B. Chapter 10

I realized I was holding my breath, almost like I was still wishing that this plan was all a dream. The look each of the angels gave me was a stab to the heart, and each one was a further twist. I held my ground, knowing I had to with Broody watching, and smiled. I flipped my blades around my hands teasing both Anna and Cas as I stepped toward Michael. There was no way I could take on an arch-angel head first, but I was supposed to be acting a part.

"How… how could you?" Michael growled, his voice deep. It felt as though each word penetrated through my bones and into my soul. I didn't even get within two feet of Michael when I was tackled sideways; I had hoped to ignore Cas this entire time… but apparently, he couldn't ignore me.

"I don't believe it," he said when he had me pinned into the ground. "Those scouts are wrong… you're wrong." I felt him tremble on top of me, and there wasn't anything else in the world that I wanted to do more than to pull him into my grasp and hug him. There was so much I wanted to say, but this wasn't exactly the ideal time.

"Believe it love," I said, letting the words roll of my tongue. "You betray me, I betray you. Simple concept if you ask me," I snarled placing my feet under his ribs and throwing him off. That seemed to snap everyone from their trance, and the battle went back into full rage.

Demons were cackling all around us, every single one was teasing the angels about how I had left them for Lucifer. I laughed along with them while I stood up and faced Cas. I couldn't see where Michael or Anna went, but I was careful to watch my back. Michael can't have me dead if he wanted that final battle, but he wasn't going to risk me turning the tide towards the demons either.

"I understand you're upset," Cas said matter-of-factly. "But you could not have made this choice willingly. I know you Rachel, you would not have done this."

"You're wrong," I snarled launching myself at the angel and crossing blades with him. I could see it in his eyes- the hesitancy to attack back. I had to make him hate me, at least for now. If he was trying to save me, then I would have to worry about him on top of Sam. "My Father is offering me something more than you birds ever can."

"What's that?" Cas growled trying to overpower me.

"A chance to live," I shouted bringing up one of my legs and kicking the angel back. "You see my Father will not lie to me, he will not destroy me once I fulfill his purpose, he loves me." I knew it was a low blow, but it was one that I had to do anyway. I saw the hurt cross his face, but I only smiled in response.

"Don't do this Rachel," he pleaded with me, his blade falling uselessly at his side. I found my heart being crushed; my own grace was crying out in pain at the very sight. I saw a flicker of pain cross Cas's face, and I remembered he still carried a part of me. "Come back. I love you."

I almost dropped my own blade and threw my plan out the window. More than anything I just wanted to leave with Cas and stay with him. I didn't want to be here any longer, not around my Father… but I had to save Sam. It was the only way to change how things were to be.

"Well I don't love you," I choked out making myself appear as angry as possible. I pushed myself forward and threw the first punch which connected with Cas's cheek. He spun from the force, but I kept up the assault. He stumbled down, and I gripped his hair while throwing up my knee. The next moment he was on his back staring up at the sky. I could hear Anna yelling at Cas to fight back, but he obviously wasn't listening. I tightened my grip on my blade before pressing it lightly into his chest, not enough to hurt, but it kept him on his back.

Before I could do anything else, I was thrown away by a massive fluctuation of grace. I nailed a tree and tried not to cry out from the force. I looked up to see Michael glaring down at me. I freed my other blade from my back and stood back up. I didn't even speak as I attacked the archangel. I swung with my right sword while spinning. I ducked under Michael's own blade. Based on its trajectory, Michael wasn't 100% trying to kill me, but he was looking to maim me for sure.

During this attack, I glanced around the battlefield to see most of the demons had fallen, but numerous angels were exhausted and hunched over. Broody was cackling between them all; he seemed to be very at home on the battlefield. This fight was coming to a close; we had lost more numbers… but demons were easily replaced.

"Rachel," Michael said as I fell to my knees and crossed my blades to block his attack. "Surrender and we can figure out how your Father has influenced you."

"He does not influence me!" I snarled actually letting go of my blades and rolling forward at the same time. I pulled a dagger from my boot and slammed it into Michael's side. I heard him grunt from the impact, but otherwise, he showed no pain. However, I felt a ton when his grace lashed out, and I was forcibly pressed into the dirt. It felt like a 100 people jumping on me. Each bone in my body cried out together. If I had been human, this would have killed me. I felt blood dripping from my lips as I was tossed into another tree. Michael hadn't moved an inch, but he pulled my dagger from his side.

"Enough of this," he snarled, and I could tell he was actually upset now. I felt a lash of grace coming at me again, but this time I was ready. Enough pretending to be human, I threw out my own grace. The force of the two combining threw Michael back a few inches. I stood and continued to push out with my grace. The archangel gave another push and it almost knocked me down, but I held fast. I felt my anger rising as Michael continued to try and force me down.

