Part One: Dark One

Chapter Eight: Trapped

April 27th, 2011

Adrienne wasn't sure if she liked the throne Vetis had made for her. It was certainly beautiful - carved from shining black obsidian, a skull at its apex, roses flourishing from its left and right. But obsidian isn't exactly known for being comfy. She might have to ask Dakota to get cushions for it.

Behind her, nailed to the wall, were Kushiel's wings, their bright gold color dimmed from the loss of the angel. At their base, where they had connected to Kushiel's back, there was still some blood and grace that Adrienne had not allowed to be cleaned.

Before her, a demon kneeled, looking incredibly nervous. Dakota, standing steadfast at Adrienne's side, said to him, "You stand before Adrienne Morgenstern, The Antichrist, Daughter of Lucifer, Queen of Hell, Savior of Demons." Vetis had tacked on the last part after Adrienne decided to make 'The Antichrist' one of her official titles. She thought it had a nice ring to it. He thought it was hilarious. "What is it you have to report?"

The demon, Aaron, leader of the demons that Vetis had made her spies, stumbled his way through his report, "M-my Queen, our spies in Crowley's c-court have reported that he has n-numerous d-demons searching for y-you."

Adrienne hummed noncommittally before asking him, "Do you know if they've made any progress towards this goal?"

The demon shook his head. "We're sure t-they haven't, ma'am. There were several s-spies within your r-ranks, but we hired several w-witches to identify t-them. They're d-dead now."

Adrienne smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Aaron. You and your teams have done very well. Please give them and the witches you hired my gratitude. You're dismissed."

Aaron quickly stood, nodding happily. "T-thank you my queen. I will b-be sure to do that." The demon left hurriedly, all but slamming the heavy oak door behind him.

As soon as he was gone, Adrienne visibly deflated, rubbing her head as it began to hurt. "Dakota, be a dear and get me some blood."

Dakota bowed her head once before picking up a wine glass off of a table a few feet away. She grabbed the dagger she kept in a sheath on her belt, silently using it to cut a line along her arm, letting her blood seep into the glass. The demon handed it to Adrienne, who sipped at it, sighing in relief as she felt her headache start to ease. "Thank you." After a moment, she added, "Is there anyone else we need to see?"

Dakota nodded. "At least five demons."

Adrienne groaned and screwed her eyes shut, exhaustion seeping into her bones. "Can it wait a few minutes? I'm tired."

"Of course we can, Adrienne," Dakota say sympathetically, fingers tracing small patterns on the back of the nephilim's hand.

Adrienne mumbled her thanks, resting her head in her hand and giving the glass of demon blood to Dakota, scooting around on the seat trying to make herself comfortable. She wasn't even really all that tired. Quite the opposite, she felt more like she was full of energy, and her body was getting lethargic from the lack of action in comparison to all she'd been doing recently. "Why are we just sitting around? We should be out there, hunting angels. I feel useless here."

Dakota set the glass down on the table, quickly moving to brush a few of her fingers through the nephilim's hair. "You're not useless. You're extraordinarily powerful. But now that you've killed one angel, the others are going to want to kill you even more. We need to be cautious."

Adrienne rolled her eyes as she bounced her leg, motioning for the blood again as she felt the headache start to come back. "Let them try. I'll just kill them like I did their brother." She took a slow sip of the blood before saying, "And I'll make it a lot more painful for them, too." The thought that she used to be scared of them was almost laughable. The angel had been ridiculously easy to kill, and Adrienne was itching to get more practice. Frankly, she was tired of being inside. She hadn't been out once since she was learning to teleport, and that had only been for a few short minutes at a time. She wanted to walk around, feel the sun on her face, and maybe feel normal for a little while.

Speaking of angels… "Where's Vetis? He's supposed to be here so we can go over what to do next." That wasn't entirely true, but Vetis usually never left her side. Going by that, he should be here now, which was much more logical than the fact that she simply missed him and felt she would be less bored if he would hurry up and get his ass back here from wherever the hell he was.

Dakota shrugged her shoulders, taking the glass back as soon as Adrienne was done. "One of the demons came by and reported something to him. He left before you woke up."

"Did he tell you what he was doing?"

"He didn't tell anyone. Just said it was important and that he'd be back soon."

Adrienne sighed and slumped forward, resting her chin in her hand. "Can I get a book?"

