Chapter Nineteen

Ringing of My Heart

Bobby's House: July 15, 2010

Sam came back from his morning run and began stretching on the porch. Dean and Castiel had taken to sleeping in, and Crowley seemed to make himself scarce when there was no buffer between him and Rowena. He was enjoying the moments he could steal alone in the morning, happy for the quiet time to think. His life had been turned on its head the last few years. It was hard to remember what a normal life felt like. He'd been so close to getting out of this life, but now he knew he'd never be normal. Thankfully, it wasn't the death sentence it had once felt like.

Rowena and Crowley pulled away many layers of mystique and fear that surrounded his psychic gift and innate magic. While it seemed he'd likely never see the future again, at least not without some type of aid, both magic users were impressed by the control he could wield over spells most witches would struggle with. It was strange to be praised by two people that he would have killed without thought a few years ago. He knew now he could never go back to the way things had been. Castiel was family, another brother. Rowena was his friend and mentor, someone he was coming to rely on. Azrial seemed to swing between tired old veteran and exasperated older sister depending on the situation. Crowley was…Crowley. The demon had the weirdest code of ethics Sam had ever seen, and he'd been about to enter law school!

If his dad saw any of this, he'd feel justified in having told Dean to kill him. Though at this point their dad may try to kill Dean too, or kill Castiel for bewitching Dean.

Sam shut his eyes, swallowing back bile. Every time he thought too much about all the changes they were living through, he couldn't stop his mind from wandering to his dad and what the man's reaction to it would be. In a messed-up way, he was happy it was Bobby helping them through this and not his dad. Bobby adapted and was willing to move the line of what was acceptable based on new information. John Winchester was a stubborn bastard, and Sam didn't doubt his dad would have tried to kill all four non-humans that had entered their lives without hearing them out.

"Rather deep in thought this morning, Samuel?"

Sam spun around as Rowena stepped onto the porch with a cup of tea in her hands. "Guess so. I didn't even hear you coming out."

"Well, I was enjoying the view," she said with a flirtatious smile. He chuckled, still not sure how serious she was with her comments. He decided to graciously accept most of them, not bothering to overthink any of his responses.

"If you say so. Has Gabriel moved again?"

"Thankfully not," she huffed. "He's a slippery one. It would be exciting if my freedom wasn't tied to finding the bastard."

Sam frowned, guilt clawing at his throat. The longer he spent with the redhead, the harder it was to ignore how shitty he'd been by helping kidnap her.

"Have you spoken to Azrial about your powers?"

Rowena gripped her cup tighter, a pained looking flashing across her face. "I did. She can't help me, but at least she was honest about it."

"Did she have any clues?" Sam asked, leaning against the railing to watch the witch.

"Suggested I speak with Gabriel," Rowena scoffed. "I'm not holding my breath."

Sam could see the logic in that suggestion and was glad Azrial had voiced what he'd been thinking since Rowena confided in him about her powers. Gabriel was a bastard, but he was a powerful bastard who was gifted in reality manipulation. Breaking a binding on a witch would likely be easier than sneezing for the archangel.

"I'm sorry she couldn't offer more help."

Rowena sighed, a soft look easing the tension in her body. "She's powerful," Rowen said. "Powerful, but so delicate."

Sam frowned, his brows furrowed in confusion. "How so?"

The witch remained silent for several moments, glancing toward the door in thought. "Your brother is still asleep?"

"Probably," he shrugged. "He and Cas have started sleeping in since we are only hunting locally while Bobby is gone."

"It's been difficult being around so many people who've been tortured," Rowena sighed, her eyes falling to her mug.

"I can't imagine what it must be like getting that off Crowley," Sam said carefully. "Regardless of the bad blood, he is still your son."

"That he is, and it was a shock when I felt his pain for the first time," she chuckled darkly. "But in this case, I'm referring to Azrial."

Sam felt ice creep up his spine. "Rowena, what are you talking about?" His voice was harsher than he intended, but Rowena didn't reprimand him.

"She's strong," Rowena said. "But she's also a mosaic of scars and suffering that I can't fully comprehend. Perhaps that's the difference between my longevity and true immortality. Where death only comes when you fall to an enemy or your own hand."

Sam bit his lip, unsure how to respond to her musings. The implication that Azrial, an archangel who seemed as untouchable as her brothers, had been tortured was an unwelcome shock to his system. How did it happen? Who'd managed to get a jump on her to even put her at their mercy? He shook his head, shoving down the endless questions that seemed to bubble up at Rowena's words.

"I don't want to know more," he said firmly. "It's none of my business."

