"I didn't think there would be stairs involved." John growled quietly, as he carried Elizabeth up the two flights that led to the access door for the hotel roof. Honestly he didn't mind; he was glad Satan had removed the cancer that choked his lungs because he had a need for breathing deep right now. But this hadn't been mentioned.

Elizabeth winced and clung tighter to his neck. Constantine leaned on the stair railing, drawing in a deep breath. Two more steps and a landing to go.

Dago peered down at them. "Everything is ready."

"Excellent." Constantine wheezed. He turned his gaze to Elizabeth. Her face was gray, clammy. "Elizabeth?"

"Yeah?"

"All right, just checking to see if you're still at the party." Hoisting her a bit to get a better grip, John ascended the last steps and walked the landing to the door. Dago held it up and ushered them outside.

It was dark, but you could hardly tell from all the lights that lit the heart of Los Angeles. Below them the roar of traffic was a din, echoing off the buildings. John felt the gravel under his shoes crunch as he carried Elizabeth over to the pentacle Dago had drawn with sea salt. A white candle marked each point of the pentacle; black ones in between each point. Dago knew his shit.

"In the center, ja?" Dago nodded, pointing.

"I don't think I can stand too long." Elizabeth's voice was shaky from the pain, as John carried her into the magic circle.

"He can hold you." The German replied, nodding again to Constantine.

"You just want me to actively participate." John smirked in her ear, pressing a kiss to her cheek. She smiled weakly.

"I vill begin now." Dago removed a ceremonial athame and began calling the Guardians. John watched him, letting his psychic feelers extend. This was a perfect point for something bad to happen. When he finished, Dago moved over and cut the thin comforter with the blade, parting the fabric so the fresh tattoos down Elizabeth's back were exposed. She shivered hard; it wasn't a cold night, but the wind was wicked up here on the rooftop.

Dago began the Conjuration, speaking in a mixture of German-accented English and Latin. Constantine followed along a bit as Dago continued on invoking all the names of God. He'd never actually been present during a ceremony involving the Seals of Solomon, but his mind was busy watching for an attack.

Elizabeth shuddered as Dago placed a latex-gloved hand, careful of the blood running in tiny rivulets, against the topmost seal. John nuzzled her ear. This was going to take a lot out of her, but the end results would give her a better way to focus her powers and be protected. Elizabeth laid her forehead to the side of his neck. She was shaking hard, uncontrollably, from the pain and the cold. Tenderly, John pushed the strands of golden hair away from her eyes.

Dago's voice rose over the howling wind. "I conjure ye, and I command ye absolutely, O Demons," he called. Suddenly there was a loud cracking sound, like a hundred guns fired at once. Constantine's radar spiked and he felt something. Instantly there was a massive flash of white as a bolt of lightening struck the cell tower on the building next to them.

"Holy fuck!" John roared. It hadn't been an act of nature; something had caused that lightening bolt. He looked at Dago, who was still incanting, but doing so a lot faster then before. Quickly he sped through the last bits of the rite. Thunder rolled through the sky and John saw great black clouds moving in over them. "Hurry it up, Dago!"

"…To execute all that we shall command ye in the Great Name of God!" Dago yelled the final words. There was a massive boom. All three turned and found the cell tower had burst into flames from the lightening strike. The flames were leaping high into the inky sky, as the candles that marked the magic circle guttered in the wind.

"Move it!" Constantine roared, clutching Elizabeth tightly to him. Dago grabbed his case and undid the magic circle in record time. The first fat drops of rain began to hit them just as they made the doorway.

"I did not know jou had such storms in Los Angeles." Dago blinked, closing the access door behind them.

"That wasn't an ordinary storm." John brushed the rainwater from Elizabeth's face. "Whatever conjured it knew we were up on the roof."

"Vhy vould anyone vant to stop the rite?"

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough." Constantine descended the stairs quickly, much more easily then ascending them. He punched the button for the elevator. Dago drew up behind them, looking around warily.

"John?" Elizabeth's voice was low. He looked down into her eyes, letting her know he'd heard her. "There was a streak of red in the lightening bolt."

"Red?"

"Yeah. And it wasn't an afterimage. I saw it, plain as day." Constantine stepped into the elevator, punching the button for their floor.

"We'll look and see at home." Elizabeth nodded, eyes sliding closed again. "Dago, if you'd be kind enough to send a bill for your services and call a cab for us when we'd get back to the room?"

"Ja." The German nodded, obviously still spooked.