Chapter eleven

Veil of deception

Affectation was an early sign of a twisted mind
All virtues had faded away, apprehension made her cold
But warm she was inside, the child within her died
And left her with a heart of stone
Surface anger was a thin disguise, yet at night she cries
Behold the pain in her eyes, degradation was a grind
Her true self left behind, compassion you will find
Hidden by a veil of deception
And so the story goes that's the way she chose to live her life
And anybody knows the way it feels when you hurt inside
She's running from herself the game of life in which she played
Looking back upon the early years, there was room for tears
But she chose to push them away, condemnation was a vice
She chose to roll the dice, and so she paid the price
Misery was her only friend
Inner feelings were a neutral zone, though she tried to condone
In a world she faced so alone, her salvation came too late
And on that day she died, no one even cried
Forgot about the veil of deception

Sam was staring blankly at the psychic addressing him. It started out as just a story…. A story about how people suffered thru Crusades and Inquisition. How church decided to protect her fellow humans and bring creatures from darkness to help them doing it. Who can better protect them from darkness if not creatures from darkness??

Sam wondered what all of this has to do with him… And then Midnite eyed him suspiciously and explained how both Sariel and he got a part in this war. And there was were Sam was shocked.

"Boy… Are you paying attention to me?" Midnite growled at the man sitting across his table and stared at the way his face lost all colours.

"You are telling me that you trained Sariel after the vampire war with lycans ended and she was out of a job? And you personally went to Hell several times? And that Crusades were actually the first war against evil?" Sam asked him completely perplexed. "I am sorry. You lost me. I am still wondering what all of this has to do with me."

"Nothing yet. Pay attention. After Sariel came to me and I sensed she has great potential with her psychic abilities, we formed an order called Sentinels."

"People that are guarding the passage between our plane and Hell. She told us about that."

"Yeah, that… But that is not the whole truth. She is a vampire as you know and vampires don't have psychic abilities. You understand what I am implying?"

"Could you be more vague?" Sam asked sighing.

"Yes… Always." Midnite chuckled. "Vampires are part animals and as all animals they can sense supernatural creatures. But they know that they can't do anything against them. When she was twelve, she was attacked by a demon and thrown into water. The demon tried to drown her, apparently not knowing that she is a vampire. Because you see. Vampires are dead creatures and if they get submerged for longer period, they can easily cross the barrier that separates this world from Hell."

"You are saying that she didn't drown and that she went to Hell?? How can she go to Hell thru water????"

"Wait a minute. Her brother got her out of the water and out of Hell. Usually, that kind of a trip doesn't have big consequences, but her did. She developed the sight. Water is the universal conduit for passing between the worlds. Don't worry, only if you are a psychic that can wield his astral filed and find the right key for passing thru. If a normal person drowns, he doesn't go to Hell."

"The sight?"

"Oh, my God, boy…. The sight is the ability to see the real world hidden beneath the fog. Mortals and humans aren't allowed to see the true face of evil. They can sense it, but not feel it."

"Dean and I can see demons…."

"No, you cannot. You only see the possession since they are out of ordinary and not allowed. We see their true forms. And besides, apparently, you and your brother couldn't recognize a demon without spraying him with holy water or saying some holy words… I don't understand how you didn't recognized Meg as one of them??" Midnite sounded highly annoyed.

Sam couldn't believed what he just said. So, fine... He wasn't thinking straight after that fight with Dean, but she didn't looked like a homicidal maniac with supernatural powers and blind loyalty to her father.

"They never do, boy." Midnite said and Sam opened his mouth in a gasp. "Yes, I can read your mind. Don't worry. I already know everything you and your brother did and see on your travels…. Close your mouth boy. Something is gonna fly in."

"But…. Sariel…"

"She is a not the subject. You are. Now, may I proceed with the story or would you like to gap like a moron some more?"

"Fine…"

"Let us start from the basics. Daimon is a Greek word a spirit, and it meant the power controlling the destiny of individuals. It was both the distributor of destinies and the destiny itself. In Greece they were a nameless, ill-defined plurality of supernatural beings, yet this semantic vagueness suited them for new applications in the curse of time. Plato in his book Timaeus, spoke of the aither, upper air, where heroes and departed souls resided. Souls and daimones alike were physically composed of aither, a mysterious fifth element called Quinta essentia.

Their position between heroes and gods was not however stable and Plato elsewhere equated all fallen soldiers with daimones, while during the Hellenistic period any deceased person would be called a daimon. It came close to the ideas of souls and spirit.

