Dean looked back at the door before he faced Castiel again, his face full of apprehension and fear.
"This is important, Dean. Angels are dying. And we have to stop the demons from…" he paused.
The human does not need to know that, Castiel.
Castiel looked pointedly at Uriel.
But if there's a chance that Dean Winchester was going to do this…he needed to know how high the stakes were.
"From what?" Dean pressed.
Castiel tuned out the various ideas which Uriel had in mind to force the human to cooperate.
"The demons are trying to free Lucifer from Hell. We have to stop them," Castiel turned his attention back to Dean.
Dean blinked at him in disbelief.
Castiel quickly related the demons' plans on breaking the seals, deliberately omitting the part about the first seal and how he was looking at the man who had broken it.
Uriel huffed in annoyance.
"We have to stop Lucifer from rising, and find out who's killing the angels. We have to stop them," Castiel reiterated for both Dean and Uriel.
Dean's turned away, "Trust me, you don't want me doing this,"
Castiel sighed. He wished that he could just bring Dean Winchester back to his family, but orders were orders. They must be followed through, even though it went against his principles. Not that he was supposed to have any; the angels were raised to do only as they were told without question.
But this. This felt…wrong.
"Want it? No. But we have been told that we need it," Castiel said regrettably.
Castiel closed his eyes and prayed one last time.
Was this really what Father commanded?
He opened his eyes when the metal door slam shut.
"Don't tell me that you've started have doubts?" Uriel sneered, "All because of this human?"
Castiel did not reply.
He was not…was he?
"So you know where Alastair is?" Adam asked.
The both of them were had been searching for leads on Lilith's whereabouts for months now, with little luck. Ruby suggested that they find Alastair, Lilith's right hand man. And apparently, he was also the Head Torturer of human souls in Hell.
Adam sighed. Swell. It was going to be so much fun trying to get Alastair to spill on Lilith.
"No, but we can find out," Ruby arranged the table for the locating spell.
"Do you think the Winchesters are still following us?" Adam played with the piece of paper which he had forgotten was in his pocket. Sam had given it to him, with their contact numbers on it.
"Who cares, it's not like they can stop us," Ruby shrugged and began the incantation.
With a whoosh, flames rose up from the table and engulfed the entire map, except for one small piece, which was left untouched.
Wyoming. At least they were close.
"Well, let's go then. What are you waiting for?" Adam shoved the paper back into his pocket.
"You know, Alastair is much more powerful than your average demon. You'll need to be geared up for this," Ruby flipped the knife over in her hand.
Adam grabbed the hilt from her and drew a crimson line across her arm.
Castiel was not sure how long he had been waiting in that empty room, after Uriel left to seek revelations. An hour? Two?
Not that time mattered to him, but the solitude had allowed him to mull things over, without Uriel's interference. He could not afford to have doubts. If he could not trust the orders that Heaven had given him, who else could he trust? Besides, he did not wish to end up like his sister, Anna, who had been banished from Heaven for disobedience.
Castiel noticed that the other room had quietened down. In fact, it was too quiet.
He looked through the dusty glass pane on the door and was not expecting the sight. Alastair was free from the trap, and was killing Dean Winchester.
No!
Using his powers, Castiel picked up the bowie knife with the engravings and plunged it into Alastair's shoulder. The demon released Dean, who slumped onto the ground with a thud.
"Almost. Looks like God is on my side today," Alastair smirked.
"What now, Ruby?" Adam said impatiently when Ruby stopped before the door.
"Something is wrong, I can feel…" Ruby drifted off.
Her eyes widened as she recognised what it was, "We shouldn't be here, Adam."
"Why not? We're so close," Adam frowned.
Nothing was getting in his way of killing Lilith. He needed to talk to Alastair, today.
"Listen, we're no good if we're dead. Let's go," Ruby grabbed his arm.
"What is it with you?"
"I didn't…I thought the demons were just joking…I didn't think the rumours were true…"
"You're testing my patience, Ruby. Stop beating around the bush and tell me what the hell is going on!"
"The demons had been talking…about angels walking on Earth," Ruby explained.
"Angels? You're kidding me," Adam looked back at the abandoned building, "So they're in there? With Alastair? So are they killing each other in there or what?"
"C'mon, we can get him next time. We have to go, now!" Ruby pleaded.
"I'm not going anywhere until I find Lilith, so you can scoot if you want to. I can handle this on my own," Adam insisted.
He was not going to wait anymore. It was now or never.
"Like roaches, you celestials. Now I really wish I knew how to kill you, but all I can do is send you back to heaven," Alastair shook his head and began chanting.
Through his blurry vision, Dean could make out the two figures on the other side of the room.
Alastair and…Cas?
Cas was in trouble…he had to…had to…
Dean tried to get up from the uncomfortably hard ground he was lying on but his limbs were not obeying him. Why couldn't he move?
He was so tired, and it hurt. He just wanted to…to close his eyes and give in to the darkness creeping around the edges of his vision.
The next time he opened his heavy lids, there was a third figure in the room. Alastair was not holding Cas against the wall anymore.
Who…Sammy?
"Wh…lith...e…gels"
It was as if he was hearing the conversation in the room underwater, and everything was muffled.
Why couldn't he breathe?
Alastair. He needed to get Sammy away from the demon.
"Dean? Dean!" Someone was suddenly kneeling right beside him.
Guessed he had lost time again.
"Dean! You with me? Hey, you over there, make yourself useful. Help him!"
Sam…Wait, not Sam.
Adam?
"Hey, no...ay...with...e...amn...it"
Wha…what was Adam doin...