The Virgin Priest Pt. 07

As hard as she tried, Lily couldn't feel Luke anymore. She hadn't realized that she could until the essence of him wasn't in her anymore. She felt hollow inside. Her power felt weaker. She had the distinct feeling that he was no longer in this realm, but it was hard telling which one he had been sent to. She didn't know enough about the mark connecting them to use it to locate him. The only thing she knew was that he was alive. Whether he was okay or not? She shuddered. She didn't want to think about that.

Why had her uncle taken Luke in the first place? What made Luke so important? Or was it the fact that he made Lily happy that caught her uncle's attention? Everything that had happened in the last hour ran through her mind. The fact that Asmodeus had taken her priest the way he had? It lit a fury in her she didn't know she had. Her power rose at the strength of her emotions. It felt like a faint flicker in her bones compared to what it had felt like over the past couple days. Since she marked Luke.

She set her resolve. Lily had to find out more information about the mark and get Luke back. There was only one person she could think of that could help her. Lily had planned on taking Luke to him earlier that day, in fact. Now that travelling between realms wouldn't be a problem, she pictured her father's home in her mind and closed her eyes.

Cool air whipped around her, and when she opened her eyes, she was in front of her father's magnificent home. Being back in her demon realm made her uneasy. It felt like home, but it was empty. Nothing in this realm ever benefitted her. Most humans thought Hell was a fiery, hot place. In reality, it was more like a beach scene. Her father's home sat atop a cliff that overlooked the demon equivalent of an ocean. In front of it was lush green grass. Her father always loved the comforts of life. She hadn't seen him in so long.

With a deep sigh, she walked in the door. Her parents had changed nothing about the house. She hadn't stepped foot in it in almost 500 years, since her father's 'friends' had run her out. She caught tingles of her mother's magic. The essence of it wasn't strong enough for the famed Lilith to be near, though. She walked through the foyer and turned instinctively to her right where she remembered her father's study to be. She touched the wide oak door lightly and pushed it open.

Her father was nothing if he wasn't a creature of habit. He was perched at his desk, head dropped, poring over a document that was no doubt important to the health of the realm. Not only was her father the King, but he also had his own territory to govern over. Most of the time he gave that duty to his Queen, but his subjects only answered to him. Lily walked over to him slowly, clearing her throat as she approached his desk. Her father looked up at her, surprise glinting in his blackened eyes. He stood abruptly from his desk and walked over to her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Shynra!" he said warmly, "What brings you here?"

He let her go, holding her at arm's length. Lily smiled widely. Her father projected to his subjects that he had disowned his only heir, but in reality, she still had high regard in his heart. As high a regard as one demon can have for another, that is.

"Hi, Dad," she said. He backed away from her and sat back at his desk. He motioned for her to take a seat, and she did so. "I have a problem."

The expression on his face told her that he expected nothing less, "What is it this time, Shynra? We haven't seen you here in hundreds of years."

Lily took in a deep breath and recounted the story of her Priest. Her father listened aptly. She never thought she would see the great Samael, Prince of Wrath and King of Hell, as surprised as he was when she finished her recount. He leaned forward in his seat and settled his chin into the palm of his hand. He tapped the fingers of his other hand excitedly on the desk.

"Oh my! You found him!" he exclaimed. The surprise on his face changed into excitement, then into concern. "How did my brother get him, Shynra?"

"I already told you," Lily said. She didn't want to go through it again. She had left out a few key details, like Asmodeus finger fucking Luke, but the premise was the same.

"You're not telling me something. It's not easy to send a human through realms. It takes a great deal of power and not even Asmodeus can do it without your priest being willing. Or unless his defenses were down." Samael led her on.

"Do I really have to say it?" she asked. Her father nodded.

"Tell me what actually happened. It's important, it may let us know where my brother took him."

"He seduced Luke," Lily said, her voice tingling with jealousy. "My priest got his release and then he was gone."

Samael sat back in his chair, clearly trying to choose his next words carefully. "You marked this man, right?"

"Yes. My wings are on his back."

With those words, Samael's eyes shot up, "You told me you marked him, Shynra. You didn't tell me you gave him your wings."

"Does it matter?" she shrugged, "Either way, I marked him. If he dies, I die. I've got to find him."

"That's not quite how it works, daughter," Samael said softly. "I'm afraid I need to get your mother to have this conversation, though."

