Cast into Hell
So close. Castiel could see himself do it. The image in his mind grew until he wasn't sure if it was real or not, couldn't tell if he was imagining it or if he had already done it. Cut out his grace. Only an angel could do it. The ultimate act of free will. So easy. The knife was in his hand, and Eliul wasn't holding it there anymore. The pain slipped away until all that existed was the dull throbbing of that light behind his heart and the knife pressed up against his chest, drawing blood, waiting for the command.
It was so terrible.
"No!" Jane shouted, the sound torn and horrible and Castiel was glad he couldn't see her face, glad he didn't have to know what she would think when he destroyed himself. He felt something there in his second sight, a burst of energy, almost. Maybe they had killed her. Didn't matter, really. The end was just there, waiting…. He closed his eyes.
There was blood dripping onto Jane's chin. Most of it came from internal injuries, something the demons had done to her just by looking, something dark and unnatural. The rest of it came from when she bit her lip when she saw Castiel grip the knife Eliul pressed into his hand and hold it against his heart like he was going to cut it out. Castiel, sprawled out on the altar and surrounded by three demons, too weak to fight them off or even move. She wasn't used to seeing him like that. She hadn't thought he could be like that. He was strong, fierce, scary even in his otherworldly power. Never defeated. Never about to cut into himself. Jane didn't know what it meant, but she knew it was bad and she knew it meant Castiel, everything, was over.
She hadn't seen him in ten hours. They must have put him through hell to get him like that.
Jane shouted, desperate. Castiel had the knife and he was holding it himself, and Eliul was watching over him, brimming with taut excitement, waiting for the moment when he would bring it down. The five demons in the church, even the two standing over her, guarding her and keeping her locked in place against the wall, were all fixed on the angel. Blood spilled out of her split lip and up her throat. Castiel was going to die. That wasn't the worst of it. She didn't even care much that she was going to die, or that the Seal would be broken. But they were going to make him something like them, make him fall and turn into something evil. Not the Castiel she knew. Not the one who had rescued her more than once. Not the one she'd fought next to, side-by-side.
She couldn't let that happen.
Blood was bubbling up her throat but it didn't matter, it was just her, stuck against this wall, and Castiel, lying on that slab of stone, and the demon, waiting. Adrenaline or rage or something stranger burst through her blood, fuel for battle. And then everything felt different. Jane spat out the cry of fury building in her core and she was free. The bonds burned away and she dropped to the ground, barely noticing what she was doing. Something was taking over her and she was driven by instinct, pure, blinding instinct that felt right.
Two demons in front of her. They turned from the altar, saw her on the floor, confused. The female demon tilted her head, uncertain of this new occurrence. Jane didn't pause. She gritted her bloody teeth and launched up, grabbed the demon by the throat, this demon who had torn her up inside and made her helpless. Now its eyes were black and wide. Jane didn't know what she was doing but she knew what felt right and she locked eyes with the creature. She felt almost calm. The demon tried to say something, choked words stumbling through the stolen throat. Jane didn't care. The black eyes filled with light, as if a fire was shining behind them. She kept the gaze. The demon crumpled and Jane let go, hardly aware of what she'd just done and as shocked as if she'd just killed a demon with her bare hands. Which she had. This was turning into a weird day.
The other demon—male, older—looked shocked too. Jane swung at him hard and hit him in the jaw. It felt like hitting cement. He grabbed her arm and twisted it back, sneering, but it was more angry and scared than triumphant. Jane winced as her muscles wrenched, but pain seemed insignificant now. She laid her hand on the man's arm, on the exposed skin, and held tight. Black eyes met brown. Trapped. The light burned again, and the second demon fell.
Jane didn't know, or hell, care why this was happening. Didn't matter. She had to save Castiel. She sprinted up the steps, those few short paces to the altar that might be just too far away, just too late….
