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Always a thief(lady/moon)

Belladonna startled as he woke, reaching out to press a hand into his shoulder to keep him from moving to much. “you’re okay. Shush, james. You’re okay.”She said quietly wincing a little as he squirmed, “james, you’re okay.”Belladonna soothed, gently stroking his hair, trying to calm him. “James?”Alex knocked lightly on the door, his glamour still mostly down, still relaxed mostly as he considered the two, not wanting to interrupt them, but needing to look after him. Having sex was usually had no benefits besides simple pleasure, but he was more relaxed, healed mostly. Sex in faerie had sped his healing, leaving just three simple lines across his cheeks from the claws, but even those would heal within a few hours.
 
James whimpered, blinking at her, settling a little. "hurts... itches..." he rasped, shuddering as his arms spasmed because he couldn't control them with his hands crawling as f they where being attacked by fire ants. "Alex..." James groaned, arms twitching again, making him gasp, tears springing up to leak down his cheeks. "Alex make it stop!" because Alex could fix anything. "Out the way!" the doctor ordered, rushing in and quickly set to work. instead of giving him painkillers though, she set down two bowls of lukewarm water, oil slick on the top an plants floating in them. "Belladonna dear, unwrap his hand, gently, careful, and then dip it into the water. it will numb his hands and force the muscles to relax." the octor explained, already working. "this will give him a chance to restructure his mental shields as well. he won't be in pain but his magic will be focused on healing him, so he will be able to focus enough to get his shields back up. you might have to show him."
 
“I know, but it’ll be worse if you itch it.”Belladonna said looking upset. “I will, I can fix everything, I will.”Alex said moving to come in, even though he had no idea how to fix it, he would, looking pleased when the doctor got to work, looking relieved as both him and belladonna unwrapped James hands careuflly, numbing them. “Good. And I’ll work with him to get the shields up. They have to be up soon, otherwise his magic is going to be sending him back to the woods.”Belladonna sighed quietly, working as she watched james relax as the magic took effect.
 
"it hurts! it itches! Fix it. please fix it! make it stop!" James begged. he had never been one to be able to handle uncomfortable physical sensations. because of his connection, his body was nearly twice as sensitive. his body constantly feeling for shifts in the wind, temperature or the denseness in the air. his entire body keyed to plants and animals alike, a stubbed toe was like agony. it was one of the reasons why James was so graceful, being clumsy as a child ha left immense bruises that had the orphanage and doctors alike worried he had some sort of immune disease or bleeding problems. when that proved to be fruitless there had been a brief investigation making sure no one was being abused. that was ended as soon as they witnessed James, lost to the Faeries as the saying went, walked into a door and suffered an instant broken nose. his body had adjusted since then and he was no longer so fragile, but pain like this was enough to tear him down to the frightened little boy he used to be. as his hands started to numb and relax he started to calm down, panting a little as he blinked at the ceiling before looking at Belladonna and the doctor. thanking them very empathetically. he wasn't sure he'd have survived this one without their help. "I... i can't get my shields up." "Your too emotional. too scared. too shook up. meditate first." the Doctor ordered, making James blink at her, baffled. "what does that Yoga stuff have to do with anything?" Yoga was the only thing he'd ever heard of that needed meditation.
 
“We will, we are. It’ll stop.”Alex said stroking his hair lightly, looking worried as belladonna and the doctor worked, knowing just how bad this had to be for his brother. Swallowing hard as he looked him over, relaxing as he calmed. “you don’t have to do yoga... You just have to clear your head. Yoga is a good way to do that, but I don’t think you can do that right now...here....Alex, get a candle would you?”Belladonna said, looking up. “Here. I’ll leave you guys to it....call if you need anything.”Alex muttered, letting himself out. “Now...concentrate on the flame, james. Only the flame. Focus on it.”Belladonna said quietly. “Just let everything else go...but what it is to be the flame..”
 