Xenocrates later on, conceptualised demons as dark, lustful forces, thereby initiating the shift of the daimones from elements of scientific to a moral one. And much closer to the Christian version. Neoplatonic magic, as represented by the Chaldean Oracles, refer to daimones as beings that can be addressed and their aid can be enlisted through elaborate rituals involving the spinning of a top, or iunx."

Midnite paused to be sure that the boy was right there with him.

"Yes, I understand. You may proceed." Sam sighed the second he realised why was Midnite so inceptively staring at him.

"The messages enlisting demonic help against an enemy could be written on lead tablets and buried along the dead. That is the reason for the big, bad Inquisition. Since people had no way of wielding such powers themselves, they were presumed of conspiring with the Devil in order to gain power. Yeah, that went well…." Midnite sighed and waved his hand. "Demons could be appealed to by resort to more powerful gods through elaborate spells recorded on magical papyri. The Christianisation polarized the demons as exclusively evil spirits located on Earth. And, you can imagine their surprise when they found out how right they were."

Sam's eyebrow shut up and he looked at Midnite.

"You mean, they didn't know until then?"

"No. During the Crusades we have encountered several old books that spoke of creatures beyond the veil of human kind. Since Sariel was trained in all ancient languages very fluently, she found out about what that books spoke. Demons, ghouls, goblins, shape shifters… Every single creature that ever walked the Earth was named in that books. But the biggest surprise was when we found out about the half breeds. It looked like a very bad joke back then."

"How come you didn't know?" the simple lack of knowledge about something like that puzzled Sam.

How it was even possible for two greatest hunters not to know about the world beyond??

"Well, for start we weren't the greatest hunters then. Not yet. Alright, besides Sariel. She was always keen to be the best in everything. Even killing. Annoying little creature!"

Now Sam's eyes widened in shock.

"Would be so kind and stop reading my mind? It is freaky. Besides I wanna ask questions!!!!" Sam snapped and Midnite smirked.

The boy's reaction to his mind reading was far from Missouri's one. He wasn't kidding when he said to him that he already knew everything. But it was difficult for Midnite to scry his mind because the boy is on the very edge. Just one little push in the wrong direction and Sam would be a hand full for hunters all over the world. No wonder even Sariel was worried. And that woman never worried.

"Old habits die hard… you should already know that…" at Sam's confused expression, Midnite added. "Never mind. Where was I? Oh, back then, nobody knew about them. I mean, how could we??? They look like us. Then we realized it is the same thing as with all the other creatures. Like vampires and lycans. They look like us until they decide to show their true nature."

"This sucks…"

"Americans… Boy are you even on the same page with me?"

"Yes I am. It is just a lot to understand. I was raised into this. Our dad raised us to fight them… Both Dean and me… And now it looks like we actually don't know that much…" Sam was afraid of this actually.

That Dean and him have no clue what really happens beneath the veil. They have the knowledge how to kill something that is not supposed to be on their plain, but they don't understand the actual rules of the game.

"That much?? Oh, boy… You know nothing. You don't understand their world. You are human. No matter what you think, you are still human. Those visions of yours are actually just a side effect of what happened that night in your nursery. I know you want answers… you need them, but you just can't get them yet. All in its rightful time." Midnite leaned his frame on the table, gazing at the man sitting in front of him.

"So you know…? Great…. I am screwed either way. What am I suppose to do?" Sam sighed frustrated and looked at the great psychic looking at him.

"Just wait and everything will reveal itself in the right time. If you push it, you will find it backfiring at you. The best thing to do now is to trust her." Midnite remarked and leaned in his chair, fiddling with his pendant.

"Sariel? What is the real deal with her? Why is she really here?"

Besides the obvious- to annoy the hell out of Dean.

"That is nothing. She is capable of far worse thing than slamming your brother on the hood. You two just have to trust her. You don't have to trust me, but find a way to trust her and don't judge her decisions even when they seem crazy or suicidal. Sariel is unique. A creature like her doesn't come to this world for no reason. She understands your world, my world, Hell, Heaven better than anybody. She understands the rules and how the game is played."

"But she is so cruel and cold. She doesn't seem to care about us or for that fact, what she does. Like she does it just because she is forced to."

"Cruel is a matter of perspective." Midnite just told him calmly and Sam widened his eyes in awe.

