Chapter 225: Cease your talking

RAVIAL

I watched with cruel satisfaction as my little lamb stood before the possessed girl, her small hands trembling but her faith burning like a fragile flame in the dark.

Leitana dipped her fingers into the small bottle of holy water Marita held open for her. She made the sign of the cross on Arabella’s forehead, her voice soft but steady as she began to pray.

“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit… I command you, unclean spirit, to leave this girl. By the power of Jesus Christ, come out of her.”

Marita stood beside her, clutching a rosary tightly, her stronger Bislama accent mixing with English as she joined in, eyes closed in fierce concentration.

“Papa God, drive out dis evil ting. In di name of Jesus, release her. Yu no gat power here. Come out!”

Arabella’s body jerked violently against the ropes. The demon inside her thrashed, eyes flashing that sick ember red again and a guttural snarl ripped from her throat.

“NOOOOO….”

Cease your talking.

I spoke directly into the demon’s mind, my power sliding through its consciousness like ice. The demon froze mid-sentence, eyes widening in pure terror.

My lord..! Please, I didn’t know…

I said cease.

The demon’s voice died instantly. Arabella’s mouth snapped shut, but her body continued to twitch and strain against the restraints.

I tilted my head slightly, watching through the blindfold as Leitana continued praying, completely unaware of the true conversation happening right in front of her.

Good.

She would never know.

The demon whimpered inside Arabella’s mind, a pathetic sound only I could hear.

My lord, mercy, I’ll leave right now

No.

A dark smile curved my lips, hidden from everyone.

You will stay in that body a little longer. Suffer for what you dared to say to my wife. Feel every prayer. Every drop of holy water. Every word that burns you from the inside.

The demon screamed silently in agony as Leitana pressed the rosary against Arabella’s forehead. Its presence writhed like fire inside the girl’s flesh.

I watched it burn for a few more minutes, savoring the it’s terror. Then, when I had grown bored of its suffering, I spoke one final command into its mind, my gaze locked on Arabella’s twitching face.

Leave.

The demon shrieked, a sound only I could fully hear, high-pitched and desperate.

No please..

Now. We will meet in Hell. And I will make sure your punishment there lasts an eternity.

With one final, blood-curdling wail that echoed only in the spiritual realm, the demon ripped itself out of Arabella’s body.

Arabella slumped forward instantly, head hanging limp, unconscious once more.

Leitana gasped and rushed forward with Marita, both girls quickly untying the ropes. Lucius moved in to help, supporting Arabella’s weight as they gently lowered her to the floor.

“Is it gone?” Arabella’s voice came out weak and hoarse as her eyes fluttered open. She looked around in confusion and terror, tears streaming down her face. “Leitana… what happened? I felt… I felt something leave…”

Leitana breathed heavily, her hands shaking as she cupped Arabella’s face. She dipped her finger into the vial of anointing oil and gently rubbed it across Arabella’s forehead in the sign of the cross.

Nothing happened. No resistance or demonic voice.

Leitana’s face broke into a radiant, tearful smile.

“It’s gone,” she whispered, voice thick with relief. “Praise God… it’s gone.”

Marita laughed through her own tears and pulled Leitana into a tight hug. “We did it, Lei! We really did it!”

Leitana looked up at me across the room, her eyes shining with exhaustion and joy.

I arranged my expression into one of perfect, believable shock, eyes widening slightly behind the blindfold, lips parting as if I couldn’t quite comprehend what I had just witnessed.

“My lamb…” I said softly, voice filled with feigned awe as I stepped closer. “You did it.”

I pulled her into my arms, cradling her against my chest, one hand resting protectively over our child.

Inside, the devil smiled.

My wife had no idea how close she had just come to the truth.

Arabella lunged forward without warning and threw herself into Leitana’s arms, clinging to my wife like a lifeline. Violent tremors shook her entire body as she buried her face in Leitana’s shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Thank you… thank you… oh God, thank you,” she cried, voice muffled and hoarse. “I’m so sorry, Leitana… I made a stupid, horrible mistake. I summoned it. I just wanted to play better. The pressure from my parents… never being good enough… It promised me perfection for three days. Just three days…”

Her fingers twisted desperately into Leitana’s hoodie, soaking the fabric with tears.

“I didn’t know it would stay. It wouldn’t leave. Every night it took over… and it hurt people. It made me watch. I tried to fight it, I swear… but then it saw you. It wanted you. It said you were special. A vessel. I tried to stop it, but I was too weak…”

My lamb, my perfect, gentle lamb didn’t pull away. She held Arabella softly, one hand rubbing slow circles on the girl’s back while the other rested protectively over the small swell of her belly where our son grew.

“It’s okay,” Leitana whispered, voice full of that pure compassion that still managed to fascinate me. “It’s gone now. You’re free. But Arabella… you should never do something like that again. Never. Playing the violin is beautiful, but not worth inviting evil into your soul. Papa God gave you your talent. You don’t need anything else.”

Arabella nodded frantically, still sobbing against her. “I won’t. I swear on my life… never again. Thank you… all of you. I thought I was going to die inside my own body.”

Marita stepped in then, wrapping her arms around both of them, murmuring soft prayers in her thick island accent. The three of them formed a small, trembling circle of light in the middle of my dark penthouse.

I watched it all with cold amusement twisting through my veins.

How fragile you mortals are, I thought. One whisper of power and you sell your souls for scraps. And yet my lamb… my sweet, faithful little lamb… still opens her arms with love even after the it threatened what is mine.

I stepped forward slowly and placed my hand on the small of Leitana’s back, she leaned into me instantly, trusting and warm.

“You should rest,” I told Arabella, my voice calm and measured. “We’ll make sure you get home safely in the morning. For now, you’re under my protection.”

Arabella lifted her tear-streaked face and looked at me with wide, grateful eyes. “Thank you, Mr. Ashbourne… I don’t know how to repay you.”

My lips curved into a faint smile.

“Just stay away from things you don’t understand.”

Leitana turned in my arms and looked up at me with those beautiful, trusting hazel eyes, exhausted but peaceful. For a single moment,

even the darkness inside me felt warmth.

I slid my hand around to rest over her belly again.

Mine.

All of you.