Chapter Twenty-Three
Castiel lay on his back, his arm around Charlie. Her rested against his chest, and he absentmindedly twirled a soft golden curl in his fingers. There wasn't much to say. These physical experiences were very new to him still, and although he enjoyed them very much it was difficult for him to wrap his head around the tumult of new feelings churning inside him. Charlie was rather…adept between the sheets, or so he presumed. He didn't exactly have anything else by which to judge. Nevertheless, he couldn't deny that the physical experience was quite a rush; he now understood a bit better why Dean could sometimes be pretty keen on getting some 'action.'
"I think your new necklace looks very pretty," he said out of nowhere, "although it is a very odd pendant."
Charlie laughed. "Ivy just made it for me," she replied. "It's a talisman to ward off evil magic."
"That's interesting." Castiel frowned. "Is that why I've been smelling something weird?"
"Huh?"
"The herbs she put in it are quite…pungent," Castiel explained. "Hm. That's probably why it works."
"It's the smell that makes them work?" Charlie asked, sniffing the vial in vain.
"No, not really. It's part of it, but there's much more to warding magic than that," Castiel replied. "I'm not entirely sure how it all works, really. Faolán would be better at answering those questions."
"Hm." Charlie snuggled closer to him and lay silently next to him. After a moment, she asked, "Cas, do you ever sleep?"
"No. I have no need to."
"Then what do you do all night?"
"Most nights I wander around and meditate. But on a night like tonight, I'll stay here after you fall asleep. You're quite a peaceful sleeper. You don't kick. Dean says that girls who kick are the reason why he hates 'staying over.'"
Charlie stifled a laugh. "Dean seems to be very…open with you," she remarked carefully.
"He has been trying to 'educate' me ever since we became friends. He says it's difficult but until I have better 'people skills' he's not giving up."
"That sounds like Dean, alright."
Castiel nodded. "He is steadfast, and loyal. Sam, too, though he can veer off course more easily sometimes. But regardless - you and Ivy couldn't ask for better allies. That's why I sent them here: to meet you and Ivy so they could help you." He paused, then added, "Of course, I didn't count on anyone getting any 'action' but you're all only human so I suppose it's natural. As for myself, this is a strange but exciting experience. I do like it."
"Good." Charlie turned over onto her otherside and pulled him with her so that he spooned her. "I'm exhausted. See you in the morning?"
"Yes. Sleep well, Charlie. I'll be here."
Sam woke up early – just after sunrise – and found a note on his bedside table.
'Sam – wear it. It's a talisman against evil magic. Faolán.'
He looked at what lay underneath the tented paper: a small, clear vial containing a very fine powder, closed by a cork topped with a polished grey stone streaked with rusty browns, and suspended on a silver chain next to a blue stone bead. His brow furrowed with intrigue, and after a moment of consideration, shrugged and fastened it around his neck.
Curiousity might have killed the cat, but it hadn't been enough to put Sam away for good just yet. A few minutes online told him that the stones on the talisman were tiger-iron and blue chalcedony – powerful stones against psychic attacks and evil magic.
"Interesting," he said to himself.
After doing his morning exercise routine and showering, Sam dressed quickly and made his way downstairs. As he hit the landing, an overpowering combination of smells hit his nostrils.
"What the –" he exclaimed.
"Sorry, Sam." Charlie popped out of the living room, coughing and waving thick tendrils of grey smoke away from her face. "I think I put a little too much incense on the fire."
"Just a little?" Ivy said, emerging from the living room with her nose wrinkled. "That blend is pretty expensive, you know."
"What's in it?" Sam asked.
"Althea, asafetida, starflower, chicory, black hellabore, and toadflax," Ivy said.
Sam blinked. "Right. Because that…explains everything."
"We're enforcing the house defenses," Charlie told him. "Given our family's knack for getting into trouble with the Fey, we're already pretty well-protected – magic-wise – but Titania can obviously penetrate the walls and get to Dean."
