THE VIRGIN PRIEST 13 & 14

After his conversation with Lily, Luke couldn’t stand being in her room any longer. The only place in this house he felt comfortable was in the room he had shared with Asmodeus. To his dismay, the Guard followed him through the castle. Luke detested his royalty status. Could he take back what he said to Samael? Could he change his mind? He didn’t want to be King.

When he reached the other room, Luke was pleasantly surprised when Asmodeus’s scent washed over him. If the demon hadn’t left a few hours earlier, Luke would have summoned him. The staff hadn’t bothered to make the bed or do any cleaning. It bothered Luke, but at the same time he was glad his demon’s presence was still noticeable.

As, Luke reached out. Wake up you nasty demon.

A deep chuckle resonated in his mind. The sound did things to him, Who is As? Is he someone I should know about, Priest?

Luke scowled, Very funny.

Oh! I get it! You’re giving me a nickname. How touching. But what about Mo? Or… wait. Deus. It’s fitting. I’m the God of your ass. I like it.

Blasphemy, Luke laughed.

I’m the definition of blasphemy, lover. What do you need?

The softness of Asmodeus’ voice put Luke at ease. Company. I need company. I’m in our room.

The demon growled in his head, Are you now? Remembering our night together? Do you want more, Priest? I can be there shortly.

Luke stroked the mark that sat over his heart and shook his head, More than anything, but not right now.

The more you rub that mark, the more I want to come and join you, Asmodeus warned.

You can feel that?

The demon’s answer came from a rush of lust that ran through Luke’s body and settled between his legs. He hardened almost immediately.

I’m not sure, but did you feel that?

Stop it, demon, Luke laughed, I want you, but not like this.

Luke knew Asmodeus wouldn’t listen to him. He was going to be insistent. Cheeky demon.

Very well, Priest. I’m tired anyway. You’ve been stroking that mark all day, I’ve had to take care of business a few times, Asmodeus teased. Luke blushed.

Good night, As, Luke shook his head as he thought it.

That’s Deus to you, Asmodeus said with a laugh. But don’t forget about me. I want you in my arms again.

Soon, I promise.

Luke sighed as he felt the demon leave his mind. Knowing that he could call on him at any time made Luke feel more comfortable. He knew he had made the wrong choice by staying with Lily as soon as Asmodeus took him to bed properly. The difference between Asmodeus and Lily wasn’t the attention he received from them; it was their intent. As much as Lily said she didn’t want power, he could feel her ambition.

Knowing he made the wrong choice only made him want to fix his mistake more. Lily wouldn’t let him go back on his word, but would Samael? The king wanted what was best for his realm. Luke knew he wasn’t that. He didn’t want the fate of demons in his hands, he just wanted to worry about what to make for dinner. Or something domestic like that. He highly doubted that Asmodeus would ever let him step foot in a kitchen. No, life with the demon would be a luxurious one.

Luke felt Lily’s presence before he saw her. He sighed. He didn’t want to deal with her right now. As much as his words had hurt her earlier, hers had injured him as well. Her promises to him meant nothing. She only cared about him when he was of service to her, and he didn’t appreciate that.

“Why are you here, Shynra?” He said coolly. He didn’t want to use the name he was familiar with. He didn’t want any kind of fondness between them.

“Using my real name. You must be upset,” there was no hint of regret in her voice.

That only made Luke more upset. He sat down on the bed. He wasn’t in the mood for this conversation, and he didn’t want her in this space. This was meant for him and his lover. Not him and his captor.

“You know, the ironic thing about all of this is that you want to paint Asmodeus as this person who wants to take advantage of me and hurt me. But he hasn’t done any of those things, Shynra, you have. You took advantage of me in the church, you have been taking advantage of my lack of knowledge, and now you’re taking advantage of your power over me. You’re no better than what you say he is, but at least he is honest about it.”

Luke watched as she rolled her eyes, “He kidnapped you. I saved you from that. He had no feelings for you then, Priest. He happily would have torn you limb from limb to get back at me.”

“He did nothing but make me comfortable while I was there. The way you say that lets me know that you don’t know him at all.”

“I don’t know him? I’ve suffered through the last millennium with him. My life has been in constant danger for the last five hundred years because of him. Don’t you dare tell me I don’t know him. Priest, you are the one who doesn’t know him. Your five minutes of interaction with him holds nothing to my lifetime.”

“Just let me go, Lily.” Luke pleaded, “I don’t want this life. I never wanted this life. Please, just let me go.”

Lily sauntered into the room. Luke balked at it. He didn’t want her here.

“I will not let you go. I do not care how much you beg. I do not care if you grovel at my feet. I will not let you go.”

Luke flinched as she took his chin into her hand. Her touch was light as it always was. One promise she would always keep- he would never be physically hurt. That was to preserve herself. It had nothing to do with him, and he realized that now. Nevertheless, he still felt threatened. He shook, much to his dismay. He wanted to reach up and trace the mark. He wanted As. He wanted his lover. He didn’t want this.