Rowena shot him an amused look but didn't disagree with his words. They stood in the warm morning sun, watching the few cars that sped by Bobby's driveway. Sam glanced at the witch, wondering if he should say something else.

"Don't overthink things," she whispered with a touch of warning. It was half-hearted though, and Sam's eyes softened.

"Of course not, do I look suicidal to you?" he teased. "I'll see you inside, Rowena."

Sam turned away from the witch, frowning in thought. He needed to find Gabriel, anything else he could deal with later. With any luck, the archangel wouldn't be too much of a dick and he and Rowena would hit it off. He tried not to think too hard about why he wanted them to get along.

Line Break

Aman Tokyo: July 16, 2010

Bobby groaned softly as the bed shifted. He rolled over, grabbing for the warmth that had just been at his side, frowning when he felt nothing. A soft laugh made him open his eyes slightly to see Azrial smiling softly. She was seated on the edge of the bed and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Rest," she said softly. "It's early."

"Then why the hell are you up?" he demanded, trying to pull her back into bed. Her wings were like having the world's softest blanket. Coupled with how cool her skin was, it was the perfect sleeping temperature and he wasn't willing to give it up when the sun was just peeking through the blinds. She laughed again, leaning down to kiss his forehead.

"I have to start preparing for the auction, remember?"

"It ain't till tonight, come back to bed."

She snorted as he wrapped an arm around her waist in a stubborn attempt to drag her back into the bed.

"And I thought I liked to cuddle," she teased. "But I do have to go. You'll understand when you see how I'm dressed tonight. Trust me, this isn't a one-person job."

He huffed but could pick up on her reluctance to leave. Azrial was extremely open with her emotions, something he hadn't expected given how in control she liked to seem.

"You sleep okay?" he finally settled on. Her smile wavered a bit, her fingers shaking slightly in his hair.

"I've slept better," she finally said. "I think it will be better once all this is over."

He hummed, slowly sitting up despite her objections. He pulled her into a one-armed hug, and the archangel fell into his side with no resistance.

"Got time to have breakfast with me?"

"You can go back to sleep," she objected.

"Not what I asked," he firmly rebutted.

She was silent for several seconds before leaning up to nuzzle his chin. "I should if you get dressed quickly."

"Then I'll go do that. Can always catch a nap later."

He got up, kissing her head before heading toward the bathroom. His promise to Crowley lurked in the back of his mind, and he had a feeling Azrial knew what the demon had asked. There was an undercurrent of acceptance when he asked about how she was feeling, and he was happy she didn't seem upset by his questions the past few days. As far as he was concerned, that was a win.

Line Break

Rowen wasn't in a great mood. Since coming to Japan he'd been getting passive-aggressive orders from the Vatican, each more asinine than the last. They seemed to be laboring under the extremely false impression that he could do anything to stop Azrial and Bobby if the two actually set their minds to something. Would they listen to his input? Sure, they weren't rude after all, but if they didn't agree they'd run off in their own direction.

Bobby could be stubborn on his own, but add in Azrial and the Vatican was basically asking him to stop the damn sun from rising!

His phone ringing had him sitting up, grabbing it from the floor next to him with a sigh. "Hello?"

"Morning," Bobby greeted. "Wanna head over here around lunch so we can finalize a plan?"

Rowen pushed himself off the futon, stretching as he glanced out the window. "Sure. Why are you up so early?"

"Azrial had to leave early this morning to start getting ready. Don't ask me why, I still don't fully understand. Told me I'd get it when I see her tonight."

"Uh-huh," Rowen hummed. "Sounds like the same excuse Sue used to give me before dates. I think it's just a woman thing."

"If you say so. I ain't used to this fancy shit. See you in a few hours."

"Sounds good, see you then." He hung up the phone and paused realizing he'd just compared a date with his wife to the espionage level nonsense that they were about to embark on. "God help me," he muttered.

He glanced at the futon and gingerly got back on the floor. Another hour of sleep was a better use of his time than worrying about what lunch would bring. Hell, he may as well wait to change into his formal clothing until he reached the Aman.

Line Break

Crowley's Safe House

Crowley hated the fact he couldn't be at the auction. Normally he couldn't care less since he trusted Azrial to handle things in his stead, but this wasn't a normal situation. This was her first appearance in a supernatural setting since coming back from the dead, and the risk for exposure existed even if it was low. She was right, most people didn't know who she was, but that didn't mean no one knew. This was a calculated risk, a risk he hated taking. He knew she was changing up her persona for the auction, claiming to be going for how she'd been seen centuries ago rather than the more modern look she'd become accustomed to. He wasn't sure it would be enough, even with her reassurances that death deities would cover for her if anyone looked too closely.