"i don't understand. how will thinking nothing help me with my shields, won't that just make it worse?" "no. silly boy. meditation is focusing on one thing to the exclusion of all else, or something working out problems in your own head. meditation gives you the focus you need to turn your attention to your inside, to your own mind and to the magic that flows through you. it's no wonder you can't control your powers, you've probobly never even touched your own magic before. what are they teaching kids these days?" "i was human... orphanage specifically, raised. they thought i was nuts until i was like, seven or eight and Loki set them straight." he admitted. "i'll try it. anything to help." he admitted before swallowing as he focused on the candle. it was harder than he thought, he kept thinking about how good Belladonna smelled. it was a good ten minutes before he realized he'd switched his attention to her and was matching her, breath for breath, heartbeat for heartbeat. he pulled his attention away and focused on himself because it made him nervous to focus so intently on a woman he' only known for about an hour total. "Oh...." he blinked, stunned because he had never focused on a single thing for so long before and he felt... hyper almost. like there was energy flowing inside his veins like fire and he gasped, shuddering because he felt more alive then he'd ever felt in his life. "oh... what is this... is that... my magic?"
 
“No it wont.”Belladonna smiled a little before nodding in agreement with the doctor’s words. “instead of focusing on everything, if you calm your mind and focus on just one thing, you will be able to focus on control more.”Belladonna said before shuddering at the idea of humans teaching. “No wonder you can’t shield well, you locked yourself down tightly, so tightly its like not having it at all, instead of control. It’s like....living a half life.”Belladonna frowned a little smilign as he focused, not even noticing he was focusing on her, instead of the candle. “yes...yes that is your magic. It’s there, it’s always been there, but because you couldn’t focus enough to feel it, to control and shield, it wasn’t truly a part of what you were doing....”Belladonna frowned trying to think of how to explain, and knowing she wasn’t doing a good job.
 
he nodded a little. "okay..." he had to trust her, how could he do anything less? "So, if i do this, i can control the powers instead of holding them in?" he asked, looking hopeful. "like... like a dog? if it has a good owner, it can run around and play but if it has a bad owner it gets chained up and never gets to go anywhere?" he asked. "is that why the Wild attacks me so hard sometimes? because my powers want free and they're... i dunno, biting me or something?" he asked. "it's... amazing. i feel... i feel so..." he swallowed thickly, remembering a sick laugh and pain, blood splashing down the floor in front of him, his powers spreading out and he shuddered and the connection he'd gotten to his power snapped and they rebelled, surging outwards, making him scream, not in pain but in fear and clamped own so hard on them it hurt inside. "ah...." The doctor muttered. "your scared of your powers." "i... i... they... they hurt..." James stuttered, shaken and frightened and hurting inside in places he always hurt when his powers rebelled against him. "They are in pain too. you have hurt your powers." The doctor explained, making James gasp in horror because he hated hurting anyone, anything. he'd never realized he could... hurt his own powers. hadn't realized he could damage them the way they damaged him. this was terrible! how could he fix this!? he was so scared, and he didn't really know why, but he had to try!
 
‘Yes something like that. A good comparison....and sometimes. Yes. It would be why it attacks so hard. It’s a wild thing, a free thing, it doesn’t like being cooped up.”Belladonna said smiling slightly before watching the other, eyes widening worry tightening her features as she watched him.”James?”She asked anxious as he screamed, not sure what to do, reaching out to gently stroke his hair. “Yes, they’re hurt. But like all hurts, they can heal. James, breath with me okay? One to three....in and out...”
 
he nodded. "like trying to control a tiger." he mumbled. "or a snake. or... something." he swallowed thickly when she said his name and he looked at her. "o..okay." he whispered, but he was scared, so scared. his powers hurt, they had gotten him hurt, they had nearly killed him more than once and the first time... the first time.... he cringed, shoving that almost a memory away and focused on breathing with her. the more he focused on her, the calmer he got, she wouldn't let anything bad happen. she could protect him, was teaching him, she could help him and his magic both. he just had to relax, and trust her. he could trust her. she was part of him. he took a shaky breath in an out and repeated until he was calm again and could feel the electricity of his power running through him again and he looked at her. "now what?"
 
“Very much like that. It might tolerate it for awhile, but it’s heart, is always wild and dangerous, and twice as vicious when it gets free.”Belladonna muttered breathing with him slowly, resting her forehead against his, making sure he could only see her, wanting him to trust her, needing him to. Sighing as he calmed, she smiled. “now. You’re going to build you’re shields. Slowly. Piece by piece. Visualize not a solid wall, but bricks, a castle’s wall. Fitted together and strong to hold it back, to keep magic to yourself and not to harm you, but also windows, niches to be able to get through with magic, without having to take the shield’s all the way down. A defense.”
 
