A/N: Wow, I'm so glad there is interest in this story premise. Thanks so much for all the follows, favorites, and reviews! Thank you guests Pony, Castielle, and Loreley for reviewing. And the site started "losing" reviews, so I wasn't able to PM thanks to mckydstarlight, LadyWallace, Spnksl5, Jade Johanson, ninety, and Kendra Da Shiell. So thank you guys too!
Loreley, you're right that Cas probably should have spotted those angel sigils, but just think of it as there were so many subtle markings set up that they kind of blurred together. ;)
Chapter 2
Castiel cast Ryn a sidelong look as he drove. They'd just passed from Montana into Iowa and were another nine hours from the bunker. The ride had been silent since that brief stop a while back, with Castiel bogged down in his thoughts and Ryn mostly focused on gazing out the window at the passing vista. Castiel found the silence an odd mixture of awkward and companionable, and he didn't know how to break it, or if he should. Still, Ryn was graciously agreeing to accompany him across state lines to help complete strangers; Castiel could at least be polite.
"So, uh," he started. "Where did you go after Egypt?"
"Many places," she replied. After a moment, she finally turned to look at him again. "I eventually decided there was too much angelic activity in that area, and ended up in Eastern Europe. Lived a quiet life for a while. Until the Bulgarian-Serbian wars that ignited in the 9th century."
Castiel's mouth turned down. Conflict in that region had continued well into the 14th century, and that was just the first set of wars and campaigns. Humanity had a long and brutal history that rivaled even the angels'.
"Where did you go then?"
Ryn shook her head. "I stayed. Fought in the wars. It was my home too that they invaded, so I defended it and the nearby Slavic tribes."
Castiel was taken aback to hear of a supernatural being helping in a human cause. Ryn was…nothing like he'd expected. Perhaps there was a reason after all that he'd spared her so long ago.
She let out a weary sounding sigh. "But as the wars continued, and each side grew more and more barbaric in their tactics…I did eventually leave."
Castiel glanced at her. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely.
"To live an immortal life is to be a nomad. Or a recluse," she added with a wry smile. "I've tried both. But time, change, and sometimes hunters always catch up with you."
He arched a brow. "You're not easily killed. I doubt hunters would be a threat to you." Certainly not until Samuel Colt invented the gun that could kill supernatural beings, and that was in 1835, relatively recent in all of history.
"Not all hunters are human."
Castiel frowned, remembering the myriad warding at the cabin.
"And you?" she asked. "What have you been up to all these centuries?"
Castiel swallowed. That was a loaded question. "Not much after…Egypt. At least, as far as I know, I spent the next several centuries just watching humankind."
Ryn canted her head in confusion. "If your memory was erased, how do you know about it? Seems counterintuitive to wipe someone's mind and then tell them so."
"I only found out two years ago," he said, annoyed that his chest was constricting again. He'd never talked about what Naomi did to him, not even to Sam and Dean, not in detail anyway. It brought all those feelings to the surface as though they were fresh, and that was the last thing he wanted.
Ryn was watching him carefully. "The angel responsible?"
Castiel clenched his jaw. "Dead."
Naomi couldn't hurt him anymore; he just had to keep reminding himself of that. Though he also hated that he needed the reminder. She was dead and long gone and therefore shouldn't hold any more power over him. And she didn't, as long as he never thought about her, ever.
Ryn leaned back in her seat, facing forward. "Good."
Castiel inhaled a long breath and held it, then let it out. "As I was saying, I watched the earth for a long time, until the First Seal was broken and I took a vessel—this one, actually. That was six years ago. I've…well, been a lot more active since then."
Ryn lifted a delicate brow at him. "Oh?"
Castiel told her about the Apocalypse and standing with the Winchesters against Heaven, and how they succeeded. Then he told her about the Civil War against Raphael and the disaster that was, followed by the Leviathan and then Purgatory. He'd just gotten to the point where Naomi entered the picture when his phone rang, giving him a blessed interruption. He had never spoken at such lengths about what he'd gone through before, and he found it rather exhausting. No wonder the Winchesters never had these kinds of conversations. And yet…it had also felt somewhat good, in a strange release kind of way.
But he was still relieved to have a break. Castiel glanced at the caller ID and hit the answer button. "Hello, Dean."
