tablet he was carrying around.
"How many people could possibly need a forced rejection?" I wondered aloud.
"You'd be surprised at the amount of abusive mates out there. Some who physical harm their mates, some who emotional torment them and then there are those who constantly sleep with others and then go back to their mates like they didn't feel it. Apparently, it's become a big problem lately."
"How anyone could destroy such a beautiful bond I could never understand." Jali grunted.
"It's terrible but it happens. That's why there are areas where these people can escape to, break their bonds and start over."
"So these people just go around breaking bonds? What if someone goes there just to get a bond broken because they don't want to be tied down?" I questioned.
"I've been told that they have lesser deities that specialize in love in their employ able to read memories and thoughts, to a certain extent, to find out the truth."
Wow, they really had all their bases covered. Maybe this place was what I should have been looking into from the beginning. Then again, this was the first time I had even heard that a place like this existed.
"Why haven't I heard of this before?" I questioned.
"It's a very well kept secret, not meant for everyone." He answered as he finally looked up from his tablet. "I've made an appointment for both of you in a week. So get yourselves together so you're ready to go by then. Jali, that means no snapping at people who get too close to you or Horus."
"One time..." He groaned.
"One time too many." Nicholai chastised before he walked out the house.
"Ha! You got in trouble." I laughed.
"Yeah, yeah. I suppose I did." He smiled before his look turned more serious as he turned his attention fully to me. "Are you ready for this? Are you ready to go through the rejection process?"
It was a good question. In theory, it sounded like the right thing to do but I had so many questions. Like if I could figure out what was wrong with Jelani was it possible to re-accept my bond with him? Once it was severed was that it? Would he feel the pain like I would?
"Jali?" I questioned, receiving simply a hum as an answer. "What do you plan on doing after this is done?"
"Truthfully? I don't know but after everything that I've done I don't think that I deserve a quiet, peaceful life. Maybe I'll find somewhere to atone for all my sins." He replied thoughtfully.
"You don't deserve one? If anyone deserves one it's you. You've been experimented on, your mate was taken from you, you've been tortured and imprisoned for years. You deserve to be happy for once."
"I'm happy right now." He replied.
"Why? We're on the run, hiding out in a little shifter town where we can't even explore all that much, and we're pretty much stuck here."
"But I'm stuck here with good company." He smiled and in that second I could feel the last beat my heart took as if it was an earthquake, with the way he said it with such sincerity. "Besides this is the longest I've had in my life to just do what I want to do. I'm not locked up in that cell, I'm not murdering anyone for my family and I'm not stuck in the same rut day in and day out."
To be honest, I was still stuck on the sweetness of his first comment but I must admit that I did hear the rest of his list and it had me feeling a bit like a spoiled child on a vacation he didn't want to go on. There were so many positives about the situation we were in, especially since we both escaped from a worse one.
"You're right. I should have focused more on the positives and not all that's gone wrong so far."
"Great, now that we're on the same page again I'm going to finish reading this book. It's quite interesting."
"Sure, why not. Read til your heart's content." I chuckled.
"Why thank you."
As he continued reading my mind began to wander. Although he was not the best resident when we first arrived it seemed like Jali had a better temperament altogether. He had stopped snapping and glaring at everyone that approached us and even smiled more. I was certain that whatever they did to him hadn't just disappeared over night but something had to have happened to help him.
I didn't want to disturb him with anymore questions so instead I left the room and went to the kitchen to make us a few snacks. There were things on my mind that I wanted to sort through and it was best to do that on a full stomach.
My concerns on this strange situation and how to fix it flowed freely like the Nile. There seemed to be no end in sight to the questions and the scenarios that would pop up into my mind. As I sat down with a plate of cheese and grapes I thought over how this all started and how I didn't even spare Jelani a glance in the presence of Marin.
What if I had been trapped in Marin's little spell and agreed to this twisted relationship. Originally I had been infatuated with them, eyes barely staying on Jelani long enough to know what he looked like. But gradually through our interactions I began to notice Jelani as well. Was it all planned? Was anything about what I felt for my mate actually real?