"I know how it sounds, but Sariel is a killer and no matter what she does with her life, that is something she cannot escape. And she is so good at it. You have no idea. She was born as a member of the highest vampire royalty yet she decided to join Death Dealers. If there is anybody in this world who can help you two fix this, it is her. And trust me on this one, she may be cruel, ruthless, cold and capable of snapping your neck without thinking about it twice if the situation calls for it, but she is the one you want to have behind your back when all hell breaks loose."

Sam thought about it and prayed to God that Midnite was right, because he could feel something will happen soon. But this was just beginning and if Midnite was right, Sariel was the only one who could save him from the darkness.

"So, what is the deal with the demon?" Sam finally spoke and Midnite eyed him cautiously.

"Probably one of those idiots that think they can overpower our favourite bad boy down in that shit hole. You see, Hell is like management. A giant firm with director being Lucifer. And those lackeys beneath him are hungry for power. Since there is a mutual understanding, you see, the ones born in hell cause the biggest problems."

"Hang on? Demons born in hell? Aren't they all born down there?"

"No… The fallen ones fell from the grace with a bang. Literally… Those fallen angels became first true demons with Lucifer, angel of the Light, as their leader. Those fallen ones are different from the new breed of demons created after the Hell was created. You see, Hell wasn't created by God itself, it was created by the lack of his grace. Angels choose to mutiny against the Creator and they fell out of His grace to the place where there wasn't his grace present.

So, the demons that were created in that place never saw the face of the God, because they are the product of the place where God's presence doesn't exist. Now, problems arose. Those fallen angels understand how the game is played and how the Balance works. As everything in universe comes in contradictory pairs, like mater and antimatter, day and night, so does Good and Evil. One cannot exist without the other one. Which means, if you destroy Evil, Good will perish also, and vice versa.

But, those born in Hell, doesn't understand, actually they don't posses the fear from God. Since they were never in His direct presence, they don't take Him or Balance seriously. You people say that God is almighty and that is the first mistake you all assume. He is not. He is bound by the same rules He created. Since He created humans and gave them free will, He decided that he doesn't want mere pawns that will worship him without any thought what so ever.

Then he became bounded by the Balance. So in another words, both God and Lucifer are bound by Balance, which is greater than both of them. the great example for that is sacrifice. If sacrifice is made out of love, it outgrows even God power and anything is possible. If it is made out of selfish reason, like lust for power in case of sacrificing virgins to gain more power, it backfires at you tripled.

Sariel is one of the keepers of the Balance. That is who we are. Sentinels. If one of those shit heads do something do disturb the Balance, we jump in action and erase him. Or send him back to Hell, to be judged by Lucifer. Yes, I know… you all think that the Dark Prince is just pure evil and he is, but he is also just a pawn in the great scheme called Balance."

Sam was gaping and processing thing. He actually felt like him mind will soon shot down from the overload. A world… The things that they are trying to stop referred to as just a game…? He imagined a giant chess board floating in the middle of the universe with God playing the white figures and Devil playing the black ones trapped in a giant bubble that made them play… Pretty whack…

Midnite chuckled as he saw the picture in Sam's mind playing vividly. Strange boy indeed…

"That is why Sariel do things she does. That is why she is so detached. She is playing this game like she has nothing to lose. Cause she actually doesn't. She is too powerful for them. And they created her… Irony…"

"What do you mean they created her?" panic rose in Sam's voice.

"If that demon hadn't tried to drown her, she would have never came in possession of astral powers. It amplified her already strong inner sense. But the most fascinating thing happened with her. The sole reason why I took her as my pupil… The feral side of her nature, that wolf inside of her, completely moulded with new astral powers making her stronger, faster and better hunter than any of them. You know what they say… The wolf is the most adaptable animal in the world. She used that to her advantage…"

"Doesn't she scare you sometimes? That she might cross over to their side?" Sam was honestly afraid of the answer.

Many times, during his sleepless night, he laid in his bed thinking about the horrific possibility that their new found ally might be the one to betray them.

"Oh, she is scary… Not to be argued there. Just to see her move, hell, just to see her walk down the street is scary, but no. I am not afraid that she will cross to the side of Hell. Mostly because she doesn't have a side. You see, we are neutral…"

"Say what? How can she not have a side? I thought she is one of the god guys. That she is on our side… that she will…" Sam started to panic now that Midnite told him.

Midnite knew the moment he finished his sentence that he will regret what he said.