Eliul looked up. This was an unforeseen event. True, he'd known what the human was, but he'd rather doubted she would live long enough to make that realization herself, or learn to access those certain…qualities. It was a mistake on his part. Still, it was easily remedied. Castiel was close to it. An instant longer. To have everything dashed at this last moment would be intolerable. Eliul turned his attention away, already annoyed that he might miss witnessing it and eager to tie up this loose end. The girl was running towards the altar, just a few steps away. The nerve. Humans never realized what they were up against until it was too late. He waited for her to come to him. A quick snap of the neck, and victory.
"Castiel!" Jane shouted. Angry. Strange that she should be angry with him at this moment. Nothing seemed real anymore. It was dark under his eyelids and that was really all that mattered. He felt separate from himself, as if his soul was already detached. Sliced out. The thought hit Castiel with a pang. She wasn't bound anymore, but obviously that was impossible. Yet she seemed to be coming closer, running, in fact, and yes, shouting angrily. Eliul would kill her. But she had evaded the lower demons. Strange.
Castiel opened his eyes. And there was Jane, standing on the dais, being observed by Eliul, who looked annoyed. Castiel couldn't feel his body. Had he already done it? But Jane was there, about to die. Trying to save him. How had she gotten away? He could not feel the presence of the lower demons and realized they were gone. Banished? Jane wouldn't be there long, because he had failed her anyway, and it didn't matter if there were two less demons around to witness his fall from grace.
Everyone paused. Jane stood tense on the dais, breathing hard, locking eyes with Eliul, who stood next to the altar, looming over Castiel's bleeding form. The two other demons were somewhere behind them, waiting for orders, or to see who would make the next move. Castiel realized he had paused too and felt the sensation return just enough to feel the knife pressing against his chest. Jane met his eyes for a brief second.
He seized Eliul's wrist and poured every last drop of his strength into the grip. The flesh turned hot under his fingers and smoke leaked out, the thin steam drifting upwards. Eliul's eyes were black and wide but he did not flinch, did not pull away. Castiel thought it might not be enough. His last effort and it wasn't good enough. Eliul looked darker and darker as the power crept deep, past skin and bone and into his very essence, but he wouldn't tear his eyes away from Castiel's, and he knew at any moment it would be the end. Weak and failing, he would end.
Jane shoved Eliul with all her strength, and the connection was broken. The demon went tumbling off the dais. The others were close at his heels. One, in the body of a young dark-haired man, dashed to his fallen leader, examining him for a moment. Castiel doubted he was dead. He was sure he did not have the strength for that. The young demon seemed to reach the same conclusion, but he glared at Jane anyway and moved to approach her.
"Shall we finish this?" he snarled. Castiel recognized him, one of the demons from the attack the night before. The one who had taken such delight in tormenting Jane.
Jane was unfazed. Castiel had never seen her like this, so ready for battle. She had been eager for revenge before and not unwilling to meet the demons in combat, but she had been so naïve, so untested and unskilled. He had needed to protect her before. But this was different. She was calm, prepared, brimming with the thrill of battle that he knew so well. It was a feeling he had felt many, many times himself.
Jane didn't wait for further invitation. She launched herself at the demon and it was a wild tussle of fists and elbows. They wrestled for a moment—it was clear the demon was the stronger, and he got Jane's arms in a lock grip, chuckling under his breath. Jane staggered around, trying to break free of his grasp. They ran against the edge of the altar, close to Castiel, but he could do nothing to help. His strike against Eliul had wiped him out and the darkness was creeping into his vision again. A few moments longer….
Jane and the demon scuffled for a moment, Jane pinned to the side of the altar, painfully similar to the position Castiel was in. The demon laughed softly, his hands around Jane's wrists as she struggled fiercely. A moment later she seemed to realize it was useless and stopped dead. Then she slammed her forehead into the demon's head, as hard as she could. It appeared to do her more damage, unfortunately. The demon staggered slightly and the smirk dropped away, but if anything, it only made him angrier. But it gave Jane the break she needed. She reached a hand out and touched the demon's face, fighting for her hold. Castiel knew she was doing something. The demon seemed to realize too. He looked almost scared and pulled her hand away, not without a struggle.
