The sun was well into the sky by the time Cas slowly regained consciousness. He took a deep breath, waiting for his vision to adjust to the harsh light. He hissed, shifting in the wrong direction and feeling the sharp pain through his arm. He moved with slightly more care, pushing himself up to lean on the wall.
He had to close his eyes against the sudden vertigo, breathing through it until it dissipated. He forced himself to open them again, looking down to assess the remaining damage. He lifted his fingers to gently graze the gash in his chest and winced. He had hoped he would have been more healed by now. At least the cuts across his palms were mostly gone.
He shifted slightly, trying to get some weight off his back. There was a bruise running all the way across it where he hit the edge of the counter, and he was pretty sure there was a handprint bruise forming on his neck.
He let his head rest back against the wall, allowing his mind to wander to the day before. He started to identify signs that it was going wrong. Things he hadn't picked up on that probably would have altered the outcome.
Cas pulled himself to his feet, needing to brace his weight on the windowsill with one hand. He balanced himself, walking over to the small cracked mirror over the dresser to see the wound across his face. It was still only in the early stages of healing.
He took a sharp breath as his arm shifted again. He resigned himself to crafting a makeshift splint and sling. When he was done, he sat back down on the edge of the bed.
He carefully pulled out his phone, dialing Sam.
"Hey Cas." Sam greeted. His voice was reserved though, something obviously wrong.
Cas frowned. "What is it?" He asked instead.
"Cain. He's uh… He's back and he's cutting a path through family after family."
Castiel stopped, letting that information hit him and sink in.
"We're not sure what to do." He paused. "He's already killed over a hundred people."
"Why would he do that?"
"He's vowing to kill every one of his descendants."
Cas was silent.
Sam took a moment before he continued. "You know the only thing that can kill him…"
"I know."
Sam looked up at the ceiling, blinking back tears. "Cas, if Cain broke… if he gave in...Dean-"
"We don't know that." Cas insisted firmly. "We don't know that will happen." He faltered though as he thought about the implications of what they were about to do.
Sam's thoughts mirrored his. "Cas, we're talking about giving Dean the first blade and just hoping he isn't powerful enough with it to escape this warding." He closed his eyes. "Even if it goes right, a fight like that..."
Cas lowered his voice, in the vain hope that Dean couldn't hear him. "Sam, I'm not sure he can resist." He paused. "Dean snapped last night."
Sam sat upright, his heart sinking. "What happened?"
"He lost control, caught me unaware."
"Are you okay?"
"My grace is slow to heal me. I'm afraid I am still injured."
Sam winced. "Cas, I'm coming out there."
The angel nodded, feeling slightly relieved. "I do not think I should try to get him into the devil's trap in my current condition. You will have to be careful when you get here."
"Yeah, okay."
"Sam-" He took a second.
"Yeah?"
"He has the knife."
.
Castiel waited until he heard the outer door before swinging his own door open. He hurried out, ready to back up Sam if need be, but the younger hunter was already lowering his weapon.
Cas followed his gaze, finding Dean on the floor, leaning against the wall with one arm up on his bent knee. He was in the devil's trap.
The demon didn't look up or acknowledge their presence in any way.
Sam looked back at Cas and his eyes widened in alarm. He quickly put his hand on Cas' shoulder and started guiding him back towards the bed room. He paused only to pick up the knife, which Cas noted was still where it had landed when he threw it.
The angel pulled back from his grip as soon as they were over the salt line and the door was closed.
"Jesus, Cas." Sam hissed, keeping his voice low out of habit. "You didn't tell me it was this bad."
"I will heal, Sam."
"What happened?" He pressed again.
"He's been growing more agitated each day, feeling caged here." Cas sighed. "I missed the signs, and we reached a breaking point. I had set aside the knife, and he got a hold of it." He raised his hand, fingers brushing the bottom of the wound across his face. "I used a devil's trap bullet to slow him down and get back here."
"Where you, what, passed out for hours?"