I popped a grape in my mouth and contemplated what I would do once the bond was broken. Would Jelani and Marin give up the search and allow me to go back to my home? Should I go back there? There was a small chance that my father would simply resort to some other form of punishment. I could probably stay here but I didn't want to overstay my welcome. A week didn't feel like nearly enough time to figure out my life but it was all I had.
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The time flew by and before I knew it I was standing in front of an unknown portal with Set, Nicholai and Jali. My nerves were all over the place as we stood there waiting for it to activate. Apparently it could only be opened from the other side; a safeguard to stop others from chasing after those seeking refuge.
"It'll be okay Horus." Set encouraged as he stood beside me.
"Yeah, I know but that doesn't make this any more nerve wrecking. Who would have thought that a god, of all people, would be needing to break his bond like this? Do you know how weak I feel that I can't even keep the one who was chosen for me?" I questioned, my voice barely above a whisper.
"It wasn't your fault that this ended up the way that it did. It wasn't even Jelani's fault completely. Everything happens for a reason and who knows what that reason is for you but just think what could have happened if you had mated first and then all this had come out."
And he was right. The mating pull plus what ever Marin could do would have made it so that I would have been okay with the whole thing although I ordinarily wouldn't have been. Which made me wonder why the mating pull had been so weak this entire time. My guess was because since I was practically a human my entire stay there that it wouldn't have been triggered but what if I was wrong?
Just as I was about to delve deeper into my thoughts a brilliant golden light flashed before us. The magic swirled around in a circle, beckoning us to interact with it. Nicholai went first, without a second glance, and I laughed thinking about how furious his mates would have been if they saw his cavalier attitude.
"You and Jali go next and I'll bring up the rear. Just in case." Set spoke up. What that really meant that if in this late minute they find us he would be destroying all traces of where we went and what we were doing.
"Okay..." I replied before exhaling heavily. Once I stepped through here my decision was essentially already made. That thought didn't stop me from doing just that. Jali, sensing my nerves, reached down and took my hand in his and stepped forward into the portal. Instantly, we were transported to a lush paradise.
There we stood, surrounded by nature. The plush green grass beneath our feet almost swallowed the cobblestone path that seemed to be the only man made thing here. Twisting branches and trees shaded our path as we followed Nicholai further into the enchanting forest. The sun was barely able to peak through the thick canopy and yet the air all around us was warm and inviting. It would be no lie to say that I would love to live here, at least for a century or two.
"Where are we?" I questioned anyone willing to answer.
"It is an enchanted forest that serves as the home base for the people we will be seeing today. Obviously they didn't tell us exactly where it's located but just know that it's safe here."
"It feels...too perfect here." Jali grumbled.
"Is that even a thing?" I laughed turning to look at him. His face was scrunched up in confusion as his eyes darted back and forth between his surroundings.
"There's something or someone watching us." He announced.
"Well I was told that security here is pretty high, so..." Nicholai trailed off as he came to a fork in the road. He turned right and we continued to walk for a few more minutes before I noticed various dwellings among the trees and scattered at the base of trees that stretched high into the sky. Before I could comment a woman, as tall as me with piercing green eyes and striking red hair marched up to us.
"Welcome. You must be Nicholai and company." Her voice was warm and comforting, matching the welcoming smile that was on her face.
"We are. Thank you for having us." Nicholai greeted as he bowed a little. She returned the bow before turning her attention to the rest of us.
"If I may ask, who is Horus here?" She questioned and my nerves kicked back in tenfold. Were we just jumping feet first into this one?
"That would be me..."I muttered as I barely raised my hand. Her attention zeroed in on me and she moved so that she was standing right in front of me. Jali's grip on my hand tightened as he flinched back, away from her.
"Wonderful. You have nothing to worry about. You're in the best hands there can be for this. We are sorry about your situation but we want to help you get closure from this situation so that you may be able to move on with your life. And who knows, maybe you'll even fall in love with someone else and create a beautiful life with each other."
