Priest (Trident Agency #2)

16. Oliver

16

OLIVER

O liver didn’t quite know how to process everything he was feeling. He was nervous and starting to feel a little hopeful, which might have been dangerous because if they failed, he wasn’t sure how he was going to take it. He was also petrified of being wrong.

What if he’d dragged the Alphas all the way out to the middle of nowhere only to find nothing?

But mostly, he couldn’t quite process the idea that Poe might be changed. Irrevocably and permanently. Oliver was more than aware of what it was like for Vampires in society. Their suicide rates were high, which was part of the reason there were so few of them. Like Demons and Hellhounds, they weren’t allowed to marry, they weren’t allowed to procreate, and they rarely—if ever—had fated mates. They also weren’t allowed to hold public service jobs or receive government benefits.

There were only two countries that even welcomed them to own property, but the rules there were strict.

What would it mean for Poe if they found him alive and attempted to rebuild the shop? And while Poe’s family were activists, would they accept him?

“Beloved.”

Oliver turned and saw Priest hovering in the doorway. He said nothing, just watched as his Demon stepped all the way inside and closed the door behind him. The distance between them felt like miles, and Oliver didn’t quite know how to reach out.

“You need to feed before we go, don’t you?” he asked.

Priest’s eyes widened. “You think I’m here for that?”

“You need your strength.” And, at the very least, it would be a distraction from everything Oliver was dealing with. He blinked, and between his eyelids closing and opening again, Priest had moved close to him.

Gods, would he ever get used to that? It wasn’t teleporting the way he was supposed to be able to do, but it felt the same.

“I wanted to check on you. You’re not my own personal power bank,” Priest said. His tone was sharp. He was hurt.

Oliver bowed his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I want you as strong as possible before we go in there. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”

“I’m the strongest I’ve been in years, little human.” Priest gently wrapped his arms around Oliver’s waist and pulled him close. The heat of him, the smell, the beat of his heart, it was everything Oliver needed right then. “We’re going to be okay.”

Oliver nodded. “I know. But when we go in there?—”

“We?” Priest leaned back and laughed, incredulous.

“When we go in there, I don’t want to have to worry about you,” Oliver said, his jaw tense. “You can’t possibly keep me out.”

“I can, and I will,” Priest said. “You might be getting stronger, but you’re not strong enough for this. We have no idea what these people are capable of, and you’re far from impervious to harm, and you’re not trained.”

The words died on the back of Oliver’s tongue. He had no real argument, but he couldn’t sit back and do nothing. “I won’t stay here. I’m sorry, but there’s nothing you can do to stop me. If you try and lock me in, I’ll use my powers.”

Priest held his gaze steadily. “I had a feeling you’d say that.”

“So why argue with me?”

As he threw his head back, Priest’s laugh boomed around the small room. It lessened into soft chuckles, and instead of answering him, he dipped his head and took Oliver in a long, slow, deep kiss. The heat of it made his toes curl.

“Arguing with you gets my blood pumping, little human. Everything you do gets my blood pumping.” He cupped Oliver’s cheek and thumbed his lower lip. “I like that you say no to me.”

“You like being spoiled,” Oliver argued.

“Yes, I do. But it’s different with you. I’m used to getting my way simply for being what I am. I like that you’re not afraid of me.”

Ah. Oliver understood now. He had no idea what it must feel like to be told yes simply because people were terrified of what he might do if they didn’t. He didn’t think it was that way with the Alphas, but Oliver also wasn’t one of them. Not yet.

Maybe not ever. He didn’t know how strong he’d get, but he knew he wasn’t about to change his entire life just because he learned he was different. He wanted his friend back and his shop back. He wanted his quiet life and his books and spells and trinkets.

He didn’t want any of this.

“I know,” Priest whispered. “I know.”

Had he been speaking aloud? Or could Priest just hear him now? It didn’t matter. Oliver swayed into him and let Priest take his weight. “How can I help today?”

“I’ve called in reinforcements. Azriel.”

Oliver’s head snapped up, and he looked into Priest’s black eyes. “Really?”

“He’s one of the most powerful beings we know. And we have no idea what we’re getting into.”

“I’m just surprised he said yes,” Oliver admitted. Azriel had been adamant from the beginning that this was not his fight. He wondered what had changed.

“He didn’t give me his reasons. But he’s protective of you. Your Guardian Angel.” There was a tinge of resentment in Priest’s tone.

Oliver rose onto his toes and kissed Priest again. “I will always be grateful to him for saving my life, and he is my friend. He’s one of my best friends. But you’re the one I trust to keep me safe.”

Priest hummed happily, but the expression didn’t last. “I won’t be able to focus on the mission if I don’t have someone protecting you, and I can’t be in two places at once. I’ll be following Sunshine’s orders, so Azriel has agreed to stick by you. Knight thinks the two of you together will be able to, I guess, enhance each other’s power. Maybe not by much, but enough to keep you out of harm’s way and enough to help us if we need it.”

It made sense. Oliver felt different every time Azriel was around. He wished he’d had more time to hone his abilities, but it would have to do. “We’re going to find him, right?”

“We are.”

