11. Virgil
VIRGIL
T he heat between us was thick, suffocating in the best way, but just as Barythaya's lips parted to let out a breathless whisper, the distant shout of my name cut through the haze.
"Virgil!"
I tore my gaze away from her, my body still thrumming with the raw electricity of our sex. I could hear shouts coming from outside, something about a fire. The scent of smoke hit me next, acrid and sharp, cutting through the cool night air. I clenched my jaw, feeling the weight of reality crashing back in.
"Stay here," I told her, my voice low but firm. "I'll be back in a bit."
She nodded, her eyes still dark with the lingering edge of lust, but there was something else there too—worry, maybe. I wasn't sure, and I didn't have time to figure it out.
I stepped out of the building, my boots crunching on the gravel as I made my way toward the commotion. The maze was already lit up, flames licking up the walls of hay and wood, thick smoke billowing into the sky. Brimstone was barking orders, trying to get control of the chaos, while Bulldog and the others worked to contain the fire before it spread further.
But it wasn't just the fire that caught my attention. Siege had a Bloody Scorpion on his knees by the entrance, the rival gang's patch glaring under the dim light. The guy looked rough—blood smeared across his mouth, one eye swollen shut. He was barely conscious, head hanging low as Siege gripped him by the back of the neck.
"Fucking Bloody Scorpions," I muttered under my breath, my fists clenched as I moved closer. They always knew how to show up at the worst possible time, bringing their chaos with them like a damn plague.
Bulldog strode over, his face grim as Siege glanced up at him for direction. "What do you want me to do with him, Prez?" Siege asked, his voice dark with barely contained anger.
Bulldog didn't miss a beat, eyes flicking toward the crowd that had started to gather. "Whatever you're gonna do, do it out of sight. We don't need any more eyes on this shit."
Siege's grin was predatory as he jerked his head toward Guardian. "Let's take a walk," he growled, dragging the Scorpion to his feet. Guardian followed closely, his expression unreadable but his intentions clear as they moved toward the tree line, disappearing into the shadows.
With that handled, I turned back to the fire. Brim was yelling for more water, the flames getting higher. I grabbed a bucket, trying to stay focused, but something in the air felt wrong. There was tension, but it wasn't just the fight or the fire. It was something else, something that twisted in my gut like a warning.
Then I heard it.
A scream—sharp, chilling, and unmistakable.
Everything inside me froze. That scream wasn't just anyone's. It was hers.
"Barythaya."
The name left my lips like a curse, my heart lurching into my throat as I dropped the bucket and took off, my legs moving before my mind even caught up. The maze, the fire, the chaos around me—all of it faded into the background as I sprinted toward the sound, my pulse hammering in my ears.
The smoke was thick, the acrid scent burning my lungs with every breath, but I didn't slow down. I couldn't. My body was moving on instinct, driven by something deeper than fear. The instinct was primal, something protective. My legs pumped harder as I pushed through the field toward the house where I'd left her.
I ran through the house, the maze of mirrors stopped me in my tracks. They distorted my senses and my muscles tensed as I saw the shadows move around me. As I continued to fight my way through the mirrors I kept getting glimpses of those familiar red glowing eyes watching me.
"Entertained?" I asked the demon.
Very, it seethed into my ear and I cursed at it under my breath. Rage started to coil inside me.
You better run, Chaplain. She's waiting for you.
"Stay away from her you fucking piece of shit."
I finally made it out of the maze of mirrors and spotted Saddle at the end of the long hall. He was crouched over something—no, someone . My heart lurched in my chest as I ran toward them.
"Saddle?"
He looked up at me, his face pale beneath the smoke-stained air. He didn't have to say a word. I already knew.
I dropped to my knees beside him, and there she was. Barythaya.
She was convulsing on the ground, her body twisted, her limbs jerking in unnatural ways. Her pale skin had taken on a sickly hue, beads of sweat covering her forehead, and her eyes were rolled back. My blood ran cold.
Saddle looked up at me, his expression grim. "This isn't normal, man."
No, it wasn't. I knelt beside her, my hands hovering just above her trembling body, unsure of what to do.
Her body suddenly went limp, her skin far too pale under the flickering light, the side of her face streaked with blood. Her neck—there were marks, fresh, raw wounds I hadn't inflicted. They ran across her skin like claw marks and that made my stomach turn.
