Legacy (Supernatural) [Rogue Trilogy] {3}

28. An Unholy Hell of a Mess

28. An Unholy Hell of a Mess

Our location has moved from an abandoned warehouse to a church. Dean's finished up spray-painting warding onto the floor. Sam's got a wooden cross held in his hands. And Rowena...she just lurks in the background. Crowley in the meantime, he's gone off to fetch the Horn.

"I hate this," I grumble.

"You and me both," Sam says to me.

I look around to find our King of Hell still missing. "Okay, where the hell is Crowley? I mean, we're essentially all set up."

"Yeah," says Dean, "I mean, he's the one that boxed us into doing this. You'd think he'd have the decency to..."

"Show up?" says our demonic king in question. "He does. Because without the bait, well...a trap really isn't a trap, is it?"

I scoff, seeing the so-called Horn in Crowley's grasp. "That's it? Doesn't look like much, does it?"

"First impressions can be deceiving, Josie. For instance, I once thought of you as a naïve girl who was going to die within a month of reuniting with your brothers. You proved me wrong, took you longer to bite the dust." I just glare at him. "Oh, never mind. Bad analogy."

"Good thing you're not the King of Analogies."

"For the record, we still think this is a bad idea," Dean cuts in. "We should be using Lucifer, not icing him."

"I'm aware," says Crowley. "So I'll be standing right here should you hesitate. The hand that giveth can so quickly taketh away."

"Yes, we getteth it."

"So, Mummy, you were telling us your fascinating tale of resurrection," Crowley addresses Rowena. "But you never did say exactly where you'd been this whole time."

"Same as you, Fergus," Rowena says in the familiar Scottish lilt of hers. "Hiding. Once the Dark Prince knew I was alive, I wouldn't be."

"No mucking about like last time. The warding and the holy fire won't keep an archangel but for a moment. If he shows up at all."

"Oh, he'll show," Dean insists. "He's too hungry to take Amara out, and we've got the blaster to do it." He lights up a match before tossing it into the potion for the spell. "In nomine magni dei nostril Satanas, introibo ad altare Domini Inferi. I summon you to make an offer. The weapon by which its bearer can crush the Darkness forever."

Thunder crashes overhead. At first, I don't see him when I initially look around. But the second I see the familiar trench coat, I have to remind myself that this may be Cas's vessel, but it's not the angel that I love.

"Sam, now!" I yell.

Sam lights up a match, dropping it onto the ring of holy oil we'd laid out earlier. The flames shoot up, encasing Lucifer. He greets us with a smirk, and I feel my heart contract painfully inside of me. How the Devil has warped the vessel's expressions and turned them into something unholy and sinister.

"I'm sorry," says Lucifer. "Your prayer implied that I'd be...joining the team, but I'm just not feeling the warm and fuzzy here." His eyes fall onto the Horn. "Wow. There it is. Powered up by Dad himself. Well, that bad boy plus me...That ought to take her out all right." He claps his hands together, rubbing them. "Let's get to it. Douse the flames." As if he's thinks we're his slaves, he snaps his fingers impatiently. None of us move. "Or don't?"