"Hey, Cas, we got a lead. Cain abducted a Texas death row inmate named Tommy Tolliver."
Castiel frowned. Cain had emerged? "We actually might not need to find him anymore, Dean. I may have a way to remove the Mark." He glanced at Ryn. She'd said she would try, but they hadn't yet discussed what exactly she might be able to do.
Dean was silent for a moment. "What, really?"
"Yes. I'm on my way back to the bunker now."
There was another gap in which Dean didn't respond right away. "That's…that's great, Cas. But, uh, maybe we should put that on hold for now. If Cain's going around nabbing people, then we need to take care of it. And…" He cleared his throat. "There's only one way to do that."
Castiel closed his eyes briefly in defeated realization. The only way to defeat Cain was with the Mark. And the First Blade. A combination that really wasn't good for Dean right now.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Yeah. Look, if you've found something…that's awesome, Cas. That's what we need. And it'll be there when we're done with this, right?"
Castiel flicked a look at Ryn again. Well, theoretically…
"Alright," he reluctantly agreed. "Call me if you find something."
"Will do." The line clicked as Dean disconnected.
Castiel closed his phone and slipped it back into his pocket, then looked apologetically at Ryn. "Um, there's been a slight change in plans."
"I heard."
"I'm sorry." He tried to mentally run through his options. He would lose a lot of time and ground if he drove Ryn back to her home in northern Montana. But dropping her off in the middle of Iowa seemed not only rude, but ran the risk that he would never see her again, and Castiel needed her to be able to cure Dean. Could he give her bus fare and directions to meet him at the bunker later? That posed its own risks too, not the least of which was Sam and Dean being furious with him for allowing entrance to someone unsupervised.
"Um, what would you like to do?" Castiel asked nervously.
Ryn's mouth thinned into a thoughtful line. "Cain wreaked a lot of havoc on the world in his time. I was there for some of it." She sighed and shook her head. "What's the plan?"
Castiel couldn't explain the wash of relief he felt at her acceptance, and he took the next exit that would lead them to a large city. "First, we need to find someone with inside information."
"A bar?" Ryn asked a couple of hours later as they sat parked in an alleyway.
"Dean spent most of his time as a demon in places like this," Castiel replied, keeping his eyes peeled on the seedy establishment across the street. Demons didn't always run around causing mayhem; they reveled in fleshly pleasures as well.
Ryn rested her elbow against the car window. "A man who became a demon and then was cured. Even in my long existence, that's something new."
Castiel couldn't help but smile wryly. "The Winchesters are experts at throwing out the rule book." He sobered a moment later. "But if we don't find a way to remove the Mark, Dean will eventually become a demon again."
Castiel didn't know how many times they could perform the sanctification ritual successfully. It had nearly killed Dean the first time, from the sounds of it. Not to mention Dean had nearly killed Sam trying to escape. Castiel wasn't sure either brother would survive another round if it happened again.
Ryn canted a considering look at him. "You care a lot about them."
"Dean and Sam are my friends. They're…" He hesitated. They were his charges, but more than that… "Family," he finished. Because no matter how many times he screwed up, the Winchesters always gave him another chance.
"You've been through a lot together."
Castiel let out a small laugh. "Well, they do live exciting lives."
"Do they know you're asking a phoenix for help?" Ryn didn't look at him, but Castiel could see the tightness in her posture.
"They won't hurt you," he automatically responded, surprised at just how vehement it came out. "Besides, they know the lines of good and evil aren't so clearly drawn." How many times had they all worked with demons? Or other monsters, for that matter.
Ryn made a low sound in the back of her throat. "Hunters call me a monster because I'm other, not human. Angels call me an abomination because I came from Eve, yet my ashes are poison to her, and so all other monsters born of her hate me." She abruptly turned to face him. "Do you know why I'm toxic to Eve? Purification. She's the Mother of evil creatures and I'm a being of rebirth and renewal." Ryn looked away again, voice dropping a little lower, almost in musing. "Do you think your God had anything to do with that?"
Castiel was momentarily stunned into silence. He had never met a supernatural being that considered itself not a monster. Even pagan deities were unapologetically cruel and capricious at times. And yet, Ryn's points were valid. Castiel couldn't speak as to whether God had a hand in her creation, only that she was indeed different from every other supernatural creature he'd met. Castiel needed to amend his way of talking about her kind. After all, he of all people knew what it was like to be misjudged and misunderstood.
