(Disclaimer: Don't own anything Supernatural related; the following story and the characters of Riley and Dee are all mine)
Holier Than Thou.
Chapter Twelve.
Time seemed to slow as all four hunters moved in unison…Dee raised her gun, emptying the automatic as the demon shrieked down on her; Sam snapped free of the serpentine shackles that bound him, grabbing the shotgun from the floor near his bed, turning and firing. Dean reached under his pillow and threw his dagger in one swift movement; and Riley stepped between Dee and Lilith and raised her hands…
A rabid howl erupted from the demon as she hovered in the air above Riley; her russet locks flaming out behind her, whipping around a face contorted in furious, primal rage; her piercing emerald eyes ablaze with a hatred that made her body shake. Her arms were held wide, her fingers elongating as talons appeared; she opened her mouth wide, her jaw unhinging as she issued another shriek…only this one had a cadence to it; it rose to an ear-piercing peak then fell to a guttural growl before rising again; a series of peaks and troughs that echoed round the room, escaping out the door and carrying on the winds as it swooped over the desert plains, seeking…
Lilith had just issued a battle call.
The howls weren't the only sounds that reverberated round the small motel room; the screeches were punctuated with the short, sharp cracks of the automatic pistols and the booming thunder of the shotgun as the three hunters emptied their weapons; each one roaring in a rage that matched the demon.
The only one that was silent was Riley. She didn't hear the shots that rang out around her, she didn't hear the yells of her friends; she was focussed only on the demon floating above her. She could see the savagery sitting just below the surface…Lilith was waiting, waiting for the perfect opportunity to unleash on it Riley. She could see it in the way the talons were extending and retracting rapidly; the heaving of the demons chest; her nostrils flaring as her eyes pulsed frenziedly. Riley heard the call Lilith had issued and she knew what it meant…her spawn were on their way and she wasn't ready…none of them were.
She cocked her head as she heard a whisper in her ear…an unfamiliar voice that had a familiarity about it. She tried not to think about the paradox of that thought; she just accepted it for what it was…and she listened. She nodded to herself, glared at the demon and raised her hands as it swooped…
Dee's finger pulled on the trigger again and again…the click of the empty cartridge like a sonic boom as she realised she was out of ammo. She dropped the weapon and yelled as she saw the demon rush Riley and tried to push her friend out of harms way but Riley reached behind her and threw Dee to the far side of the room with surprising force; Riley's eyes not leaving those of the succubus.
"WEAPONS SAM!" yelled Dean as he emptied the clip into Lilith.
Sam grabbed the bag and threw it on the bed as he loaded the shotgun again. Dean threw a pistol to Dee "DEE!"
She caught the pistol and began firing but the bullets had no effect on the demon "DAGGERS!" she yelled as the room seemed to explode in a dark light that threw the three hunters to the ground.
"SAMMY!" yelled Dean as he struggled to his knees; the shadowy light that filled the room had a heaviness to it and he fought against the weight that tried to force him back to the floor…to render him helpless against the succubus…and against the spawn he knew she'd called.
"I'M ALRIGHT!" yelled Sam as he grabbed at the other side of the bed; dragging himself up and reaching into the weapons bag "RILEY?"
"I DON'T KNOW!" he grabbed a dagger and threw it at the last place he'd seen the demon; threw it and the next and the next…throwing the knives blind.
"DEE!" yelled Sam "DEE!"
"I CAN'T SEE HER!" yelled Dee from the other side of the room "RILEY! RILEY! ANSWER ME GODDAMMIT!"
"RILEY! TELL US WHERE SHE IS SO WE KNOW WHERE TO THROW!" yelled Sam.
"RILEY!" yelled Dean as he grabbed his sword and battled to his feet. His eyes were open but he could see nothing but deep, dark shadows that held a density that pushed against him as he pushed against it. He winced as a sharp keening began to sound off to his right and he turned and made his slow but determined way towards it.
