I had to follow. He kept a hand in his pocket, holding the invisible leash to the invisible witchcatcher attached to invisible me. When I heard about the show they were doing, I felt absolute dread.
"You're going to watch." Lucifer instructed. "And if Sam or Dean or Crowley or Castiel come to stop the party, you're going whatever I say to stop them. You're going to lose the invisibility and attack, like a good new doggie, aren't you?"
I could only nod. I had no other choice, and it killed me inside. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't call Karma, I couldn't call Crowley, I couldn't pray for Castiel, I couldn't do anything except whatever he told me to do.
I couldn't stop him when he killed the promotor guy, the one in charge of the Ladyheart contract. I could only watch and follow, my entire body alight in constant pain from the witchbag.
The only thing I could do was hope that I was wrong, that nobody would come to stop him.
I was afraid of what I'd be made to do otherwise.
It didn't matter what I hoped, though. I still saw Tommy send a text to who I can only assume was Castiel, and I knew that they would be coming.
Not soon enough, though.
When Vince entered the backstage room, Tommy and the other two bandmates were talking. Lucifer snapped his fingers, and snapped the other two's necks. "How you feelin' about the show, Tommy?" He asked next.
Tommy didn't answer. He just stared from Vince to the dead bandmates.
"Yeah. Me, too." Lucifer agreed, picking up a guitar as he lowered his voice to a whisper. "The nerves." He strummed a few off-key chords, and I flinched alongside Tommy. "Whoops! Guess I should've practiced before tonight." He set back down the guitar. "Or, you know, ever."
"Who are you?" Tommy asked.
"Who I was…" Lucifer let out a small sigh. "Well, that doesn't matter. Who I am? Well, I'm Vince Vincente, rock god." He spread his arms wide for a moment. "And after careful deliberation, I've decided to cut the dead weight." He leaned in close to Tommy, once again whispering. "I'm going solo."
He raised his left hand, about to snap his fingers again when Castiel stopped him. Lucifer let out a small smirk, turning to face his little brother.
"Castiel." He commented, turning to me. "Deal with him."
My hands moved of their own accord, pushing Castiel in to the wall behind him with ease. He let out a grunt of pain, and I felt my heart twist.
"Took you long enough." Lucifer stated, staring down his little brother. "Did you bring the rest of the Little Rascals?"
"Just me." Crowley said from behind me.
Lucifer turned to face the demon, letting out an awful imitation of a smile. "Spanky." He greeted. "I've got to admit, I did not take you for the martyr type, Crowley."
"I'm really not." He replied. "I just hate you that much." He waved his hand, dragging Lucifer to the wall. He kept a good grip on the leash, though, I was dragged by the neck with him. I lost my hold on Castiel, thankfully, and he dropped from the wall to the ground. "What are you doing, Lucifer? You mean nothing to those kids out there. You think they'd draw blood for you? By choice?"
"Well…" He shrugged. "I thought I'd at least ask. And if they won't give it up by choice, maybe I'll just have my witch take it for me."
"What witch?" Castiel asked, looking around. I don't think he noticed Crowley's eyes widen just a little as he realized I was there. "And why?"
"Because it's fun!" Lucifer exclaimed. "Because I can. And because being Lucifer? So much Judeo-Christian baggage. But Vince? He's famous. Everybody loves him." He turned to me. "Get Crowley for me, would you?"
I wished I could mutter an apology, but I couldn't. I forced Crowley on to a wall himself, and Lucifer took a moment to dust himself off with his free hand.
"And I need love." He added. "I had a really jacked childhood." Out of the corned of my eye, I could see Tommy trying to make it to the door.
Unfortunately, so did Lucifer.
He made me throw an angel blade.
Tommy was dead in an instant.
"You think this is fun?" Castiel exclaimed.
"Oh, I wouldn't expect you to understand." Lucifer explained. "I was inside you. I know what a weak, duty-bound, lovesick," something in Castiel snapped at those words, and he moved to attack again. This time, Lucifer took care of him, knocking him aside easily. "Pleasureless dullard you are." He turned to Crowley. "And you. Bad doggy. Sit!" He grabbed his guitar from the floor and smashed it over Crowley's head.
