Shriek

Chapter three

Ezra and Mary got back to the motel where Mary brought her cousin into the room. She helped him lay down on the bed at the same time they heard wings coming from behind them. Mary felt a wave of calm spread throughout her body as she turned to find Castiel standing in the motel room.

"Cass! Thank God you're here!" Mary exclaimed. "We've got a situation, there are two cases here, and I think Amara is involved, she's been doing something to Ezra and I don't know what."

"I was worried when Claire didn't come home," Castiel answered. The angel let out a small sigh thinking about his adopted daughter in a coma. "I just didn't realize that it was this bad, the darkness is my father's sister," he explained. "If I am correct her dark powers are weakening you both but mainly Ezra." He placed his hand over Ezra's chest and sensed the darkness inside of Ezra. "Oh it's worse than I thought."

"What? Cass? What's going on? Is he dying? Please tell me you can heal him." Mary begged.

"No but Amara's darkness is stripping Ezra of his powers and light, like an angel's grace they're part of his soul," Castiel explained. "She's created a leak and if we don't fix it, I'm afraid of what will happen to Ezra."

"What will happen to him if it's not fixed?" Mary asked worriedly.

"I don't know when I lost my grace it wasn't long before I started to get weaker, you must understand that you both are the only ones of your kind. I don't know what will happen, the only person that might know is God." Castiel explained.

"But why hasn't he shown up? And can't you put some sort of bandage on Ezra? To keep his powers from leaking?" At this point Mary was getting desperate if she lost her cousin she wouldn't know what to do with herself. It was like separating two bonded people or animals, if one was taken away then the other would be lost. Ezra could see that his cousin wasn't taking this well so he figured that he should speak up.

"Mary please," Ezra said. "I'll be fine."

"No you're damaged Ezra, I can't fix you fully only someone like Amara can." Castiel didn't want to say that since he could understand how Mary was feeling. He didn't know what he would do if he lost his wife or children, and his words could do nothing but make the situation worse.

"Someone like Jack?" Ezra asked.

"I believe so, yes, he is more powerful than any angel." Castiel responded.

"I don't want to bring Jack in on this, if I have to I'll find that broad and I will kill her." Mary said determined to protect her cousin. "Ezra I'm not letting you die not again, I've lost you once I won't let that happen."

"Mary you can't kill the darkness, she has to exist for any of us to exist," Castiel responded. "There is light without darkness."

"Well she seems to think otherwise! Sucking all of Ezra's light! I'm not going to let this happen!" Mary turned and stormed out of the hotel room leaving a weak Ezra and Castiel in the room together. Ezra lay back trying to keep his breathing steady, sweat dripped down his forehead and he wanted to follow his cousin but it was hard due to how weak he was.

"Cass please don't let her get in any danger." Ezra begged.

"I will try to do my best Ezra but at this rate I don't think even you could stop her." Castiel responded.

***

Mary took her anger out on any rock she could find and threw them at a tree. It didn't do anything but at least she could get over her frustration.

"What did those trees ever do to you?" A voice asked. Mary recognized the voice as Jack and was both relieved and terrified that he was here.

"Jack you shouldn't be here," Mary trembled. "My boyfriend could see you."

"Why should I care about that Shapeshifter?" Jack said. "As long as we don't get in each other's way we'll be fine, now are you okay?"

"No I'm not," Mary responded. "I don't even know where to start, Ezra and I went to this other world and it had consequences," she continued. "Do you know about the darkness?"

"I've heard of it, but I always thought it was an old wives tale," Jack responded. "Why? What's going on?"

"I wish she was but she's God's sister and she's draining Ezra," Mary admitted. "And it's my fault because I let her out, I removed the mark." Immediately Jack pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back.

"It's not your fault Mary, you knew the consequences and you were willing to risk everything to help someone you loved," Jack explained and pulled away. "Amara isn't draining Ezra to kill him, she's draining him so he'd be more submissive."

"Like the man before," Mary answered. "There was something in the hospital I couldn't see but it caused the man to crack his head open, I think he was vulnerable," she continued. "Wait Jack, can you see what I can't see?"

"Unfortunately, I can't whatever you sensed is something that is not of religious belief," Jack said. "When you found that man, what was he saying? Did anything happen in the room that you could tell yourself? Like a drop in temperature or EMF?"

"The man was screaming get out of my head. I didn't hear anything." Mary responded. A sudden thought occurred to Jack since he knew what she was talking about.

"I believe Dean and Sam have gone up against something like that before," Jack said. "Mary, go to the trunk of the impala, Dean's journal should be in there, flip to the page with a yellow sticky tab, you'll see what I mean." Mary nodded and was so grateful to him that she forgot all about Jackson and gave the half angel a kiss.

"Sorry I was just so happy," Mary blushed a little embarrassed by her actions.

"Ahem.." Jack said. "I uh.. Should be going before i'm missed back at the bunker.." Jack stumbled over his words trying not to embarrass himself. "Please be careful Mary.."

"You too," Mary responded. Jack vanished after that and Mary wondered if she should share her thoughts and feelings with Ezra. Jackson never made her feel that way, what was she doing there was no time for boys. She ran out to the impala and opened the trunk searching for her uncle's journal.

***

Amara stood on a cliff overlooking the underlying forest, everything she had planned was going well. The power that both Ezra and his cousin have was something that she never felt in over a billion years. The last time there was someone like that, they were very submissive. But she also couldn't help but think back to the tattoo on Ezra's hand. It was as old as the mark she had and only one in a billion of her brother's creations were that powerful. If she played her cards right, then Ezra would be all hers by the end of the week. As she thought about this, she heard rustling coming from the bushes and rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, do you really need to keep hiding like that Jackson?" Amara asked, turning around to face him.

"Apologies, my lady getting away from the girl is difficult," Jackson responded. "You should know the two weren't created naturally."

"What are you going on about?" Amara questioned. "I'm pretty sure Dean married some girl and had their son, how else would they be created?"

"From what I know Ezra's mother is still a virgin, the two cousins were created by your brother and he made sure that their parents got together," Jackson explained.

"You must be joking, my brother hasn't done something like that in eons," Amara said. "And you seem to know a lot about them, why don't you enlighten me?"

"There's a prophecy all about them but only a prophet can read it, fortunately I know where that prophet is," Jackson responded. "That Claire girl is the one you want, she's next in line." Amara walked back toward the edge deep in thought, if that Claire girl was the only one to read the prophecy then she needed to get to her she also needed to make sure that Ezra knew where he stood. He was a quarter of a way to being submissive and if kidnapping Claire was the only thing she could think of then that's how it was going to be.

"Jackson, I've got a job for you." Amara said.