Three things cannot be hidden long: the sun, the moon and the truth. -buddha
Chapter 6
Show Me Yours and I'll Show you Mine
Cole laid awake the whole night while Emel slept. Her blonde hair was loose and scattered about the bed like a halo that tickled his shoulder and neck. Not that he minded, he found her quite pretty when she slept peacefully with no worry or stress to mar her features. She reminded him of Evangeline even though the two were not really the same. They were however both pretty, strong, and willing to do anything if it meant protecting the people they cared about and always tried to do what was right. The thought made Cole think of Rhys and how the two must be faring now. The Inquisitor had used her agents to find and save them and Evangeline said she would use her families connections to help the Inquisition. After that he heard nothing from them. No letters, no word, nothing; the two had vanished and for good reason. "As long as they're safe." Cole sighed and felt a cold hand slid up his chest as the sleeping woman next to him positioned herself better on his shoulder.
He reached with his larger hand and held hers. He noted the small smile that lightened her features as she sighed contentedly in her sleep. Before touch like this was sharp, shear and made the blonde uncomfortable. Contact made all the bad things physical as they seeped into him. Not so different from being too close to someone and picking up on their hurts and pains. Instead it felt too real, too much like him, as though he were the one feeling it but with Emel it didn't feel uncomfortable anymore. They were too close for it to bother him now as every pain she felt he did as well and every feeling of happiness was theirs to share.
The spirit continued to enjoy the silence and the soothing sound of the mages breathing as he thought of the new experience he had previously that night. Cole remembered the many different things the two did together as they were intertwined, writhing in the sheets. It was strange to see other people doing something so funny looking but to actually do it brought a different light on the subject. All the times he had watched the circle mages as they hid away in dark corners- and what about Solas? Emel didn't notice him but Cole had. He couldn't be angry and he knew Solas was only there because he was worried and then curious. After all the spirit had been an audience to many other peoples trysts.
Thoughts spun round and round continuously till morning when the sun poked it's head over the mountain side and sent the sky ablaze with color. Not long after he could feel the woman next to him begin to move in her sleep ready to wake for the day. Slowly dark lashes flittered open as she began to stretch causing the joints in her body to crack and pop. The blonde male watched curiously until he saw Emel's eyes flicker towards him and then a look of shock crossed her face.
"What is it?" The spirit asked sitting up while the woman jumped out of bed taking one of the sheets with her.
"I.." the mage started her mouth gaping like a fish. "Did we?"
"Yes." Cole answered already knowing her concerns, feeling the embarrassment rolling off her in waves. Slowly he made sure he was covered, not so much for is own modesty but for her.
"So last night, how did you? I thought you couldn't or rather didn't?" Emel was begging to get excited not in a happy way Cole noted but she did begin pacing back and forth.
"You called to me, everything you felt I could as well."
"You could?" The mage asked blushing to her navel.
"You couldn't?" Cole questioned back.
"I don't know, it's still kind of hazy." Emel sat on the edge of the bed with her back facing Cole. "I've never done anything like that before."
The blonde male bit his tongue before the words "I know" escaped his mouth. The two were both flustered and he knew adding to the "moment" wouldn't make anything better. Something began shifting through their bond, worming it's way through. Guilt. Slowly he shifted until he was right behind and hoping it was the right thing to do he enveloped her in a gentle embrace. Emel didn't shy away but neither did she try to reciprocate.
"Cole, can I ask you a question?" Emel's voice was soft and weak and Cole could honestly say he didn't like it. It was too timid for the spritely young woman and it seemed to belong to someone he didn't know.
"Yes?"
As Emel was about to ask she turned and looked at the young man naked in her bed. Slowly she nibbled her lip as she tried what she needed to ask but couldn't find the courage to do so. Not to mention it was also difficult when said man was naked, "did it suddenly grow hot in here?" She vocalized by accident and the spirit looked at her funny. Dammit! That hadn't been the question she wanted to ask! "Nevermind, let's get ready. I have a feeling we have a long day ahead of us."
