Chapter 4: Devil's Trap
Maia's House, New Haven. Thursday, April 6, 2006.
Maia realized she was wringing her hands nervously and forced herself to stop. Could she make light of the revelation? "First I find out the woman I thought was my sister is a goddess," she told the group. "Now I learn that the man I believed worked for the family foundation is a demon. What next?"
Sam, sitting next to her on the taupe velvet sofa, cradled her head on his shoulder. "For months, I've tried to shield you from our jobs. This is a good lesson. No more secrets. If I'd only told you about Crowley, we might have been able to put a stop to Astrena much earlier."
Chloe, Dean, and Bobby had joined them in the living room to wait for the demon's arrival. Bobby had a bottle of holy water on hand to douse on Crowley if he began acting up.
"I'm glad to hear you acknowledge it," Chloe said, still sounding upset. "That demon may not be the only nasty character Maia's come in contact with. Astrena could have invited some of her sisters to the house."
"Or the bookstore," Dean pointed out. "It's impossible to verify the identities of everyone she associated with, so maintain your vigilance. If something doesn't ring true, let us know about it."
Chloe gave a start. "The air's being distorted. Can you feel it?"
A second later, Crowley appeared before them. He wore his customary attire of a black suit and maroon shirt. His smile was as easy-going as ever. Maia had found his sarcastic ways amusing. He'd teased her about her dog Tatyana. She'd had dinner with him on multiple occasions. Not once had she suspected he was a demon.
Crowley gazed around the living room, his smile broadening. "Ah yes, familiar surroundings. It's good to be back."
"Don't get used to it," Bobby growled. "This ain't no lovefest."
Crowley scowled at him. "Is this any way to treat your new partner? If you want to avoid Armageddon, you better play nice."
Tatyana raced into the room, barking a greeting as her tail wagged a frantic drumbeat.
Crowley beamed. "Now this is more like it. Miss me, sweetheart?" The wolfhound rubbed against him as if he was a long-lost friend, and, in Tatyana's eyes, he probably was.
Sam sighed. "I knew she wasn't much of a guard dog, but really?"
Maia winced. "Tatyana's always had a soft spot for him. Maybe it's the wolf in her?" Dean, Sam, and Bobby had all lectured her and Chloe about how dangerous Crowley was, but it was hard to believe them. Crowley had once jokingly referred to himself as her uncle. In some respects, she'd found him more approachable than her sister.
"Enough with the puppy love," Dean said, frowning. "We have a Knight of Hell to corral."
Crowley slid into a wing-back chair next to Maia, a smirk on his face. "Which is why I'm your new partner."
"Our banishment potion should succeed in sending Abaddon back to Hell," Chloe said hastily, placing a cautionary hand on Dean's arm, "but we're not familiar with any spell that can alter memories. Did you witness Astrena using it?"
"No, but I saw the aftereffects. She was able to selectively remove memories and replace them with invented ones."
"Who did she use it on?" Maia asked, wondering what had provoked the goddess. Had someone discovered her true identity? What other motive could the goddess have had?
Crowley hesitated, giving her an odd look, then shrugged. "Astrena was careless. She revealed her powers to someone who shouldn't have known. The alternative could easily have been death. It was a kindness she performed." He glanced around at the others. "Despite some of her more deplorable habits, Astrena wasn't completely evil." He added in a low rumble. "Not like Abaddon."
Sam cleared his throat. "Was the technique she used similar to that employed by a pure-blood vampire?"
Crowley arched an eyebrow and nodded slowly. "Not bad, Moose. You know about that, do you?"
Dean scowled. "Don't forget our little encounter in West Virginia. You advised Astrena's brat Lutar to wipe my memory."
"Ah yes, thank you for reminding me. He was about to kill you. Yet another time I saved your life."
Bobby snorted. "Don't expect to get a Nobel Peace Prize for it."