Cas lowered his head in confirmation, but he was frowning. "That is not the present issue." He said, trying to steer the conversation away from him.
"Cas if he lost it yesterday, we can't put the blade in his hands today."
"I do not believe he will be any better prepared to handle it any time soon. If Cain is killing as many as you say…"
Sam closed his eyes, letting out his breath. "Then how many people will die?" He swallowed. "Yeah."
Cas sighed. "He'll be trapped by the warding… We can figure out what to do from there."
"We hope he'll be trapped by the warding. With the blade in his hand-"
"It will hold." Cas insisted, but he wasn't any more sure than Sam.
"Cas…" Sam's voice was pained.
The angel sank back down to sit on the bed. "Yeah. I know." He agreed softly.
Sam sat down on the corner chair, scrubbing a hand over his face. "We think we know who he is going for next. This kid in Ohio."
Cas nodded. "You have the cuffs?"
"Yeah. Gave them the same treatment we gave here."
"When you break the sigil above the door, I will be able to heal."
"Alright. Kevin and Charlie are already on their way out there getting a head start. At least with this warding they'll both be a little weaker." Sam wasn't any more reassured by that.
"Crowley?"
"Getting the blade." Sam shakily pulled himself to his feet. "It's all we have." He searched Cas' expression for some reassurance.
"It is." Cas said softly, but he was biting back the mounting dread.
With Dean the way he was, he couldn't help but think this really may be the last nail in the coffin.
If he even came out of it at all.
There was still a chance Dean was not even the victor in this fight.
Cas shook his head, trying to push it from his mind. One look at Sam and he knew the younger hunter was battling to do the same. He forced himself to stand, walking over and opening the door before he could think better of it.
Sam followed close behind, finally coming to stand beside the devils trap where Dean was still quietly sitting against the wall. "Dean." When he got no response he snapped to get his attention. "Hey." He demanded, finally getting Dean to look up and meet his eyes. The hunter's expression was completely neutral. "This is what's up. Cain is off the rails, dropping bodies with no sign of stopping."
Dean's expression fell just the slightest, as he absorbed that information. Cain had managed his anger… he managed to get out and control the mark… and even he cracked. He forced himself to let go of it, focusing back on his brother.
Sam's tone was schooled and abrupt, but his heart was pounding considering what he was going to suggest. "The only thing that can kill him is the blade."
Dean nodded once, slowly. "You want to throw me in a ring with Cain."
"With the blade."
Dean tilted his head to the side just slightly. "You sure that's a good idea?" He leveled, not needing an answer. It was obvious by his tone and posture, this was the worst idea Sam could think of.
"No." Sam replied anyway. "But it's the only play we've got. Are you in or not?"
Dean looked up at him, his expression neutral. He didn't say anything for a minute. He finally pulled his eyes sideways to look at Cas. "Alright."
Sam glared at him. "Give me your wrists."
The demon pulled himself to his feet. He walked forward, presenting his hands, his eyes never leaving the angel.
Sam snapped the cuffs on. He moved to the door, pulling out his gun, loaded with devil's trap bullets. He made eye contact with Cas and when he got a nod reached up with a knife, scratching through the warding above the entrance.
The effect was instant, Cas' body piecing itself back together in a glowing flash of blue light.
Dean finally broke his gaze when the angel stepped forward to scuff and break the devil's trap.
Cas put a hand on his upper arm, beginning to pull him along.
His grip was tight enough that Dean was reminded how much stronger than him Cas was. He allowed himself to be led out of the small cabin. He took in the breeze, and took a deep breath on instinct, feeling annoyed by just how glad he was for this tiny stretch of fresh air.
He hadn't expected anything else, but he was disappointed nonetheless when he was brought to stand behind the car while Sam unlocked it.
"Come on, you don't have to put me in the trunk."
"Yeah, we do." Sam said simply.
Cas pushed against his shoulder gently and Dean stepped forward. He glared at them, but he didn't resist, folding himself into the car as stretched out as possible.
