Now or Never
Rowan's Draugar exchanged glances and stepped up closer to her, looking worried.
"Where did you hear of this, Milday?" Bjarni asked as the other two continued to glance at each other with concern.
"The Winchesters want to kill Abaddon and Crowley told them the First Blade kills anything and everything." Rowan said, not really having to mention the fact that she astral projected herself in the bunker. "It's what Cain used to kill his brother." She added and her friends looked at her with concern.
"Well Milday," Agmundr began. "The thing Crowley doesn't know about the First Blade is that it comes with something else." he added, looking a little nervous.
"A price." Rowan said and Bjarni widened her eyes for a second, as if to say that was an understatement.
"A mark. Crowley might know of this then and if so, he's indeed a scoundrel." Raganhar had corrected not only Rowan, but Agmundr. "The Mark of Cain acts like an itch that can't be scratched. It irritates and drives the host to kill without control. That is what gives the First Blade power. Without the Mark, the Blade is useless." He added, explaining why they seemed so worried.
"If one of the Winchesters was to have this Mark, and they died, they'd return as a demon." Bjarni added and that seemed to scare her. It even scared Rowan.
"Lucifer had this Mark, that's what caused him to be the way he was." Agmundr said and Rowan was stunned. Had her father known he was the host of the Mark? "Abel was talking to Lucifer, which worried Cain. They struck a deal, Cain killed Abel, sending him to Heaven, and Lucifer passed on the Mark to Cain who then used the First Blade to slaughter and train the Knights of Hell." He added which seemed to justify why this made them nervous.
"How did Lucifer get the Mark in the first place?" Rowan asked and they exchanged glances of uncertainty.
"Lucifer never shared that detail." Raganhar replied, which made Rowan wonder what was going on in Heaven before her father left. There seems to be much more than just feuding brothers.
"If the Winchesters were seriously going to take Crowley's suggestion, they'd have to go to Cain and have him pass on the Mark. The First Blade, however, is nowhere to be found. Cain had retired and settled down. He killed most of the Knights, but Abaddon." Bjarni said.
"Abaddon killed the woman he loved." Agmundr added, which made Rowan worried to hear all of this. She had to kill Abaddon before the Winchesters decided to seek Crowley's help on finding the First Blade. She had to make sure they went nowhere near that damned animal jawbone.
"I guess it's now or never to get Abaddon's attention." Rowan said, which made her Draugar smile with anticipation while trying to hide their concern. "What is it?" she asked and they all tried to convince her they weren't worried, but she wasn't buying it.
"What does this Abaddon chick look like?" Fenrir asked from his rock, still sunbathing.
"Like someone you don't want to tick off." Bjarni said, going on to describe her clothing that would fit someone like Joan Jett, but a personality of Vlad the Impaler. When Rowan turned to look at Fenrir, he eyed her from head to toe and gave her a small smile.
"Yeah, Abaddon is going to be scared of a college student." He said and she narrowed her eyes.
"It's not what I'm wearing that matters." Rowan said and, although her Draugar agreed with her, she could tell it did matter. She exhaled and motioned for her brother to get up. "Let's go shopping then." She said, which didn't set right with Fenrir.
"No way. I've avoided shopping with my sister all these years. I'm not sitting down, holding your purse and watching you try on twenty different outfits." He said and she frowned at him. "I know that much about women." He concluded.
"Fine, then give me your car keys." She said and he scowled.
"You're Hel. You can't just teleport? Your demons can do it." he said and returned to his relaxation period.
"Draugar." Rowan corrected and then exhaled with irritation. "Fine. My brother's too busy soaking in the sun. Let's go." She added, taking Bjarni's hand. The other two joined in and glanced at Rowan.
"Picture a place and simply bring yourself there." Bjarni said softly to Rowan, looking like she might enjoy shopping too. She thought of all the stores she knew growing up and when she went to college, trying to think of the best store. Then, she found it. She envisioned the store in one of the many towns where she had lived for a short period of time. It was a store where she always wanted to shop as a teen, but her foster parents wouldn't let her; clothes like that were for thugs and prostitutes.
And death deities that wanted to rock a killer outfit so she could kill a Knight of Hell trying to be the Queen of Hell. If looks matter, than hers would say: Hel is back, bitch.
