Chapter Twenty-one

Gabriel stood silently looking at his brother, he felt a strange mixture of shock, relief and mistrust. Thousand questions flooded his mind immediately.

'We thought you were dead' he said finally.

'Yes, that was intentional' Samael answered simply as he walked closer casually, he didn't seem hostile but he never did, his gentle smile never faltered not even when his hands were blood soaked and destruction lay under his feet.

'You're Leomas?' Gabriel asked as he pieced the picture together. Samael chuckled.

'The one and only' he answered. 'I know, I wasn't actually as creative with the choice of name as you were... Loki.' he chuckled again.

'I knew Lucifer wouldn't give away so much knowledge to demons' the archangel said then. It bothered him from the very start, because it was so very unlike Lucifer to do such a thing. 'It was you then.' the angel simply shrugged. 'What is this?' Gabriel asked. 'Why hide?'

'I could ask you the same thing, Gabriel' Samael replied.

'I doubt we have the same reasons.'

'That's true' Samael agreed. 'You see, I am hiding because I am loyal while you appear to be a coward.'

'Watch your tone with me Samael' Gabriel warned.

'Or what?' the younger angel taunted. 'I'm not just some third rank angel you can obliterate with a snap of your fingers... well maybe you could but I'm rather sure Michael and Raphael would feel that and from what I gather after watching you all this time since you arrived here I don't think you actually want that to happen.' Gabriel stayed silent as his eyes narrowed. There was no reason to deny it so he didn't speak. 'And you also left your toys behind I presume' Samael added with another smile. 'It would've been foolish of you to take anything along because even if Michael is not tearing apart the world to find you, he surely would if you still had all of Heaven's weaponry. Left your little squire Virgil to guard them for you, right? Be your watchdog while you're away?'

'If you're alive...' Gabriel started ignoring his brother's words as a slight trace of hope flamed up in him.

'No' Samael answered simply. 'Sariel and Azrael are really dead, but it was not Lucifer who slew them.'

'What?' Gabriel blinked in confusion.

'It was Michael.'

'No, why would...' then he realized that there was really only one reason for Michael to destroy any of them. 'Loyal you said... loyal to Lucifer?'

'Naturally' Samael told him with a small nod. Gabriel let the silence stretch out as the words sank in. He wasn't surprised that the reason for their deaths did not ease up the pain he felt upon loosing his younger siblings.

'Whatever you're doing here Samael, you can't free him' Gabriel said.

'I know' the younger angel replied. 'The time has not come yet, I am simply doing some... preparations.'

'As in?' the archangel inquired.

'Oh you know, arming all who serve our brother, making sure there are always enough reinforcements from down under.'

'Samael, what did you do?' Gabriel asked warningly.

'I did the right thing... still doing the right thing' the angel said with absolute conviction.

'What? Giving away our secrets to demons?' Gabriel asked.

'Partially, but opening up enough gates was more like my main agenda' Samael supplied at Gabriel's look he continued. 'Oh surely you can see the logic in that brother. All those demons coming through, they make deals, corrupt and make witches, then those humans will be dragged down to become demons themselves, a perfect never-ending circle.' Gabriel stared at his younger brother for a long moment before he shook his head slowly.

'Helping for Lucifer's course to taint humanity further' the archangel said. 'To let these abominations multiply... watching Lucifer turn away from us was hard enough, but you... you all who have been on my side on Earth...'

'That's just it Gabriel' the other angel interrupted. 'We were the closest, the best way to see their true visage. All those mindless puppets in Heaven can't know what we know. They never truly saw all the evil they commit, the way they kill each other like vicious animals, how they destroy and shed blood for their own selfish wants and pleasures They treat me as a god and they slaughtered thousands to please me. I saw their true nature Gabriel every time we followed you here when Father ordered it, you should know better than any of us. Your eyes should be the clearest, every time we were ordered to strike down was a sign. They don't deserve this world.'

'That is not up to us to decide' Gabriel told him.

'I know you better than that Gabriel' Samael said right away. 'When I felt your arrival, saw you here... I was so glad. Because no matter what happened I always hoped, always expected you to find your way, that you will turn your back on Michael.'

'I will not follow Lucifer's path' Gabriel said. 'I left Heaven, but I have not turned against God. Him I won't betray.'