“Please,” he said softly.

“If you try to leave, I will have you locked in the dungeon I tore your beloved apart in. That I promise you.”

Samael couldn’t make sense of what the fumbling human was trying to say. The man was standing in front of him wide-eyed, terrified, and talking way too fast for comprehensible speech. Samael lifted his hand, trying to signal the man to stop speaking. The urgency in the Priest’s voice was hard to miss. The terror was what confused him.

“Slow down, boy, and tell me what is going on.” He laid his hand softly back on his desk. He didn’t want to frighten Luke, not given his current state.

“How do I give these back?” Luke asked. “I don’t want them. I don’t want this. I want to go with As. I want out.”

The priest spoke fast, still. But Samael got the point this time. He sighed heavily. Given what Beelzebub told him earlier, this bit of information wasn’t shocking to him. He expected it. Shynra wasn’t the boy’s intended.

“As much as I want to help you, Priest, I can’t. You accepted her mark and it is permanent.” Samael said softly.

“But you don’t understand, I marked him, too. I need to be with him. I need him. Three days a week isn’t enough.”

Samael’s eyebrows shot up at that revelation, “He accepted a marriage bond? Curious.”

“Just please. You’re the king. Let me go.” Luke begged.

Samael shook his head, “I can’t, Priest. As much as I would like to, I can’t. You’ll have to work this out with Shynra.”

“I tried,” Luke said, “She said she would lock me in the dungeon if I tried to leave.”

“She will not lock you in the dungeon, Luke. She does not have the power to do so, only I do.”

The priest’s eyes bugged out of his head, “But, Samael, you are king, you have to be able to help me.”

The distress in the boy made Samael uneasy. He gestured to the couch in his office and ordered him to sit. The boy did so, slowly. He was hyperventilating. Samael had no knowledge of humans and their reactions. He had long since left the human world.

“Hold tight, Luke, I will be right back.” Samael said as he stepped out of the room.

He shut the door to the study behind him and took a deep breath. Shynra would not agree with what he was about to do, but it was the only thing he could think of. Within moments, his brother was standing in front of him, noticeably displeased.

“What is going on here, Samael?” Asmodeus looked to the door; he was shuffling his feet in the same way the Priest had been moments earlier.

“It’s your Priest, Asmodeus,” Samael said slowly. He caught the fire that lit in his brother’s eyes when he said the words, “He’s fine, he’s scared, but he’s fine.”

“Fine? You call this fine? I can feel his terror, brother. What happened?” Asmodeus continued to shuffle in place, it unnerved Samael.

“He’s trying to leave. Shynra won’t let him, he’s scared. You’re the only person who can calm him, please do it.”

“She did this to him? Where is he?” Asmodeus demanded. Samael tipped his head toward the door. Asmodeus snarled and took a step toward it.

The Priest’s terror had been coursing through him for most of the night. Luke hadn’t reached out to him. Asmodeus had expected to see Luke frightened when he opened the door, but what he saw was worse than what he expected. His lover was sitting on the couch, legs bouncing, with his head in his hands. He could hear soft sobs coming from Luke’s direction. Fury coursed through Asmodeus. How dare his niece cause this. She was supposed to keep him happy and safe.

His Priest paid him no attention when he walked in. Asmodeus wasn’t sure if he even noticed he was there. He walked over to Luke quickly, dropping to his knees in front of the man as he approached him. Gently, Asmodeus took Luke’s face into his hands. The Priest dropped his hands and stared into Asmodeus’ eyes, but there was nothing there but sadness.

“It’s okay, Priest, I am here now,” Asmodeus brushed his thumbs over the soft skin of Luke’s face, “You’re safe. No one is going to hurt you.”

Luke blinked his eyes. Asmodeus braced himself as the man launched himself into his arms, locking his arms around the demon’s back. Asmodeus moaned lightly as Luke weaved his fingers through the feathers of his wings. Nothing felt better than that. No one had dared touch his wings before. Asmodeus returned the Priest’s embrace. Luke relaxed into his grip. The terror still coursed freely through the bond, but Asmodeus also sensed his content. The demon tightened his grip on Luke, his outrage quickly overcoming his mate’s fear.

“If you keep doing that, you’re going to have to use one of our visits,” Asmodeus teased. He heard Luke’s laughter through his tears. Luke had buried his head into Asmodeus’s chest, right over the spot where Asmodeus had accepted the man’s mark. “Why didn’t you call for me, Luke? Why was it my brother that brought me to your aid?”

The Priest sighed against his chest, “I was afraid of what she would do to you if I brought you here.”

Asmodeus tensed. Of course the human was afraid of what would happen to him, “My niece can do a lot of things to me, Priest. But she cannot kill me. You are my husband, I am here to protect you.”

