Chapter 224: Greater Evil

They all stepped out of the SUV into the cool early morning air. It was a little after six, and the upscale residential neighborhood was completely still. No lights in any windows, no dogs barking or even early joggers. Just the four of them standing in the quiet shadows of tall trees lining the street.

Leitana wrapped her arms around herself, eyes wide as she stared at the large modern mansion behind the high fence. “How do we get her out, mi Ravial? They might still be sleeping….”

Ravial closed the car door with a soft click and turned to her, calm and unhurried. “Lucius will get her.”

Leitana blinked. “What?”

She looked at Lucius, then back at Ravial. “No… we will go knock. We will tell her parents what is happening. We can explain…”

Ravial cupped her cheek gently, thumb brushing her skin. “Love, do you truly think they will believe their daughter is possessed by a demon? That something ancient and evil lives inside her? They will call the police before we finish the first sentence.”

Leitana opened her mouth, closed it, then looked helplessly at Marita, who only shrugged.

He turned his head slightly toward Lucius. “Go.”

Lucius gave a single nod, silent and efficient. Without another word, he moved like a shadow, scaling the tall decorative fence with unnatural ease, dropping silently into the garden on the other side, and vanishing into the darkness near the side of the house.

Leitana’s eyes widened. “Woww!”

She stared after Lucius, mouth open in shock.

Marita let out a nervous giggle. “Mr Lucius is… something else, eh?”

They waited.

Five minutes felt like fifty.

Leitana kept shifting from foot to foot, glancing between the house and Ravial, her heart hammering. She clutched Ravial’s sleeve tightly. He simply rested his hand over hers, thumb stroking soothing circles on her knuckles, saying nothing.

Then movement.

He climbed back over the fence with the same effortless grace, this time carrying an unconscious Arabella draped over his shoulder like she weighed nothing. Her head lolled, long hair hanging down, completely limp.

Leitana gasped. “Is she…?”

“She’s fine,” Lucius said quietly as he approached. “Just asleep. I made sure of it.”

They moved quickly. Ravial opened the back door of the SUV. Lucius gently laid Arabella across the seat, careful not to jostle her. Marita climbed in beside her, cradling Arabella’s head in her lap. Lucius took the seat on the other side, watchful and ready.

Ravial started the engine and pulled away smoothly, as if they had not just kidnapped a girl from her family home in the middle of the night.

“We are going to my penthouse in the city,” he said, eyes on the road. “It is closer and more secure. No one will disturb us there.”

Leitana kept twisting in her seat to glance at the back. Arabella looked so pale and fragile, breathing slowly, completely unaware. Every few seconds Leitana’s eyes would dart back to her, worry etched deep on her face.

“Mi Ravial… is she going to be okay?” she whispered.

Ravial reached over and rested his hand on her thigh again, squeezing gently. “She will be whatever I decide she will be. Right now, the only thing that matters is removing the thing that dared to speak to you.”

He glanced at her, voice low and dark with promise.

“And I will enjoy every second of it.”

Leitana swallowed hard, heart racing as the car sped back toward New York City with an unconscious, possessed Arabella lying in the back seat between Lucius and Marita.

The private elevator doors opened directly into Ravial’s sprawling Manhattan penthouse. The space was dark, luxurious, and intimidating, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the glittering city skyline, black marble floors, and modern minimalist furniture that screamed power and money.

Ravial stepped out first, carrying Arabella’s limp body in his arms like she weighed nothing. He walked straight into the large open living area and lowered her into a heavy wooden dining chair.

“Lucius,” he said calmly. “Tie her down.”

Leitana’s eyes widened. “Is it necessary, mi Ravial? She is just…”

“Yes,” Ravial cut her off, voice low and final. “It is necessary. Whatever is inside her is not ‘just’ anything. I will not risk it hurting.”

Marita nodded quickly and helped Lucius. They used thick, soft ropes from a drawer Lucius seemed to know exactly where to find. They secured Arabella’s wrists to the chair arms and her ankles to the legs, tight enough to hold but not cut off circulation. Marita double-checked the knots with nervous hands.

Leitana stood a few feet away, clutching the bag of holy items, biting her lip. “Mi still feel bad… she looks so small like this.”

Ravial came to stand behind her, one large hand resting on her shoulder. “Better she is tied than you are hurt, little lamb.”

Lucius stepped forward and pressed two fingers firmly against Arabella’s forehead. A faint pulse of energy passed through him.

Arabella’s eyes snapped open with a sharp gasp.

She blinked rapidly, looking around the unfamiliar luxurious penthouse in pure confusion. Then her gaze landed on Leitana, Marita, Lucius, and finally the towering figure of Ravial standing behind them.

“Leitana…?” she croaked, voice hoarse. “What the fuck is going on? Where am I?” She tugged hard at the ropes, chair creaking. “Why am I tied? Release me!”

She started struggling, pulling hard against the ropes, the chair creaking. Panic rose quickly in her eyes. “Let me go! This isn’t funny! Leitana, please untie me!”

Leitana took a deep, shaky breath and stepped closer, crouching down so she was eye-level with Arabella.

“Arabella… we are not going to hurt you. We brought you here to help you.” She said softly, voice full of compassion.

“Help me?” Arabella laughed bitterly, struggling harder against the restraints. “You kidnapped me from my house in the middle of the night and tied me to a fucking chair! You’re insane! Let me go right now!”

Leitana crouched down in front of her, eyes pleading. “Please, please just calm down. Mi know there is something inside you. Mi want to remove it. Mi want to help you.”

Arabella’s face crumpled. Real tears filled her eyes. “No… no, you can’t. You don’t understand. It will kill me if it doesn’t get what it wants. Please, Leitana, just let me go. I’m begging you.”

Leitana’s voice softened. “And what does it want?”

Arabella’s body suddenly jerked violently. Her head snapped back, then forward. When she looked up again, her eyes glowed that sickening ember-red.

A completely different voice slithered out of her mouth, mocking, and dripping with malice.

“It wants you, little vessel,” the demon purred, lips curling into a cruel smile. “That soft light…”

The demon’s words cut off mid-sentence.

Its glowing eyes slowly shifted past Leitana… and landed directly on Ravial.

The temperature in the penthouse seemed to drop several degrees. The demon’s expression twisted from smug confidence to pure, animalistic terror in a single heartbeat.

“No… no, no, no..” It started struggling violently against the ropes, Arabella’s body jerking and thrashing. “I was wrong! I didn’t know! I didn’t know you were here! Please I’ll leave! I’ll leave right now! Don’t, don’t….”

Leitana and Marita stared in shock, not understanding the sudden change.

Leitana turned to Marita quickly. “Bring out everything. The holy water, the crucifix, the rosaries, we have to force it out now!”

Marita hurriedly opened the bag and started handing items to Leitana with shaking hands. Leitana stood, holding up the large silver crucifix in one hand and the bottle of holy water in the other.

As soon as the holy water touched Arabella’s skin, she or rather the demon screamed. A raw, ear-splitting shriek tore from her throat as her body convulsed against the ropes. Smoke rose faintly from where the water had landed.

“Stop! STOP!” the demon howled through Arabella’s mouth. “My Lord Lucifer, please! Have mercy! I will leave her! I will….”

Ravial stood completely still, arms crossed, blindfolded face expressionless. A faint, terrifying smile played at the corner of his lips.

Leitana kept going, voice trembling but determined as she recited prayers she had memorized on the drive over, pressing the crucifix closer while Marita sprinkled more holy water.

Arabella’s body thrashed violently in the chair, screa

ming and sobbing as the demon inside fought desperately to escape the presence of something far more powerful than itself.