Days passed, little headway was made in finding any answers about who could have the power to bind Tiel's grace like it did. Castiel was becoming frustrated with the lack of progress but he tried to remain in good humour for Tiel. Dean and Sam didn't have the same attitude.
"God damn it!" Dean said slamming the book in front of him shut. He growled and pushed his chair back.
"Maybe it wasn't an angel?" Sam ventured after he too closed the book he was reading.
"A demon?" Cas asked and Tiel looked skeptical. Her wings were tucked close to her body most of the time now as they were pretty distracting to all three of the men in the room.
"There's only a few demons who would possess the strength to affects an angel's grace. I don't know if any of them are still alive." Cas said pondering over their suggestion.
"There's some one we can ask." Sam said and Dean rolled his eyes.
"I thought we were closing the door on Crowley?" he asked his brother. Sam shrugged.
"Who is Crowley?" Tiel asked Cas placing her hand on his arm. It was a new development since their flying trip, but now she took every opportunity to touch Castiel. Not that he minded in the slightest.
"He is the King Of Hell." he explained and her nose scrunched in distaste.
"You commune with a demon? Willingly?" she asked Sam and Dean.
"Not willingly." Sam said guiltily.
"But Sammy is right. If anyone can tell us of high powered demons its Crowley. Unless you got anything up your sleeve Cas?" Dean asked the angel.
"I always have my angel blade up my sleeve." Cas replied to him with his eyebrows pulled together. Dean sighed and Sam chuckled.
"It means have you got any other suggestions Cas." Dean sighed pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Oh. No I don't. All of my angel contacts have no idea who could have done this."
"Alright, lets call Crowley." Sam said.
"Fantastic." Dean sighed again.
The King of Hell popped in to the bunker with his usual grace and smugness and Tiel hid behind Castiel again. The brothers had wanted her out of the place altogether but she has resisted that idea.
"Hello boys." Crowley said in the smarmy British accent of his. He glanced around at the gathered beings and his eyes locked on Tiel peeping over Cas's shoulder.
"And what kind of lovely do we have here then?" he asked giving her a signature grin. Tiel just blinked at him but her wings were ruffling in apprehension.
"An angel. Well now Castiel are we collecting lost angels?" he asked and Cas scowled at him.
"Focus Crowley, we called you for a reason." Dean said snagging the demons attention.
"And?" Crowley asked putting his hands in his pockets looking rather relaxed. Tiel had to admit there was a certain charm to the hell creature.
"Do you know of any demons with enough power to bind an angels grace?" Castiel asked him. Crowley immediately raised his eyebrows and looked back at Tiel.
"Ah." he said.
"Ah? That's it?" Sam asked.
"There are two demons powerful enough to do that. One isn't even a demon." he explained a little more. Like all conversations with Crowley this one was like pulling teeth.
"Lucifer." Sam said and Crowley nodded.
"But Lucifer is caged again, there's no way he could reach up to heaven and pull down an angel. And if he could why would he choose her?" Castiel said to the brothers as he thought out loud.
"You were pulled from heaven? As in didn't fall willingly?" Crowley said and he seemed much more interested.
"Yes." Tiel replied to the demon as she moved to come out from behind Castiel. The angel put his arm across her for protection but she just shrugged it off.
"I was an angel of harvest, not important enough to offend anyone." she explained.
"Well my dear creature you must have offended someone. But not a demon or Lucifer." Crowley said growing bored with the conversation.
"What other demon? You said one demon besides Lucifer." Sam said.
"A Knight of Hell." Crowley was looking at Dean.
"But we killed the last night, destroyed it when we cured Dean." Cas said. Tiel was stepping closer to Crowley who was watching her. Her wings were settled again but quivering with curiosity. She circled him while the Winchesters and the angel talked about the Knight.
"You are a pretty little thing though aren't you?" Crowley said letting her look her fill.
"This is my first time seeing a demon." she admitted as she looked at him. He didn't scream evil like she had expected, more of a mischievous danger.
"And?" he asked her with a smirk.
"Do you really run Hell?" she asked. She was on his side now and before she knew what he was doing Crowley had reached out a hand to brush along her wings. She gasped at the uninvited touch and Cas was there pulling her back behind him in a split second.
"You do not touch her!" he growled at Crowley with his eyes glowing.
"Alright Cas, don't go all smitey." Dean said to the angry angel.
"Just curious is all." Crowley said and he held up his hand to show one single white feather. He looked at it closely.
"An angel feather is said to hold very strong magic." Crowley said looking at the feather still. He was turning it back and forth in the light.
"Give it back." Sam said holding out his hand.
"No, its fine. Let him keep it." Tiel said suddenly.
"Are you crazy? Who knows what kind of trouble he could cause with an angel feather." Dean asked her.
"He answered our question, he has earned a thank you." Tiel explained.
"I like this one." Crowley said in appreciation.
"But you must swear not to use my feather in any spell." she said and he rolled his eyes.
"I swear it." he agreed. He tucked the feather into his breast pocket. "And now if you have no more questions I have some torturing to get back to." he said.
"So you're absolutely sure that Lucifer and a Knight of Hell are the only ones who could do this to an angel?" Sam asked and Crowley nodded. Sam made a mild bitch face and then with a final little wave at Tiel the King of Hell was gone.