“And as much as life might suck for him after…”

“We’re not going to let him fall apart,” Priest vowed. He lifted Oliver’s hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to his palm. Just as he pulled back, he stiffened, and Oliver felt something shift in the air.

The Angel was there, and his power was stronger.

“I feel it,” he whispered before Priest could announce Azriel’s arrival.

Priest nodded, then stepped back, though he kept Oliver’s fingers in his tight grasp. “We should go. Storm and Slate have finished their survey of the land. We’re moving at moonrise.”

Oliver felt a rush of anxiety and fear, mostly about whether or not he would be capable. But this was Poe’s life on the line, and he wasn’t going to let him down.

He would save him, even if he died trying.

If Oliver wasn’t so terrified, the whole thing might have felt like an action movie. He was outfitted in dark earth tones—mossy green pants, boots to match, and a mottled brown, green, and black Lycra shirt that clung to his skin and reached just past his wrists. He was given gloves that were not the best fit and a dark beanie to pull over his hair.

He felt ridiculous, like someone playing pretend, especially as he watched the Alphas get ready. They had weapons on them, though Jeremiah had given strict orders not to use them unless it was absolutely necessary. They looked at home in their gear, not like Oliver, who was just a man playing dress-up.

But then Priest looked at him, and he could feel waves of lust pouring off his Demon.

“Not now,” Oliver murmured.

Azriel stood beside him wearing dark pants and a matching shirt without holes in either, more clothes than Oliver had ever seen covering his skin. The Angel laughed and rolled his eyes. “Don’t bother. We can all feel it, darling.”

Priest was unrepentant. He crossed the room and stood behind Oliver, arms wrapped around his middle as Jeremiah took his place in front of them. The room was full—Dragons, Gargoyles, another Hellhound whose name Oliver hadn’t been given. There were Demon species Oliver didn’t recognize and two other Vampires.

The Bravo and Charlie Teams, Priest had said when Oliver realized more than just Azriel had been called in for aid.

“Everyone has been briefed,” Jeremiah began, pacing a small line in front of everyone. “You all have your orders. This is a rescue mission, but it’s also a capture mission. Priority one is the humans, priority two is gathering information. We’re also on the lookout for a Nephilim. I don’t know for sure he’s here, but I know he’ll be difficult to sense.”

“Not for me,” Azriel said. “I’ll know the moment we get close enough.”

Jeremiah nodded. “This cannot go more than sixty minutes, at most. We’ve been given raid rights by the Sirens to conduct this mission, but we’re under a firm request to keep this from going public. This cannot be a bloodbath.”

Everyone nodded along.

Jeremiah rolled his shoulders back, and then he partially shifted, and Oliver sucked in a breath as he was hit with a wave of heat from his Hellfire. He’d never seen a Hellhound in their true form before. “Bravo Team, your job is to secure every human you find. Sound the alarm if there are traps, and make sure every room is thoroughly searched. From the information we have, thanks to Knight, we know that it’s likely whoever is running this lab will give the order to abandon ship. It means we’ll have seconds to gather information from their computers before they’re wiped. It’s likely not enough time, but if we can get even one of their people under our control, we can interrogate them.”

There were several muttered agreements. It was almost military, minus the “yes, sirs” that Oliver half expected to hear. But he could tell they all respected Jeremiah. They were all ready to follow him into any battle he found worthy.

“Alpha Team Two, roll out. Send the signal when it’s time to move,” Jeremiah ordered. Storm and Slate turned on their heels and left. “Bravo, Charlie, follow behind them. No more than a thirty-second delay.”

Priest released Oliver, and he turned to see his lover almost fully in Demon form. His eyes were black, fangs poking out from behind his lips, horns stretching high. Oliver might have gone hot all over if it weren’t for the fact that this could very well be the last time they’d see each other.

“Do we drive?” Oliver asked unsteadily.

Priest shook his head. “No.” His voice was now a low, rough, sensual rumble. “You and Azriel will be teleporting. Bravo Team has vans to transport the humans.”

“And you?”

Priest rolled his shoulders, and Oliver somehow knew right then that he had wings. Maybe something he should have assumed, but he’d never seen them. “I’ll fly. And I will see you there.”

His clawed hand took Oliver by the chin, gently pricking him but not drawing blood. His forked tongue teased his lips before Oliver let him in, the kiss drawing power from him.

He could feel the transfer, feel the bond between them growing.

Gods, he needed this to be over so he could properly have Priest again.

“Soon, beloved,” Priest rumbled.

Oliver reached up and touched his horns as their foreheads dropped together. “Promise me you’ll be safe.”

“I promise.” Priest pulled away and narrowed his dark gaze on Azriel. “If anything happens to him, I will have your head.”

Azriel didn’t argue. He just nodded and placed a hand on Oliver’s shoulder. “See you soon.”

The rest of Alpha Team were gone in a blur, and Oliver felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. He turned helpless eyes on his friend as insecurity took over. “I can’t teleport. I barely got control of my tracking ability before we came here.”

Azriel took his hand gently. “Then follow my lead. Let your instincts guide you.”