Vetis kept an eye on the motel room's door, trying to decide on the best course of action. He could kill the Winchesters now and eliminate a potential threat - but then he would definitely be on Castiel's radar, and that was basically the same as having all of Heaven after them. Not that he doubted his or Adrienne's abilities to kill angels - especially after her little display two days ago - but he imagined that having Heaven on their collective asses could cause quite a few problems. He might be able to kill Castiel too, but the lapdog was a seraph now and he didn't want to take his chances unless he knew he could win.

On the bright side, it looked like baby brother might have convinced things 1 and 2 to get out of dodge, probably after realizing what a huge threat Adrienne might be if she decided to turn an eye to anyone sniffing around her family.

Ultimately, he decided that it was best to just keep Adrienne inside and away from any angels for the time being.

He headed back to the mansion, tucked away in the woods in the middle of nowhere. There was warding to keep out any other angels, slightly adjusted to allow himself - and earlier, Kushiel - inside. He teleported into Adrienne's makeshift throne room, smirking as he leaned on the obsidian. "Miss me?"

Adrienne weakly waved one hand at him without looking up from her book. "You bet."

Vetis leaned over her, scanning the words. "What are you reading?"

"Dante's Inferno."

"In the original Italian," Dakota added from her place at Adrienne's side.

Vetis made an appreciative noise. "Good book." For a human, he thinks but doesn't say. "Have you read it before?"

Adrienne shook her head, still reading. "I thought I did for school. Then I realized that hadn't actually happened, and decided to read it for real."

Vetis smiled at how calmly she now accepted her fake memories, and how quick she was to replace them with real ones. "How do you like it?"

Adrienne thought for a moment before sitting up straight and closing the book. "A bit bland actually. Reminds me of reading Shakespeare. Even the interesting stuff is buried under confusing and dull language."

"Hm. Well maybe you'll like Purgatorio or Paradiso better."

"Maybe." She handed the book to Dakota before asking Vetis, "What have you been up to? Dakota told me you had to handle something one of the demons told you about."

"I did," he said, beginning to lean against the wall before remembering the wings pinned there, quickly straightening so as not to touch them.

Adrienne stared at him for a moment before asking, "Gonna tell me what it was?"

Vetis shook his head once. "Not important."

For a moment, Adrienne only stared at him stonily, as though growing angry. "I doubt that," she said, a sliver of ice creeping into her tone.

It was times like these, when Adrienne's eyes were dull with anger and grief, so different from the innocent child he'd known once, that Vetis feared Adrienne. He tried not to show his nerves, instead trailing one hand along her forearm. "It was nothing really. It's just that one of the demons told me that the Winchesters were looking into your family's deaths."

"What?" Adrienne started to sand, eyes glowing, but Vetis eased her back into the seat. "Don't worry, they're leaving the town, they're not going to come back. It's okay."

Adrienne stood up so she faced him, her back to Dakota. "Okay? It's not OK, Vetis. These… these humans, are messing with me and my family."

"Adrienne, just be calm -"

"Shut up. Just shut up." She groaned, rubbing her head. It felt like someone had taken a jackhammer to it. "Is there anything else I should know."

Vetis hesitated before telling her, "The Winchesters spoke to Adam."

Adrienne's eyes snapped open. She stared at him without speaking. She'd rarely thought about Adam in the rush of everything that had happened. In the few times she'd thought about him, she'd figured he was safe at school, not in the same place where the people she loved had been brutally murdered by heavenly dicks. What does he think he's doing? Aloud, she said, "Is he okay?"

"As far as we know, all he's done is talk with the Winchesters and the police."

"Oh great!" Adrienne said, flinging her hands to the air in irritation. "Now there are police! And here I thought this day couldn't possibly get any better!"

"Well of course there are police." Vetis said nonchalantly, resting in her throne with one leg hanging over the other. "What did you think would happen? Three people dead, another missing, and nobody notices?"

Adrienne glared at him with a clenched jaw. "Get out. Both of you, get out, and know that the next person who comes in here will have to be scraped off the ceiling!"

Vetis stares at her in shock, like he can't quite believe what he's hearing. He waits for a moment to see if she'll change her mind, take back her words maybe. But Adrienne stands firm and refuses to lose his gaze for even a second. Realizing he's not gonna win, he stood up, fingers still clenched so tightly around the armrest they were white. "Of course Adrienne. I would never dream of disobeying my queen." He has to keep himself from saying the words too harshly, though there's no denying the sarcasm. "Come with me," he says to Dakota, who's still standing behind Adrienne, seeming incredibly confused in one moment, and happy to finally have some direction the next. Demons, Vetis thinks scathingly. Just like humans, they were all but incapable of independent thought. Lucifer would say that they are humans at their core. Vetis would not disagree.