He nodded. "Yeah. if i treat it well and let it have freedom. it won't eat me." he mumbled with a smile. "but if i lock it in a cage and then beat it with a stick it's going to mangle me." he muttered before focusing entirely on her. he breathed softly, luxuriating in her strength and frowned a little. "....not bricks... bricks are cold...." he mumbled, not aware he was speaking aloud, lost inside of himself, but in a good way this time. "trees. yeah... house made of trees..." he built up the perfect house in his mind, all made from trees, still living and strong, their erath bound roots protecting the house from anything. the floor covered in a carpet of moss and thich grass that tickled his toes as he walked. the branches wove together over his head to make the roof and he smiled, wrapping the branches and leaves around him, sinking into the soft ground like it was a bed, wrapped up like he was loved and welcomed and he opened his eyes and took a deep breath. "i can feel it... all of it... it's showing me what to do." he whispered. "it's... it's so warm and... and... so much! i feel... i feel as if i just regrew limb that i'd been missing for a long time." he admitted softly. "it's... it's talking to me... i can't believe... i ignored this for so long..." an then he was weeping, but that wasn't uncommon for someone who had just connected to their magic for the first time. it was an overwhelming sensation. James had more trouble than most connecting to it, and he was still on tender, shaky ground. something was still holding him back, something more than just fear of his own powers.
 
“Yes.”Belladonna agreed before laughing softly. “Okay, no bricks then.”Belladonna muttered looking amused. “Trees would be good.”She agreed shifting to lean back some, watching him, absently playing with his hair and not really aware of doing it. “Yes, magic will do that, if you let it. It wants to be used, to be with you.”She said startling a little as he started to cry before wrapping her arms around him, holding him close, rubbing his back. “you’re okay. You’re shields will still be weak, you’ll still have to work for it, and steady yourself, but you’ll learn. You will.”She said before smirking a little. “Now, we just need to teach Alex, and you two will be more prepared to protect yourselves.”She said wondering if she should mention the flash of bright magic she’d felt earlier, something of creation and need, definitely alex. Wondering if he was even aware of showing off that much here.
 
"Yeah. no bricks. trees and flower and moss. it's so warm." he murmured, lost in his 'fantasy'. just like when he'd been a child and didn't know how to leave his own mind or pull free of the Wild. he was older now though, and free, he had control now, even if he didn't have experience and his magic seamed to understand. didn't seam angry with him, was a little upset he was still holding it at arms length but wasn't holding it against him. trust would come, they had the connection, they communicated now, the rest would come with time. "yeah. they're fragile, but they're getting strong... my magic is kind of possessive. it doesn't want the Wild to have me." he admitted with a smile before beaming at her. "i think Alex can learn. he was always the smarter of the two of us." problem was, Alex was a lot, lot more afraid of his powers than James was. "...that was a very funny sensation, what was that?" he wondered, looking a bit baffled before yelping when his fingers spasmed despite the water. "is just the tendons regrowing. it doesn't hurt." she scolded, making James flush. "no. i just thought it should and yelped before i realized it didn't." he admitted, making the doctor snort.
 
“Yes, it is. It’s nature, it’s warm as sunlight, as soft as moonlight. It is good.”Belladonna muttered adding to the fantasy, even if she couldn’t see it, she was enjoying watching him figure it out. Smiling so proud of him for his control, before nodding. “They will get strong. And your magic wants you for itself. It will work with the wild, but in this, you are it’s.”She siled a little before tilting her head. “maybe, but he seems more afraid of what he can do. Even if you were more locked down according to Sith, Alex is...”She shrugged thinking about what Sith had said. “Even stripped of his glamour and shining like a sun, alex was holding back, shying away from something.”Belladonna sighed softly before snickering, “silly.”She teased kissing his forehead.
 
he took in a deep breath and sighed as he made tiny moons hang from the ceiling, while little bits of sun scattered across the mossy floor like fireflies made from actual fire, only they didn't burn, filling the air with warm heat and soft light. "i like my magic..." he stuttered to a halt, looking timid and frightened again. "bad things happen when i like my magic..." he whispered, the Doctor looking quite curious by that statement. "what happens?" "...once a child molester came and tried to take me and my brother." he mumbled. "another time a wild cat came and ate one of the older kids because he was punching Alex a lot and... and once..." he set a hand on his stomach where he had been gutted,stroking the line, now so old but still there still reminding him every day of what happened when you connected too much, drew too much attention. "Don't use your hands!" the doctor snapped, putting his hand back in the water so it would remain numbed while it healed.
 
