Saints or Sinners | {BOOK 3}

91| The First Blade

"What did you do to them?!" I demanded.

"Don't worry, they're fine," Magnus dismissed me. "But I did what any good collector would do- I separated the ordinary from the extraordinary. I had the First Blade. Now I have the Mark of Cain to complete the set."

"Yeah, well, problem is, it's attached. So how about you loan me the Blade and I take care of business?"

"Eleanor, I'm offering you the moon here- to be part of the greatest collection of all time, to be young forever. Let me teach you my secrets. Hmm? Be my companion. I have to be honest with you, it has gotten lonely here over the years."

"Hate to break it to you, but I'm kind of married to one of those Winchesters you just sent away and we have two kids together, so I'm gonna have to pass. I'm just gonna take the Blade and go."

"One little design flaw to the place," Magnus smirked, "-no windows, no doors."

"Well, in that case," I drew the machete I'd used to behead one of the vampires, "I'll just make my own."

"Shen ti rán shao!"

As the spell fell from Magnus's lips, the machete began to burn white hot until I was forced to drop it as it burned my hand.

"Ah!"

"Eh. Tricky little spell, that first one. Chinese."

I reached for my gun, but Magnus held it up with a smirk.

"Ah. Cheap magician's trick on that one- picked your pocket. Nice gun. Welcome to my collection, Eleanor."

⁘

I fought to keep my breathing even as Magnus finished chaining me to a post.

"Oh, you're a real piece of work. You know that? Holed up here, doing nothing. You bitch about the Men of Letters. You're way worse."

Magnus smirked at me, holding up the First Blade he'd retrieved from its display.

"Should we fire it up? What do you say."

"Go to hell," I spat."

"Oh, come on, Eleanor. This is the object of your quest. Tell me Josie Dawson's granddaughter isn't curious to see how it works. Give me your hand."

I didn't move, glaring back at him, so he grabbed my right hand and shoved the handle of the First Blade into it.

"Give me... your hand."

The Mark of Cain glowed red and I felt myself go rigid as the hand holding the Blade began to shake. I closed my eyes, struggling against the surge of power I felt coursing through my veins, but then opened them again as part of me started to give in to the feeling. Magnus was smirking at me in satisfaction as the veins on my arm next to Mark started turning red. As the shaking in my hand worsened, I dropped the Blade and suddenly the feeling vanished. My hand was still shaking as I breathed heavily from the exertion.

"That's it," Magnus leaned down to pick up the Blade. "Good. Next time, it'll be easier. You'll  get used to the feelings, even welcome them."

I didn't know how much time had passed, but I was really hoping Sam and Dean were figuring out a way to get me out of here.

"You'll come to understand, Eleanor- nothing can stop us. Anything, anyone we want to own or destroy is ours."

"Well, how about this, Magnus?" I challenged him. "How about I take a knee? Then what are you gonna do? Huh? You gonna kill me? 'Cause without this thing on my arm, that Blade's nothing but a hunk of bone with teeth."

"Hmm. Well, I'm not asking for your cooperation. I'm just taking it."

He placed his hands on my head and began reciting another spell.

"Mentem tuam ac voluntatem adsumo."

I felt my body go limp and my mind went blank as I forgot what exactly I had been fighting him about.

"Interesting effect, huh?" Magnus taunted. "All thought, all will just... drained out of you. I do this enough, you'll be ready for whatever I have in mind."

I didn't have the energy to react as he moved away from me once more. He came back into the room a little while later, winking at me as he hid. Confused, I furrowed my brow, and then realized what was going on when Sam and Dean came in with a second Magnus.

"Sam! Dean! No!"

The second Magnus turned into a different man, grabbing the knife Sam had been holding to its throat. They recovered quickly, managing to kill the shifter before it hurt them as the real Magnus came out of hiding with my gun trained on them.

"Shape shifter," Magnus smiled at them. "You see? There are benefits to keeping a zoo."

A few minutes later, Sam and Dean had both been chained to posts like me. I set my jaw, squirming against my own chains as Magnus took a blade from another display and stalked over to the brothers.

"You know, I discarded you two far too quickly," he told them. "You're way more valuable than I thought you were."

He looked back at me with a smug expression.

"Why would I knock myself out trying to sap your will? I think Sam and Dean here will get you to see things my way."

My eyes widened as I realized what he was planning, squirming against my chains even more.

"Magnus, I swear to God..." I growled.

"What? What are you gonna do?" he turned to look at Dean. "What is she gonna do? Huh?"

He slashed the blade across Dean's cheek and he grunted as I continued fighting against my bonds. He moved away from Dean, going over to cut into Sam next.

"Yeah, look, look, Sam, Dean, I'm not gonna kill you. Of course not."

Anger coursed through my veins as Magnus sliced into Sam's neck. However, as I stared helplessly on as the former Man of Letters tortured the brothers, I noticed Crowley peeking in through a doorway.

"But I am gonna make you both suffer unimaginably, alright?"

There was the sound of chains dropping as Crowley freed me from my bonds and all three men looked over at my empty post in shock. However, before Magnus could recover, I lunged at him holding the First Blade. The Mark of Cain glowed red hot and I felt the power surging through my veins mixing with the anger I'd felt watching him torture Sam and Dean. I had beheaded Magnus before he even knew what hit him. Once he was dead, I turned around, staring down Crowley.

"Ellie?" Dean called over gently. "Ellie. Hey, it's over. He's dead."

I tore my eyes from Crowley, looking down to the Blade and my arm that was still glowing hot. My lips started to turn in a snarl and Dean's voice began to get more urgent.

"Drop the Blade, Ellie. Eleanor!"

I started, looking over at Dean's desperate expression.

"Drop the blade," he repeated.

Unclenching my fist, the Blade fell to the floor and I drew my shaking hand to my chest.