"You can't hide forever, Dean," Amara's purred words materialized in Dean's mind. He tried to open his eyes but failed miserably. They were like glued shut. Maybe his mouth would work better.
"I'll never join your cause, Amara. And I'll never let you lay your evil hands on my brother," he rasped his reply as forceful as possible. Despite his eyes staying shut, Amara's image haunted Dean's mind.
"Oh, but I can almost pinpoint your whereabouts, handsome," she replied sweetly. "That quake you just felt, it's because your spell's walls are crumbling. Soon I will be able to appear in front of you instead of in your head."
"Spell?" Dean was confused. Did she know about their plan? Did she know where they are? Pictures raced through Dean's foggy brain, without him being able to stop them. Faces, locations, everything that meant something to him.
"You might as well quit your struggles, Dean. You can't stop me reading your mind. Not when you're really unconscious," the sickly sweet voice continued. Panic welled up inside the hunter. He felt like he was giving away all his secrets without being able to do anything to prevent it. Finally, a picture of the entrance to the bunker flashed in Dean's mind and Amara laughed.
"Thank you, Dean. Now I know where to find you." Dean saw her face spreading into a wide grin. "Sam will be mine until you say yes."
"NOOO," Dean shouted.
"Soon," Amara taunted and disappeared.
"Dean, come on, wake up," Sam begged his brother, one hand on his chest, shaking Dean gently. Dean's eyes were closed, but moving rapidly underneath the lids. John swallowed and tapped Sam's shoulder.
"Let me," he simply said. Sam knew what this would be like and he hated it, but they really needed Dean to snap out of it. So, he moved aside. John placed one hand on Dean's shoulder and gave it a harsh shake.
"Wake up, Dean," he bellowed. "That's an order!"
Dean moaned weakly, his head rolling from side to side, mumbling unintelligible. John sighed and repeated his move.
"On your feet, soldier!" Tone sharp, his grip on Dean's shoulder even tighter, John saw success. Dean's eyes flew open, albeit unfocused.
"Nooo," Dean moaned, then shouted. "NO!"
Jerking upright, pulse racing, Dean was breathing heavily as he returned to awareness. Slowly, he took in the people around him, Sam, his dad, his mother and grandfathers.
"She's gonna take Sam. We need to get the spell going now. She knows where we are." Dean looked around once more. "Where's Cas?"
***spn***
Amara smiled broadly. Finally she knew where the Winchesters were hiding. Time to set her plans in motion. Dean Winchester on her side would be integral to vanquish her brother and with him all of his despicable, imperfect little pets. Maybe she would keep Dean, though. Not only did they share a bond, as much as the older Winchester hated it, but he was also one pet of her brother's that really held some appeal. He intrigued her, and wasn't hard to look at.
Closing her eyes to enjoy the impeding victory anew, she jerked them open again when an icy wind made her body spasm. Sucking in the frigid air, she turned around only to squint her eyes at a pale blue, bright gleam. The cold disappeared instantly, like someone had shut a door. Eyes quickly adapting to the gleam, Amara made out a figure in its midst. A figure with folded up wings, yet humanly shaped, like herself. Her eyes narrowed and an annoyed smile spread across her features.
"Castiel," she pressed through her lips. What did this pesky member of her brother's first creations want? She knew this angel had taken a liking to humans, especially to Dean, and she didn't like it at all. "To what do i owe this... pleasure?"
"Stay away from Dean. And Sam," Castiel began unceremoniously.
"Or what? You're just a simple angel, Castiel. Your powers can't compete with mine. It will be my pleasure to remove you from the game's board entirely," Amara explained, raising her hands, ready to blast the angel into oblivion. Silvery glowing energy emerged from her hands, encompassing Castiel, but he didn't explode into a zillion tiny pieces. The longer he resisted her energy blast the greater her confusion became. "This is impossible. You're just a stupid angel."
"You see, that's where you are mistaken," Castiel replied, keeping a straight face. Again, a bright gleam surrounded the angel, and this time Castiel flashed his souped up wings and spread them. Understanding dawned on Amara's face, and for a moment it looked like she was struggling to comprehend the revelation. Then her predominant grin returned and she raised her hands once more. Castiel, not to be outdone, copied her movements and the warehouse they were in erupted in a most spectacular light show.
***spn***
Sam looked around, but everyone just shrugged. "He disappeared, Dean. You know Cas, he isn't the biggest fan of good-byes."
Dean nodded and got to his feet. Walking back to the table he pulled a chair back on its feet and dropped in it, holding his head.
"You okay?" Sam asked concerned. Dean nodded.
"Nothing I've never had." Then he lifted his head and looked around. "We need to get the spell done, like yesterday. Amara is strong. She knows where we are. We can't afford not to be prepared."