Luke backed out of his grasp, which meant that his fingers were no longer twined in Asmodeus’ wings. He felt strangely empty at the loss of that sensation. A smile was covering his face, even through his tears, and he reached up and stroked Asmodeus’ cheeks. Asmodeus gripped the man’s hips, relishing the feel of his hands.

“She may not be able to kill you, but she did tear you apart last time, As,” Luke leaned forward and touched their foreheads together. Asmodeus never thought he would find such comfort in another’s touch, much less this human’s. But their proximity calmed him.

“A simple misunderstanding. I’m fine now,” He dragged his hands up Luke’s sides. The man shivered under his touch, but the action was achieving its purpose. His priest was no longer afraid.

“If that was a misunderstanding, I don’t want to know what else she could do.” Luke mused.

“You don’t, priest, you’re right about that.”

Asmodeus lifted his face and brought his lips to Luke’s. The priest moaned into his mouth as he returned his kiss. Asmodeus smiled as he pulled back. It was a simple act of comfort. Something he had never felt inclined to give before.

“By the way, you can call me Asme,” Asmodeus smiled at him, “As sounds too much like ass.”

Luke’s laughter wrapped around him, warming him. “You’re worried about your nickname sounding too much like ass?”

“Yes,” Asmodeus said, “And since you refuse to call me Deus, Asme will do.”

Luke stepped back and took his place back on the couch, and Asmodeus was happy that the fear was gone from him. The man reached forward and stroked one of Asmodeus’ wings again. The delight in his eyes was enough to keep Asmodeus from stopping him. Besides, the feeling was absolutely divine.

“You confuse me, but that’s okay.” Luke said, “Can you take me with you, though? I don’t want to stay here.”

Asmodeus acknowledged his brother’s presence in the room for the first time. The look on Samael’s face told him everything. He wouldn’t be able to take his lover with him. As much as he wanted to, his lover was the future king. He couldn’t leave this place. Although, his safety-his emotional safety- was in question after tonight. Asmodeus shook his head slowly.

“You know I can’t do that, my love.” He said slowly, “You know how to reach me if you need me. I will always answer you. Please don’t be scared for my safety. I am safe.”

“You can’t take me even for a night?” Luke begged, “I have no power here, Asme.”

Asmodeus warmed hearing his name come out of Luke’s mouth. As much as he wanted to give in to Luke’s demands, he couldn’t. He grabbed Luke’s hand and placed it over his heart, covering the mark on his chest.

“All of your power is right here,” he pressed the priest’s hand closer to his skin, “Right where it counts. I will always be here for you, day or night, I don’t even care if I’m sleeping when you call. I will hear you. Luke, I am yours. For whatever that’s worth, I am yours. You own a demon Prince.”

Luke pressed his hand tighter to Asmodeus’ chest, “It’s worth everything to me.”

Asmodeus covered Luke’s hand with his own, “Good, because it means everything to me, too.”

Asmodeus looked over to Samael, who was watching them with curiosity covering his face. Asmodeus stood, and Luke’s hand fell from his chest. The warmth that was coming from the touch had disappeared. The demon sighed. He would do anything to take his lover with him.

“Samael, please house him away from Shynra. I don’t think being around her is going to bring him any peace,” He met his brother’s eyes intently, “I don’t want this to happen again. Allow me to see my husband whenever I please and I will let him stay here without a fight.”

“Is that a threat, brother?” Samael teased, “Regardless, it’s nice to see you care for someone for once. Luke will stay in your chambers here from now on. I can’t promise that you can visit whenever you want, but I can present the idea.”

“It’s not a threat, it’s a promise. If any harm is brought to him, I will take him. Consequences be damned.” Asmodeus shifted his gaze to Luke, who was watching him with awe. “He may be future king here, but as my mate, he is already king of my territory. He rightfully belongs with me and my people.”

Samael nodded in agreement, “Yes, he does, brother. But it is not my decision to let him go with you.”

Asmodeus’ anger filled the room, “You are king, Samael. She is just an heir, as am I. The final decision in this matter is yours, not hers. He is her equal and will share her throne, but she is not his choice, I am.” Asmodeus ripped his shirt off. The L on his chest was glowing, and the pride he felt showing it for the first time? It was unreal. If it was right and proper, the Prince would walk around baring his mark all the time.

Samael sighed, “The comings and goings of this house is my business, so I can grant you this. You may come and go as you please. You cannot take him with you. Any outings must be approved through me, and Guard will accompany you if you leave these grounds with him. I will warn you, brother, do not take advantage of my kindness.”

Asmodeus bowed his head, “I do not wish to take advantage of anyone. I just want access to my mate, especially when he is in distress.”

“You have been granted access, now take him and get him settled. And then take your leave.”

Asmodeus nodded and reached his hand out to Luke. The priest took it readily. You’re going to be okay, love. Asmodeus probed his mind gently. I promise I will never let anything happen to you.

THE END OF CHAPTERS 13 & 14