Solas hadn't slept since the "events" of the previous night. Needless to say the usually very well rested mage was tired and in a foul mood and to be honest didn't know if he wanted to break down the Inquisitors doors and demand some answers or- or!
The elf huffed a sigh of frustration as he rubbed his eyes. He was aggravated and tired of the dead ends he had been coming across. Since the hour that he woke up Solas had been trying to remember what he had been dreaming about. Never had he forgotten any one of his dreams while in the fade for every moment he was there was cherished. So why when he was sure he was so close to finding some kind of clue did he forget.
There was only one true possibility. A spirit must have made him forget but that made no sense. What kind of spirit would will away his memories unless he had discovered something it didn't want him to remember. The only type of spirit who would do something like that would be one who didn't want him meddling. That would normally make it a demon but what would said demon be doing that his meddling would be an issue?
The mage was assaulted with memories of the two "lovers" he saw last night. He laid his head on his desk too tired to try and think about it now. Closing his eyes he hoped to perhaps get a few moments of sleep before something inevitably arose to draw away his attention.
As if on cue the Seeker walked in.
"Good morning, Seeker. I trust your doing well." The mage groaned, lifting his head from his desk to look at the Lady Pentaghast.
"I am fine, thank you. But you- you do not look well, Solas." The Seeker said plainly as though she were stating a fact.
"Lack of sleep, Seeker. Nothing more." Cassandra looked a bit taken back by that. Quite often she would find the elf napping when she thought he ought to be working until she got used to the idea that- that was how Solas worked. What appeared to be slacking was merely Solas searching the fade for answers he couldn't find anywhere else.
"Really, than I regret to inform you that you are needed. The Inquisitor needs you to show up at the brief. We are all going to discuss our next step in defeating Corypheus."
"All of us, Seeker?" Solas stood and made his way to Cassandra.
"Yes, all of the inner circle will be journeying to Halamshiral to attend the Empresses' ball."
Curious and feeling more awake than he had all morning the elf followed the seeker to the war room where everyone awaited.
"Alright, everyone knows what they are to do when we get to the palace." Emel stated.
"Having gotten a personal invitation from the Empress herself I will be accompanied by Dorain as a very distant relation." Vivienne replied as nonchalant as always.
"You only wish you had some of my families blood in you, dear. After all the Inquisitor and I are "distant" relations and look how amazing she turned out to be."
"Yes, absolutely amazing the pair of you." Vivienne laughed giving the Inquisitor a friendly smile to cover the insult behind the compliment. "I will also be accompanied by my elven serving man, Solas."
Solas's ears twitched as he looked at the smug smirk on the Enchanters "pretty" face. "Just don't get to caught up in roles, Knight Enchanter."
"Don't worry, darling. I wouldn't have your filthy hands touch a single morsel of my food or even lift the hem of my dress. You can just stand in the corner and do whatever it is you do. So long as you're clean and not dressed like a filthy hobo."
"And I," Blackwall interrupted. "Will be accompanying Emel with Varric."
"Good," Emel nodded and than turned to Bull, Sera, and Cole. "And you all will be."
"Team Incognito, boss. Sera will hide with the servants while Cole sneaks me in with his freaky demon powers." Bull chimed in ready for action.
"Spirit." Cole piped in.
"Yeah, what he said." The Iron Bull huffed giving the kid an almost apologetic look.
"Of course throw the elves in with the servants. Couldn't come up with something more frekin creative if you tried, Inky." Sera had been huffing about the plan since they decided suitable teams. Apparently she still was not on good terms with the inner circles "spirit, demon, thing" and didn't like the idea of having to work with him and be grouped in with the servants.
"By the way, Cole." The Iron Bull muttered "This doesn't have to involve possession, right? Like, you don't have to do some weird-ass blood magic or something to get me to disappear?"
The blonde shook his head while hiding his face under his hat. "No, I just have to concentrate hard enough and then you'll disappear."
"Good, but everyone just incase. Pretend to faint and go for my left side. Cullen said I leave myself open."