"Listen to me carefully. She, I and the rest of the Sentinels… We are not here to play the game for one side, picking Hell or Heaven… We are here to maintain the Balance. To not see everything getting destroyed with the strength of just one power. Only until the real Armageddon arrives and things really come to an end. Hopefully, Heaven winning…" Midnite arose from his chair, reminding Sam of a really pissed wild cat.

"So, you are saying that if the balance shifts in the Good too much, you people will start doing evil things to bring it back into balance… That is just wrong…" Sam was disgusted by the way they handle the game.

"Unfortunately, the Balance never went to Good that much… It is always in the Evil area so we have to get them under control. Meaning that the amount of good things never exceeded the amount of Bad. Truly depressing thought."

"Oh… Well, you are right there…" Sam was defeated and Midnite returned to his place.

"That means that Sariel´s methods will sometimes be questionable, but trust me, in the end, she gets to win. No matter who she needs to defeat. It is just her birth right…" Midnite smirked cryptically.

Midnite wondered if it is a good thing to say what is the second reason why they pick Sariel to came to their aid.

"Is the lecture over? Or do I have to know something else?" Sam inquired and Midnite raised an eyebrow.

Sam only saw the pensive look on Midnite face, but it was obviously enough to shock Midnite.

"You look like you are debating on something." Sam simply explained.

Of course, Midnite was shocked. The boy was very perceptive. Maybe too perceptive. And Midnite thought about the demon mark on him. He didn't need to check twice. The boy had foul blood inside of him. And only way to save his immortal soul was to kill that son of a bitch that dared to do that. He knew Sariel is perfect for that job, sometimes even thought too perfect, but will she do it before it will be too late?

Midnite knew sometimes was coming. Everybody knew something was coming. The balance is shifting as we speak, but so unnoticeably that even Sentinels haven't picked up the shift. Sariel knew it also. She was jumpy and nervous and by God, he never met a person who is more detached from this job and with calmer mind then her.

Big shit will happen soon and he only hoped that they will be able to fix it like they always did. Then dread came over him again. But this isn't like the other times… He could feel it. Nobody ever came this close to doing a thing like this. Infecting few human kids and building an arm of demons right under the nose of Sentinels, guardians that never missed anything…

And right in front of Lucifer. They will need to do this with caution and extreme delicacy. Actually Sariel is the one that will have to play this right.

There he wasn't worried. It is a known fact that she always keeps herself a few steps in front of everybody. Always aware and vigilant of every move. No wonder she is so pissed now that she found out that is something going on. But what surprises him the most… She already has a plan. A plan ready to be sent into action. If she already didn't sent it in action.

Yes, now he was sure. It was a good idea to make her give her mark to the older brother. Though Sam was in peril from the dark forces, but he wasn't the one exposed. On the contrary, he is the most secure person in the world at this moment. Dean is the one that desperately needs protection. They will use him to get to Sam. Dean is the only one holding Sam in the world of innocence, so to say, and when he is out of the picture, rage and betrayal can push Sam in the wrong direction.

So, Dean needs to be protected. And what better way of protecting him than marking him with her blood and mark?

Now Midnite was sure that all hell is about to break loose. Why? Because two people that are bound on hating each other are bound together. This ought to be fun. And when he finds out… Uh… Midnite would gave his right hand to just be present at that time.

So, they had a plan. Good. And they had a menace. Even better. Now is important to play it right.

"Where are Sariel and Dean?" Sam suddenly asked and Midnite had to stifle a snort.

"I sent her to get him protection. A tattoo."

Sam eyebrows shut up, getting themselves lost in his long bangs.

"It is not your regular tattoo. This is ink mixed with holy water and tattoos are designed to work with the astral field that surrounds you so they can protect you from possession, curses or getting controlled by spirits. He is not a psychic, so he wont be able to wield the magic of the tattoo, but he will be protected by it."

There was no reason to tell him that it wasn't just a regular tattoo made for protection. That it held Sariel´s blood conjuring greater powers to protect him. That Midnite held no knowledge how it will affect Dean. It is the vampire blood from the most powerful bloodline ever to walk the earth.

"Why don't I get one?"

"Cause you are still unstable with your powers. We need to stabilise you first."

"How?

"Just be patient and wait. Look at the time. They will soon return. That is all for this day."

Sam just nodded not really up for an argument how he is tired from being patient all the time.

A/N: Okay, this chapter is confusing and with a lot of explanation so if anybody finds himself/herself lost in here, just ask me and I will explain.

And of course, if you like you just share your opinion with me...