Chapter 39.
Zorah parked Hecate a short distance from the hotel. "It's just down there." she said, Rowena said not to get too close, in case of cameras. She'll give me a call when you need to be picked up and I'll be outside within a few minutes. It won't matter then."
"Thanks for the ride." said Cas.
"You were more interesting company than most of Rowena's associates. More civilised than many, too. I'll see you soon, honey."
At the hotel, the receptionist gave him a speculative look before telling him that Mrs Clarence had already arrived and was waiting for him upstairs. He took the key and went to room 303. He knocked on the door, not expecting her to be engaged in anything questionable, but not willing to risk walking in on it if she were.
"Come in, if you're gorgeous." she said.
He hesitated, confused by the strange criterion.
Rowena opened the door. "Castiel, why the low self-esteem?"
"I don't understand." he said.
She took his arm and drew him inside, closing the door firmly. "Of course you don't. You're a creature of two worlds and you don't fit neatly into either. I wasn't even sure you'd come. I thought you might come to your senses or tell the Winchesters everything and bring them to theirs."
"There is nothing wrong with the Winchesters." he said, trying not to look at the magical paraphernalia arranged on a small table.
"No? Then where are they? You're desperate enough to do dark deals with an evil witch and they're ... what? Watching the game?"
"What game?"
"How would I know?"
Cas sighed. "Talking to you is exhausting and confusing."
"Yes, it probably is. How did you find talking to Zorah?"
"I like her." said Cas, "She's interesting and she plays good music. Emerald Rose and Spiral Dance are both excellent."
"We'll make a Pagan of you yet, my little featherling."
"Is that your intention?" he said.
She looked him up and down in a way that made him feel somehow exposed and then smiled and said, "My intentions are nowhere near as honourable."
"I told you, seducing me is ... "
"Possible." said Rowena.
"Unlikely." said Cas.
She shrugged. "Well, then, shall we get down to business?"
"We should. Time is of the essence."
"Speaking of essence, how would you like your grace extracted? Do you want me to do it?"
"I can do it." he said, taking out his angel blade, "I doubt you have a blade that could scratch me."
"A moment." she said, "I need you at full strength for this part." She showed him four small, round amethysts about the shape and size of coat buttons and each wrapped in a net of silver wire. "I think these should work. Amethyst has an affinity with the energies of Heaven and silver should keep baleful influences out."
"Yes." he said, glad that he had picked a witch of erudition and understanding.
"Of course, what I said is still true. Anyone who wants to can use these things to link to you and do you magical harm." She arranged the amethyst pieces in a diamond pattern and surrounded them with a ring of mixed herbs.
"You're the only one who knows how and you don't need them to do me harm, as you have shown before."
She looked apologetic. "I do regret that, if it makes any difference." she said.
"It's unimportant. We were enemies. You fought well, if a little unfairly."
"Wicked witch." she said, with a very theatrical shrug.
"Yes." he said, "Now, what do you need me to do?"
Put your intention firmly into each crystal. If you imprint it forcefully enough, no command will be needed to make them work. They will perceive and act to counter any attack on the bearer."
He went to the table and put his hands above the stones, focusing on their purpose.
Rowena must have seen the blue glow of his eyes. "There's a lot of power in you." she said, "We should work together a lot more."
Cas barely heard the suggestion. He was fully concentrating on the people he needed to protect, even on Rowena a little. She was earning her share of the protection and perhaps also a little power over him, but that seemed a small price to pay when he did not expect to live much longer.
He thought of Jules, who had loved him sincerely and who now probably despised him. He hoped she would still accept the gift. He would feel better about being taken from her if he knew that she had some degree of safety from this remnant of his existence.
Claire asked for nothing, but he thought she would take the protection offered. She liked him now and she was practical enough to know that a hunter needed every tiny advantage.
Jack would take it without question, as much to have some reminder of his father as for any other reason. He would also understand how much Cas needed him to have it. Cas wished he could have kept Jack in ignorance of the deal, but it had been made in front of him and at least his knowledge of it made this part easier. He would also urge the others to accept theirs.
He focused on the stones, seeing each of the ones he wanted to protect surrounded by a rich, purple and silver circle of light. He had no idea how long he had been concentrating when Rowena put a gentle hand on his wrist and said, "That's good. Now, the grace."
She took a small glass bottle from the table and gave it to him. As he put the blade to the skin of his throat, she said, "Does it hurt?"
"No" he said, "Not much." He was still reluctant to make the cut. Leaving aside the danger of giving away his grace to anyone, he could get into a lot of trouble for giving it to a witch. Heaven did not like such experiments. Heaven, though, could take a running jump into the fires of Hell. Heaven had ordered him to kill Jack. Heaven had ordered him to kill Dean. Heaven would doubtless tell him to kill Jules if word of his feelings for her ever reached there.
"I'm happy to do it, if you're finding it difficult." she said.
That was enough to make him do it. He made a small cut and glowing grace poured forth, flowing easily into the bottle, strength, love and protection for those he had no choice but to leave.
She touched his arm. "Stop now. That's a lot."
"Enough for all of them?" he said, putting his hand over the wound to stop the flow for a moment.
"Probably not, but certainly enough for two. We should be careful. If the boys see that your grace is low, our experiments are at an end. We can do two now, two another time."
"There may not be another time."
He kept the grace flowing, trying to judge how much he could lose without the loss being obvious. Then he felt himself weakening and knew he had to stop. He healed the cut. He was aware of swaying slightly.
"Castiel!" she said, hastening to cork the bottle and then taking his elbow to steady him. "You don't look well." she said.
"I'm fine. Make them all."
"That'll take a while. Sit down, before you fall down." She filled a glass with whisky and handed it to him as he sank into a chair.
"This won't do me any good." he said.
"Well, it won't do any harm either." she said, "You sit and rest, while I begin to bind grace to stones, but remember, when the binding is done, each of these stones will be a threat to you, should it fall into the wrong hands. That's not my hands, by the way. I'll be able to use mine to counter any use of the others against you, but, as you said, I don't need your grace to do you harm so it should be clear that my motivation is not primarily inimical."
"Not primarily, but not not inimical." he said.
"You know what I am. I may not be a good person, but I am at least honest about it."
"I suppose I have to respect that." he said. He drank the whisky. Drinking it reminded him of Dean and reminders of Dean were not helpful to his already fretful conscience.
Rowena was watching him. She looked perturbed. When he put down the empty glass she said, "If you're to fool the Winchesters that you're at full strength, you'll need to rest properly. Why don't you lie down whilst I do all the witchy bits you can't help with?"
"That sounds unwise." he said. The bed looked inviting and he felt weak, but there was every chance he would fall asleep and he wanted neither the dreams nor the risk of finding himself in bed with a witch.
She raised a hand. "I swear, I won't molest you. I'm serious. If you go back looking like you do now, they'll notice at once. I don't want that. Do you?"
"If I fall asleep, wake me." he said.
"I had no idea you could sleep." she said.
"It happens, when my grace is very low." he said.
"Then it may be the best thing for you."
She had a point. He got up with some difficulty and went to lie on the bed. She followed and put the bedcovers over him.
"I don't feel the cold." he said.
"You don't sleep, either. Let's err on the side of taking care of you." She seemed to realise how that sounded and quickly said, "You're a valuable investment."
"If I say what you are, you won't like it." he said.
"Sticks and stones!" she said happily. He wondered whether she knew that it would not have been a harsh judgement on her. He suspected she did. Rowena missed little.