"He does," the Templar stifled a laugh. "And Josephine, Leliana, and I will be accompanying you as well, Inquisitor."
"Good, Emel." Said pleased with everyone. "Cullen and Leliana will have troops on standby in case things get ugly. I will be in communication with all of you. Blackwall and Varric will be doing the same. Vivienne, you are best at the game and will need to get as much information from the nobles as possible. Solas and Sera, you will need to figure out what the servants know. Every good noble man and woman knows how to use their servants effectively which means our assassin will most likely take the same approach if they aren't blending in with them already. Cole and Iron Bull you will go to restricted areas and search there. Try to find as much evidence as possible. Am I clear?"
The inner circle all agreed and Emel decided it was finally time to dismiss everyone so they could get ready for the long trip to Halamshiral. Solas watched as all of the members of the Inquisitors inner circle dispersed to their own hidden corners in Skyhold. Even the Inquisitor turned to leave and as the elf tried to get her attention he was immediately stopped. Cole at one point or another had used his powers to sneak up on the mage and corner him before he could reach the Inquisitor. Sensing what was to come Solas stood patiently with his arms behind his back.
"Something troubling you, Cole?"
"No," the spirit said as he watched the apostate mage.
"Is that so. If you don't mind then I was hoping to ask the Inquisitor some questions. If you will excuse me." Once again the apostate tried to bypass Cole but the spirit merely appeared before him, blocking his path.
"Frightened, fearful and then shocked. You were worried something was wrong and devastated with what you saw. You were watching."
Solas closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He didn't expect to be confronted so quickly with the events that happened last night.
"Yes, I did."
"You think it was wrong." The spirit stated more than asked because that was how the elf truly felt. "Warped, stained, distorted- slowly twisted from its original shape. Becoming black and blunted from being. It never wanted before and now its bent and broken. You see me slipping through the cracks as bit by bit I am leaving myself behind."
"Yes," Solas sighed as he looked at the spirit. "If you continue down the path you both have chosen you will become twisted from your original purpose. You will attract the attention of demons who will seek to exploit you for their own gains. Such spirits are not so different from mortals that they wouldn't try to use their own kind for their end goals."
"But that's not what bothers you the most. Hair like sun; eyes like sky. She bends the fade to her will. Fixing the problems you made and suddenly the whole world changes."
"Cole I- what?" The mage asked suddenly confused. He had expected the spirit to tell him things were fine. Perhaps something along the lines of developing natural curiosities Solas had inquired about once while traveling. What he didn't expect was for the man to start spouting nonsense.
"If she's real that means they could be real. Hope is real but it's untouchable. She's untouchable. Too human, too different and soon she'll stand between you and everything."
The dread wolfs eyes widen in shock as he realized what was going on. Tired, drained and stressed the spirit was picking up on raw emotions that he usually kept well hidden. Little tidbits were being stripped away to where his innermost thoughts, feelings, emotions and regrets laid bare.
"Cole!" Solas cried sternly. "Stop reading my mind. Whatever is going with you and the Inquisitor must end!" Solas said once again trying to get passed the blonde. This time instead of merely stepping in the elf's way, the spirit grabbed the mage by his tunic and pushed him into the war table.
"Your jealous aren't you? You see her and you see everything you've lost. She reminds of the days the days when you were young and curious too. She strips you of the resentment and hate you feel towards this world and in doing so makes you feel ancient in comparison. You want her not for her not for her physicality or her body but for her spirit. You want her and now you'll try and drive us apart."
The Elvhen couldn't believe what he was hearing. The spirit of compassion was spitting out vitriol he couldn't help but absorb. A poison that seeped into his mind and began to plant feelings that didn't exist. Couldn't exist! Or could they? After all Emel had been the only person in two thousand years who he could connect with in the physical world. He relied on her to do the things he couldn't. Sealing the rifts, defeating the magister he helped raise and along the way had restored some semblance of balance to the world while still embodying some humility. She was strong and wise and with the exceptions of a few fumbling mistakes she did what she could to make things better.
