Chapter 14
Crossing both daggers over her head Sophia incanted the protection spell. A fine silvery web flew over their heads and then disappeared although if Dean tilted his head a certain way he could see the air wavering like the night on the road outside the cemetary when Lyra had cast the protection against Abrasax.
The coven began chanting in Celtic. Jim stepped forward and called to the North in the ancient language. They were calling the corners. It was starting. Dean cast a glance at Sam who looked nervous. Willing his younger brother to look at him he caught Sam's eye.
Dean cocked his crossbow giving Sam a quick reassuring nod. It would be all right; Dean was trying to tell him. Sam appreciated the gesture and smiled stoicly, his resolve strengthened.
All thirteen of them had gathered in this remote corner of the delapidated cemetary. They were in front of a massive stone mausoleum overgrown with vines. Lyra had felt the ley lines converging nearby and even Sam's spider sense had started tingling. This was the place.
Lyra had called to the West; they were now Drawing Down the Moon. The hairs on the back of Dean's neck were prickling. Never a good sign. Sophia stepped towards Sam giving him one of her daggers. Facing each other they crossed the blades and began their own quiet intoning. Dean knew they were putting out a psychic beacon, a signal that would draw any evil being to them. Once summoned, the demon would be drawn to this exact spot.
Dean kept a close eye on the tomb's heavy stone doors as the coven Invoked the Goddess. Lyra was calling to the Goddess in Celtic, Dean couldn't understand the words but he knew she was asking her for strength and protection against the dark forces. A strange white glow appeared around Lyra, enveloping her. Her athame flashed white against her black cloak. Lyra pointed the silver knife towards Sam and Sophia and then directly at Dean. He felt warmth in his chest; his breathing slowed slightly and he could hear his own heart beating. He felt strengthened, secure. Lyra looked at him, her blue eyes crystalline, red lips moving in incantation. She was praying for him, for his protection. He knew that. His heart swelled with gratitude. And perhaps something more? Dean felt the bond between them, a white light directly from the tip of her athame to his heart. He conveyed his feelings back to her, wishing her luck, promising her protection. He meant to stop there but one last sentiment escaped before he could stop it.
I love you, too. He heard Lyra's voice clearly in his mind. She hadn't spoken but was still looking at him, her face aglow with the white light. A reassuring smile and then she turned her focus back to the coven. They began summoning Rabisu.
Dean felt the earth tremble beneath his feet. The nearby trees creaked and groaned, leaves swishing anxiously. A cold wind blew from out of nowhere and he heard the scrape of heavy stone against the tomb's floor.
The massive doors swung slowly open revealing a cavernous darkness inside the mausoleum. Nothing stepped forth. The coven stopped chanting. The wind had stopped. The trees were still. The world held its breath waiting for its arrival. Nothing happened.
"Show yourself demon!" Sophia called into the dark vault.
Jesus, was the woman afraid of nothing? Dean thought wildly. He raised his crossbow in anticipation.
"Ylyn hzmnw Rabisu?" A booming, unnatural voice echoed from out of the darkness. Aramaic, Jim had explained to them last night. The language of the world at the time the demons were cast out of heaven and into hell.
Jim answered loudly in the same tongue; "We summon Rabisu. Great demon, we worship you. Allow us to gaze upon you Dark Lord."
Dean felt the heat and smelt the foul sulphurous stench before he saw it. Feeling the earth tremble as heavy footsteps fell upon the tomb floor. He saw the eyes first. Glowing red embers from deep in the darkness.
oo00oo
Dean wasn't sure who started the fight but instantaneously it became clear the demon didn't appreciate travelling all this way not to be worshipped.
The demon made a lunge at Sophia and Sam. Jim stabbed at it with the broadsword drawing its attention towards him. As the demon turned Dean fired a crystal-tipped arrow into its chest. He thought it hit its heart but who the hell knew if demons and humans shared similar anatomy?
Jim held the claymore high in front of him shouting an Aramaic curse at Rabisu. A blinding light flashed. Unlike the confrontation with Abrasax, the curse failed to destroy Rabisu. It knocked him back a couple steps which Dean took advantage of firing an arrow into the side of the demon's head.