“I know. I love magic to.”Belladonna said before looking worried, tilting her head. “...James...you were a child, and scared. You are a adult now. You can learn to like your magic, and to control it. you will be okay. It’s okay to like it james.”Belladonna said looking worried for him as she gently stroked his hair. Wanting to know about the scar, but not wanting to upset him by asking.
 
"i am an Adult..." he mumbled, but he was still too much in awe of his new found connection to be thinking straight. "i do like it. it's warm and soft. like a blanket with electricity in it so it tinges all over." he admitted, smiling as he leaned into he hand stroking his hair. soon he was breathing softly, sleeping more peacefully than he had done since he was a small child. with his hands healing and his connection to his powers open and getting stronger, Cernunnos and Sith could take a hand in his training. hopefully, they could do the same for Alex.
 
“You are.And it is very much like a blanket.”Belladonna said looking amused as she watched him, relaxing as she watched him drift off to sleep.

In the morning Belladonna sighed softly as she knocked on her father’s study door, looking worried and upset. Knowing she had to tell him, but telling him didn’t make it any easier. Knowing that it would stop teh killings didn’t make her rest easier. Because even though she knew who it was, wouldn’t make it easier to track him, or to find what the queen would do next. “Father?”She said nervous as she moved to sit down in the office chair, watching him
 
"Cernunnos looked up at the knock and called her in and smiling at her when she walked in. "Come in, my nightshade... whats wrong? has James fallen ill again? you didn't fail a test did you?" he asked, worried about her. "do i need to spill someones guts?" he asked, his head tilted. "i will you know. i totally will." he promised.

James stood from his bed, stretching slowly, feeling his powers flowing inside of him made him feel more alive than ever. he fleshed his fingers and grimaced, watching them. the faint scars covering his palms would likely never go away. Iron had a way of hurting a weak fey enough to do that. not everyone scarred though, James was just 'lucky' that way. he smiled though as he saw Alex and Gabe, Loki following shortly behind. "i'm all better." he informed them. "The Wild cannot take me again. Belladonna fixed my powers."
 
Belladonna smiled a little. “No, james is fine. Awake and up now, probably visiting the others now.”She said fidgeting, shaking her head. “No, no tests....there’s...”She sighed quietly. “I know who the killer is. I wasn’t sure until I saw Alex’s face....those were grimkin claws.”She shuddered. “It’s Mistral, father...”She shuddered thinking of her elder brother, the assassin that had long worked for Mab, so old that he was nearly a stranger, since he had been a adult for centuries before she had been born.

Alex smiled a little, looking amused as he looked his brother over, despite having checked in with his team, made sure no one else had been killed, he was easier, more relaxed for now. “Good. It’s good that your shields are going to hold. I wont worry about you as much now.’he smiled
 
He nodded. "Good. good. Sith is anxious for the funeral. it's bad luck to wait so long. their spirits could pass." Cernunnos mumbled before frowning a little, worried about his daughter. "Belladonna...." he paused, swallowed thickly and closed his eyes, feeling the last of his heart breaking. his boy, his Mistral... he had known, suspected. "i had thought so... but i was hoping... the mark on James. yes. Msitral's most favorite way of killing." he whispered, his lip trembling as he struggled not to greive, for with this, his son was truly dead, lost to the sickness that had taken all of the Unseelie and was beginning to spread to the seelie and Wild courts. his son was dead to him, for no one who could murder two babies in such a hellish manner, could be saved. "was there any sign of..." he couldn't bring himself to speak his other son's name, for fear he too was lost in sickness. both his sons worked directly for the King of Light and Queen of Darkness. Mistral worked for Mab, his brother worked for Oberon.