'Don't you see it? He betrayed us!' Samael raised his voice, then he fell silent right after looking at Gabriel with a hard look. 'I feared you would still be like this, but I hoped, desperately hoped that you would finally see the mistake you've made.'

'I made a mistake?' Gabriel asked. 'You followed Lucifer against our Father, but you are accusing me?'

'Lucifer fought for all of us!' Samael shot back loudly. 'We loved, served and obeyed Father from the very beginning. Never questioned Him, never doubted Him. Then He created this world and gave it to them. He gave them His love, gave them their free will. These disgusting little pests, they do not love Him, the do not serve Him, they worship these creatures that call themselves gods, why... why would they deserve all this? Why are we forced to our knees to bow down to them like servants? We deserve better, Gabriel... and out brother wanted to give that to us. Wanted justice for us and he was betrayed... even by you.'

Samael looked at him with eyes drowned in raw pain, his face hard with dark anger.

'Lucifer-'

'Needed you... and you turned your back on him' the younger angel said bitterly and the words cut like blades.

'I couldn't-'

'We needed you, Gabriel! Lucifer needed you! I knew Michael and Raphael would betray us, but you... you should have stood by our side!'

'And what? Fall with Lucifer?' Gabriel asked.

'I did' Samael replied as he straightened out, his posture and expression showing something close to pride. 'Azrael and Sariel did. Just like Kapziel, Amon, Bernael, Ronobe and Gadreel. Lucifer asked you to stand by him as well and you turned against him, don't try to see it as anything else than what it really was.'

Gabriel shifted his eyes away and let Samael's harsh words strike him like a whip, he would never forget when his older brother stood before him with his request to side with him, it was when his world fell apart. He felt how the air shifted and his brother was standing right in front of him. A hand descended down on his shoulder, but Samael waited until Gabriel looked at him.

'It is not too late, Gabriel' he said quietly. 'You were afraid, Lucifer will understand, you know he will. He would never be angry with you, and you are so very like him, you just needed time to find your way... Gabriel. We still need you, don't abandon us again.'

The archangel took a large breath. He felt like no day passed since Lucifer's rebellion all of a sudden and once again he had a beloved brother standing before him asking for his help.

x~x~x

Patrick eyed the demon with caution as it stared back at him with amusement as the spirits and the phantoms fought their battles all around them, the night air was filled with the scent of blood and metal.

'You know you're the little lamb among the wolves, boy' the demon said. 'The only human near and far... like you're just waiting for your blood to be spilled.'

'Oh this lamb might just bite back ye stinking piece of filth' the witch shot back.

'My-my, spirited are we?' the demon chuckled as he was walking closer, but Patrick kept the distance between them as he moved in a circle. 'That must've come from your dear old Mommy.'

The grin on Alastair's face was sharp and cruel and Patrick felt as cold ran down his spine at the mention of his mother.

'You are not to mention her' he spat angrily, which of course only cause the demon to chuckle.

'Attached to that pile of dust, are we boy?' he asked. 'Too bad I couldn't amuse myself while there was still skin and flesh left, witches are always fun to play with, but I guess I have you now' his smile was predatory and Patrick knew that he would charge at him any second now.

'Well, try and get me dreck!' he challenged as he focused on the body of the demon before him, at every small movement.

It was only a blink when the demon moved, but the witch was ready and the next second his arm was extended and the demon stopped abruptly. Alastair glanced down at his host then back at the witch with an amused expression on his face.

'Oh sonny, you can't get rid of me that easily. Do what you want with the sack of meat I'm wearing, it won't do you any good.'

'I know' Patrick said, his voice was strained as he focused all his power on the body, the demons was strong was fighting against his hold with his own power. 'I just want to keep you in place' he added. Alastair pushed against his hold again, but a human body was a human body still, even if a demon inhabited it and Patrick could immobilize it, even if not for long.

'Oh just try, boy. I can't wait to carve up your pretty face when you get tired.'

'Not likely' Patrick said and he let a small smile appear on his face. 'Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus' Alastair's face darkened immediately and fought against the witch's hold even more, but Patrick held on and continued the chant. 'omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica.' the demon growled at him and hissed as he was fighting against the magic. Patrick felt as his arm shook, but he held on. 'Ergo, draco maledicte. Ecclesiam tuam securi tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos.'