Crowley shrugged off the criticism. "All in good time." He turned to Chloe. "Now where were we? Ah yes. As you can well imagine I was understandably intrigued by the procedure. I discovered some of the essential ingredients through a judicious application of well-timed flattery."
Chloe shook her head worriedly. "Without the spell, the ingredients will be useless."
"Your wish is my command," Crowley said, standing up. "How familiar are you with Astrena's private retreat?"
Maia assumed Crowley was referring to the small chamber next to Astrena's bedroom. It had been so thoroughly warded that Maia hadn't known about its existence until Astrena was banished back to the stars. Inside the room was a large faceted crystal ball. Three paintings by the Pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti hung on the walls.
"The wards are gone, but we haven't done anything to the room," Chloe said. She and Maia hadn't decided what to do with Astrena's suite. In any case, all enchanted objects would need to be removed before undertaking a remodeling project.
"Astrena's retreat is conveniently situated close to her bed." Crowley paused and turned to Maia. "I hope my words don't distress you, little mouse, but I was a frequent guest in her bedroom." He scanned the others. "And you can cast aside your glowers. Thanks to those assignations, I learned where Astrena kept her grimoire."
#
Astrena had a grimoire? Sam exchanged looks with Dean. His brother's initial reaction was probably to burn it. The dark magic it contained would be a powerful temptation. Dean was already worried about Astrena's influence on the women.
Sam watched Dean's expression harden and breathed easier when his brother didn't voice an objection. That spell was too important. If it resulted in fallout, they'd deal with it later.
Crowley led them into Astrena's inner chamber. He removed the painting of Lady Lilith from the wall and pressed a hidden spring in the wainscoting. A secret drawer snapped open. Inside was a thick volume in midnight-blue leather.
"Don't just stand there," Crowley chided. "Which one of you lucky witches wants it?"
"If it's enchanted, I should be the one to pick it up," Chloe declared. "Maia's better at dehexing than I am."
Before anyone could object, she reached for it. The result was gratifyingly anticlimactic. The book acted as innocent as a cookbook. Chloe opened it and her brow furrowed. "Just my luck. It's in a script I can't read. Maia, is this Greek?"
Maia took the book from Chloe's outstretched hand and skimmed a couple of pages. "It's written in an archaic form of ancient Greek."
"Can you understand it?" Sam asked.
"Yes," she said absently, continuing to leaf through the pages. "But finding the correct spell, assuming it's written down, will take a while. The handwriting's difficult to read and there must be over three hundred pages."
Crowley smiled complacently. "I've done my bit. A visit to Astrena's well-equipped bar is in order."
"What do you think this is?" Bobby growled. "Your private lounge?"
"Don't tell me you drank all the Glencraig," Crowley snarled back.
Maia looked up. "There's plenty of Scotch in the bar and two fresh pies in the kitchen. I picked them up at Wisteria's inn when I heard you were coming."
Sam had been part of the conspiracy. Maia remembered how much Crowley liked Wisteria's pies. It was something he had in common with both Dean and Bobby.
As she predicted, the glower on Crowley's face promptly disappeared. "Raisin, I hope?"
"And also peach pecan," Maia said, looking at the demon hopefully. "That's Bobby's favorite."
Bobby rolled his eyes. "What is this? Pie diplomacy?"
Dean shrugged. "It works for me. Sam, you wanna . . .?" He nodded at the women. "I'll bring up slices for you."
Under the circumstances, they had no choice but to divide their forces. Was it more dangerous to have a demon feasting on pie and Scotch in the kitchen or to let Maia read Astrena's grimoire? Likely they were both disasters in the making, and all the pie in the world wouldn't help.
The hours passed slowly. There wasn't much anyone could do to help Maia. Sam sat next to her, lending moral support while reviewing the exact configuration of the devil's trap. He'd only made a couple but his dad's journal had tips on how to employ it. Chloe retrieved a book on orchids to read.
After about an hour, Dean came upstairs to report that Crowley had taken off and that he was heading to the garage with Bobby to work on the Impala. Daphne crawled into Sam's lap and began kneading him. It was so relaxing his eyes closed on him . . .