Dakota hurries through the day, looking back once at Adrienne, who is stony faced and silent. Vetis does not look back.

Adrienne had forgotten what it was like to be so angry it felt like fire was filling her. As soon as the door is closed, she collapses to the floor, finally allowing a few acid-tears to scar her cheeks. She had always thought her tears were weird, too warm and always burning where they landed, but the grooves always healed and the doctor she had seen had been adamant that there was nothing wrong with her. She knew better now.

It feels like the necklace she's wearing is strangling her, so she rips it off and throws it, though the throw is pitifully weak and the necklace only lands a few feet away, landing in a pile of black pearls and red rubies. She didn't even like the necklace, really. She's never cared for pearls, and black ones were never black enough. She had only worn it because Vetis had given it to her, and it felt wrong to refuse it.

Vetis. The thought of the fallen angel was enough to make her grind her teeth. As frustration and anger took control of her, she heard the sound of stone breaking, and looked up to see the crack in her throne. She sighed, running a hand over the jagged crack.

Adam was nothing like Vetis. They were polar opposites, even beyond their difference in species. Adam was soft where Vetis was harsh. And though Vetis treated many important things casually, it was a front to hide her fears and nerves, while Adam would never hide such things. Not from her. Hell, they even looked different. Adam was pale with dark hair, while Vetis had tanned skin, though not dark and never approaching the orange of fake tans. It was more of a muted gold. His hair was bleached blonde, and his eyes were as amber, though these were facets of his vessel rather than himself. In reality, his wings were colossal things composed of feathers ranging from scarlet to the bagged blood you see at hospitals, and his eyes had once glowed white as surely as her own, though time in Hell had made them red.

Adrienne wondered how Adam, who she had once declared 'the love of my life' (she cringed to think of it now) was faring. Had he cried, or had he been too stunned to even think? Had the police questioned him because they thought he had something to do with it? If he was in town, then he was missing his classes. Was he failing or had he managed to do his work away from school? If the angels found out about him, would they kill him?

The thought stopped me in my tracks. I couldn't let anything happen to him. He deserved better.

So it was a good thing Vetis had left, or else he would never have agreed with what she was about to do.

The town was exactly as she had left it. Warm from Spring, pink and white flowers dotting the trees, and just barely big enough to be considered suburban, with bland two story houses filled with plain decorations and dull people. Feels like home.

Adrienne almost felt guilty in the way she'd described the town. She had loved this place once, taking strength in the quiet, finding peace in allowing the sun to beam down on her in her pastel tank tops and shorts, so different from the ruby red floor length silk dress she wore now that moved with the wind, though no human could see it.

There were two places to stay in town. One was the Regency, a decades old motel that was owned by the family that had founded the town. The other was a pay-by-the-hour place that if he parents had ever asked, Adrienne would have denied knowing of its existence. Adam, she knew, would be at the former. She stopped in front of the entrance, wondering if this was a good idea. What would Adam think when he saw her, healthy and dressed like a queen, when he probably thought she was dead or kidnapped? She supposed she could change into something more casual if she had to, but she didn't want to waste time. Would he believe what she told him? He would have to after she showed him her powers. Would he be relieved that she was okay, or angry that she had not sought him out sooner? Relieved, she decided. He could not be anything else.

After several minutes of self debate, Adrienne prepared herself to enter the motel, but was stopped short by a feeling she had.

It was a tiny thing really, just a feeling encroaching on the edge of her consciousness, like a tiny bit of string pulling her somewhere. It soon grew, drawing her away from the motel and towards the southern edge of town. She couldn't stop. She didn't really want to. It was like she in a trance, blindly following the feeling, waiting to see where this feeling, this spell, would lead her.

Soon, Adrienne stood in front of her door. The last time she was here, she had knocked, but no one had answered. The last time she was here, the world fell apart.

She didn't bother knocking now, only phasing through the door into the house. She walked through the entryway without preamble, headed straight for the living room, that for all rights should have been empty.

As soon as she stepped into the room, the flames were lit, rising in a circle around her, runes glowing silver against the white walls. Immediately, the trance broke, the rope cut. She swiveled on her feet, seeing three people. Two were men, both very tall and good-looking, both armed. The third was an angel in a man's body. Adrienne could see his black wings stretching across the room, could feel the power he radiated.

"Adrienne."