"New tricks," he said, but the bravado sounded false. He was rattled. Jane stared back furiously, then kneed him sharply in the gut. The demon, surprised, doubled over, and Jane gave him a hard kick that sent him tumbling down the steps, on opposite sides of his master but equally immobilized. For now. The other demon, the blond woman, shrieked.
"Iranax!" She ran to his prostrate form.
Jane rushed to the altar. Her eyes took in Castiel, lying there helpless, and his wounds. He knew they were bad. He was uncertain how much this body could take, but it felt like he was reaching his limit. Jane looked like she didn't know what to do.
"You can…help me," Castiel whispered.
"You're going to Hell first," the blond demon said suddenly. She appeared on the opposite side of the altar, spitting vitriol and reaching across for Jane. Jane swung her arm back and punched her in the face. The demon went down.
Castiel saw they had only seconds. "What do I do?" Jane asked. She was scared. He didn't know how long this would last, how long the demons would be kept at bay, and he was surprised he had the strength even for this. Any moment and it would give out. He didn't know how this was possible. Jane should be dead. She had broken free, and subdued the lower demons somehow, and that was impossible. How could she do anything? She was a civilian, no idea about this world, let alone the power to control it. But she wasn't dead, and he wasn't dead, and that gave him courage for the first time that night. A moment ago he was so close, so close to despair, that horrible thing he had prayed never to experience. And now Jane was here. The knife slipped away, his fingers uncurling from it, and it hit the floor with a clatter. His grace seemed to grow stronger now that it was away from it, lighting up behind his heart and knocking away the chill from his soul. He felt the small prickling of hope and it seemed to grow inside him, and he decided this would not be the end.
There was one thing left. He didn't know if it was possible, but he hadn't believed Jane would survive this long, or be able to fend off those demons. Maybe impossible things were closer than he thought.
"Tell me what to do," Jane said, still scared, but there was the grim, desperate determination he understood all too well. Words were beyond him now; he did not think he could speak. His eyes were wide but he forgot the pain, nothing mattered except this. Praying he did the right thing, he grabbed Jane's wrist, the bone grating in his dislocated shoulder, and thrust her palm to his forehead.
It happened instantaneously. His back arched, ripping at the bones, and he knew he was screaming, and everything was white, beautiful, pure light. Freedom. The mortal coil put aside and the form he knew, the form he was finally released.
Jane stared with wide eyes. Castiel had almost forgotten her. The bliss of resuming his true form wiped out almost everything, and he had not paused to consider this. Humans couldn't see his appearance without dying, or being terribly injured. But here was Jane, seeing him in all his true glory and not dead, not damaged. Then Castiel understood.
But there was no time for that now. He had his mission, his last, most terrible, most important thing. He must finish it.
"Nice to see you again, old friend," Eliul said. He watched Castiel's towering form with unflappable calm. Castiel descended. He had the demon in his power. Under his hand, as it were, and now Eliul was the one pressed up against the altar, at his mercy. The borrowed skin blistered, so close to the angelic substance. Jane backed away, wisely.
Jane could not believe what she was seeing. Sure, she knew Castiel was an angel, but that knowledge was mostly relegated to the purely intellectual areas of her brain. He looked like a normal, albeit scruffy, guy in a tie and trench coat, and yeah, he could teleport and exorcise demons, but he still seemed pretty human. But this….Jane was pretty sure she was seeing what no human being was supposed to be seeing, and for the first time she fully understood Castiel's true nature. She backed away, wide-eyed and fascinated, and more than a little scared. Castiel, or the weird-glowy-whatever thing, was already advancing on Eliul. This was a battle between them.