Oliver was shaking, but the longer Azriel touched him, the more he could feel it. The pull—not to just anywhere, but to Poe.

“Yes. Search for him. Find him,” Azriel murmured.

Something warm rushed through him, then the feeling in his stomach like a massive hook trying to pull him somewhere. Instead of fighting it, instead of trying to study it, Oliver simply gave himself over. There was a rushing sensation and total darkness.

And then, he was there.

Oliver came to in the midst of screaming and gunfire. His ears immediately began to ring, and he felt something small and sharp whizz past him, but Azriel’s wings enveloped him like a shield. How had it all gone to shit so fast?

“Do you know where he is?” Azriel said, speaking over the cacophony of noise.

Oliver did everything he could to concentrate. For a moment, his mind wandered to Priest, terrified he wasn’t okay, but he had to focus. He closed his eyes and reached out again. For a second, there was nothing. Then…

“Inside. Not too far,” Oliver said. His anxiety was turning into hope, and beyond them, the battle began to quiet. He wasn’t going to drop his guard, but he had a feeling the tides were turning in their favor.

“Let’s go.” Azriel took him and moved faster than Oliver was still capable of going. His feet barely touched the ground as he zipped inside a building with metal walls. It was like a giant warehouse, except inside was a maze of corridors.

There were doorways everywhere and people screaming for help.

“The Bravo Team will get them,” Azriel reminded him. “Where is Poe?”

Oliver began to run, following the invisible thread leading to his brother. It got stronger as they turned a corner, and then it became burning hot before it fizzled into nothing. The lack of sensation almost sent him to his knees, but Azriel was ahead of him, using his brute strength to rip the door off its hinges.

Inside was a bed, several monitors that were no longer connected to anything… and then there was Poe. He was unconscious but breathing, on top of a white sheet. He was thin and looked like he’d recently been drained of all of his blood.

But he was alive. Oliver could sense it.

He brushed past Azriel and grabbed him, yanking his hands back when they touched his icy skin. “Poe,” he whispered. His friend groaned, head lolling to the side, but he didn’t wake up. Oliver looked over his shoulder. “Is he dying? Can you tell?”

Azriel’s face looked broken, shattered, and Oliver wanted to scream. They could not have come this far only to lose him.

“He’s turned,” came a voice from just beyond the doorway. Knight appeared, drenched in blood and dragging a struggling man by the front of his throat. “He also needs to feed. There were three other starving Vampires here.”

Oliver’s stomach twisted as he realized what the man was for. Was his crime worthy of a death sentence?

Knight’s gaze challenged him, and Oliver looked back down to Poe. His lips had parted, dry and cracked around the edges, and Oliver could see his fangs. He was clearly starving, and he knew that would eventually kill him.

But would Poe forgive him for letting him feed?

“It’s your choice,” Knight said, dragging the man closer. He looked Oliver dead in the face. “This one was in charge of the children.”

The children .

Oliver turned his head and threw up half his dinner. He didn’t have time to stop it. Stumbling to the side, Azriel caught him and wrapped him tightly in his wings as Knight took his place. “Sorry,” he gasped, wiping at his mouth. “Sorry I…”

“I know. I know,” Azriel said gently. His voice was clearer now that everything was going very quiet. “The most monstrous creatures that live in this world aren’t the actual monsters in the end. It’s the ones who are given the most and make the choice to do things like this.”

Oliver squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face against Azriel’s chest. His guardian’s arms were warm and comforting. Not the ones he wanted but ones that still protected him. “Is he feeding?”

“He’s feeding,” Azriel said.

“He’s finished,” Knight said a moment later. “He won’t wake for a while, but Jeremiah asked me to bring him back to the safe house.”

Oliver pushed Azriel’s wing to the side and peered over. Poe had color now, and his breathing was steadier. “The others?”

Knight shrugged. “There were several unturned humans. The Bravo Team took whoever was alive. No sign of the Nephilim as far as we can tell.” His gaze moved to Azriel, who closed his own eyes, then shook his head.

“If he was here, he was gone long enough for his essence to dissipate. That takes about a day.”

Poe’s heart dropped, but he knew they had to stay focused on what they could do. “So now what?”

“The others are gathering as much information as they can. The computers have been wiped, but the ones running this place are human. They’re no match for Sunshine and Priest.” Knight turned away and gathered Poe close to his chest. “Meet us at the safe house. There’s nothing left here for you.”

And then he was gone before Oliver could say a word.

“Well, you heard him,” Azriel said, reaching for Oliver’s hand again.

Oliver pulled back. “I want to make sure Priest is okay.”

Azriel’s eyes narrowed. “You’ll see him shortly. There’s nothing you can do for him now except distract him, and that’s the one thing he asked me to make sure didn’t happen.”

Oliver wanted to be angry. He was angry. But he couldn’t let himself act on it. That wasn’t fair. He wasn’t a fighter. All he’d do was get in the way. The compound had gone quiet, but that didn’t mean it was over.

Besides, if he went home now, he could be there when Poe woke up, and that was enough to motivate him into taking Azriel’s hand. “Alright. Get us there safe.”

Azriel nodded. “You have my word.”