"All the herbs we blended for this incense we're using now are known for their strong protective powers. They'll add another layer of protection and bolster the house's original magical defenses," Ivy continued. "We've just finished up the ritual – now we just have to let the fire burn."
Faolán and Castiel came in at that moment, a large empty jar in the púca's hand. "All done," he said. "A sachet on all compass points of the house."
"Good. Thanks, guys," Charlie said, pulling her hair off her face into a messy knot.
"It really stinks in here," Castiel commented.
"Yeah, Charlie's fault," Ivy laughed. "Anyone ready for breakfast?"
"Let's do it al fresco," Charlie suggested. "We can't open up the windows til the blend's finished burning."
"Jeez. What the hell's on the fire?"
They turned to the steps and saw a bleary-eyed Dean standing halfway down the staircase, his face contorted into a shocked, disgusted grimace.
"Slightly behind the times, Dean," Sam chuckled. "Come on. The girls can explain over breakfast."
Together, they'd whipped up an amazing breakfast spread, with enough bacon and pancakes to satisfy even Dean's bottomless stomach. They ate and made small talk, relishing the friendship around the table and also the fact that for once, the conversation didn't revolve around evil Faeries and psychic powers.
But all good things must come to an end, and it was Sam who broke the ice.
"So you made these," he said, leaning back in his chair and holding up his talisman.
"Yeah," Ivy replied. "Pretty cool, huh?"
"You girls sure know a hell of a lot about magical plants," he remarked, picking up an orange slice from his plate and biting into it.
"Comes with the job," Charlie said. "Every hunter specialises in something."
"How do these things work, anyway?" Dean wanted to know.
All eyes turned to Faolán.
"Well, it's a combination of things," the púca said, staring over the rim of his teacup pensievely. "The smell is a big part of it. But what's more important is the fact that the scents of the plants get their powers from the planets and the stars."
"So all that astrology mumbo-jumbo…?" Dean said.
"Not quite so mumbo-jumbo. Well, most of it, anyway. During their seasons, the plants and herbs become infused with the powers of ancient deities that remain in the cosmos. These powers become dormant but preserved within the plants, and when they are combined with simple spells, they're awakened." Faolán paused. "That's the short version, anyway."
"And these will protect us from what, exactly?" Sam asked.
"Evil Faerie magic," Ivy said quickly. "Titania's specialty, in fact. She's been using Charlie's powers to spy on us and she can penetrate the house defenses to bring Dean into the Otherworld when he sleeps. By wearing the talismans and by putting spells on the house, we're increasing our chances of staying one or two steps ahead of her."
"Which brings me to my next question," Dean said. He drained his coffee cup and set it down on the table before continuing. "How are we going to gank the bitch?"
"There are several ways," Sam replied.
"Why am I not surprised," Charlie laughed.
"What?" Sam asked defensively, but he smiled back at her. "So, anyway, the most common ways to get rid of a Faerie are with iron, fire, or an exorcising spell."
"Right, like that one we used on that leprechaun," Dean interjected.
"Exactly. However, Titania's a heavyweight – much more powerful than that leprechaun, and with a grudge to boot," Sam continued. "So we're going to have to get creative."
"Just how creative do we have to get?" Ivy queried.
Once more, all eyes turned to Faolán.
"You're the resident expert," Dean explained. "How do we kill a Faerie Queen?"
Faolán sighed deeply. "It's next to impossible," he said bluntly.
Dean rubbed his face with his hands, exasperated beyond belief. "Great."
"I said 'next to impossible,' not outright impossible," Faolán said hastily, sensing a Dean Winchester outburst if he didn't explain himself quickly enough. "It's normally a very, very long process because we must wait for the twenty-first of June, but we've lucked out. It's only the fifteenth."
"Gives us time to prepare," Sam mused.
"Not a huge window though," Charlie pointed out.
"Better than nothing," Dean cut in. "So, Faolán. What do we do?"
Faolán caught Castiel's gaze. The Angel had said nothing at all so far, but the first four words out of his mouth in the entire conversation floored everyone.
"Ivy must do it."