Chapter 34

Grace

Don't move, I instructed Cas as he fidgeted next to me, wanting very badly to explode out of the brush and attack Lucifer. Not even a breath. It's what he wants. He'll kill all three of us.

He's going to kill Serra.

I know.

I could feel Cas flick his icy blue gaze towards me and I steeled myself, knowing exactly what I was doing. This was the path, I knew. There was no other way. Allowing Lucifer to kill Serra would not only free her from his prison, but it would ensure that I could attack without worry that he had something to hold over me.

I had to allow my sister to die.

My children must have felt the focus and my abilities thrumming to life. I could feel them all push at my walls, begging to know what was happening. Liberty and Glory even attempted to jump to us, but I forced them to stay on their own ethereal plane. This was not a fight I wanted my daughters to be a part of.

Serra was in anguish. My muscles burned, wanting so much to jump into action and free her from the pain, but I held my ground, listening to Lucifer taunt us.

"You've got about four seconds before she passes out from the pain," Lucifer called mockingly, scanning the desert for my whereabouts carefully.

Without my abilities, I would have been easily found, but I was adapting and learning my new strengths quicker than I was prepared for. Creating the shield that kept us hidden from Lucifer was easy now that I had completely given in and wholly owned my abilities. I knew, deep in my gut, what my new job was. Everything that was happening now made perfect sense and knowing that Lucifer had Chuck in his clutches confirmed my destiny.

I almost laughed at the absurdity of my thought process. I was letting Lucifer kill my sister in order to become the new God. It was my path. Chuck had been preparing me and my family for this our entire lives.

Lucifer was furious and suddenly, Serra went limp. He threw her to the ground and balled up his fists and shook with rage. The ground beneath our feet shook and wide cracks opened near where we were standing. Lucifer was finally losing control.

I smiled.

Serra, I breathed quietly, staring at my sister's lifeless body on the ground. Serra, don't be mad.

Grace? Her voice was confused and far away, a little distracted and disoriented. Grace, where am I? Where are you?

You died, Little. I'll be there to get you soon. Sit tight.

The change in her voice was automatic. I, what now? she screeched. You let me die?

I stood up to my full height and lowered my head, staring at Lucifer as he seethed near the river. All part of the plan. Don't be mad.

I smiled lightly at Serra's over-the-top sarcastic reply, Oh, no. No, I'm not mad. Not a bit.

Castiel watched as I stepped out from the safety of our brush in the sand. The shields I had created shimmered in the sunlight, visible to only me, still blocked Cas from Lucifer. I had no intention of Cas being a part of this fight either. Cas, I took a deep breath. Go and calm Serra down, will you? With that, I held out my hand and pushed Cas into time and space, sending him to Heaven.

This was between me and Lucifer.

…

Dean

I felt it in my chest before I knew what it was. Looking up, I watched my kids' faces as they felt the same thing and then turned to Charlie and Levi, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Mom?" Charlie turned to me and her eyes immediately filled with tears. "Was that Mom?"

I could feel my mouth fall open, wanting to comfort my niece, but having no idea where to start.

Levi did the same, turning towards me accusingly. "What just happened? Why aren't we there? If this is going down, the Warriors should be there."

Holding up my hands, palms out, I shook my head. "Wait, wait, wait," I stuttered. "There has to be a reason. Grace said she was going to Jordan for recon. There must—there's gotta be a reason. Something must be happening…but I didn't hear Grace call out. She's gotta be in control." Lee and Charlie stared at me with worry etched in their faces; their eyes too similar to my brother's. I couldn't think of anything else to say to comfort them, so I turned to Faith, Glory, and Everett. "What's happening?" I asked, knowing they would be more in tune with Grace than any of us. "Should we be going?"

"I just tried," Glory answered, heavy tears in her blue eyes. "Mom won't let me. She's holding me here."

"What is happening, Glory?" Charlie pleaded. "Can you hear her? Can you hear Mom?"

Without warning, Liberty and Sawyer appeared in the corner, near the kitchen.

"What's happening?" Lib echoed, turning to her siblings with a panicked look on her face. She glanced at me, her eyes wide, "Why can't we jump to Mom?"

I shook my head slowly, my eyebrows knitted together, searching for something, anything to say to my kids. "I don't know," I whispered, closing my eyes. "Grace, baby," I continued, reaching out for my wife. "You gotta give us something."

…

Grace

I locked eyes with Lucifer as the ground continued to shake from his rage. Demons scattered away from us as I came out from the shield I had created and I took a deep breath, waiting for the inevitable attack.

An odd feeling of calm washed over me, now that I finally knew why we had suffered the losses we had over the last few decades. Suddenly knowing that Lucifer was struggling to gain Chuck's power by taking relics and using basic spell work to try and absorb God's grace the way Delilah had once absorbed mine was almost laughable. He wouldn't succeed, no matter how close he was to getting to the next step. Lucifer simply didn't have the direct blessing from God himself. Chuck had granted me clemency when the battles for control over my destiny had begun, all those years ago when I was still pregnant with Liberty. Chuck's abilities as God weren't transferable unless you had been chosen.