"What does mom have to do with this?" Lily asked, confused.

"We've been waiting for you to find this man. We didn't know who he would be, but since you've found him, we can tell you. You're not going to be happy. But we can't let him die." Samael stood from his desk and disappeared out the door.

Lily stayed put. She sat there in stunned silence. What secret had her family been keeping from her? She hadn't seen her mother since the last time she was in this house. Lilith didn't care for the human realm. After Lilith followed Samael into the demon realm, she never left. Her children were spread far and wide, feeding her with the conquests they made. It felt like an eternity before the study doors opened back up and her father strode in with her mother. Lily's breath caught in her throat. She had never been sentimental about her mother. Lilith had never been overly affectionate with Lily. Nevertheless, Lily fought the urge to embrace her mother. 500 years was a long time.

"Mom," Lily said weakly. Lilith smiled down at her.

"Stand up, child. Is that how you greet your own mother?" Lilith opened her arms and Lily walked into them. They embraced tightly, albeit briefly. Lily sat back down after. Her parents took their seats across from her.

"So, what do you need to tell me?" Lily cut to the point. She was tired of being in the dark about her own life.

"Shynra," her father began slowly, "You have a very important role in this family. We have always tried to shield you from it, but it seems as if you have unlocked the key to being able to fulfill that role."

"Congratulations on finding him, by the way. I'm sure marking a human physically was a shock to you. We never expected him to be human." Lilith said. "Tell us a little about what you know."

Lily sighed, "I don't know much. Asmodeus told me the mark bound Luke to me eternally, that our lives were linked together. He said that he didn't know if that gave me a human life, or if it gave Luke immortal life. But that if one of us died, so would the other."

"Is that what he told you?" Samael raised his eyebrow, clearly amused. "I'm surprised you went to your uncle at all, child. Given what he's done to you in the past."

"Trust me, I didn't want to. But I knew I couldn't bring Luke here to get answers. He was my only resource." Lily said, her voice filled with regret. Introducing her uncle to Luke had led to this. Now she didn't know what was happening to her priest.

"You did the best you could. Now we need to fix it." Her father said shortly. "But now onto why it's so important. You are my only heir, and for a female ruler to take over, you have to come into power."

"What do you mean?" Lily felt like her priest now. It was her turn to ask all the questions.

"Female heirs need to prove themselves in ways that male heirs don't. You aren't born with your full powers; you have to come into them. How that happens depends on many factors. Your mother's lineage determined how you needed to be brought into your power." Samael looked over to her mother, who continued.

"Strong females of my line have always been able to take any man they want. However, not every man-or even most men-have been able to survive our seduction. For you to come into power, you needed to find a man who was your equal," Lilith paused, giving Lily a chance to soak in that information.

When the meaning became clear to Lily, she scoffed. "Since when does a princess need a man to complete her power?"

Lilith laughed lightheartedly, "I forget that you live in the human world, child. Our powers are linked. I am stronger with your father, just as he is stronger with me. Your equal needs to enhance your power as much as your father enhances mine. I stress, Shynra, he is your equal, not your superior."

"That makes no sense," Lily said.

"It will in time," her father interjected, "The bond that you gave your priest bound his life to yours, not the other way around. You can live without him, but you will be significantly weakened. You will revert to a human lifespan."

"Wait, what?" Lily asked, incredulous.

"And you can never assume your rightful place as my heir, either Shynra. Your priest is the key to your rule. I won't even comment on how ironic your choice of man is, though," her father said with a playful glint in his eye. Lily rolled her eyes. "We sent you away when you were young to protect you from everyone that wanted to do you harm. Everyone thought that your equal would be amongst our kind. They were offering their sons to you."

Samael took a deep breath, "Asmodeus wants my throne, child. He has been plotting against me and our family since you were born. He has been waiting for the day you found and marked your equal. He wants to destroy you. Ending my line would give him access to what he wants."

"I mean, I knew he hated me, but I didn't know he wanted me dead," Lily said, "I thought he just despised that I was weak."

Samael laughed, "You are far from weak. You hold mine and your mother's power. With ours combined, you are stronger than I am, you just needed your priest to unlock it. How do you feel being away from him?"

Lily thought for a second, "Powerless." It was a simple answer. She felt like her power had been sapped from her body ounce by ounce. That was saying something, because she always felt weak. Now she felt drained.

