The song here is "Seven Devils" by Florence + the Machine
Seven Devils
Nikolai volunteered to fetch Crowley's mother with his burlap sack. He doubted that the sigils he burnt into the fabric would help against a witch, but he always had the First Blade. That was guaranteed to put fear into anyone.
He walked down the corridors, feeling exactly like the big bad monster others feared him to be. Since having the Mark of Cain, he's felt empowered and, he had to admit, it inflated his ego. There were moments when the Mark caused him grief; it itched like an acid burn and it caused him concern that he might lose all control and become the monster that could harm even those he treasured.
Now, he was feeling pretty good. Of course, the itch was still there, but it was satisfied with a job such as retrieving the witchy mommy. When he had nothing to do, it bothered him and when demons were being cut up, he wanted to be the one doing it. The Mark was making Nikolai fear that it could become a fine line.
He reached the corridor of cells and he could sense she was in the last one. He grinned and took large strides as if he was excited to bring her to Crowley.
Nikolai grabbed the handle and threw the door open with his dashing grin. The witch inside turned to face him and for a second, she seemed surprised. Then, she gave a smile and batted her eye lashes. She was a beautiful redhead in a flattering black dress, despite the dirt on her face.
"Well, gonna stare at me, lad?" she asked in her Scottish accent and Nikolai's grin turned dark.
"My lady." He said and held out his arm. Then her smile widened at his charm and she walked over to him with her chin held high.
"It's about time I get treated respectively well." She said and they walked down the small hall. He glanced at her and she walked gracefully as if she were royalty. Of course, she wasn't as graceful as Clara, but she had a certain charm that Nikolai had to admire. "I imagine you're taking me to see my son, the King of Hell." She said, still with her head up high. Nikolai grinned and brought her a little closer to him.
"Indeed." He whispered and her lips tightened in a smile. "And he sent the best to escort you." Nikolai added and she glanced up at him, her eyes glistening.
"I'm sure he has, quite charming I must admit." She replied and Nikolai flashed his most striking smile. "It's hard to believe you're a demon." she added and turned her gaze around. Despite her gentle tone of voice, that sounded more like an insult and she intended it to be so.
"Oh, not just an average demon, Ma'am." Nikolai replied and when she glanced at him with a slight arched eyebrow, with his free hand, he raised his sleeve of his arm to reveal the Mark of Cain. When her eyes met it, they widened and she seemed surprised.
"The Mark of Cain." She said and, for added effect, Nikolai pulled the First Blade from his back, looking at it as if it had been dipped in gold. "The First Blade." She said and then her confidence swayed. Her tone changed and Nikolai could tell she no longer felt so high and mighty.
"I'm a Knight." He said and met her eyes. The expression of shock was still frozen on her face, but there was a hint of fear in her eyes now that her demon escort turned out to bear the Mark of Cain as well as to wield the First Blade; a creature that could kill anything and everything in cold blood.
Then, she held her chin up and tightened her lips defiantly.
"My son won't have me killed." She said and Nikolai smiled dashingly, watching how long she could maintain that boldness. "I'm his mother. He needs me." she added and Nikolai let out a soft chuckle.
"Yes, I'm sure." He said with a gentle tone, but in the same manner she had as to insult her in return.
"You know, the Mark, it's just a curse. The first curse, but still, it can be removed." She said and when he met her eyes, there was an interesting glimmer that clearly suggested that, being a powerful witch, she could remove the Mark of Cain and he'd be reduced to an average demon once more.
Nikolai held up the First Blade closer and he felt her lean away, as if distrusting him. She knew all too well about it and she feared it. That pleased him greatly.
"I think I'll keep it." he replied and glanced at her with dark eyes and a sinister grin. "Now, let's not keep the King of Hell waiting." He added and tightened his arm around that of the witch and walked faster, nearly dragging her behind him.
When he arrived at the office, she seemed slightly exhausted and annoyed. He opened the door and nearly tossed her in. That really annoyed her and she glared at him as she fixed her dress and hair.
She stood tall and looked at Crowley with the same defiance in her eyes as earlier.
"Fer –" she began, but he quickly corrected her.
"Crowley." he said and narrowed his eyes at her. When his mother looked down at the little girl on his lap, she looked back at him with a mixture of confusion and amusement. "Keara, Rowena. Rowena, Keara." He said and her smile grew as she looked at the little girl.
Crowley gestured to the woman sitting on his desk, dressed fashionably well with an air of grace and beauty.
"Clara, my Queen." He said and Rowena met her eyes, but then her smile diminished as she saw that dark and sharp coldness in Clara's eyes. Crowley gestured at everyone else. "Nerilla, Kelley, Gabriel and you've already met Nikolai." He said and Rowena looked at all of them, but she wasn't interested. Her eyes returned to the little girl and lingered on the sweet child.
When her son said he had a family, she didn't know he actually meant it.
"Would this be my wee granddaughter?" Rowena asked with a smile and, despite Crowley refusing to release his grip on Keara, she squirmed to be put onto her feet. Once she was free, she walked up to Rowena with an innocent smile and suddenly threw her arms around Rowena's waist.