"Fuck," I breathed, my hands trembling as I reached out to touch her. The warmth of her skin told me she was still alive, but something was wrong . The air around her felt thick, almost suffocating, like the presence of something dark clung to her like a shadow.
And then I felt it—that familiar, sickening sensation crawling up my spine.
The demon. It had found her.
"No," I whispered, my voice barely audible as I looked down at her, fear now coiling around my heart.
My heart raced, a wild, frantic beat that made my chest ache. I couldn't lose her. Not to this. Not to that fucking thing.
"She's still breathing," Saddle said, his voice hoarse. "But barely. We need to get her help, Virgil."
I couldn't take my eyes off her, My hands hovering over the slash wounds on her chest. The demon had marked her, it had been toying with her, and I had been too damn blind to see it until now.
I leaned down, brushing a thumb across her cheek as if that could somehow ground her, pull her back to me. She stirred slightly, a small moan escaping her lips, but it was weak, too weak.
She's weak, Virgil. Too weak to fight me off.
I froze, my hand halfway to her forehead. The voice was cold, slick, and filled with malice. The demon. It was inside her.
I'll tear her apart, limb by limb, while you watch. There's nothing you can do.
"No," I growled under my breath. "You won't touch her."
The demon laughed, a low, guttural sound that echoed in my skull.
You think you can stop me? You're just as weak as she is.
I clenched my jaw, trying to block out the harsh demonic sound, but it was grating inside the walls of my head, getting stronger. I felt something cold and heavy settle over my shoulders, like the shroud of death itself.
And then it was there. Death. The specter I thought I had shaken off after our last encounter. But it wasn't done with me—not yet. Its skeletal form loomed over me, silent but somehow more present than the chaos around us. I didn't even have to look up to know it was there.
"You," I hissed through gritted teeth, trying to keep my voice low so Saddle wouldn't notice the shift. "What do you want?"
Death's voice was a low whisper, only for me. "You know what I want, Virgil. I'm here to give you a choice. Save her… or let her go."
I cursed under my breath. "I already told you to stay the fuck away from us."
"You can't save her on your own," it continued, its voice cold and indifferent. "She's too far gone. You either accept my help, or she's lost. And if I leave… the demon will take her. It's already begun."
"Virgil!" Saddle's voice broke through the haze in my head, pulling me back to the present. "We gotta move her, man. We can't leave her out here."
I nodded, forcing myself to focus. "Seal the clubhouse, no one gets in."
"What?" he asked. "She needs a hospital."
"Just do what I ask!" I shouted to him as I lifted her into my arms.
Saddle gratefully didn't continue to fight me on. Maybe it was the desperate look on my face or the stifling sense of fear, but he didn't question it again. He just moved, helping me lift Barythaya's limp body. Her convulsions had stopped, but that wasn't a good sign. It was almost like she'd gone still, too still. Her skin was cold, and her pulse was faint. The demon was inside her, controlling her.
Together, we ran across the trail and into the back of the clubhouse. Saddle ordered the prospects outside to clear the area. No one got back in or out.
He then slammed the door shut and looked at me, his face pale. "You sure about this?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I'm sure. Now go with them. All of you are to stay away. No matter what happens in here, you stay away," I warned.
Without another word, he stepped back, shutting the door behind him and leaving me completely alone with her and with the demon who had taken hold of her.
The room was quiet, eerily so, the air heavy with an unnatural chill. I turned back to Barythaya, my heart hammering in my chest. But she wasn't convulsing anymore. She was sitting up, her head tilted to the side, her lips contorted into a strange smile.
"Virgil," she purred, her voice different, sultry, teasing. "You came for me."
Something was off. The way she moved, the way she smiled—it wasn't her.
I took a step back, unsure of what was happening. My hand hovering near the blade at my side. It was then I realized what I was talking to.
"What did you do to her?"
She stood, slowly, her movements smooth, almost predatory. "I didn't do anything, lover . It was just too easy a game with her. Her walls aren’t as strong as she wanted them to be.”
It licked it’s fingertips. “No. This one’s deliciously weak. All these emotions this… love ,” it seethed the word as if disgusted by it.