"I found it!" Maia exclaimed, looking up excitedly. "Astrena called it Lethe. That's the name of the Greek spirit of forgetfulness." She scanned the lines as Chloe and Sam gathered close around her. "It's a potion which the spell-caster drinks. She then blows on the subject who will subsequently believe everything she tells them. The ingredients include several orchids that we have on hand, including Eurydice's tears." She looked at Sam. "That's the orchid I used in the potion to cure you and Neal."
"The orchid has a dark red bloom," Chloe said. "I remember you pointing it out, but I don't know if there are any flowers left. I'll check the grow room while you copy the text."
Chloe would be the best one to cast the spell on Abaddon, but would Dean go along with it? Sam hadn't cast many spells and had no native ability. If he tried it, the spell might fail. Dean had learned to accept and appreciate the women's help, but allowing his girlfriend to go face to face with a Knight of Hell?
#
On Friday morning, Neal called the number Abaddon left. It was an anonymous voicemail requesting he leave a message at the tone. The very ordinariness of the message was in itself ominous. He told her to appear at his cell phone coordinates at eight o'clock in the evening, ostensibly to allow him time to retrieve the key after the employees had left.
Eric was already in Baltimore. He'd taken the train the previous evening and was staying with Noelle and her husband Joe.
Peter drove Neal and Mozzie to Baltimore on Friday afternoon. Before leaving, Peter prepared a file containing all the information about Abaddon and left it with El. In the event he didn't return, she was to give it to Hughes.
Mozzie acted as a pressure-release valve during the drive. He kept Neal loose with a nonstop monologue on the Men of Letters. Earlier in the day, Mozzie had interviewed Bobby to extract every kernel of information he had about the group. He then combined the results with his own imaginative theories. He even managed to weave a connection between the Tudor Crown and the secret organization, claiming that the Men of Letters may have taken the precious artifact into protective custody and had hidden it within the bunker.
Neal suspected Mozzie felt a kinship to the Men of Letters. After all, Mozzie had made himself a bunker in the basement of the Aloha Emporium. Had he been driven by a subconscious prompt from his fellow scholars?
Peter poked holes in Mozzie's theories throughout the trip but Mozzie's unique form of relaxation therapy was working on him too. By the time they showed up at Win-Win headquarters, both Neal and Peter were in a better place to cope with whatever came their way.
Peter called Dean when they arrived in Baltimore. The contingent from New Haven was still a half-hour away. Chloe and Sam were in the Impala with him. Maia stayed home. Bobby was there to guard against any unwanted intrusions by Crowley.
At Win-Win, only Noelle, Graham, and Allen Winston knew what would take place in the company basement. The storage room Graham suggested they appropriate was normally used to stored surplus office equipment. On Dean's recommendation, Allen had ordered the room stripped, leaving only one small metal table in place
Standing in the lobby to greet them were Noelle, Joe, Eric, Graham, and Julia. Noelle flung her arms around Neal when he entered. "How are you holding up, sweetie?" she murmured.
"About as well as you, I imagine."
"Have you heard anything more from Henry?" Graham asked, his voice rougher than normal.
Neal shook his head. "Not a word." Eric looked like he hadn't slept in days. Neal had already experienced hostage situations. They didn't lessen the fear, but he'd been forced to learn how to manage it better.
"This is our carrot," Neal said, pulling out the box. He was pleased with how well it had come out and thought it would give something for the others to focus on as they waited for the contingent from New Haven to arrive.
The box was about three by five inches. Eric, a skilled carpenter, reached for it. "Excellent workmanship. It looks old. The Arts-and-Crafts style is a good nod to the period, and those arcane symbols are impressive."
"I recommended Neal use oak," Mozzie said. "Wiccans believe oak has the most powerful magic of all the trees and is the best partner for spells and counterspells. Oak is a symbol of leadership, prosperity, and strength—all qualities the Men of Letter would admire."