"Is that how you'll try to cure Dean?" he asked. "Purification?"
Ryn briefly flicked her gaze sideways. "In an oversimplified way of speaking, yes."
Castiel tensed with a sudden thought. "It…wouldn't require your ashes, would it?" He didn't know why the thought of having to kill her disturbed him, but it did. That was how the Winchesters had killed Eve, with a phoenix's ashes. One Castiel also suddenly realized was one of Ryn's descendants. And that was not a conversation he was keen on having. Ryn might be furious and decide not to help, but if it came out later, that could make things even worse. Especially if it was revealed that it was Sam and Dean who killed Elias Finch.
"I don't know for sure," Ryn answered, and then tossed him a knowing look. "I've died before, you know. It's actually not that hard, though I will say it will be the very last option I'll consider. I don't particularly enjoy death, even temporary ones." Something dark and haunted flashed in her eyes before she looked away.
Castiel frowned, his earlier thoughts about Finch sidetracked by the notion of death and perpetual resurrections. He…actually had that in common with Ryn.
"I don't enjoy it, either," he said quietly.
She furrowed her brow at him.
"I've died and been brought back several times," he explained. "I believe they're punishment resurrections, fit for me to watch the fallout from my mistakes, perhaps even the chance to fix them. Though, I always seem to make things worse when I try to 'clean up my messes.'" He only used one hand for the air quotes, the bitter memory attached to that phrase tightening his chest.
Ryn's mouth turned down further. "From what you've told me, you've saved the world several times over the past few years. That doesn't warrant punishment."
"Did you miss the parts where I made things worse?" He hadn't even told her about causing the angels to fall.
Ryn snorted softly. "Even the very wise cannot see all ends."
Castiel cocked his head in confusion, a ring of familiarity pinging in the back of his mind. "That's a quote."
Ryn's brows rose. "Yes. And it's true. You shouldn't blame yourself for things you couldn't foresee." She shook her head. "Why did Dean Winchester take the Mark?"
Castiel frowned. "He thought it was the only way to defeat Abaddon, the last surviving Knight of Hell after Cain."
"Did he know about its curse? That it would change him?"
Castiel let out an exasperated noise. "No. But Dean rarely thinks these kinds of things through."
"And would you punish him for it?"
"What? No!" Castiel fell silent as Ryn gave him a pointed look. "It's…"
"The same," she interjected, and turned her attention back to their surveillance.
Castiel didn't know how to argue with that. He wanted to, wanted to point out that Dean was human and deserved grace, whereas Castiel was an angel and should know better. But the finality in Ryn's tone had stopped him from trying to lay out those protests. And so he, too, returned to watching the bar. He shouldn't be letting himself get distracted anyway.
He straightened when he caught sight of a demon strolling up the sidewalk. Its true face with pits for eyes and a murky black essence were hidden behind the visage of a young man in a leather jacket. He passed a group of young women, his eyes flicking black lasciviously as they walked by, oblivious.
"Charming," Ryn muttered, and opened her door.
Castiel blinked. "Where are you going?"
"To lure him over here," she replied and got out.
"What?" Castiel scrambled out of the car after her.
Ryn canted an odd look at him. "We just got a glimpse of what he has a taste for, and it's not men in trench coats. Besides, a low-level demon can't hurt me. And don't you want to avoid making a scene?"
Castiel frowned. True, he didn't want to cause a ruckus, and without his wings, he couldn't fly in and out to grab the target. Still, the idea of using Ryn as bait made his stomach churn with slight discomfort. "He'll be able to sense you're not human."
"Unless he's met my kind—not very likely—he won't know what I am. Besides, I've become rather good at masking myself."
Castiel still didn't like it. "And if has met a phoenix before?"
Ryn shrugged. "Then he probably won't pass up the opportunity to capture one. Win some points downstairs." Her expression softened. "It'll be fine. You just be ready to subdue him."
With that, she shut her door and headed across the street to the bar. Castiel clenched his jaw, but there was nothing he could do about it now except to wait and hope for the best. He stepped back into the shadows of an alcove in the alley to conceal himself.