Rowan felt like the earth beneath her feet was shifting, bending itself to her will. When she looked around, she was in that town, across the street from the clothing store with the awesome name Wicked Stitches above the door.
"Excellent, Milady." Bjarni said, letting go of Rowan's hand. There was barely any traffic and even if there were, she'd dodge them without concern. They walked into the store without getting any stares. You'd have to be dressed up like a high-class conservative jerk to get a few stares in a store like that.
The walls of the store were painted black as Rowan remembered, but the punk-rock décor was new. The mannequins were dressed up in both men and women fashion that looked like rock stars. The clothes hung off the walls, on the racks in the store and on counters, all laid out in an open concept, with women's clothes to the left and men's to the right.
Agmundr and Raganhar sat down in the black leather chairs that were in the center of the store where they could look at the magazines and have a clear sight of the changing rooms.
"So, Abaddon's all badass." Rowan said and Bjarni nodded, looking at some of the leather jackets. "Wouldn't I be looking like her?" she asked, looking at all the clothes. "I'm Hel. Is there a guide to dressing like a death deity?" she asked and Bjarni grinned as she turned to the black mesh shirts just behind her.
"Would a dress be more appropriate?" Bjarni asked, which got Rowan to arch an eyebrow. "Classy is the new bitchy." She added, which got Rowan to grin.
"I don't know." She replied and went to the corner where black dresses hung off the walls at eye level and that were also on the racks behind Rowan. Would she be stylish in a black dress? Why did it matter anyway? Then again, dressing like a college student didn't quite say Death Goddess, grrr… fear me.
But what did?
Then, she thought of Crowley, how he wore that expensive business suit. Appearances did matter when you wanted to be threatening. But being threatening while wearing a dress? That seemed more like Death Princess… don't splatter your blood on my shoes.
Until Rowan came upon a dress she was certain would make her look elegant and powerful. She was a Goddess, might as well look the part. Rowan took it off the rack and went into the changing room, tearing her clothes off and getting into the dress. She looked at herself in the mirror and her aura of power began to glow. There, for the first time, Rowan could see her hazel eyes become light brown, then dark brown, shifting into those eyes Crowley had described to her. Staring back at her were those black eyes with smoky gray pupils. Her aura seemed to simmer off of her body, making her look exactly like a Death Goddess.
Rowan let it go on, watching as if she were a living photo being overlaid on another; the ghostly skeleton over her usual human looking self. The skull glowing through fallen flesh, the bones of her arms and hands, making her look like a zombie. She was incredibly awesome.
Apparently looking classy did make her look terrifying, not to forget to mention to zombie look.
She loved the long black dress, with the lace overlay which covered a sweetheart neckline for the feminine look as well as the entire dress. It was sleeveless and there was an open back with details that enhanced her natural curves. There was a wonderful dramatic thigh slit that showed off a tasteful amount of her bare leg.
It was a dress that would probably make Crowley wonder what came over him as he panted like a dog in heat for its mate.
Rowan stepped out of the changing room and had the eyes of her Draugar on her, stunned, like they were seeing her for the first time. Bjarni came over with some black studded leather peep toe pumps and some amethyst dangling earrings complete with bracelets in a silver band.
With the outfit complete, Rowan had everyone's eyes on her, probably because her aura was glowing, making her look deadly.
"Milady," Raganhar said, standing up. "You are stunning." He added as Agmundr and Bjarni stared in awe. Rowan smiled and approached them, taking their hands.
"You going to pay for that, Miss?" one punk rock girl asked from behind the cashier counter. Rowan looked at her and smiled darkly before envisioning the clearing in the woods where Fenrir was still sunbathing. The best part of being a Goddess is disappearing without having to pay, that would have been so useful back in her teenage years where she shoplifted and ran like hell, but that only happened a couple of times or so. It's not like she was keeping count.
As soon as Fenrir noticed them, he propped himself on his elbows and stared at Rowan in disbelief.
"Try not to gawk, brother." She said, standing under the sun, running a hand through her golden brown hair that cut to her shoulders which were instantly beginning to curl in lose waves.
"You going to a fancy party?" Fenrir asked and she shot him a cold glare.
"Not only do you not know how to talk to women, you know nothing of fashion." Rowan said, flipping her hair over her shoulder with a dark grin.