"Now, I'm going to give you both one chance to call of the Winchesters," Lucifer warned. "Or else I promise, you're not going to like the results."
That's when the fire alarm sounded, causing Lucifer to look up. "Clever girls." He muttered. "Oh well. I did make a promise." He turned to me. "Stab yourself, in the stomach, and lose the invisibility."
I reached in to my boot pocket for my last chance as Lucifer held me in check. The only weapon I carried on me that wasn't angelic was iron.
I hoped I had a shot of making it through this.
The invisibility wore off the second the blade ran through me, and I dropped to my knees. I heard Crowley scream something, scream the word no. Lucifer let go of the witchcatcher, then, pushing with his own force to keep Crowley and Castiel in check. "Stick around for the afterparty." He invited, walking out of the room.
I was free. I could speak. I could scream.
God, did I let out an awful scream. The witchbag, it was still in my jacket pocket, still pressed up against me. I reached for it, my fingers already slippery with my own blood, and hurled the damned thing as far as I could away.
I felt better after that, but not by much. Lucifer had been smart. The witchbag sapped at my energy, but when I'm forced to do things anyways… It takes a lot of a person. I was surprised I could push around Crowley and Castiel, much less that I'd been able to not pass out.
Then again, being ordered to not sleep tends to do that too.
There were hands around me, next, taking the witchcatcher off of me. "You need to heal yourself." Crowley hissed. "Right now."
"I can't." I whispered. "I can't do anything. The witchbag… And that damned torture device…" I coughed, and coughed up more blood.
"Who is that?" Castiel asked. He wasn't close.
"Run out there and stop him, feathers!" Crowley ordered. "I've got the witch!"
"That voice…" Castiel wasn't leaving. He was still there. If my head wasn't bent, he would know it was me.
"GO!" Crowley shouted. Castiel hesitated maybe a moment longer before running out to Lucifer.
"You too." I told the demon. "I'd dead, and it's about time, too. Just let me die in peace."
"If I do that, they'll kill me." Crowley reminded. "For fourth reasons, the first being aware that you were never dead, the second being not telling the boys, the third being your dog that's currently waiting back at the Tran residence, whom Mrs. Tran will set lose on me in an instant, and the fourth would be letting you die, again, except this time for real."
"You could always lie," I coughed again, moving my hands away from the blade. "And say you didn't know."
"I wouldn't do that." Crowley answered. I looked up at him, stunned. "Bad for business, of course. I made you, and if I let you die without at least owning up to it then I get a bad rap."
"You care." I muttered.
"I made you." Was all Crowley stated. "Now hold on for a few more moments. Castiel and the boys will be back here soon, and they'll get you fixed up."
"They won't make it." I said, shaking my head.
"Quit talking like that."
"Be realistic."
"I am."
"No you're not." I remembered games of chess. I was so determined some days to take his king, that I forgot all about the other pieces. Every single time he'd tell me the same thing, to be realistic instead of blinded by determination. "You're determined."
"Shut up." He muttered.
I laid back, leaning up against the wall myself. "Can you burn that?" I asked, motioning towards where I'd thrown the witchbag. Crowley did as I asked, and that helped. "Now I might make it." I muttered, focusing for a moment. "Oh, this is gonna hurt like hell."
"What is?" I closed my eyes, taking a moment to focus on the little reserves of energy I had left. This one had to last, even if I got knocked out.
I ran a few theories in my mind before settling on the right one. "Fortitudinem per dolorem inveni," I winced, but kept going. "Et mutare hominem." I draw strength from pain, and change myself.
It hurt, it hurt like hell, but I had my disguise back up. "Damn it, Kylie." Crowley hissed at me.
"It's all I got." I said. "Unless Lucifer told them. And if he did, I'll drop it."
Crowley just let out a sigh.
I felt when Lucifer left his vessel. It was like a massive weight I didn't even feel had just suddenly been lifted out of the environment. I wasn't certain how long it was after that when I heard footsteps bounding in. "Is that the witch?" Dean asked.
"Dean," Sam's voice was cautionary, and I could almost see the arm across his brother's chest. "Is that…"
Was my disguise down? No. No, I could feel it. They just…
Had Sam wanted it to be me, for a moment?