She was surprised, but her face lit up, especially when Keara pulled away just enough to look up and dazzle Rowena with her twinkling eyes. Indeed this little creature was Rowena's granddaughter. Incredible how her son could produce such a stunning little thing.
"I now have another grandmother." She said with happiness and Rowena smiled with a bit of confusion.
"Another grandmother?" she asked and Keara looked over her shoulder at Clara, the Queen of Hell. When she looked back up at Rowena, her little eyes were dark like her mothers.
"I had one before I was born, but her soul was eventually chased out of Hell by Hellhounds." Keara said just as sweetly, with a smile, and then released her grip on Rowena. She walked back to her father and resumed her place on his lap where Crowley grinned in a sinister manner, as if proud of his daughter.
Rowena glanced around the room and all eyes were on her, all dark and cold. She was surrounded by demons, although the one named Gabriel didn't send off that "demon" vibe. However, his eyes weren't any more comforting.
She glanced back at Crowley who brushed his daughter's hair away from her face with a dark grin. Incredible to see him so affectionate with her granddaughter.
"Well, I trust your stay in Hell will be comfortable." Clara said, but there was no kindness in her expression and Rowena knew that the Queen of Hell disliked her mother-in-law. Rowena gave a smile, despite her dislike for her daughter-in-law. No one mattered, except for her son, Fergus who insisted he be named Crowley.
"Could I have a moment alone with my son?" Rowena asked, not that she was asking out of respect. She wanted everyone out, but it seemed she wasn't going to have it.
"Unfortunately, the King of Hell is too busy and we have work to do." Clara said with the same expression, cold, but not unreasonably mean.
"I have a right to speak with my son." Rowena said and Clara smiled wickedly.
"Not here, you don't." she said and Crowley looked up, as if this interrupted his time with Keara. "You have no right in Hell, so don't think you can do what you want." She added and Crowley glanced at Clara, softly speaking with authority, but as to not disrespect his Queen.
"Let's not be so harsh, my Dear." He said and Rowena smiled at Clara as if she had made a small, but significant, victory. "She can't do much anyway." He added and Rowena glanced at Crowley with a frown and ignored Clara's smile of victory.
"I always said you were two-faced." Rowena said to Crowley. Although she didn't get her wish to speak alone with her son, she was going to speak her mind.
"Mother, enough. I know you're annoyed with me." Crowley said and she gasped in response.
"Annoyed? I'm devastated, betrayed." She said and made herself look saddened and wounded. "And heartbroken." She added and Crowley rolled his eyes as he looked away.
"Heartbroken?" he asked and she gasped like it wasn't obvious.
"I was exiled from the Grand Coven and all the years I was there for you, where were you for me?" She asked and Crowley raised his eyebrows as if this was so ludicrous that he couldn't tolerate hearing it.
"Because I wouldn't go begging to a bunch of witches on your behalf?" he asked and exchanged a glance with Clara, as if to say that it was a long and dreadfully boring story. Rowena clenched her jaw and flared her nostrils. How dare he dismiss the importance of the situation!
"The Grand Coven is the supreme command of all witchcraft. Without their sanction, I'm forbidden to practice!" she replied with a harsh tone of voice to reveal her frustration.
"Forgive me. I hadn't noticed you stopped." He said coldly without any emotion. She approached and balled her hands into fists.
"I'm capable of greatness. Given free reign, I'd be unstoppable." She said with her head held high. She stared down at her son with rage in her eyes.
"I am this close to throwing you back into that cell." He said and measured less than half an inch between his thumb and index finger. The expression on his face revealed that he already had enough of his mother and it irritated Rowena.
"Of course. Why not? Why do anything but cause me more pain?" she asked and played the wounded mother once again. "Bad enough you wouldn't intervene with the Coven." She added and acted as if this performance would win her an Oscar.
Crowley curled his lips into a dark twitch of a grin and when his mother met his eyes, his expression became sinister.
"Is this why you wanted to speak with my, privately, in hopes that I, the King of Hell, would grant you a favor and bestow upon you a chance for vengeance?" he asked with a dark glimmer in his eyes. "Tell me Rowena, if I were not King of Hell, would you have bothered to pretend to care about me?" he asked and she gasped and glanced around at everyone in the office.
"You prefer them to your own flesh and blood. It's a bitter pill, Fergus; after all I've done for you." She said with rage, despite the grins around the room. Crowley and Keara were the only ones not grinning as they stared at her with despise.
"Clara and Keara are my flesh and blood." Crowley corrected. "If you truly care about me, than you'll have the chance to prove it." he added and at that moment, there was a distant look in Crowley's eyes as a harsh scratching and growling occurred outside of the office.
Rowena jumped and looked at the door, despite Nikolai standing in front of it.
"What is that?" she asked and Nikolai smiled.
"A Hellhound." He replied and then his smile turned into a dark grin. "Get ready for a party." He added and looked to Crowley.
The rebellion has begun.