"Enya, that is enough. We are simply here to provide a service. His plans for the future are his own and he will figure them out without your unique brand of advice." An older woman appeared from behind us. While her voice sounded mature and full of wisdom she looked no older than her early forties, although with us supernatural looks could be deceiving.
"Yes Elder." Enya bowed her head and turned back around and walked off to one of the closer buildings I had seen.
"She means well but the people who come here are losing a piece of them. Most of the time the last thing they want to think of is looking for love. I hope that you were not offended." She speaks, turning her attention to me.
"Um...no! I'm good. She didn't offend me at all." I managed to get out.
"Well I am glad for that." Her lips curled up into a sincere smile. "Well we should not wait any further. No sense in prolonging the inevitable. The procedure is simply enough but before that happens you will be meeting with Eros and Pothos, they are both erotes who work under Aphrodite. I've heard that you've had dealings with the Greek pantheon before, so they should not be unfamiliar to you."
"They are not. I am very well familiar with what Aphrodite's minions are capable of. I've been to a party of two in my day that would have ended differently had they not been there." I smirked reminiscing about my more colorful past.
"Well they do have other, less detestable, qualities such as being able to see into the memories containing your mate and judging what is the best course of action." She explained.
"Have they ever been wrong?" Jali questions.
"No because it's not just one deity combing through you mind and then being the final judge to determine your path. The information is shared with a small committee and then confirmed by you and we proceed from there."
The more I heard about it all the less severe my nerves were. This was all possible. I would be able to break free from this wretched bond and live my life like it never happened. Neither of them would have a claim over me and I would have no tie to them. It would be pure bliss.
"If there are no more questions we have prepared the conference room for you and one other guest. We understand that reliving some of these memories may not be pleasant so if there is someone you would like to bring with you, feel free."
It was a given that the person I had chosen was Jali. He was the only other person who was there and knew, to a certain extent, what I was going through. I looked at him and he locked eyes with me with a small smile, already knowing that it was him I would choose.
"I'm ready." I told her.
"Good. Right this way." She directed Jali and I. "You two may walk around or rest in our communal space. It is that building to the right." She spoke to Set and Nicholai. They simply nodded their heads and wandered off.
"How long does this all take?" I questioned.
"In total I would say an hour to two hours. We really try to make it a quick process." She reassured me as we stopped in front of a beautifully crafted edifice, shaped into the roots of one of the large trees that made up this community. She opened the door and motioned for us to go inside as she held it open for us. Jali lead the way, as usual, and inside we were met with a table with four seats. Two already occupied by two of the most gorgeous men I had ever seen. Leave it to Aphrodite to be surrounded by sheer perfection.
Everything about them from their chiseled features, to their perfectly style hair, and their precisely tailored clothes screamed gods of love and lust. However, it was their genuine smiles that drew me in...kind of.
"Welcome Horus. I believe we've met before." Eros spoke first.
"Several times Eros, dear, at one of Dionysus' parties, I believe." Pothos interjected with a smirk.
"I'm surprised that you remember me." I laughed.
"How could we possibly forget?" Eros teased and Jali's grip on my hand tightened. Looking at him I could see the discomfort on his face at the conversation.
"Hey." I called his attention to me. "You okay?"
"I don't like the way they look at you." He grumbled. "You're here to break a bond not stir up old flings."
"It's just a little harmless teasing." I tried to explain although from an outside perspective I could see how it may not seem like it. It could also be because I had been around for so many thousands of years that conversation like this, especially with those who were like me, flowed so easily it was like second nature. It's nice to have someone looking out for me though.
"Well we can skip it and move on to the reason that we're here."
"A little protective are we?" Eros teased some more but held up his hand in front of him in mock surrender. "However, we will move on. Please, have a seat."
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Well! Welcome back to me! If anyone is still reading this story or keeping an eye out for it I finally was able to write something. Don't be too hard on me, I didn't go back through it and proofread, I just really wanted to get something out.
I hope you like it and don't forget to VOTE and COMMENT!
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