"That's gotta hurt," Dean murmured as he loaded another arrow. Quick as lightning Dean saw something flying towards him. A tail, he vaguely registered. The demon had a tail. Lifting Dean off his feet, he was flung across the tomb site by the lizardlike tail.
oo00oo
Dean lay still for a moment trying to recover from the minor explosion in his mind. His ears rang and his head pounded as he felt a trickle of blood down the side of his face. Rolling onto one side he supported himself up on one elbow taking in the mayhem happening just a few feet away.
The demon had to be ten feet tall. Nostrils flared as it inhaled deeply then exhaled a stream of fire at Sophia. Crossing her arms in front of her she instantaneously summoned a shield of energy protecting herself from incineration. Dean had to admit she was pretty good at defending herself.
Ducking the deflected flames from Sophia, Sam extending both hands summoned a large chunk of granite from a nearby tombstone crashing it straight into the side of the demon's head. Nice one Sammy, Dean thought proudly.
Jim had lost his broadsword but brandished a wicked looking axe. He flung it directly at the demon's back embedding it between what would have been shoulder blades on a human. Finally responding to injury the demon stopped its carnage momentarily arching its back and letting out a terrible scream. The cry was like a hundred pterydactyls and a runaway locomotive crashing together.
Dean tried to get up and made it as far as his knees, the ground was heaving. He wasn't sure if it really was heaving or it was the result of his head injury. Clearly he saw Lyra beside the demon. She was looking at the broadsword flung to the ground, reaching out her hand she impelled the claymore to her. In one fluid motion she grasped the hilt with both hands and swung with all her force as the demon's head was flung back screaming in pain.
The sword sliced the demon's throat deeply. Black blood sprang from the gaping wound and the demon's screaming became a horrible gurgling noise. Dean rose to his feet unsteadily. The sword had not decapitated the demon completely although the wound in its throat had to be fatal. Hadn't it? At the very least it had thrown the demon into a panic.
Lyra was preparing to take another swing with the broadsword as the demon turned away quickly. Now aware of its powerful tail Dean avoided its sweep this time.
"Lyra!" Dean shouted. But she was focussed on the demon's neck. Its tail caught her flinging her airborne and crashing into a nearby tomb wall. The claymore flew from her hand as her body collapsed motionless to the ground.
"Dean!" Sam shouted as he approached his brother. The demon's back was to them; it was confronting the rest of the coven. Extending his arm Sam stared hard. Suddenly the imbedded axe flew out of the demon's back and into Sam's hand.
"Here," Sam handed Dean the axe. "I'll distract him."
The searing pain in the demon's back made it turn. Its responses were slowing. The demon gazed dully at Sam as he stepped forward to confront it. Dean saw the demon's nostrils flare and knew he was about to firebomb Sam. Stepping to the side of the demon Dean took a full swing landing the axe squarely on the back of the demon's neck. He felt the sickening crunch of its spine and then nothing. Just air, as the axe swung clean through. Lyra had slashed a deep wound across the front of its neck, just short of the backbone.
Jumping clear Dean avoided the spray of black blood as the demon's head toppled to the ground. The headless body spasmed for a minute before collapsing in a motionless heap. The coven drew together chanting as Dean let the axe fall from his hand. The earth took another leap as Dean's knees gave way. He felt a strong arm around him holding him up from falling.
"I gotcha." Sam said.
"Sammy," Dean whispered hoarsely. "Where's Lyra?"
Sophia threw some kind of powder onto the demon's decapitated head and the coven spoke in unison. Suddenly the earth heaved throwing both brothers to the ground and thunder cracked overhead. A flash of lightning lit the area as bright as day for a moment as they saw the demon's body and head implode into dust.
Then silence. Not a cricket chirp. Not a leaf rustle. Dead silence descended. The air was still once more. The thunder and lightning gone. Something drew Dean's eye. Next to the tomb door where Rabisu had made his entrance was Lyra lying in the grass.
Stumbling across the grass he knelt beside her. She was deathly pale, her lips looked blue and her chest was motionless.
"Lyra," his voice ragged with emotion. "Wake up."
Sliding his arm beneath her he pressed her to him hoping to infuse his life into her. Her face felt icy next to his. "Wake up. It's over," he pleaded into her unhearing ear.