"What's the star that you carved into the box?" Graham asked, his brow furrowing as he examined it. "That's not a witch's pentagram, is it?"
"No, but it looks a little like it," Neal said. "Bobby sent me the design. It's called an Aquarian Star and is used by the Men of Letters as a symbol of their society. It's a unicursal hexagram, meaning it can be drawn in one movement." He opened the box to reveal the key. Mozzie had a friend make one with a bit incised with intricate wards. Neal had also engraved the bow of the key with the Aquarian Star.
When Dean, Sam, and Chloe arrived, Neal made the introductions. Under the circumstances, seeing a man that resembled Henry so closely seemed like a cruel trick even though Henry's relatives had already seen the photos.
"It must be disorienting for you as well," Noelle told Dean. "Do you feel like you're rescuing yourself?"
"Yeah, a little," Dean admitted, "but weirdness comes with the job." He scanned the group of anxious people. "I wasn't expecting such a crowd. Here's how it's going down. You're all to stay here, or better yet, go home. You'll be safer there."
"We know how concerned you are," Sam added in a gentler voice. "But you won't help Henry by being present when Abaddon arrives."
And you're increasing the number of people we'll need to protect," Chloe said firmly. Neal caught Dean give Chloe a startled look. It was clear Chloe considered herself to be one of the hunters even if he wasn't fully on board yet.
"Don't worry about us," Joe said. "We'll stay out of your way, but we're not leaving. We've already installed remote cameras and can watch the live feed from an upstairs room."
The Winchesters didn't waste time arguing the point. A Knight of Hell was on her way and they all had work to do.
#
Chloe felt for Henry's relatives. She tried to imagine how her parents would feel if they'd just been told about a world they knew nothing about and which was now threatening their daughter. Neal and Peter had spoken with Henry's mom on the phone. She and her husband Joe had undoubtedly pleaded with Eric for every bit of information he knew. But Neal and Eric only had a basic understanding.
Dean and Sam didn't need her help in making the devil's trap so she lingered upstairs. The relatives had commandeered a conference room near the lobby. Eric was busy testing camera feeds with Henry's stepfather and grandfather. Chloe approached Julia and Noelle who'd taken seats at the conference table.
"I feel like I know you," Chloe said. "Henry's mentioned you often. It's clear how proud he is of you."
"I wish he'd told us about you," Noelle said wistfully.
Chloe cringed at having put her foot in her mouth in record time. She hastily tried to repair the damage. "I'm truly sorry you had to find out this way. Honestly, keeping our work a secret is second nature to us. No one would believe us unless they've experienced a paranormal incident. I haven't mentioned anything to my parents, but it's because I love them and I don't want them to be worried about me."
Noelle smiled at her. "I'd probably do the same in your position, but it's frustrating as a mom. When Henry was little, I shielded him. Now the tables are turned."
"Eric told us you're a novelist and a technical writer," Julia said. "I've heard good things about the Dork Guides."
"You have?" Chloe said, flabbergasted. Julia was an expert in an abstruse area of mathematics. Chloe shuddered to think what her opinion would be of her latest release—Dork's Guide to Excel.
Julia's eyes twinkled. "I must confess I'm much more interested in reading your novels."
Noelle joined her in asking questions about them. Chloe made a mental note to thank Eric. He must have done quite a marketing job.
"Your works are fantasies, and what's going on here seems just as unreal," Noelle said. "I was raised a Catholic. Demons and the devil are part of my religion, but I never expected to see them on Earth. I'm grappling with how vampires and Greek gods can exist alongside Christian entities. You haven't known about the supernatural world for very long. Did you have a difficult time accepting this new concept of reality?"
"It was easier for me because everything wasn't thrown at me at once. Mozzie helped. He explained the Greek concept of an etheric plane as a field of energy co-existing with our physical world. He believes the creatures that have supernatural abilities draw energy from the etheric plane. That's also the realm of the various deities and regions such as Heaven, Hell, and Oblivion."