Then there was Robert. They'd just managed to convince the man to give them a bloody chance, and now he was running off with Azrial into possible danger. It was leaving Crowley second-guessing his choices more than he ever wanted to. He needed a distraction, but nothing was really helping. His phone ringing broke the silence and he picked it up without thought.

"Hello?"

"Crowley, pleasure as always."

He frowned, taking a moment to place the voice. "Balthazar, why the hell are you calling me?"

"Need you to pass on a warning to the relevant parties," the angel said with a dismissive air. "This information isn't free though."

He snarled low in his throat, knowing the angel wouldn't have called if the intel wasn't good. "Why aren't you selling the information at the auction tonight?"

"If you don't buy, I will. Consider this my good deed for the century." Crowley rolled his eyes, but curiosity was slowly getting the better of him.

"What do you want?"

"I rather like that safehouse in Canada you have," the angel mused. Crowley cursed low in his throat.

"How do you even know about that?"

"I have my sources. So do we have a deal?"

Crowley mulled it over. It wasn't that big of an ask, really, which just piqued his curiosity more. Balthazar wasn't in the business of giving away information, so what was his game?

"Fine, but I will be emptying it first."

"Of course! What do you take me for?" Crowley didn't bother to respond to the offended question, and Balthazar suddenly became serious. "Someone is messing with the veil that separates Earth from the four afterlives. I can't pinpoint which veil in particular, but needless to say, that doesn't really matter."

"Bollocks," he snarled. "Consider the safe house yours, along with a bottle of scotch. If you find out any more, I'm willing to buy the information."

"Of course," Balthazar said. "Oh, and Crowley?"

"What?"

"Give the Winchesters my best."

The line went dead, and Crowley stared at the phone in annoyance. He shut his eyes trying to get his thoughts in order. It wouldn't be worth talking to Azrial about it right now. She was fully focused on the auction, too worried about not only getting the weapons they needed and staying under the radar but also protecting Bobby and that bastard Rowen. He could only hope that nothing horrible happened in the meantime, and tell her once things cooled down.

"Maybe Feathers will know something about this," he mused quietly. Castiel was still an angel, and running a few ideas by him would save time when he was finally able to talk with Azrial. He'd head over there at a more reasonable time, for now, he had a safehouse to transfer.

Line Break

Aman Tokyo: Evening

Bobby hated waiting, especially before a hunt. This may not be his average gig, but it still left the same nervous energy burning through his body.

"Name," Rowen shot off from his place at the desk paging through a book.

"Robert Valerius," Bobby easily responded. Rowen had been at this for hours, quizzing him on his identity and associations. He thanked all that was good in the world for his near eidetic memory. He wasn't sure he could pull this off otherwise.

"And your guest?"

"My wife Marcia." That one took some getting used to. Of all the fake names for Azrial to pick, that one seemed rather random. She'd given him a melancholy smile and said it was to honor someone. He'd let it go at that, but he was curious about the person who'd left such an impression on the angel that she'd use their name. Must have been one hell of a woman.

Rowen hummed but remained silent after that. Bobby moved in front of the mirror, straightening his bolo tie with a frown. The suit was even nicer than the one Crowley initially had made. He'd had zero say in the coloring after they'd explained to the demon he was being given an alias through the Valerius family. Crowley had been brimming with questions, but a look from Azrial had quelled a good amount of them. Still, it officially ripped away any clothing prep from his hands and into the demon's.

This suit was a darker gray than the last and seemed to be made of an even more expensive material. Hell, he was pretty sure the thing was lined with silk. The shirt was a dark purple that bordered on black, making the bolo tie stand out against it. Quite like the last suit, he could admit it looked good. Unlike the last one though, he truly felt out of place in it but understood the need. The Valerius family was extremely wealthy, so there was a certain level of expectation for how he'd look. There was a distinct click, indicating that the door was opened. He didn't turn around right away, taking the chance to straighten the silver cufflinks near his wrist. He was starting to wonder if Crowley was just out to replace his entire wardrobe at this point.

"Well, you look handsome." Azrial's teasing tone made him smile, and he turned to greet her only for the words to die in his throat. Well, the purple shirt finally made sense, he thought numbly.

