Page 7 of Priest

“You know you’re not. If it didn’t feel like weird incest, I’d totally be into you,” Poe told him.

Oliver shuddered at the thought. “Thanks, I think?”

Poe tapped his chin. “I bet Azriel would be really good in bed. I mean, I’ve thought about it once or twice. He probably has moves that are illegal in half the kingdoms on the continent.”

And then he shivered and bit his lip.

Oliver gaped at him. “Stop talking for at least one hour. I’ve had enough of your mouth for now.”

Poe laughed and hopped off the counter. “I’m gonna go shower and jerk off. Go visit your friend unless you want to listen in.”

That was enough to get Oliver up off his ass and out the door. He loved sharing a place with his best friend, but sometimes, he also really hated it.

Sitting in the club, Oliver felt a little pathetic. The Pearly Gates was usually always busy no matter what time of day, but today, there was a noticeable lull in business now that the sun had set. There were a couple of dancers on the side stages, but the main stage was dark, the curtain drawn, and Oliver was the only one sitting at the bar.

“Does it seem weirdly dead in here today?”

“There’s nothing weird about it,” Azriel said. His voice sounded harsh and cold, which was completely unlike him. He never talked to Oliver like that. “You haven’t seen the news?”

Something ran up Oliver’s spine. He’d been feeling odd all day long, and he just figured it was melancholy over Priest. But maybe it wasn’t. Oliver had always had an almost sixth sense when something was about to go wrong or when someone he loved was hurt. Some of the time, he was right, but sometimes, he was also just being paranoid out of fear of losing the only people who cared about him.

He’d learned to ignore it unless the feeling was pressing, and today had been nothing more than a dull hum.

Azriel snapped his fingers, and a TV Oliver had never noticed on the wall above the rows of bottles turned on. There was areporter talking about the arrest of a human senator, and then he started paying attention. The sound was off, but the slow-moving captions told the story of what really went on.

The Trident Agency had just uncovered a plot against the Siren royal family. The crown prince and the young prince and princess had been taken by an unnamed anti-Supe organization, and several members of the notorious Alpha Team were instrumental in bringing them home.

Now, fingers were being pointed at one of the human governments, though the news didn’t name who had done it or why.

Oliver felt bile rising in his throat. He did his best not to think about where he’d come from, but that wasn’t easy when he knew far too many people who would applaud something like this. The feeling along his spine got worse.

And then it exploded when the camera panned over, and he got his first glimpse of Priest in weeks. His heart felt like it was trying to climb out of his throat.

“I hate this.”

Azriel stared at him for a long time, an expression on his face Oliver couldn’t read. “Something wrong?”

“No,” Oliver lied.

Azriel leaned forward and captured his gaze. Oliver had seen this move before. Usually, the person cracked open like a damn walnut and spilled their guts, but Azriel rarely used his power on Oliver for that. “Talk to me.”

“I really don’t want to.”

The strange look on Azriel’s face deepened, and then he sighed and leaned back. “Is this about Priest?”

“Is there, like, a group chat with all of you who want to talk about my pathetic crush?” Oliver groaned.

Azriel laughed. “Let me guess… Poe?”

“He thinks I’m pining.”

Azriel’s smile widened. “Oh, honey. Youarepining. It’s really quite disgusting and it totally throws off the vibe in here. The only reason I don’t mind is because everyone’s at home shaking in their panties, and there’s no one left to entertain me.”

Oliver frowned at him. “You’re not going to take all of that seriously? You know they’d come after you too. Angels aren’t exempt.”

“I’ve never taken anything seriously in my whole existence, and I’m not about to start now,” Azriel said with a wink. He grabbed one of his spice cigarettes from his silver case, blew on the tip, and Oliver sucked in a breath when it lit. Azriel drew in a deep lungful, then let it out with a happy sigh. “Anyway, this whole thing with Priest is not one-sided, okay? So quit worrying.”

“I’m not. And yes it is. The last time I saw him, I swear he was going to kiss me. I was laying it on as thick as I could, but he panicked and ran.”

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