Chloe didn't think she was making much sense, but perhaps that didn't matter. Discussing metaphysical concepts helped ease a little of the tension of waiting.
#
Dean painted the ceiling of the storage room with a devil's trap. Since he was using ultraviolet ink, he had to work in black light to see what he was doing. They hoped that Abaddon would only become aware of the trap after the black light was turned on.
At exactly eight o'clock, Neal stood alone in the room. Last-minute doubts sneaked in. Had Crowley been working all along with Abaddon? Realistically, it was hard to see what advantage he'd acquire from it. Unless his purpose was simply to eliminate a rival . . . Neal ripped his mind from the dark possibilities. There'd be more than enough time later to figure out what Crowley's true role was, assuming their strategy succeeded.
He'd powered off his phone when they entered the Baltimore city limits so Abaddon wouldn't be able to pay him a surprise early visit, but it was now time to put out the welcome mat for the Knight of Hell.
Neal turned on his phone and left a message at the sound of the default voicemail request. Within thirty seconds, the air appeared to thicken and out popped Abaddon with Henry held in front of her like a shield. Henry was unshaven, his clothes rumpled. Neal didn't see any injuries, but Abaddon had a thin dagger pressing into his shirt directly over his heart.
"You have the key?" she demanded.
Neal nodded, tapping his pants pocket. "Henry, are you all right?"
"Yeah, it seems that I lost count of a couple of days." His voice was slurred. He looked around the room groggily as if he was feeling the effects of having been drugged. Neal wondered if it was a ruse to keep the demon from watching him closely.
"You didn't miss much," Neal assured him. "Abaddon, release him and I'll give you the key."
"Why should I be the one to go first?" she sneered.
"Because you're Abaddon. I'm quite aware you could slay us both, and I'd rather come out of this alive."
Her lips twisted into a half-smile, informing him she had no intention of letting either one of them escape.
The table had been placed in the center of the room, directly under the devil's trap. Neal stepped forward, placing his hand over his jacket pocket. "Do we have a deal?" He kept his face calm and cocky. He'd conned a goddess. How much tougher could a Knight of Hell be?
She continued to look amused. Abaddon was convinced she was in control.
"You might as well make the trade," Henry mumbled to her. "Whatever it is must be worth more than me."
With a lightning-fast shove, she hurled him to one wall. "Give me the key."
"My pleasure," Neal said nonchalantly and strode toward the table. As soon as she drew near, he jumped to the side. At the same instant, the ultraviolet light was switched on.
With a scream, Abaddon lunged at him, but he was already outside the circle.
"You think this will hold me?" she mocked. "Not when my demons arrive and feast on every mortal in this building."
"Stuff it, bitch," Dean said, striding into the room with Sam and Chloe. She'd already been warned to cast the spell immediately before Abaddon had a chance to call in reinforcements.
As Chloe approached, Abaddon looked uneasy for the first time. Did she sense Chloe's power?
Chloe blew a prolonged breath toward Abaddon's face and the demon immediately slumped to the floor, seemingly unconscious.
Chloe then began to chant in Latin. Maia had been working with her on her pronunciation and Neal was able to understand the words. Chloe told the demon that the rumor of Win-Win being a secret headquarters for the Men of Letters had been debunked. No chapters remained in the States. Sam had suggested adding that the Men of Letters had also been eradicated in England, but Crowley pointed out there were already too many demons who knew about the English branch.
The final twist was something Bobby had suggested. Chloe planted the belief in Abaddon's mind that if she ever returned to Earth, she would be destroyed.
When Chloe finished speaking, Sam stepped forward and plunged the sword of Saint Mercurius into her back. The silver sword had been coated with banishment oil. As soon as the blade penetrated her flesh, Abaddon dissolved into reddish gas. The effect lasted for only a few seconds before it too disappeared.
It was over. The outrageous scheme had actually worked. Somewhere Crowley was smirking with satisfaction.