April 27th, 2011

Sam and Dean debated for a while before deciding that they couldn't leave. Adrienne was too dangerous to just leave her alone. Instead, they headed back to her house, figuring it was the one place they knew she was familiar with. As soon as they were inside, they saw Castiel.

"What are you doing here? I told you to leave -"

"Well Cas," Dean began, "You said it yourself: every time you tell us to do something, we do the exact opposite. I don't even know why you're surprised."

"Because I thought you had common sense. Apparently I was wrong."

"I could have told you that." Dean tried for a smile, quickly giving up in the face of the angel's glare. "Look, you said it yourself. Adrienne's dangerous. The sooner we take her out, the better."

"No, the sooner I or another angel kills her, the better. If you attempt to fight her, she will destroy you."

Dean shrugged. "How hard can it be? You said she was part angel, so all it should take is an angel blade, right?" Dean pulled said blade from his belt, twirling it once in his hand.

Castiel glared sternly at Dean. "It is not a matter of finding a weapon to kill her; it is getting close enough to do so without being blown up."

"That's where the holy fire comes in," Dean said, gesturing to the oil forming a ring on the floor. "She stands in that, can't leave, then bam! Dead antichrist."

"Dean, I cannot allow you to do this. It's too dangerous."

"What are you gonna do, send us to Bobby's?"

"Yes."

Dean scoffed. "Fine, then I'm not gonna talk to you." Dean turned away and started sorting the materials he and Sam had brought over, including the holy oil and angel blades.

"Dean," Castiel said irritably, "stop being a child -"

"Do you hear something Sam?"

"Don't drag me into this," Sam said, backing farther away from them.

Castiel glowered at Sam before returning his gaze to Dean. "Dean, stop being obstinate."

"Stop being patronizing and we'll talk," Dean countered, still examining a blade.

"Dean." Castiel grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to face the angel. "I don't want anything to happen to you." After a moment, he added, "Or Sam."

"Well we're not gonna stop hunting her, so if you really don't want anything to happen to us, you should help."

Castiel stared at him stonily. After a brief moment of silence, he relented. "The fire will only keep Adrienne from leaving; there are enochian spells that can be used to weaken her power. I can use them on the walls. I don't know how well they'll work though."

Dean smiled, pleased to have his friend on his side, where he belonged. "Sounds great Cas. Say, do you got anything that will actually get her here?"

Adrienne turned to face one of the men. This one had eyes like peridots and was barely taller than the angel's vessel, though still shorter than his brother. "Dean Winchester."

There was a spark of surprise in Dean's eyes, though he quickly hid it. He smiled, confidently, arrogantly. "Hi." He ran his eyes over her, sizing her up before resting on her face again. "So you're the devil's bastard, huh?"

Adrienne smirked. "And you're Alistair's bitch." She didn't bother spending anymore time focusing on him. Instead, she turned to his floppy-haired brother. "And the abomination." Sam's expression fell, though it was almost imperceptible. And if the comment felt bitter on Adrienne's tongue, then it had nothing to do with Kushiel. "I should thank you, both of you. Without you dumbasses kick starting the apocalypse, I wouldn't exist." She grinned evilly, before adding, "And then I would not have the pleasure of killing you."

Adrienne snapped her fingers, expecting the three of them to disintegrate, not wanting to dishonor her family's home with their blood. Her smirk faltered when she realized nothing had happened. She snapped again. Nothing. Her expression fell completely as she realized she was trapped and defenseless. A nervous sweat broke out on her brow, aided by the fire.

Dean, realizing her distress, regained his earlier confidence, saying, "Well I don't know if you've noticed, but you're not exactly going anywhere. Cas," he said, referencing the angel. Castiel, she knew from Vetis. "Kill her."

Adrienne faced the angel at the same moment he threw the blade. Panicked, she raised her hand.

The blade stopped in midair. Adrienne held it for a moment, but let it fall to the ground when she began to feel tired. Okay, she thought, Just offense-less. Not defenseless. She smiled cheerfully at the angel, tauntingly asking him, "What's wrong angel? Can't get up your mojo? Don't worry, I hear it happens to one out of five angelic beings."

Castiel's face hardened. "The spells I put up work continually; they shall drain your power until you're weak enough for us to kill you."

Adrienne shrugged. "Okay. Maybe that's what'll happen. Or maybe the hundreds of demons that follow me will find us, break the warding, and kill you." The men shifted uncomfortably, exchanging worried looks with each other. Adrienne smirked and sat down, crossing her legs and ignoring the sick feeling in her stomach. "Guess we'll just wait and see what happens first."