I froze. "What?"
Barythaya, no, the thing inside her laughed, the sharp and high pitched, utterly unnatural. It sent a chill down my spine. "You thought you were going to stop me? Oh, Virgil. She's the one who opened the door. She's the one who gave me the keys."
My blood turned to ice. Barythaya had let the demon in.
How?
Why?
She moved closer, her hips swaying, her eyes dark with lust. "She's still in here, I can feel her soul. Oh, she's a fighter. But I don't mind sharing, you know. We could have so much fun together."
Her fingers trailed down my chest, lower, until they rested on the waistband of my jeans. I flinched, but I didn't pull away. I couldn't. My body was reacting to her touch, despite the alarms blaring in my head. She wasn't her , but she felt like her. She looked like her.
"What's the matter?" she whispered, her lips brushing against my ear. "Don't you want me?" It gripped my cock roughly, her voice distorting, becoming something more evil.
My grip tightened on my blade, my knuckles white, but if I hurt it, I’d hurt her. "Get out of her," I growled, barely holding onto the thin thread of control. "Now."
She smirked, pulling back just enough to look into my eyes. "And if I don't?"
"I will chain you to the darkest pit of fucking hell and feed you to your masters hellhounds," I seethed into her beautiful face.
She gave me that odd, empty smile and then she licked my lips, so slowly, deliberately. My body reacted to her, and I reminded myself this wasn't my woman.
"I’ll make sure to rip her heart out first,” it laughed in my face.
I hesitated, my mind spinning. The demon was one entity I hated, it had already gotten its claws into her, literally speaking. It explained what had happened in the last few weeks, and why Barythaya had lost that moment in time and couldn't remember what happened to her.
Suddenly, I felt it again. It was standing by my side, hovering over us. The demon didn’t seem to see it. “Let me help you, Virgil.”
“No.”
Barythaya continued to smile at me, the demon not even knowing I was having a completely separate conversation with its sibling. This was fucking madness. An Angel of Death. I didn't even know how to handle that. That was on a whole other level of spiritual. The angels, the guardians to heaven's gates, the most envious and most beautiful, and one of them had set its eyes on me.
I had to believe that Barythaya would be strong enough to fight it off. Or was she already too far gone?
"Make your choice, Virgil," Death's voice whispered, echoing inside my skull. "Save her… or let her burn."
Barythaya's hands were on me again, roaming over my body, her touch growing more insistent. I could feel the heat between us, the undeniable pull of desire, but it was wrong. This wasn't her. This was a manipulation. A trap.
I pushed her back, my breath coming in ragged gasps. "I'm not playing this game."
She laughed again, the sound cruel and mocking. "Oh, but you already are. You’re lucky I haven’t snapped her neck yet, but I find this torture more fun."
I stepped back, putting distance between us, but she followed, her eyes gleaming with a dark, twisted hunger.
"Virgil," Death whispered, her voice soft but deadly, "Jut give me the permission I need.”
I shook my head, forcing the words out through clenched teeth. "I'll save her. I'll find a way. But it won't be through you."
Barythaya’s smile faltered for a moment, and then the room became very still, a dark shadow slithered along the walls. Barythaya’s voice changed into a deep, now demonic sound that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
“These angels do like to play games, don't they? I don't like to share.” It cackled.
"It knows I’m here." Death whispered. “You don’t have much time.”
I stood my ground, prepared to fight all of them for her.
The demon taunted me through Barythaya again. “Oooh, I got chills just now. But you'll need more than that cowardly strength to beat me, soldier. Just remember, you will never be able to run from the hell that's inside you.”
With that, Barythaya lunged, her hands reaching for me, but I was faster. I pinned her to the floor, my heart pounding in my chest as I watched the demon and Death battle inside my love. One fighting to own her soul, the other to protect it only to indulge in its selfish lust.
"I will get her back," I swore, my voice shaking with fury. "I don't care what it takes. I will give my soul for hers!" I screamed while looking up at the heavens to a God who didn't respond.
The demon's laughter echoed around me, sounding surreal coming from my sweet love. But as I held her there, trapped beneath me, the doubts filled my head. And I was strong enough to fight this battle for the one I loved. Because she was the closest thing to love I have ever known.