"It makes sense," Lilith said, "Luke is the source of your power."

"But why are you just now telling me this?" Lily asked.

"Because we wanted to protect you from your uncle," Samael said, "As I said earlier, he has been waiting for this to happen. I can rule indefinitely. The only way for you to assume my role is for me to abdicate or die. I can live with you being weakened, but I will not have your death hanging over my head."

"Then find Luke." Lily said. The hole in her was growing larger every second that he was separated from her. Where was he?

____________________________________________________________________________________

Luke was escorted into a lavish castle by a surly looking demon. He supposed that answered his question as to where he was. He was literally in Hell. But this went against the very construct of Hell he had been taught. Wasn't this place supposed to be fire and brimstone?

"Keep up, mortal." the gruff voice commanded.

Luke snapped back into reality and jogged to catch up with the demon. He was escorted through the castle. As he peered into rooms, he could see its inhabitants engaging in various acts of pleasure. He shuddered. How could they be comfortable doing that in the open? He was barely comfortable doing it with just him and Lily. A need for her deep within him rose at the thought of her. He felt her need for him burning in his back, could feel how frantic she was.

He wanted to let her know that he was okay.... for now. He wasn't sure how long he would stay intact, or even sane. Judging from the direction the demon was taking him, Luke wasn't going to be enjoying the same pleasures the rest of this castle was. It was buzzing with Asmodeus' magic. It was a familiar magic now, almost comforting. Luke knew it shouldn't be. Asmodeus was clearly dangerous, but he got excited thinking about the demon.

After one more turn down a dark hallway, the demon opened a door and led Luke inside. The room looked innocent enough. It had a large plush bed in it, a lamp on a bedside table, and a simple dresser. Other than that, it was dark and very clearly meant to strip Luke of dignity. Luke walked over to the dresser and opened the drawer. To his surprise, there were clothes in it. He didn't know if they would fit him, but it was better than having to run around nude.

Luke startled as the door slammed shut behind him and a lock clicked into place. He was definitely a prisoner here. It was then that Luke realized he actually was nude. Embarrassment rolled through him. Everyone in this place had seen him. He quickly grabbed some of the clothing out of the drawer and threw it on. It fit him perfectly, and the material was more comfortable than anything he ever put on. The church issued clothing was scratchy.

Luke trudged over to the bed and sat down. The bed was also soft. Everything about this room was contradictory. It screamed of a prison cell, but everything in it was made for comfort. He sighed and laid back. He had only been awake for a few hours, but fatigue pressed on him. He closed his eyes. Nothing sounded better to him than a nap, but the knock on the door assured him that he wasn't going to get one. His eyes opened as Asmodeus himself stepped in. A huge grin covered the demon's face.

"Welcome to my home, Priest. I hope everything is to your liking," Asmodeus said.

"It's a little gloomy, but it's comfortable," Luke admitted. The demon shrugged.

"We like it dark here," he replied simply. "I assume you know that you won't be leaving any time soon. My sweet niece Shynra will come looking for you, but she wouldn't dare take you from me."

"Why do you say that?" Luke knew he was giving in to the demon's teasing, but he couldn't help himself.

"Because you're my pet now. I'd rather you, and Shynra by extension, die than give you up for someone else to play with. Especially her." Asmodeus laughed. The laugh unnerved Luke.

"Why do you keep calling her Shynra? And I'm not your pet, I don't belong to anyone."

"That's her name, Priest. She's the heir of Samael and the daughter of Lilith, the most powerful demon couple in the realm. She has what I want, and now that she found you, she can rightfully take it. I'm not going to let that happen." Asmodeus explained as he tapped his foot on the floor.

"What do you mean she has what you want? She said she was a weak demon."

"That's not entirely true. But I'm not telling you anything else, not yet. You have to earn that information."

"Earn it?" Luke asked. "How do I earn information?"

"I can think of a few ways," Asmodeus said. "Enjoy your clothes while you can."

Luke scowled, "I'm not going to..."

He was cut off when the demon disappeared. Luke sighed heavily. He didn't want to trade sex for information. All he wanted was his demon back. He never thought he would miss her as much as he was. He could still feel her longing for him, her worry, and her determination to find him. He wondered idly if she could feel the same things coming from him. Resigned to the fact that he was trapped here, Luke laid back on the bed and fell into a very welcome sleep. He hoped that when he woke, his demon would be at his side.