As soon as the last word left his lips the demon threw his hand back and the black smoke, the demons true form rushed out of the body, Patrick let go of his hold on the body and took a few large breaths to compose himself as the host crumbled to the ground lifelessly.

'Ye can be exorcised ye dumb piece of shit' he remarked even if he knew that the demon couldn't hear him anymore. Patrick sent a silent thank you to his mother, the young man rolled his eyes at the exorcism spell when Creide insisted that he learnt it, but there was no arguing with her.

'You're Gwydion's son' she told him back then. 'So ye will know how to deal with demons, my boy won't fear those bastards.'

The memory hurt, but also made him smile, she prepared him for everything and he would use that now. With one last deep breath he straightened up and rushed back into the ongoing fight to aid the spirits.

x~x~x

Dean groaned in pain as he hit a rock sharply, but he could catch himself before he fell even deeper. He climbed back again, for at least the fifth time. Morrígan stood not far away from him, anger distorting and sharpening her gentle face.

'You have to try harder than that' Dean told her.

'I could destroy you in a heart beat you little bastard' she spat angrily. Maybe Dean couldn't actually harm her severely, but he did manage to infuriate her. Her dress was torn and she had nasty scrapes on her arms after Dean managed to crash them both down in their avian-forms.

'Why don't you?' Dean asked with equal anger. 'Why give me birth in the first place if you despise me so much?' The goddess looked at him and her anger subdued a little, turning into something like amusement and Dean knew he wouldn't like what she was going to say.

'So you still didn't figure it out?' she asked. 'I had you to have something to offer in my deal with Auberon.' Dean looked at her long and hard wanting to see if it was the truth or something she said to hurt him even more, but he was almost certain that she didn't care enough to try and hurt him like this.

'Wondered why a goddess like you would lay down with a human' Dean said to her, still not getting up from the ground, his right leg hurt even if he wasn't bleeding.

'Well the fay only take the first-born' Morrígan told him simply. 'So I had to make sure my first was not someone with actual potential. It would've been foolish of me to give away a son with real power.'

'Foolish' Dean repeated bitterly.

'It had to be someone expandable, I knew a half-breed would be just useless enough to make the deal favorable to me.'

Dean felt as his hands clenched into fists as he stared down at the hard stone under him instead of the of the goddess standing a few feet away. He couldn't really identify the feeling gripping his chest tightly, maybe it was hatred, but it was not the heat of fire he felt like he was used to it, it was cold, like ice was burning his insides, made everything sharp in the silver light of the full moon.

'So I don't despise you, Deandalon' Morrígan said next. 'You are too insignificant in my life for me to express such deep emotions.'

Dean just knew that if he looked up at her he would see that cold, pleased smile on her face. The smile that shoved that she was looking down on him, that she felt she was superior. The cold just gripped his chest even tighter and the spells on his body grew and grew into their full form, dark as midnight and he didn't want to stop it from happening, not this time.

He let the dark symbols spread on his skin as he let the numbness froze his heart further.

'All you gods think you're better than me' he said quietly. 'All of you looking down on me like I'm a miscreant, disposable dirt on the sole of your feet... you're wrong...' he looked up at his mother and knew that his face showed his willingness to kill. She looked back at him dispassionately, not at all intimidated by his anger.

He reached into his belt and pulled his knife out, he cut up his left palm with the same movement before Morrígan could move an inch and slammed his hand down on his chest. Let his blood seep into the central symbol, the core of the six other spells all around it. He felt how the magic flared up immediately as he knew it would even if he never experienced before.

'Athaba éirgid assa Méderad!' he uttered with deadly calm. Morrígan's eyes widened for a second as he heard the words.

Dean's skin was on fire, his vision sharpened, all his senses widened and he felt how the power grew and wrapped around him, how the spell seeped into his every bone immediately. He had to shift, he felt it... he had to claw, he had to bite, tear down skin and flesh and break bones to dust, the night was calling, the scent of blood, the sound of battle from the distance igniting him from within.

He took his wolf-form quicker than ever before and he was bigger now, he felt it. Morrígan smelled like death and war and power and he wanted to destroy her.

The goddess turned immediately and Dean soon had a white wolf standing before him growling at him deep in her throat, she was just as large as he himself was. He knew he was strong enough now to match his enemy and that the white fur will soon be painted red, drenched in blood. He leaped towards her from the edge of the cliff, fangs and claws aimed to kill.

TBC