He caught Cas' eyes one last time before he was thrust into darkness.
.
By the time they got to the farmhouse in Ohio, the kid was gone and the trap was almost set.
Dean found himself tucked into a back room, watched by the king of hell while the rest of them saw to properly finishing the warding.
Dean studied Crowley where he leaned against the wall of the small storage space. "Anything I can do to convince you to get me out of here? Not too late to finish our tour."
"Sorry, love. That ship has sailed." the king dismissed. "Besides, even if I were so inclined, I can't even touch that lovely jewelry on your wrists."
Dean grunted his frustration as he flexed his arms under the shackles.
"Besides I should think you'd be happy. You've got to be spoiling for a fight by now."
"I don't want a fight, I want my freedom."
"I'm sure. But alas your brother is in charge here, and I don't think he'll be keen on letting you go any time soon. So you might as well enjoy it while you can."
Dean let his head fall back against the wall with a thud. He listened to the distant murmurs of the four hunters. He watched Crowley walk over to the door and take a look out. "Are you any closer to getting this thing off?"
"Do you want it off?"
"I told you, I want to get the fuck out of here."
"Any way you can." Crowley supplied incredulously. He anticipated Dean wasn't so keen to give up on what he was. Likely he was just hoping for an opportunity to escape during whatever they ended up needing to do to him.
The knight looked up to the ceiling, sighing and considering his next request. "There's at least got to be some other place you can lock me down."
Crowley furrowed his brow, turning back to face him. "What do you mean?"
"The cabin is one fucking room. I need some damn space. Hell I'll even take that damn hotel again if it didn't finally collapse."
"Why are you asking me?"
"Figure you still got a deal or two left in you."
Crowley just looked at him.
Dean rolled his eyes. "Fine, Sam is going to be less than agreeable to anything I ask for a while."
The king gave a single quiet laugh. "You and Cas get into a little spat, then?"
The demon glared at him.
"Interesting." Crowley said simply, turning back to the door.
.
Sam and Cas worked to conceal the warding, making sure Cain couldn't see it before getting all the way inside. They needed the element of surprise if they had any chance of catching him.
"Kevin and Charlie are finishing up upstairs." Sam offered. "When Cain comes, they'll salt the exits behind him and stand watch out there."
"Crowley?"
"Outside too." Sam sighed. "Three exits, three sets of eyes. That leaves us at the bottom of the stairs in case one of them manages to breach the wards." The first line of defense.
Cas nodded. He pulled a saddle stand across the floor, carefully positioning it in front of a particularly large rune.
Once Sam was satisfied that none of the sigils were visible, he sat back against a bale of hay.
Cas mirrored him against a small table across the way.
"Even if this goes our way, then what?" Sam asked softly.
Cas tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
"What do we do with him after?"
"Bring him back to the cabin is all we can do for now."
"And what, lock him down entirely?"
Cas shook his head. "No, I think we can let him back the way he was."
"You're kidding." Sam said flatly. "Cas, he nearly killed you."
"I still don't think it would have killed me."
"Are you sure about that Cas? Because from where I'm standing it sure didn't look like it."
The angel glanced towards the door into the upstairs "I know how to better prepare this time." He said evenly. "I know what to watch out for now."
"Cas, that is a terrible idea."
"I still believe he can get a handle on this. And he'll need support more than ever after this fight."
Sam crossed his arms, shifting uncomfortably. "It's not just you, man." He said softly. "If he hurts you again… or god forbid if he does kill you… we aren't ever going to be able to cure him. He'd die."
Cas winced, feeling the words settle in like a weight in his gut. He took a deep breath. "Then it'll just be more important that I take care."
They were interrupted when the barn doors opened and Charlie and Kevin hurried down the stairs.
Charlie threw her spray paint can into the open duffel in a hurry. "The charm Crowley put on the perimeter just sounded the alarm."
Sam swallowed.
"He's here."