Chapter 38
Castiel slowly opened his eyes and struggled to bring the room into focus. As his vision cleared a feeling of terror engulfed him. He was lying on the floor of the horrific room Lucifer had created in the center of the circle and surrounded by candles. He felt as if he were suffocating with panic. He turned his head and saw Lucifer standing next to the circle smiling tenderly at him.
"Do not be afraid, my brother," Lucifer said gently. "Tonight is the night your powers will be returned to you tenfold. You shall rule at my side, Castiel, never to have to feel weak or afraid ever again."
Castiel shook his head desperately and tried to fight the invisible bonds that held him to the floor.
"My brother… please! Don't do this to me! I beg you!" Castiel cried out.
Lucifer continued to smile gently at him.
"This is for your own good, my brother. I'm doing this because I love you. You will thank me when this is over."
Lucifer turned and walked over to the nearby table. Castiel saw him begin to pick up the vials holding the angels' grace and holding each one in the air.
"Permissum is venia empower cado. Permissum is repleo him quod restituo him ut quis is quondam eram."
Lucifer repeated the chant for each vial. When he reached the third vial Castiel suddenly heard shouting and then someone pounding on the door.
"CASTIEL!!! CASTIEL!!!" He heard Dean scream.
"DEAN!!!" Castiel yelled back. "I'm in here! I can't move!"
"LUCIFER!!! Get out here and face me! NOW!" Dean accentuated his words with more pounding on the door.
Castiel could see Lucifer frown at the distraction Dean was causing, but continued to focus on the vials.
"It's not working, Dean!" Castiel called out desperately.
"Oh yeah?"
Suddenly two gun shots rang out and Castiel saw the wood around the handles explode away, causing the handles to fall uselessly to the floor. At that Lucifer jerked his head up. The doors flew open and Dean strode through the door, his face twisted with rage.
"I said get your ass out here and give me my angel!" Dean snarled with fury.
"How did you open the door?" Lucifer asked in shock.
Dean smirked. He spun the Colt around his finger before catching it back in his hand.
"Had a little chat with God the other day. Gave me a little present. Said this would be what I would kill you with."
Lucifer let out a roar of fury at Dean's words. Dean aimed the gun and fired, but Lucifer quickly dodged out of the way and then charged at Dean. Dean backtracked out the door and into the lobby where both Sam and Bobby were fighting the best that they could to hold back the demon hordes. The demon killing knife was quickly taking care of most of the demons while exorcism chants and holy water kept many of the others at bay.
Dean dove behind a pillar for cover and took another shot which Lucifer neatly dodged again. One of the demons tried to grab Dean and pull him out, but he quickly disposed of him with a shot to the head.
This isn't working, Dean thought desperately to himself. God, this isn't working! Why the hell is it not working!?
He jumped up and tried to make a dash to another pillar when he felt an invisible force grab him and lift him off his feet. The force slammed him into the wall, knocking the air from his lungs and causing the Colt to fall to the floor. He was then spun through the air again and slammed into the corner of the room and dropped to the floor.
Dean gasped for air as he struggled to get to his feet. Bracing himself against the wall he managed to get up. He could see Sam and Bobby were still fighting, but they were struggling to hold on. He knew they wouldn't be able to last much longer. He turned to look for the Colt.
And then he froze.
Lucifer stood there calmly staring at him, studying the Colt carefully in his hands. Finally, he raised a hand in the air.
"Cease fighting!" He bellowed.
The room fell deathly silently. Dean could hear Sam and Bobby panting for breath as they struggled to stay on their feet. Dean could feel his heart pounding so hard in his chest that he was sure it would burst from his ribcage at any moment. Lucifer looked at Dean carefully and smirked.
"Well, Dean Winchester," Lucifer said casually, "It seems things have changed."
Dean couldn't say anything. The hope he had felt when he finally saw Castiel had disappeared entirely when he saw Lucifer with the Colt.
I failed.
"I was told you were the Chosen One, Dean Winchester. I was told you would be the one to save "humanity.'"
I failed Bobby.
"You were supposed to be this incredible man. The only man who could defeat me."
I failed Sammy.
"Instead you only prove yourself to be a fool, Dean. A naïve fool who actually believed he could defeat me."
I failed mankind.
"I am Lucifer. No one can defeat me."
I failed God.
"And now, Dean Winchester, I will take Castiel and he will rise to power alongside me. He will no longer be a frail human like you."
I failed Castiel.
Lucifer stood across the room. He slowly raised the gun and aimed at Dean's chest. Dean was in a corner. There was nowhere to run.
I'm sorry, Cas. I'm so sorry I failed you.
"Today you will die. And you will return to Hell where you will be punished for your transgressions against me and my brother. Good bye, Dean Winchester.
Dean closed his eyes. He didn't want to see him fire the gun. He didn't need to. He heard Sam and Bobby scream his name desperately, but he knew the demons wouldn't let them pass. He thought he heard Castiel's voice, but he really couldn't be sure. It felt as though everything slowed down… his breathing… his heartbeat… he braced himself for the impact of the bullet. He heard the sickening sound as the metal hit the flesh and tore into it. But he shockingly felt no pain. He slowly opened his eyes.
A pair of wide blue eyes stared into his.
Dean's heart dropped.
Castiel stared at Dean in shock. He slowly looked down at his chest and the blood that was gushing from the hole that was there, soaking his shirt. He reached out for Dean as his legs gave out and Dean caught him and lowered him to the ground. Castiel's face was rapidly growing pale and he struggled to breathe.
"No," Dean whispered in horror. "No… no no no no no…"
"De-an…" Castiel choked out as blood began to trickle from his mouth. His eyes were wide with shock and fear and he made a sickening gurgling sound in his throat as he gasped for air.
"Cas…" Dean whispered as he cupped the angel's pale cheek. "No… no, this isn't supposed to be what happens… you're not supposed to leave me, Cas… come on, Castiel… you have to fight this… we can fix you… we're going to get you out of here and fix this… just hang on… you have to hang on…"
Castiel struggled for one last gasp of air. And then he breathed out in almost a quiet sigh. He went limp in Dean's arms.
The room was silent. Everyone, even the demons watched Castiel and Dean in stunned silence. Both Sam and Bobby had tears running down their cheeks as they helplessly watched Dean. Lucifer dropped the Colt to the floor. He staggered forward a few steps and dropped to his knees.
"My brother…" Lucifer whispered in shock. "No…"
Dean stared at Castiel's face in disbelief. His whole body began trembling and tears began to well up in his eyes.
"Cas…" He whispered as he tried to shake Castiel's limp body. "Wake up… come on… you can't do this, Castiel… come on… don't leave me again… you can't leave me… please… this isn't happening… this can't be happening… you can't die… please…"
The stark realization finally hit the hunter. Dean collapsed over Castiel's body and sobbed over his fallen love.
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Latin Translation: Let this grace empower the fallen. Let it fill him and restore him to what he once was.