Riley heard the words that echoed through her mind change from a whisper to an insistent murmur; the words flowing from the speaker in a verbal tide; washing over her and flooding her mind. But the voice was a torrent, a rushing delivery that became a whirlpool of words that spun faster and faster; and she cried out as the voice became a raucous roar that would not be silenced. She instinctively put up her hands as the demon crashed into her and she felt the talons pierce her shoulders as she closed her hands around the succubi's throat.
She stood her ground; demon and hunter locked in a contest that had been fought back through the generations. Riley looked into the malignant eyes of her attacker; the eyes that pulsed rapidly from green to red. The demon opened her mouth and screeched as her forked tongue flicked out and licked Riley up the side of her face, laughing malevolently.
"You belong to me!" Lilith hissed.
"I belong to no one!" Riley spat back, her fingers closing tighter round the succubi's neck.
The demon laughed again "The talisman is mine…" she forced her face close to Riley's "You are no match for me and your friends will suffer because of your inadequacy! Their blood will be on your hands!"
Riley frowned …blood…that word seemed to burst into her...blood must be spilled …she closed her eyes and plucked the information from the raging vortex of words that was spinning out of control inside her. Blood must be spilled or the talisman belongs to Lilith… Well that's just awesome, she thought to herself. She opened her eyes and saw movement behind the succubi; she removed her hands from the demons neck and smiled "Have at it"
Lilith roared triumphantly as she removed her talons from the woman; the talisman was hers…her vengeance would now begin in earnest and all would suffer her wrath. She reached a trembling hand towards the amulet and as her fingers brushed against the silver she let out an agonising howl as a sword was driven through her back and pushed out her abdomen. She grabbed the talisman and raised her other hand, determined to rip the throat out of the woman but she stared in shock as the hunter closed her hand over hers and stepped into the blade.
Riley gasped as she felt the sword pierce her ribcage; she looked up at the demon "Blood must be spilled, bitch" she seethed "Take the talisman now, I dare you" she intoned angrily.
Lilith screamed as the talisman burnt into her skin; the blessing placed on it by the three Angels striking out at her as it was touched by cursed flesh. She began to shake as the holy poison seeped into her veins and she tore her hand free. The skin began to blister as the virtuous venom worked its way into her system; a slow painful journey that ate away at her. She didn't understand what was happening…the bullets, the daggers…everything the hunters had thrown at her had passed safely through her; their weapons were no match for her, so the sword that now pinned her to her enemy should not have had any effect on her. But it had…and only a sword of the righteous could cause her harm. She howled again; sending out the call to her scion as she did the only thing that would save her. She raised her tainted hand and drove it down on the sword; severing it mid-way up her forearm; another scream erupting from her as the limb fell to the floor; pustules breaking out on it as it withered. She tore herself from the sword; the blade slicing through her side as she cursed virulently, swearing vengeance on all four hunters; the room exploding with light as she fled into the night, dragging the darkness with her; her cacophonous screams trailing behind her.
Dean held tight to the sword; he knew he'd stabbed the bitch, had felt the sword make contact and as the leaden weight that pushed down on him lifted and the light returned to the room, he stared in shock as he realised it was Riley he had stabbed.
"Shit! Riley…" he said as she looked up from the sword and into his eyes.
She gave him a small smile "You nailed the bitch" and she closed her eyes.
"RILEY!" yelled Dee, running to her friend and catching her as she slid off the sword. "Riley…" she lowered her gently, holding her in her lap as Sam scrambled over to them.
"Jesus…Jesus…Jesus…" muttered Dean at Dee lifted her singlet and he saw the hole his sword had made in her ribs before Dee pressed her hand down firmly over the wound. He crouched in front of them "Riley…" he went to put a hand to her.
"DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!" yelled Dee "YOU'VE DONE ENOUGH!"
Sam checked for a pulse "She's alive…" he looked at them "What the fuck happened?"
"I hit that bitch" said Dean "I felt my sword go into her"
"Well, numbnut it didn't! You hit the wrong fucking person!" said Dee angrily.