I, and I alone, had been chosen.

My children controlled the ethereal planes.

My husband was Ultimate Destroyer's True Vessel.

My own sister led the Warriors of Heaven.

Lucifer had been shunned; he had been dismissed by God himself, and here he was, trying his best to gain control of something that he simply didn't have the clout to do.

Sensing me approach, Lucifer whipped around, looking crazed. His eyes were wide and blood red, glowing with a determination I had yet seen. Taking a deep breath, I lifted my hand in greeting.

"Hi, Sammy," I began, ignoring the Devil inside.

Lucifer was immediately enraged once more. "Sam," he growled. "Sam doesn't live here anymore."

"I wasn't talking to you," I dismissed. "Sammy," I continued, tilting my head and holding out my shields from the sudden onslaught of destruction Lucifer threw at me. "Sam, look what Lucifer did. Look what he did to Serra." The ground shook again, forcing the small river to slosh back and forth against its shoreline. I barely felt it. "She's dead, Sam," I continued mirthlessly. "Serra's dead and Lucifer killed her."

Watching closely, I could see the shift as Sam fought from within to be the dominant soul in the body they shared. His face was filled with anguish as Sam Winchester surfaced, dropping to his knees next to Serra's crumpled body. "Serra," he gasped, reaching for his wife. "Oh my god, Serra, no."

I fell to my knees, joining my brother-in-law and placed my hand on his arm. "Sam," I breathed, smiling gently. "Sammy, it's okay."

His hazel eyes flicked to mine, filled with tears. "What?" He realized it was me and his face smoothed out, gasping for air. "Serra's dead?"

I battled with myself for more than a few seconds whether I should immediately tell him the truth or not. I decided against it, "Lucifer tortured and killed her," I replied, the burn of tears at my eyes as well. I had to be convincing if I wanted this to work. "He's kept her as a prisoner for the last eight weeks or so."

He was nodding, brushing her deep auburn hair out of her face. A splatter of tears from his face hit her cheek. "Serra's dead," he repeated, shaking his head. "What do I do, Grace? What do we do?"

I was already in motion. "You're probably not going to have control for too much longer, but you're gonna need to push him back as much as you can. Compartmentalize." I glanced up at my brother and took a deep breath, hiding my lie. "Don't lose it now, Sammy. Lee and Charlie are depending on you to come home." I reached out my hand towards him, touching his arm again. "I'm taking blood from you. A lot of blood. You're going to feel like shit."

"Blood?" he asked, still watching Serra, hoping this was all some ploy. "Why?" Suddenly, his face smoothed out again and for the slightest moment, I feared Lucifer would make another appearance, but Sammy held control. "Wait," he breathed, touching his wife, "blood for Serra?"

I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips. I would never be able to say that Sam was slow. "Yes," I answered, nodding, "Blood for Serra."

"Can you bring her back?"

Nodding, I took a slow breath. "Of course I can." Closing my eyes, I focused on Sam's arm where I rested the palm of my hand. "You're only going to have to hang out with Satan for a little while longer." Blood began to pool under my hand as I drew it out through his skin. "I think I finally figured it out."

Sam was intrigued, ignoring the blood that hung in the air between us. "You know how to trap him?"

I flicked my eyes up to Sam, swallowing hard. "I know how to kill him."

Breathing deeply, very obviously concentrating on keeping control of his own body, Sam stared at me, his face centimeters away from mine. "Grace," he whispered. "You're different."

Smiling coyly, I turned my hand palm up, catching the blood I took from Sam in a hovering sphere, though not allowing it to touch my skin. "I am," I breathed. "The next time you see me, we'll be pulling Lucifer from your body. It might hurt."

Nodding slowly, Sam's eyes betrayed no fear. If anything, he was more determined than ever. "And you can bring Serra back," he stated.

"That's my plan," I sighed, smiling lightly. "I found out what I needed to know about Lucifer's. Letting Serra die freed her from him," I shrugged, gesturing to Serra's body on the ground. "I don't even need this body. She'll get a replacement."

"Grace," he pleaded again, taking my free hand, "If beating him means I have to die, I'm willing to make that sacrifice."

"It's not one you'll have to make," I whispered, kissing his forehead. "We've got this." I backed away from my brother-in-law. "Alright," I stood up to my full height, resting my foot on Serra's lifeless body. "I'm taking her old body home. As soon as I'm gone, I'll lose control of Lucifer, so you'll be back in his subconscious again. I took a lot of blood from you, so you're gonna be a little woozy. Don't try and stand up until Lucifer gets control again. You'll pass out and hurt yourself."

"Tell Levi and Charlotte I love them," he whispered.

"They know you do," I replied, closing my eyes. "We'll see you again soon." With that, I disappeared on the spot, with my sister's body in tow.