The Price of Freedom

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Within ten minutes Farrah walked into the library. Tears filled her eyes as she clutched her arm to her chest, but neither of the boys looked up until she was reaching for a chair, but lost her balance and fell over, taking the chair with her.

"Whoa, Farrah!" Sam got to her first and helped her back to her feet. "Get the chair." Dean set it upright and Sam set her down.

"Sorry. My head hurts really bad." She raised her scratch-covered arm to her head and gently pressed. "Dad, I think Crowley's getting a witch to pick at Cas' brain."

Castiel, can you hear me? What's going on?

Do not worry. This spell does not work properly on angels. Instead of getting what he wants, Crowley will receive whatever I'm thinking of soon.

Does it hurt you?

Not much. You?

Some.

Be silent. The spell will take full effect in seconds.

She sighed. "Fantastic. Hm. Dad, do you think we could use a tracking spell? I mean, Castiel's in my head. Surely that means something."

"Maybe. Sam?"

"On it."

Cas looked up at Crowley when he started to talk. "I'm in your head. Can't do a thing about it then, can you?"

"I can." He started thinking only of heaven, of the war, of his betrayal. But he couldn't keep them there for long. He started the war because of the Winchesters. Farrah was a Winchester. Farrah was safe. He needed to keep her safe. No! No, the war. The war. What it felt like to be the betrayer. To murder so many innocent angels. If Farrah knew, she wouldn't be able to look at him anymore.

"Very interesting," Crowley said.

Holding back a scream, Castiel prayed that the pain he was going through wasn't affecting Farrah. He knew it was futile. If he wasn't sitting already, he would've collapsed in pain and clutched at his head. It was terrible. Worse than anything he'd gone through before. If it was magnified...

"We gotta find Cas," Sam sighed as he walked into the room. Dean looked up from his research.

"We knew that already."

"Farrah was in pain before, but she just passed out."

Snapping the laptop shut, Dean jumped to his feet and tried to leave, but Sam stepped in his way. "Just let her rest. We'll find Cas, kill Crowley, and keep Farrah safe."

"Fine. Where do we start?"

Farrah jolted only minutes after passing out, but the pain was unbearable. She screamed and grabbed her head, nearly tearing her hair out. In that instant she was a little girl again. "Daddy! Sammy! Help! Please! It hurts!" Tears streaked down her cheeks and she screamed again.

Hearing her shout, the brothers darted down the hall without caring that they could do nothing to ease her pain. If she needed them, they'd be there.

"Farrah! Farrah, open the door!" Dean jiggled the door handle, but it was locked. "Unlock it!"

"Please! Please, just help! I can't take this!"

"That's it." He stepped back and kicked the door in, leaving his leg pulsing painfully.

He and Sam rushed in and surrounded the girl. "Farrah, look at me. Hey, calm down. Look me in the eye," said Sam. She lifted her eyes. "If you can feel this so strongly, tell me where it's coming from."

"It's coming from Castiel."

"No, not who. Where. Focus."

Dean tried, "Look, you said you love him, right? Okay, so all angels have an internal tracking device for the people they love. Doesn't matter if anything's warded. You know that. Okay? Come on, you know where he is."

The pain started to fade, leaving her to assume that Crowley was leaving Cas' head. She was losing him! "He-I don't know." She took a deep breath and cleared her mind. She could see them. Castiel was in pain, but he was smiling, and Crowley looked angry. "They're two hundred sixty-four miles away. Uh...some place called...Livingstone."

"Good job." Dean kissed the top of her head. "Make sure Cas is okay, but don't hurt yourself. Farrah, I mean it. Wait for us and pack a bag."

"Okay." She nodded. After they left, she sighed and fell back on her bed. Castiel?

I didn't tell him. He doesn't know where you are. He couldn't find it in my memories.

Are you hurt?

You're safe.

Castiel! You didn't answer the question.

It is the only answer I care about.

She started to tear up. Did he...did he actually care about her?

Castiel, please answer me.

I am not any worse off than I have been before. I have done terrible things, Farrah.

So have I.

No, I mean truly terrible. Things I could never speak of. I just...thought you should know that much.

When Sam, Dad, and I get there, you can tell me all about it in person.

Get where? Get here? No! No, Crowley doesn't care about me! He wants you!

I know. And that was his first mistake.