Jane was considering what she should do when a hand reached up from behind and grabbed her. Damn. She knew there was something she was forgetting.
"Little bit of free time while the big kids are playing," a voice breathed in her ear. Jane mentally kicked herself for letting the two demons left out of her sight. The dark haired young man held her from behind, one hand holding her neck while the blond demon sauntered into view and collected the fallen knife that had come so close to killing Castiel. "And we never got a chance to finish up," he said.
The blond demon looked rather annoyed. "You want to do the honors, Iranax?" she said, flaunting the knife in front of Jane's face.
"You go first, Norah," he replied.
Logically Jane knew she should be scared, but instead she rolled her eyes. This day wasn't likely to get any freakier, so she might as well just go with it. There was something there that she could tap into, just barely, reaching almost purely by instinct. Something that felt right. Jane could feel the light pooling inside her, stoked the fires and let it do its job.
The effect was gratifying. The demon holding her suddenly hissed and threw her off like repelling sides of a magnet, clutching his burned hands. Jane took the opportunity to kick the blond demon squarely in the knee. Her legs buckled underneath her and she dropped to hands and knees. Jane stomped her foot down on the demon's wrist and grabbed the knife. The demon looked up, startled and furious, and made to lash out, but Jane was too quick. She slashed the little knife across the demon's face and was rewarded with a shriek of rage and pain.
It was short lived victory. Jane turned to face off the other demon, geared up to attack with everything she had left. He was ready for her. Before she could do more than realize he had his open hand reaching out, she was thrown back, hurled by that same damn demonic superpower that had gotten her before. She skidded across the floor and stopped a good twenty feet away from them, dazed from the fall.
The dark haired demon was already helping his comrade up. He gave Jane one last dirty smirk, and the demons took off. They knew when the tides had turned against them.
"You did good, Cas. I didn't think you'd make it this far," Eliul said, voice emotionless, eyes black and cool.
"This is the end, Eliul," the angel said. His voice shook the building like a miniature earthquake.
A smile spread over Eliul's face. "Not quite."
The demon turned inside himself, burrowing in the soul of his captive body and sucking it down into the abyss that was his black eyes. Castiel followed, their physical forms still locked in place, but his spirit was hunting, racing down the empty hallways inside the body, light and dark, twisting. Eliul was hiding there somewhere. Castiel felt the dimming presence of the original soul in that body, terrified and confused. Eliul would be close to it, hiding behind it, knowing Castiel would be slow to lash out for fear of hurting the innocent soul. Somewhere lurking. It was a dark maze and Castiel was guided by instinct, seeking out the presence.
There. It was cornered. The two souls faced each other off, circling, searching for weaknesses. Castiel was the first to strike. The demon fell under his force and he prepared to bind it, lock it away for a millennia.
Had to do it all alone, Castiel, the demon said to him. A last attack, fueled by desperation.
You are alone, he answered. You are cast into Hell. Tell your master what the infernal forces are against.
The end of a long battle. It had been fought furiously and claimed lives, consumed his soul for a long, long time. It was fitting that it would end in this dark, secret place, away from the light that would glorify his adversary's actions.
And he had been so close to defeat. Despair. But he resisted, and perhaps his Father had a reason for giving him this mission after all.
Eliul's spirit roared, and Castiel held on until it evaporated, nothing more than a harmless puff of smoke.
The dark recesses of the soul were difficult to navigate. Castiel followed the light, out and away from the innocent body that had been stolen by Eliul and made to see so much. He could no longer feel the presence of its original soul. Castiel found the way out and burst forth, glad to leave the unfamiliar skin. Casting the demon into Hell had weakened him. His form exploded with light and he let himself slip away, where everything was light and darkness.
A/N: Whew. The next chapter will be the last. Thanks to everyone who kept up with this story, and I absolutely will get the last chapter up within the next five days before Supernatural starts up again. Rock on, fellow Castiel fans.