The blood was trickling between my lips, and I realized I didn't have much choice. While the angels were exhausted, Broody and I were about to be overpowered. I couldn't be captured- not now. I snarled and used Lucifer's grace to attack Michael as well. Suddenly I didn't feel like I was pressing against a solid brick wall; it was more like a mattress now. I lashed out again, and Michael had to take a step back. Again and again, I forced both of my grace sources to work together. I felt bristling with energy, and when I looked down, my skin was glowing.

"Rachel!" I heard Broody screaming at me.

With one final push, I felt a wave of my own grace go out in every direction. It knocked every angel off their feet, and I found my own knees buckling beneath me. I suddenly felt very exhausted, yet something was very wrong. I thought I had collapsed, but I was standing tall. I felt as though I was fading away, that I was locked into my own mind.

"Rachel!" Broody snapped again standing in front of me. "We need to go… now!" He was grabbing my arm, but the very touch of his skin made me sick. I almost lashed out at him too, but I suddenly felt very in control of my body again. I almost fell, but he caught me. "Now you faint." I could hear the annoyance in his voice, but he slung me over his shoulder. We left the battlefield as the angels moved to try get back up.

As we moved away, I could hear Cas was crying at me, but it was no longer out of love. It was angry. I looked back and I saw three angels not moving. They were obviously dead, and I had killed them. It had been an accident, but they were dead. More blood on my hands… more hot, wet blood… I found the world fading away.

My next coherent moment was me on the ground. The cold floor was beneath me, and I was staring up into the rafters of some building. A quick glance to the right told me I was back in the church. In that second, I realized I was being talked about. I stayed quiet and remained looking unconscious.

"I don't know how she did it," Broody was saying. "One moment I was sure we would be overpowered, but the next she was glowing and the birds were all thrown back."

My Father didn't seem to care. "How many did she kill?"

"The first one she killed was one of your agents," Broody said, and I tried not to grin at the thought of when I appeared to Michael and the others. The angel I had stabbed had been Lucy's, and I had known that when I killed him… the other three, on the other hand, and the one from yesterday… I tried not to think about. "There was no way she could have known he was your agent though. It was a well kept secret. The other three she killed when she started to glow."

"You have a lightning bug for a daughter," I could hear Crowley laughing.

"I did not know she had so much control of my grace," Lucifer said. "However, it seems to be detrimental to her."

"I tried to touch her right after it happened and her grace burned me," Broody continued. "If I didn't know better, I would have thought she was simply an angel not Nephilium."

"Interesting," Lucy was saying, and I could hear him stepping towards me. I felt his hand on my face; he must have knelt down. He was brushing the hair from my face; it was almost tender. "Be sure when she awakens, she has food and water. Her body will need nourishment to remind itself that it is human and not angel."

"Can she be an angel?" Alistair asked.

"Her body would not be able to handle it," Lucifer said, his hand still on my face. "It would destroy her human soul if it occurred, but yes it would be possible. These occurrences of her grace lashing out like this are proof. Given enough of a push, she could use my grace to become an angel."

"Well this might be a good time to get that grace back now," Crowley was laughing. "Or you let her keep it for a bit, and she continues on with these brilliant shows of keeping the angels back."

"Either way you decide, she's on our side Lucifer," Broody continued, changing the subject to which I was grateful for. "She nearly killed Castiel with that blast. I doubt she'd risk that angel's life if she wasn't serious about being with you."

I found myself flinching involuntary at the concept I could have killed Cas. Knowing my rouse of being unconscious was over, I groaned and turned my head. I started to act like I was just starting to wake up. It was then I realized that not only was I starved but every inch of me was on fire. Any movement caused pain.

"What happened?" I said but quickly discovered I was very hoarse. "Wow it hurts." I couldn't help but cough out a laugh.

"You my dear lovely daughter," Lucifer said with a grin, "did very well and you deserve a rest."

"I can't rest," I groaned pushing myself up. "I have work to do." I was mostly referring to Sam and finding him, but I wasn't going to tell him that.

"Crowley," Lucifer growled, "get her to a room and force her to eat if you must with that hellhound of yours."

"Come on girlie," Crowley said pulling me up. "Time to get you breakfast."

"I don't want breakfast," I complained as I was being dragged away from the main room, but as we left through a side door, I realized there was another door I had never seen before. It was hidden in a confessional booth. I needed to check that out.

"Then lunch," Crowley sighed. "Either way, you're eating."

When we were out of earshot of everyone, Crowley stopped me in the middle of the hallway. His hand was still on my bicep, and the grip was tightening. I could have forced him off, but my body was in too much pain. I felt as though I didn't have a grip on my body still.

"You're in a lot of mess," he said with a grin, but I was about to argue when he shushed me. "This is all about Sammy." I found myself at a loss of words, but I kept quiet. "Don't worry, I won't tell. Me and you are about to become fast friends."

Chapter 11: Crowley knows Rachel's secret, but he also knows Lucifer's plan. The war can hinge on a single decision… as can Rachel's very soul. It's time to decide who she can trust…

OOC: Two chapters in one day. Rejoice.