She was dressed in varying hues of purple fabric, from lilac to the same dark purple that made up his shirt. It hung around her body loosely. He couldn't say for sure if it was a stola, but it certainly had the look of the traditional Roman dress with a few add-ins. The fabric was twisted around her arms down to her elbow in a mock sleeve, though he caught sight of an ornate arm brace on her upper arm, embossed with the same raven and gladius coat of arms that he'd see on the letter from the Valerius family.

"Bobby, pick up your jaw." Rowen's hard statement made Bobby blink, and he coughed.

"Looking good yourself," he said, making Azrial smile.

"Well, does it make sense why I needed help?"

Her relaxed teasing gave him a chance to finish taking in her look. Her hair was in a style he'd seen throughout many Roman texts, half up in a tight ornate bun that he was sure had been traditionally styled at this point, and the rest of her hair hung around her back and shoulders in loose neat curls. There were a few silver pins that caught the light, and he was beginning to wonder how old the jewelry she wore was.

"I have more questions," he settled on. "But I'm also starting to form a good guess at your past in Rome."

Her lips twitched. "Is that so?"

He went to reply, but Rowen cleared his throat. "We need to get going."

The pointed statement made him roll his eyes. Why did the man have such a stick up his ass when he and Azrial were in the same room?

"Well, let's get this show on the road," he sighed.

Azrial clapped her hands. "Shoot, I almost forgot!" she pushed aside some of the fabric near her thigh, a small bag hanging under the fabric. She pulled something small out, smiling brightly as she handed it to him. He could see her fingers shaking, and glanced at her face.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

"Sorry," she said a bit breathlessly. "I just realized how long it had been since this was worn."

She placed a cool object in his palm, and Bobby rolled it in his hand in thought. It was a ring made of some type of metal, and had a raven raised imprint on the band. Once he realized what he was looking at, his throat tightened with emotion.

"Rowen, I need to speak with Azrial alone."

"We're going to be late," Rowen tried to object.

"We have to go separately anyway," Bobby said firmly. "We have our plan, and there isn't much more we can discuss."

"Fine," Rowen sighed. "Stay safe, you two, and don't waste too much time."

Bobby didn't say anything else until he heard the door shut. He looked down into Azrial's eyes to see her fidgeting slightly, wringing her hands nervously.

"We both know I've been digging through Roman history," he said. "Did you think I wouldn't understand what you just handed me?"

"I-," she took a deep breath. "Maybe I hoped you wouldn't." The weak admission hung between them, and Bobby sighed knowing it wasn't malicious. He looked down at the ring again, running his thumb over the relief.

"Why?" He couldn't ask anything else, or be more specific. The small iron ring felt like he was holding a hundred pound weight as soon as he'd put together what it was.

"I blessed that ring almost daily for nearly forty years," she quietly said. "It can offer you a small amount of protection, and given the circumstances, it felt fitting that you wear it."

He shut his eyes, taking a deep breath as he closed his hand around the ring. "I'll wear it, but answer me one question."

"Okay."

The hesitance in her voice made him open his eyes. "Is the owner still alive?"

The question seemed to startle her, and then Azrial seemed to deflate completely. She shut her eyes, taking a deep, shaky breath. "No," she exhaled. "They aren't."

He looked at her sadly, and reached out to touch her cheek. Her eyes opened, and he kissed her forehead with a sigh.

"I want to know the story behind this ring. About why you were close enough to its owner to bless it every day. I want to know why a Roman soldier could put an arrow through your shoulder and live to tell about it."

She stiffened at his last comment, and he tilted her chin up. "Not now. We don't have time, hell we probably won't have time until the world stops trying to end." He paused, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "I want to know the story of how you fell in love for the first time."

Her eyes widened, but she didn't deny it. He hadn't figured it all out, maybe he never would, but she'd handed him the final piece of the puzzle. He opened his hand, offering her the ring.

"I have no idea which finger to wear this on," he admitted. "But I doubt I'll need it for signing off any documents tonight."

She didn't say anything, picking up the iron ring and then his right hand. She slid it into place on his fourth finger, and he was honestly surprised it fit.

"It would normally be worn on the left," she whispered. "Times have changed though, and that carries a different meaning now."

"Thank you," she looked at him strangely and he chuckled. "For trusting me with this ring, and with the parts of your past you've been willing to share with me."

"I hope the full thing doesn't disappoint," she said with a watery smile. "Crowley is going to be furious you figured out the connection first."

"Yeah, well we always knew I was the smarter one."

Her laughter lit up her face, and Bobby couldn't help but smile back. The ring still carried more weight then it should, but at least he knew why.

We've got her back now, he thought as he led Azrial out of the room. She's not alone anymore.

The next update is Saturday, April 16, 2022