Holy Vision

Chapter 8

As Cas' feet touched down on the pavement in a dark alley thirty miles south from the motel, he immediately reached out to the angel who'd called for his help. His grace expanded from his body in search of the injured. A soft gasp erupted from the dark near a row of dumpsters. "Castiel?" a woman's voice whispered.

Cas ran toward the sound and knelt next to his friend. "Anakael," he said trying to heal her. "Who did this to you? He's been--"

"I know, I know Castiel. This isn't your fault. His name is Jesmind. He fought with us against Raphael."

Sam was right. "Why is he doing this then? He was on our side I don't understand."

"He didn't explain anything before he attacked, but I think he was on both sides. A spy for Raphael. He fooled everyone Castiel. There's no way you could've known."

Cas groaned in frustration as his healing powers would not help the girl. "Why isn't this working!"

"Because she was poisoned of course," a deep voice rumbled from behind him. Cas quickly stood with his angel blade out and faced the smiling tall man before him. "Hello Castiel."

~

Dean was frantically pacing the floor of the motel room. Sam watched in apprehension as his brother repeatedly called Cas with no answer. He yelled something incoherently before chucking his phone against the wall. "His GPS is off Sam and he won't answer. What the hell is goin' on!" he shouted with clenched fists. The tears were still stuck in his eyes and blurring his vision. He wouldn't dare let them fall but they stung him anyway.

"Dean, please calm down. I'm sure he just went to help whoever reached out and he'll be right back."

Dean collapsed on the bed and put his head in his hands. "Then why did he say goodbye?" he pitifully whispered to himself, briefly pressing his fingers to the spot where his lips kissed him. They were soft and plush. They were so gentle against his skin and he yearned to feel them molded and pressed to his own lips. This time Dean didn't push those thoughts away. He welcomed them and tightly hugged himself in agony. "What if he dies Sam?" A single tear rolled down his face.

"We'll find him Dean. I promise."

Dean thought of the graceful black wings that'd stretch across the room with languid movements. The wings that sucked all the beauty from the room only to personally display it all at once with rapturous aptitude. The wings that'd freeze singular moments when they knew eyes that shouldn't be watching were gazing brilliantly at their features. The wings that'd entrap it's love with flooding warmth and undying protection. The wings that'd flit and wilt and shiver and twitch depending on the mood. The wings that'd give each of its feathers a power so strong to bring happiness and lock the nightmares away.

Dean remembered Cas' feather that guided him through a wondrous sleep that night. He plucked the feather from the inside of his jacket and turned it over several times in his hand. "Sammy? Can you track an angel through their wings?"

Sam looked puzzled for a second before slowly nodding. "Technically yes, but we'd need one of the said angel's feathers. I'm not sure if Cas even has wings though. I mean, has anyone ever seen them?"

Dean handed Sam the glasses. "Put them on now."

Sam scrunched his nose and hesitantly put the glasses on. "Okay? What is-" Dean help up the feather into Sam's eyesight. He gasped softly. "Is that...?"

Dean grabbed the glasses back quickly and shoved the feather at Sam. "Spell. Now."

~

"Jesmind," Cas spat. "What did you do to her?"

The angel chuckled darkly and twirled his own blade in his hands. "Fancy spell work I'll have to say. A bit tricky. Have you ever read Hamlet, Castiel?" Cas' brows furrowed in confusion. "I didn't think so. I won't give you the ingredients of course, but you'll be dead before then away. It's simple. Blade dipped in a nasty poison that's only destructive to an angel of course."

Cas grit is teeth as he felt Anakael's grace draining from her wound. "What does it do?"

"Oh! I wasn't sure you'd ask." This angel reminded him of Balthazar but a much more twisted dark one. "It's a poison obviously. Bleeds into the system and feeds on the angel's grace. Once that's gone there's nothing left to stop it from shutting down the body's system." He paused to take in the abhorred look on Cas' face before continuing, "You're wondering why you couldn't heal her? Using your grace on her only makes hers deplete faster. So in a way, you're killing her."

Cas looked at Anakael with sad eyes as blood began to dribble down her chin. "No," he whispered, "Anakael I'm so sorry this happened. I never meant for you to get hurt. It's my fault you're dying."

"Oh, my heart," Jesmind cried with a hand over his chest. "Touchy, touchy."

Anakael smiled softly at Cas and nodded her head. "Kill him," she mouthed before her head fell limply against the side of the dumpster.

Cas gripped his blade tighter and turned to face Jesmind. "Why are you doing this? Why all of them and not just me?"

His face turned dark again. "You are as dumb as you look. Your little angel here was right in saying I was 'double teaming'. I was fighting Raphael's battle but risking everything to be on the inside, to ensure our victory. It didn't work, however, and I would've been fine with it. After all, we are ones to follow orders. But oh Castiel. Silly big-headed twit. You just had to go and swallow all those souls and absolutely lose your mind. I was lucky then, not to be slaughtered in your outrage. Guess I did my job well." Cas began to wonder if he would ever get to the point or just continue rambling. "But then you completely shattered my heart. I always thought angels were incapable of feeling until I met Zaphanile. The love of my life and one of Raphael's favorites. And you killed him! Mercilessly may I add. I've loathed you since with a growing passion."

Cas pondered this. He vaguely remembered Zaphanile but couldn't put a face to Jesmind's suffering. This all confused him. His 'God' era ended years ago. "Why now?" he finished his thought. "Why did you wait so long?"

Jesmind sighed. "I already saw you were suffering on your own. No, I wanted to wait until you seemed content. I killed your old war buddies so you'd feel the pain I felt leaning over Zaphanile's cold body. Then I found you with those humans. So fond of them and practically bathing in their essence. Then I fought Ezekiel. God how he screamed when that blade went through his heart." Cas' wings were twitching in agitation and flapping dangerously. His chest hurt from pain and grief. "Can you imagine my surprise when later that night I found you sleeping with the handsome one. I know you love him."

Cas' breath hitched and he stepped angrily forward. "You leave Dean alone. He has no part in this. End it now."

Jesmind smiled furiously. "Oh Castiel. I'm afraid I can't. Your little boyfriend is next on my list of course. I'm just waiting till he gets here. I want you to watch while I gut him."

His laugh was cut short as Cas' blade pressed against his throat. His wings stretched as far as they could go and bristled in hate. "You will not lay a finger on Dean."

Jesmind sneered directly into his face and smiled as he looked behind Cas. "Ah! The cavalry has arrived!"

Cas turned his head to see both brothers staring worriedly at the pair. He felt a struggle under him and Dean's face contort in fear as he yelled,

"Cas!"