"Yeah. your going to have to do it too." James admitted, staring at Alex. "the Wild is screaming it at me... we're in danger. a lot of danger. someone wants us dead. specifically, us." he admitted, running a hand through his pure white hair. he hadn't been glamoured since he had been shoved through the stripping wards, he had yet to notice that he was glowing and pale as the moon.
 
“I know it is, but he wouldn’t give in and have it when the boys couldn’t join the hunt either. I told him we could do it, he seemed to think it was offense to consider doing it without the princes.”Belladonna sighed softly, shuddering a little. “Yes....I saw it....”she swallowed thickly, “I asked alex about sith’s children...and the others. He is gone....the boy we had known is gone....father, he is not the boy you raised. He is mab’s instrument now...”She said hating to see her father like this before shaking her head. “No. I did not see any sign that Crystall was there. AS far as I know he is still with Oberon.”She said smiling slightly, because of the two twins, Crystall was the one who had always accepted having a younger sister better, made sure to visit with her.

“...I have shields.”Alex sighed a little shivering slightly. “You know I hadn’t wanted to think of that, but you’re right. We’ve known that....they’re searching for twins, they’re looking for us.”Alex sighed quietly studying him. “....you know your glamour is still down right?”Loki said looking amused
 
"I know. i think it might also be because they where the ones to fin the poor girls." he admitted. "and are actively seeking Justice for them, if not vengeance." he admitted with a smile. "i think Sith feels as if his little girls won't pass on guilt free unless they can thank the men who will find an put away their murderer." he admitted before watching her. "i know... Mistral was always dark, too attracted to certain things." he admitted. "the madness of the unseelie, i think, was affecting him before you where even born." he admitted before shaking his head. "Crystall won't last long with Oberon falling to the sickness. i know he won't come if i call him away, he is loyal to Oberon and won't want to abandon him when there's still a chance to save him." he admitted with a sigh. "i am so sorry your own brother hurt you so." he whispered, gently brushing her cheek. "mourn for the man he might have been, but do not grieve for who your brother has become." he suggested. "he is gone now. we will have a pseudo ceremony for him later. after the funeral. the way he has become, it might be best if he was not reborn to the People." which meat when Mistral died, there would be no funeral. not in the way f the Wild Hunt. his spirit would be flung free of the Hunt, to move on, or to be reborn into another court if the madness was stripped away in death.

"no you don't. you have locks." James corrected. "you have a cage like i did. it's not helping. you need control, real control. i'm not even close to that yet, but Belladonna said that Sith and Cernunnos would teach me." he admitted. "they are looking for us. and i don't think the murderer is working alone." he admitted before blinking at Loki and then, with a frown, he was his normal appearance again. nothing more than a glamour over his hair, eyebrow and eyes as normal. with his connection to his powers open again he realized that wasn't going to be enough, he was still glowing like a full blooded Fey. shit. "crap. i'll have to learn how to do a full body glamour now..."
 
“Ah, yes. That makes sense. Alex is searching, and has talked to the human police. I heard him on the phone earlier.”While magic could be tricky around tech,it could still work. “They’re looking for him, but he told them to keep just to looking, that since it’s a fae killer, he doesn’t want them risking their lives for it. Which I agree with. This is a fae matter....it’ll be dealt with here.”Belladonna said sighing quietly, because it was true. By not involving the humans, they could execute mistral for his crimes right away, instead of having to wait. Looking sad before nodding. “Yes I think you are right....and there is still hope to save Oberon, as fragile and slender it is, there is still hope. We will fight for him father, we wont abandon either of them.”Belladonna said knowing that it would hurt her father to walk away from a friend, not to mention a son as long as there was hope. They’d try everything, before giving up. Leaning into his hand a little she nodded. “Yes...he is gone. And we will see that he can no longer harm...and if...she....I have no doubt she is...is the cause of this...something will be done to.”Belladonna shuddered at the idea, but it needed done.

“...Yes, well I’m not sure what else to do with it. I can do everything I need, James.”Alex said sighing quietly, biting his lip. Knowing he probably need help before swallowing thickly. “No, I don’t think they’re working alone.”he agreed before wincing a little at james’ look. “Yes....it seems netiher of us can do good glamour anymore...”While his was better, there was still a faint glow to his skin, that said no matter how good he was, he was a fae prince in the heart of faerie, and faerie didn’t want to hide him. He’d need help.
 
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