"Move." Castiel's voice was demanding, in control of the situation. I shook my head once, out of habit. He couldn't even see it was me.
But I was still afraid, that somehow, he'd see. He'd see, and he'd be pissed, and then they'd all kill me.
"Wait, wait, why heal her if she's dangerous?" Dean asked.
"Dean," Sam interjected, but his brother cut him off.
"No, it's not Kylie, Sam." He said. "Just look at her. Kylie wouldn't go witch, anyways. She knows…" He took a second to catch his breath. "She knew better."
Castiel didn't seem to care much for their arguments. His hands were rough on my stomach, pulling out the knife with one hand and healing with the other. I let out one last cry of pain, and then it was over.
"I've got no love for the Devil." I stated, finally able to raise my head. I was sore, and the motion in itself hurt like a bitch, but I could. I grunted as I started to get up, Castiel and Crowley aiding me on either side. "I've been trying to find him myself, and you can see how that went." I motioned to the witchcatcher Crowley had cast off. "Think anybody I'm working with would put that on me?"
"Sam, Dean, Castiel," Crowley said. "Meet my informant, Diana Nyx."
Sam and Dean's faces looked confused, for just a second. Like déjà vu. Castiel's, on the other hand… As impassive as a God.
When I do my magic, I do it right, I guess.
"Pleasure to meet all of you." I said. "Thank you for not killing me, by the way. Always an upside to the day." When the boys didn't answer, I watched them cautiously. "You're still not planning on shooting me, right?" I asked.
"Depends. Where'd you get an angel blade?" Dean asked. I pointed at Cas in response.
"Where did you get an angel?" I smirked. "Outta your ass?"
"For the last time, Cas doesn't live in my ass!" He exclaimed. Sam snickered quietly.
"Nice." I brushed myself off, doing my best to fall in to a persona of "don't care." "Speaking of my blade." I held out a hand, and it flew from Tommy's back in to it. I cleaned it off on my already dirty and ruined shirt, and put it back in its sheath by my ribs. Sam and Dean stared, and I could see hands on gun holsters. "Really?" I asked them. "Just for getting my blade back?"
"You're a witch." Sam reminded me.
"And you look a bit like a hipster lumberjack." I replied, cocking my head to the side. "Maybe put the hair up in a ponytail, really complete the look."
"Is she really insulting us?" Dean asked. "We just saved your friggin' life!"
"Actually, I think the angel did that." I turned to Castiel, fighting back a gulp. He doesn't know it's you. He doesn't recognize it's you.
If I showed him now, it would be an all new shit show. Like Dean said, I apparently knew better.
Oh well.
"Nice to meet you…" I let my voice trail off, indicating a name. It had been said earlier, I know, but I had to play the part of the fool.
"Castiel." He replied. I smiled.
"Great to meet you Castiel. And behind you I'm guessing is Big Mac and Small Mac?" Sam and Dean looked more than a little pissed, and introduced themselves accordingly. "Great. Now that I know the gang and am no longer dying for your sins," I shrugged. "I'm going to go get my bike, my bag, and my dog, then continue to track down where Lucifer is now that he's jumped ship on the rocky road vessel."
"Wait, wait, wait," Dean held up his hands. "You're a witch, and a hunter?"
"Yeah." I said the word flippantly, but… I don't know. It felt pretty right to say. "College student, even, to boot. Busy schedule. Really gotta go start tracking down the big D again. It'll help clear up time to study for next semester. But, like I said," I clapped my hands together and clasped them for a second. "Really great to meet you guys, even greater that you didn't kill me."
"Why not come with myself and Crowley?" Castiel offered suddenly. I turned to look at him. "We are all trying to find and stop Lucifer." He reasoned. "Why do it separately? If you were able to get this close, then you must know something as to what you're doing."
"That's a really sweet compliment, angel," I was about to add a "but" on to that statement, but Crowley intercepted.
"But it's an excellent idea that I truly believe you should consider, Diana." He said, turning on me. Bastard.
"Uh, what?"
"You just almost got yourself killed trying to do this on your own." He explained. "Whereas myself and Castiel did not."
"You two were screwed if Lucifer ordered me to do worse than just hold you two off."