Solas snapped out of his spiraling thoughts and looked into Coles eyes which seemed strangely cold and unreceptive. His gaze made something in the mage snap into place. The wheels in the mages head were turning and suddenly he understood.
"You're not, Cole." The mage said pushing the creature off of him. The blonde smiled and soon the war room twisted and morphed into something a new landscape. The sky was lined with the well known green hue of the fade as the pretend Cole twisted into the shape of a woman with barely any covering her. Solas knew this form well as it was often used by demons of desire who trespassed the dreams of mortal men often tempting them with passion and sex.
"Clever, clever." The demon applauded its voice low and husky. "Of course someone who spends most of his time dallying around in my world would notice something amiss. No matter how detailed my illusion was."
Solas though back on his memories from the past few hours. When had he fallen asleep? Was it during the meeting? If the commander was there, would he sense this and possibly cut his mortal body down? Would the others even notice? Or perhaps he was in the rotunda asleep on his desk. Solas couldn't remember and now he could say this was twice in the last millennia that he had been stumped while in a dream.
"So, demon. Are you the same being who wiped my memories?"
"Yes." The demon smirked.
"Thank you, for your honest answer. So, it is safe to assume based on your last trick that you are trying to manipulate my friends."
"Yes."
"And now you hoped to plant the same desires in my mind you must have instilled in my head." The demon laughed at the mages accusations and suddenly the ground beneath Solas' feat shifted before a chair sprung into existence pulling him down and holding him in place with its arms. The elf struggled with in his unwanted seat but he could barely budge.
"For a demon to manipulate the fade so easily., you must be a powerful one. Tell me who your are spirit. What is your reason for existence."
"First," the deom said holding up a finger. "Let's discuss this "planting desires into ones mind" before I tell you my name once more."
"Once more?" The mage whispered. "Meaning we have had this discussion before."
The demon rolled her eyes bored with the way the conversation was turning. "Yes, yes. Now back to my point." Desire smiled at the mage. "Regarding myself, filling your head with desires. I am sure you know it is hard for a demon to tempt a mortal with anything that they don't already wish to claim." The demon slowly walked over to the mage swishing its hips in the process. Solas was left unimpressed as he never let his eyes stray from the demons.
"And what would these desires be?" Solas spat not falling for the demons trickery. Slowly the demons shape began to change as well as the scenery. Suddenly he found himself in his study by his desk. The chair he now realized was same one he spent hours in while he took notes on his findings. Much to his shock the demon took on the shape of none other than Emel but it was twisted. Many of the features were accentuated, similar yet different, and the air around her wasn't the bubbly innocent person he knew but instead was replaced with something dark and feral.
Slowly the demon crawled into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"What is the meaning of this?" The elf hissed.
"I'm feeding your desires. A small part of you who wonders what it would be like." With one hand the demon began to unbutton its shirt that was so similar to the one the Inquisitor always wore. "A small part of you is curious what it would be like with her. Rough and tangled up, she would have let you once, she respected you. Looked up to you but you let pride get in the way as you judged her for being just another human."
Solas kept his mouth shut as he looked into the eyes of the spirit. Cold and calculating, she read him, and he didn't know what to say. He wasn't used to being thrown by things in the fade but now.
"What is your name?" Solas said as calmly as he could while the demon peeled off her shirt. Exposing a heaving chest before leaning down and capturing one of his ears in between her teeth. The elf stiffened as he shut his eyes and much to his protesting he could feel his body reacting.
"I am desire but not like many of my kind. I don't toy with obvious things like money, power or love." The mage shivered as her warm breath tickled his ear making it twitch. "I feed and nurture the desires others bury deep within themselves. The kind that lead to their own self destruction. That lead them to betray themselves and who they are. I break them down piece by piece until nothing is left but an exquisitely, sensational macabre."
The elf stiffened as he felt warm, pliable lips travel down his neck and tried to make a noised of disgust that instead came out as a moan. This was why he tried his very best to avoid spirits like this one. More often than not they would try and dangle something they thought he wanted and while many jumped at the opportunity he wouldn't. As a young man he learned very quickly how to bypass their efforts and make them uninterested.