"I didn't" said Dean "Riley said I hit her..." and he took her hand "Riley...squeeze my hand if you can hear me"
"Riley…Riley…it's Sam…open your eyes…come on…" he patted her cheek gently "Riley. Listen to me…you have to wake up; we gotta move now. No sleeping on the job"
Dean looked over at his brother "Well if that doesn't wake her, nothing will" he dropped his gaze "And fortheloveofgod! Put some pants on, dude. No one wants to see that" he said, ignoring the guilt that worked its way through him and falling into the safety of humour.
Sam ignored him as he continued to talk to Riley. He looked down and frowned "Dean…"
"Pants" said Dean.
"Dean…" he pointed to the blackened hand that lay on the floor near them "You did hit the bitch…look"
"What?" said Dean as he looked at the withered limb and shook his head slowly "No…I didn't do that…I stabbed her, I didn't slice at her. What the hell is going on?"
"You stabbed Riley, arsehole! That's what's going on!"
Dean, Sam and Dee snapped their heads towards the door as they heard the wind start to whip up outside; they could see the sands that littered the parking lot begin to dance around the car tyres; their tempo increasing as the winds began to shift from the desert and towards them.
"We have to go" said Sam as he rose.
"Pants, dude" groaned Dean; he looked at Dee "I'll pack your gear, stay here" he threw on jeans; grabbed his pistol and ran out the door as Sam threw his jeans on and packed his and Dean's bags.
"What the hell happened to you, Sam?" asked Dee as she softly stroked Riley's forehead.
Sam shook his head "I don't know…all I remember is weird dreams…then …she was…on top of me" he shuddered involuntarily at the memory "I don't know how she got in the room…nothing" he grabbed the bags "Stay here" he ran from the room.
Dee looked at Riley "What the hell were you doing, Dundee? You never stand in front of me, you hear me? It's my job to protect you, not the other way round, you daft bint" she sighed "and this is why" she lifted her hand and looked at the wound; frowning slightly…it should be bleeding more than it was, bleeding heavily but it wasn't; it was more of a trickle …something wasn't right but she didn't have time to explore that thought as Dean and Sam ran back into the room.
"Your bags are in the Landy" said Dean as he crouched in front of her "Give her here" he said and reached for Riley.
"I've got her" said Dee.
"This isn't an argument, Dee" said Dean "We need to get moving and you can't get up" he took Riley, stood and headed towards the door.
Sam stuck his head out "Okay, go" they moved quickly to the Landy, Dean lying Riley on the back seat as Dee grabbed the medi-kit from the back and placed a dressing over the wound; the blood holding the pad in place.
Sam had grabbed a blanket from the room and placed it over Riley "Follow us" he said; raising his voice over the winds that were now starting to snarl in from the outlying desert; the sands stinging Dee's bare legs and Dean and Sam's torso's "We don't have much time"
"Go" said Dee as she ran to the driver's door, jumping in and gunning the engine; speeding out of the motel parking lot, her bumper inches from that of the Impala.
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Dean kept his foot to the floor as he sped down the highway; the Impala's headlights cutting a swathe though the swirling, sand-filled night. He chewed on his lower lip as he thought back on the strike he'd made; he knew he'd hit the demon, had felt his sword push through her …but it was Riley he'd hit…not the succubus; but Riley had said he'd nailed her. He shook his head as he slammed his hand on the steering wheel.
"She'll be alright, Dean" said Sam "The wound wasn't too deep"
Dean nodded once then looked over at Sam "You alright, Sammy? What'd that bitch do to you?"
Sam stared at his brother incredulously "Gee, Dean, I don't know...let me think.." he nodded "Oh yeah. SHE SCREWED ME!"
"Settle down, Sam…" he glanced at his baby brother again…not sure he wanted an answer to a question he never thought he'd ask "Did you …ummm…go off?"
Sam glared "I am not having this conversation with you, Dean"
"Sammy, believe me, I don't want to have it either but…" he shook his head "If you…aah…blew then…" he raised an eyebrow at his brother.
