The End | {BOOK 5}

36| Michael Repossesses Dean

Dean, Cass and I arrived at the old recycling plant in Omaha and headed in to search for Dark Kaia. We found the remnants of her squatter encampment, but there was no sign of her.

"I don't think she's here," Cass observed.

"Well, she was," I stated. "The food's still warm, so either she took a hike or she's hiding."

"Dean, Eleanor, where are Michael's forces? We're going off their intel, and they had a head start."

"And a shorter drive," Dean added.

"Do you think they already got her?" I asked.

"Well, there's no sign of a struggle," Dean pointed out. "The Dark Kaia I know? She wouldn't have gone out without a fight."

He pulled out his phone, dialing Sam, but got his voicemail. He tried two more times with the same result.

"Still no answer?" I asked worriedly.

"No," he sighed.

Just then, his phone started to ring.

"Sam?" Cass asked hopefully.

"It's Garth," Dean corrected, answering it. "Hey, Garth. Yeah, us, too. Oh, do you mean the 'forces' that were supposed to be in Omaha? Because they are definitely not. It's okay. Just call us if you hear anything, okay?"

He hung up, looking at Cass and I.

"So, what, was this a setup?" I asked.

"I don't know," Cass shrugged.

"Well, what do we do?" Dean questioned. "Do we- do we go to Hitomi Plaza? Do we go t-to Joplin, Missouri?"

"Dean!" I cried.

Behind him, Kaia was standing with the spear pointed at his neck.

"Why are you here?" she demanded.

"Hey," Dean greeted her.

"What do you want?" Kaia continued.

Cass took a step toward her, but Dean shook his head at him.

"Cass, Cass, no," he said, then addressed the girl behind him. "You know what we want."

"You think you can take this from me? You've tried before."

"Look, we didn't come here to fight you for it," Dean told her, turning to face her slowly. "I came to ask."

"You should know by now that I won't give it up."

"Well, then, you should just kill me."

My breath hitched in my throat as Dean stepped forward so the tip of the spear was touching his chest.

"There are people I care about- my family- and they're in danger. Michael, the one who tortured me, the one who tortured you- he's gonna hurt them and kill them. And then, worse. Thousands will die. And the only thing in this world that will stop him is the spear in your hands. So if you're not gonna give it to me, kill me."

"What'll you do for me?" Kaia asked, pulling the spear back, and I gave a sigh of relief.

"What do you want?" I asked her.

"I want to go back."

"To the Bad Place?" Dean furrowed his brow.

"I call it home."

"But you came to this world for a reason."

"I came here to escape a life of running from monsters. But here, it's no different, not for me. Michael's monsters haven't stopped hunting me. At least over there, I understood things- the world, my place in it. The magic I used to get here, magic from my home- it doesn't work here. To get back, I need help."