"What all do we need for the spell?" Mary asked. Sam recited the list he knew by heart.
"Right," Samuel chimed in. "Is everything already here or do we still need to get hold of some stuff?"
"Well, I didn't have the chance yet to make unicorn dust," Sam sighed, knowing that drying the plant would take some time. Time they didn't really have. Sam looked over at Dean and didn't miss his sigh.
Getting up, Dean walked over to his father, pointing at the Colt in his belt. John pulled it out and weighed it in his hands for a moment, before passing it on to his son.
"Does the spell include the Colt or only the bullets?" he asked.
"The bullets, dad," Sam supplied, placing everything they needed that they already gathered on the table, while Dean picked the last two bullets out of the Colt. "But, we still need..."
"... unicorn dust. No problem," Henry finished.
"No problem?" Dean raised an eyebrow, with Sam following suit. John and Mary shared a look and shrugged while Samuel scratched his head.
"The Men of Letters bunker always has a supply of any kind of spell ingredient you could ever need. Follow me." Henry started in direction of the library, the other five hunters in his wake. He walked to a specific part of the book wall and silently counted out books in a manner that seemed random to anyone but himself. Then he stepped forward and pulled out a black book half way.
The silence in the library was broken by the muffled noise of mechanics slotting into place and after a few seconds, the board the black book was resting on, moved forward. Henry grabbed the right side of it and spun it towards himself, revealing a circular tray with little flasks containing substances of different colors and textures. Studying the flasks, a determined move of his hand picked up one containing a seemingly silvery, shimmering powder. As Henry tilted the flask the powder shimmered back different colors, constantly changing. Triumphantly he turned around and presented it.
"Et voilà, unicorn dust."
Dean cleared his throat. "Pardon my french, but how the fuck did you know this? You been to the bunker before?"
Henry smiled and shook his head. "No, I haven't. But I had to learn the bunker's secrets after having been selected to participate in the project that was so rudely interrupted by Abaddon."
Sam and Dean both scoffed while the others just looked confused. Then Sam carefully took the flask from Henry's hands and carried it back to the table, his family in tow.
Following the instructions meticulously, Sam began mixing the ingredients to the spell.
***spn***
Amara was still shaking off the surprise of Castiel's powers, having just been struck in the chest by a white hot ball of energy flung at her by the angel. Stumbling backwards she had little time to recover before a brilliant red bolt of lightning split the ground next to her.
Starting an attack of her own, Amara sent a poison green flash at Castiel, sending him flying backwards into the far wall. Castiel knew he wouldn't be able to defeat Amara, but he would be damned if he didn't try holding her off as long as possible.
When the bunker had started to shake, he immediately knew it was Amara's doing and that it meant nothing good. Latching onto the energy of the quake, he had been able to follow it back to it's origin.
Picking himself off the floor, Castiel just managed to bring up a bright blue shield of protection to deflect the yellow lightning bolt Amara had sent at him. The intensity of the fight was rapidly depleting his energy reserves, but Castiel was determined to buy more time for the Winchesters. He knew they'd have to cast the spell still to have any chance against the Darkness.
Gathering all his remaining power, the angel produced a giant lilac bubble and sent it at Amara. He saw the energy field surrounding her, before dropping in a heap on the floor, completely spent.
Amara herself was struggling with the celestial attack. She had to deal with the powerful assault before it would zap her energy entirely and she would black out, in order to be able to escape the bubble. After long minutes she finally managed to break free, heaving with exhaustion. Looking across she saw the unconscious figure of her attacker and sat down to gather her bearings before finding those pesky humans.
***spn***
Sam looked up from the bowl. He had finished the spell, reciting etruscan words when he wasn't entirely sure what they meant. Only thing left was a drop of everyone's blood. Taking his silver knife in his hand, Sam made a short cut to his palm and let the crimson juice of life drop into the bowl. Dean followed suit, as did Mary, John, Samuel and Henry. The powdery substance bubbled, making a smooth liquid as soon as Henry's blood mixed with the other's.
"With the power of this shield, Darkness shall be destroyed," the hunters finished off the spell in unison and Dean dropped the two bullets into the mix. An orange flash engulfed the bowl at the same time a figure appeared at the other end of the room.
"Amara," Dean gasped, grabbing the Colt and the bullets. Amara snapped her fingers and everyone in the room froze.
"You know, Dean, I'm tired of playing games. I told you, if you don't join me willingly, little Sammy will have to pay. And pay he will. You change your mind, let me know. Until soon."
With another flash she was gone and the hunters unfroze. Dean still held the Colt and bullets in his hands, looking around frantically.
"Sam?" He hollered, alarmed. Sam was nowhere to be seen. He'd been standing right next to him. Everyone else turned to locate the younger brother, but he was gone.
"SAM!"