"If you call me 'Daddy'…I will kick your ass so freakin' hard, you won't know where you end and I begin!"
Dean couldn't help himself; he laughed out loud "Dude…" he shook his head "I just…" he sighed "You saw what that bitch can do…her spawn…you know where they come from"
"Oh, har-har Dean" said Sam; trying not to think of the moment when he woke; the demon sitting astride him as he realised he was held fast and couldn't fight her as she began to whisper to him. He shook his head…if Riley and Dee hadn't arrived when they had…he had no doubt she'd have killed him; killed him then moved onto Dean. He knew he'd dodged a bullet; they all had. He looked over at his brother "She's coming for us"
Dean nodded and gave a small smile "Let the bitch come…this ends here" and he pushed his foot to the floor as Sam took out a map and started looking for a safe place to regroup and make battle plans.
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Riley wasn't unconscious in the normal sense of the word; she'd heard everything Dee, Sam and Dean had said and she tried to tell them what had happened but her body wouldn't do what her mind told it to. The orders were being blocked and the more she fought, the harder it seemed to be to get the messages through. She felt the wound to her ribs start to burn as the talisman started to heat up and she slipped deeper into 'sleep' …her mind not registering the seductive whisper that crept up on her…a compelling commentary that accompanied a mesmerising saga.
Dee glanced repeatedly at her friend as she started to moan softly; a frown creasing her forehead as beads of sweat started to appear on her brow. She reached into her bag and pulled out her phone; flicking through the numbers til she found the one she needed.
"Sam…we need to find somewhere now…" she paused, looking over at Riley again "I think the nightmares have started" she flipped the phone shut and pushed her foot down hard on the accelerator, keeping up with the Impala as it leapt forward into the night.
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Lilith raced as best she could over the barren landscape towards her sanctuary; her flight not the strong, steady gliding she was used to. She held her one hand to the wound in her side; her blood falling like black rain on the dunes beneath her and sprouting deadly nightshade with a vicious hiss, wherever it landed. She dipped low, her body scraping painfully across the desert; the sand like glass as it tore into her. She had to make it back to her lair…where she could recuperate…have her wounds tended to before she launched a full scale assault on her attackers.
She willed herself skyward and her body rose barely three feet from the ground but it was enough to save her the pain of the desert sands. Her mind seethed with unmitigated fury at her failure to obtain the talisman. It had literally been in her hands…her revenge held so tantalisingly close before the bitch had foiled her…drawing her own blood to ensure the talisman stayed protected. Never before had she been injured like this and the rage burned like wildfire through her as she fell to the ground at the entrance to her lair; dragging herself into her haven and falling, exhausted, into the dirt. She felt the hands of one of her spawn drag her to safety and start to tend to her; she closed her eyes and began her curse on the four that had almost killed her.
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Dee lay Riley down on the musty bed of the abandoned house Sam had found in a town that had been all but swallowed up by the outlying desert; a town that hadn't seen life for longer than it probably remembered. They were hiding out in a ghost-town; she'd have laughed at the irony if the situation wasn't what it was.
"How long ago did it start?" asked Sam as he put a hand to her forehead; she was burning up.
"About five minutes after we left the motel" said Dee as she lifted the dressing from Riley's wound. She frowned; if she didn't know better, she'd have sworn the stab wound was smaller.
"It's smaller" said Dean as he looked over Dee's shoulder; his frown matching hers.
Riley started to moan louder, her head moving from side to side as she kicked out with her feet; her hands clenching and unclenching as she ground her teeth together.
"Nightmare" said Sam, looking at Dee.
Dean went to Riley's head and put his hands behind her neck.
"What are you doing?" asked Dee as she pulled his hands back.
Dean shrugged her off "You read what Jack said. If the nightmares start,she has to pass the talisman on" he looked at her "the nightmares have started" he reached behind Riley's neck and undid the clasp…he winced as Riley's hand shot up and grabbed him painfully around the wrist…
To be continued…