"So what do you gain from toying with me, spirit? What do you hope to accomplish?" The demon smirked against the males pale skin. Pulling back she looked calmly into his facial features.
"You mortals are so terribly predictable. You know, you asked me this very question last we met."
"Is that so," Solas answered back subtly testing his restraints. A simple disruptive force could break her hold on him. It had to have known that or maybe it was naïve to his abilities. "Does our predictable nature bother you?"
"No, I love it sometimes. When I need to get the game started, I just roll the ball. You'd be surprised how many people jump in to play. But after a while everyone gets bored of playing the same thing for so long, so you have to change the rules a bit."
"So how is this changing the rules?" Solas questioned. The demon smiled, more interested now in talking than groping him, which was a turn in the right direction.
"To change the game you have to throw in more complex pieces. After all each person has their own potential and only when placed into the right role can they fully experience their true potential."
"And my role in your game? What is it you hope to accomplish?" The demon smiled and leaned into his ear.
"Well now, that depends on what you want. I'll let you decide." Suddenly it was as if the fade itself shook and Solas was wretched from his dream.
"C'mon, chuckles. I know your probably having a fun time in the fade with all of your spirit friends but you have to join us in the real world. The Inquisitor is waiting."
Solas didn't budge as he looked at the dwarf and the commander who stood watching closely. He had fallen asleep on his desk at some point obviously. As he moved to sit up he winced at a familiar pain in his shoulders suggesting he not sleep there again.
"Are you alright? Cassandra sent me to wake you. Apparently, she tried but you wouldn't respond." Solas looked at Cullen noting the wary look in his eyes. 'Of course the seeker would send the Templar just in case.' Solas thought a sour expression on his face.
"I am fine," the mage replied; "just terrible sleep. Probably due to my sleeping arrangements." The elf stood and fixed his clothes so that he looked somewhat presentable.
"Really, you were murmuring in your sleep." Varric replied his usual smirk in place. "Something about the Inquisitor. Muttering her name over and over. Something you wanna talk about? We're all guys here after all."
"Excuse me?" Solas said confused and slightly embarrassed.
"It's true, part of the reason why Cassandra grabbed Curly. Didn't want to be a part in spoiling your- dreams."
"Can we please leave. I have a thousand things to do and right now one of those things is in the war room." Cullen turned heel and left making his way into the grand hall.
"Geesh, what's eating him." The dwarf said as he watched the commander leave. "Anyway, the Inquisitor is in the war room. Everyone wants to discuss the Empresses ball and battle plans. You in?"
Solas nodded, glad enough that the topic changed rather quickly. "Yes," slowly the two caught up to Cullen as they made their way to the war room.
A/N: I am tired, in pain, and ready for spring break. School always kicks my ass so sorry for the delay. I fucked up my shoulder which gave me enough time to finish this. It's probably got a lot of grammatical errors so I will most likely go back and change it for spelling reasons. I hope you enjoy it. It's a long chapter and dealt mostly with Solas. I also had the strange mental vision at the (if you have ever seen Harold and Maude) of Cole laying in bed blowing bubbles and thinking, "I'm the man." XD
So what do you think the demon has planned for Solas. What's the knot up Curly's butt. Are you excited for the Empresses ball and should there be lemons? Lol. Should I make Lemon pie... that sounds so non metaphorically good right now. Hmmmmmm. =0=
So what did you think about this chapter? Leave me a review please because you guys are so awesome and who knows if you leave suggestions it might either insight me to make a one shot or add it to the story. Ok, shout outs!
AngelAvengerl: Lol. I'm glad it was. I was worried I went super cliché with that so I am glad you liked it.
MoonPrincess623: Lol. OMG when I read this I couldn't help but think of season three of American horror story when Kyle and Madison hold out their hands to initiate Zoe into a threesome. It made me laugh so hard and yet I kinds want to write this out, it's so wicked. Maybe not in this story but ones hot would be great.
Calypsokitsune: Yesh, I wantz ALL the ATTENIONS!