The minutes ticked by with annoying slowness. More than once, Castiel considered breaking his cover and storming into the bar to see what was happening, but he held himself in check. The demon may not recognize a phoenix, but he would definitely see Castiel's true form and likely run. And Ryn had a point—a phoenix should be fine handling one demon lackey…
It was strange how concerned Castiel was for her. Perhaps it was just because she was his only hope to save Dean, yet deep down he knew that wasn't it. Maybe, even though his memories had been erased, there were remnants of…something, left over. But what? What had made him spare this creature in the spur of the moment like that back in Egypt?
He heard the creaking swing of the bar's door, and peeked around the wall. Ryn was stumbling out, a glazed look on her face as she waved one arm for balance and used the other to grip the sleeve of the demon's shirt as he helped her walk. She shook her head at him, gesturing as though to casually wave off his assistance. He didn't let go, though, and Castiel could see the lecherous gleam in the dark pits of his eyes as they staggered across the street together. Castiel pressed his back against the alcove and listened.
"I think I'll just lay down in the backseat of my car," Ryn said with a groan.
"How can I be sure you won't try to drive like this?" the demon responded. "Maybe you'd better give me your keys, just to be safe. I'll take you home."
"Oh…that's…I don't know."
They were drawing closer, and Castiel closed his hand into a fist. Then came the sound of someone stumbling into the side of the car.
"Oops," Ryn said. "Um, keys, keys…"
Castiel stepped out of the alcove. Ryn was braced against the trunk of the Continental, the demon standing too close, but his back was to Castiel. Ryn glanced up and caught his eye. Then she slowly straightened.
"Oh, I remember. The angel has the keys."
"The…" The demon whirled, and Castiel punched him across the jaw hard enough to knock him out, at least for a few moments. Castiel popped open the trunk, which had a devil's trap painted on the inside. Something he'd learned from Dean. He and Ryn heaved the body into the trunk and slammed the lid shut.
Ryn leaned against it. "There, that wasn't so hard, was it?"
Castiel's mouth quirked. No, that had actually been rather clean and easy. The next bit, however, would not be.
They found an abandoned building where they could question the demon without his screams drawing anyone's attention. Castiel dragged their captive out of the trunk and hauled him inside the dilapidated store, giving him a rough shake when he struggled. Ryn followed with a coil of rope and waited while Castiel shoved the prisoner into an old chair, then she stepped forward and secured him tightly.
The demon snarled at them. "I know you," he said, glowering at Castiel. "The angel with a busted halo. Have to hunt with mortal backup now, huh? Too weak to do it yourself?"
Castiel withdrew his angel blade, ignoring the verbal barbs. "I want information. Where is Cain?"
The demon's brows shot upward. "Cain? You're wasting your time, I don't know where he is."
Castiel stepped closer and set the point of his blade against the demon's collarbone. "I don't believe you."
Ryn moved to lean against the wall and folded her arms, watching.
"Me and Cain ain't friends," the demon spat. "He kills demons. Low-level guys like me keep our distance."
"You sure about that?" Castiel sliced down the demon's chest, scoring a bright red line that briefly flared orange. The demon's eyes flicked black as he grunted through clenched teeth.
"All right!" he growled. "All right."
Well, that was easy after all. Low-level demons were such cowards.
The guy's eyes flicked back to brown. "He's been seen, past few months, making passes through Bogg's marsh, one county over. No one knows why, what for. Like I said, we keep our distance."
Castiel raised the tip of his blade to hover over the demon's eye. "And that's all you know?"
The demon started shaking against the restraints. "Yes. Yes, I swear."
Castiel let the blade fall back to his side. He lifted his gaze to Ryn, who was watching him carefully. Castiel couldn't tell whether it was with approval or wariness. He also wasn't sure why it mattered to him.
The demon let out an audible sound of relief. Well, whatever Castiel or Ryn felt, they couldn't just let the demon go. Castiel twirled his blade and drove it into the demon's stomach. The guy threw his head back with a horrendous cry as orange lightning sputtered through his body. Then he fell limp.
Ryn finally moved away from the wall to come stand over the corpse. "You just saved a woman tonight," she said to Castiel, and then turned and walked out.
He watched her go, perplexed. Casting one last glance at the dead demon, he hurried after her. They now had a lead to follow up on.