"And you were screwed no matter what, until we arrived." Crowley countered.
"I was doing just fine on my own."
"You call stabbing yourself in the stomach just fine?"
"I call it a work in progress."
"What the hell?!" Dean interjected, staring from me to Crowley. "You have friends?"
"God no." Me.
"I find that insulting." Crowley. He glared after hearing my no. "I thought we were besties."
"We're co-workers." I said. "It's a step above acquaintances. But I'm not certain I would call you a friend."
"Why Ms. Nyx, you wound me."
"Ok, Ok, hold on." Sam said. "Let's get a couple of things sorted out. First off," he pointed at me. "Witch. Good witch."
"Yeah, I'm freaking Glinda."
"That is… associated with Crowley." He continued, pointing at said demon. "That is working with Castiel." The finger moved to the angel. "Who is also working to track down the Devil with myself and Dean."
"Good job." I clapped. "You go to college for that?"
I hated saying those words the second they were out of my mouth, and hated them even more when I saw Sam's jaw set.
"Hold it, punk wannabe." Dean said. "You have no room to be an ass."
"You were just debating whether to kill me or not, while I had a knife in my damn stomach."
"And be thankful we didn't."
"You're an ass."
"So are you."
"Alright, you two." Castiel stepped between us. "Stop."
"Yeah, cool it redhead." Crowley snickered. I fought the urge to punch him.
"Look, can we just…" Sam thought for a moment. "Can we just take a minute to assess what's going on here?" He stared pointedly at me. "Without snarkiness?"
"I will if everyone else will."
"I don't believe I have been… snarky." Castiel commented.
"Fine." Dean agreed, glaring at me for a moment longer before looking at Cas. "How you feeling?"
He shrugged. "I'm not dead." He said. Not good, then. Not happy, either.
"Well, I gotta hand it to you," the Hunter complimented. "You said you were gonna draw Lucifer's fire, and you drew some serious fire."
"Oh, it was a grand success." Crowley commented dryly.
"If he's being snarky do I get to be snarky again?" I asked. All that earned me was glares. "What? Plus, it wasn't Lucifer's fire you two were catching. It was mine." I pointed to the witchcatcher in the corner. "Sorry about that, by the way."
Nobody responded. The Winchesters kept glaring, Castiel stopped looking at me, and Crowley leaned in finally to mutter that the apology had been accepted.
"Well," Dean said, returning to the original topic. "We didn't catch Lucifer, but we did save the crowd, so I'm gonna call that a win."
"I wouldn't." Sam argued. "Vince Vincente is dead."
"And Tommy. And the other two band members. And the guy in charge of their contract." I added. "And Roseleen was mutilated. I had to watch that."
"The girl made her own choice." Dean said.
"And the others?" He didn't answer for a moment.
"We never even hoped to save him." Dean finally said. I knew he was only talking about Vince Vicente, though, and not everyone else that had been the collateral. "And, yes, I know, the third album," he was trying to be flippant, shrug it off, but Sam wasn't having it.
"No, he was still a person, and he meant something to a lot of people." He reminded us. "And Lucifer just took all that and just twisted all that up and snuffed it out. Lucifer was bad enough when he had a plan, a motive." Sam shook his head. "Now, he's just having fun. I mean, Diana's right. How many people died tonight?" He asked.
I knew. I knew the exact number, and knew that I had caused one of them.
"Them, this," Sam continued. "It's all on us. We let him out. We're not winning. We're just losing slow. And you heard what he said."
"Onwards and upwards." Crowley said. I hadn't heard that. How had Crowley heard that? "He's gone big."
"And he'll go bigger." Castiel added.
"And we will stop him." Dean said, looking at everyone else in turn. I had a feeling that I wasn't included in this "we" of his. "We will. It's what we do, man."
"How?" I asked.
"We'll figure it out." Sam answered.
"Am I included in this 'we?'" I asked. I had to know.
I had to know how much they despised me for my choice.
Dean was about to answer, but Castiel beat him to it. "Yes." He said, staring pointedly at Dean and Sam. "We're going after the Devil, again. We'll need all the help we can get."
I wasn't certain whether to thank him or not.
