The End | {BOOK 5}

55| The Rupture

Rowena made another soul bomb, though we were using it more as a soul catcher this time around. However, it wasn't enough for the amount of ghosts we were dealing with, so we were forced to come up with a new plan. We got to a crypt where Rowena could work on reinforcing the walls keeping the ghosts out. However, as she was performing the ritual, she suddenly collapsed to the floor.

"Rowena?" Dean asked.

"We're all going to die," she said, terrified.

She attempted to stand back up.

"Drink."

"Of course," Sam said. "Dean."

He handed over a flask of water.

"A real drink," Rowena hissed.

Sam and Dean stared at each other for a long moment, and then he reluctantly handed over the other flask. The witch took it from me, drinking from it greedily.

"Okay, now that we're waiting for the witch's hooch to kick in, can we finally admit the obvious?" Belphegor asked. "Uh, she failed. So, if we're keeping scores, that's, uh, one for the demon, uh, zero for the witch."

"The enchantment couldn't work," Rowena snapped at him. "No magic could. The spell put me into a- a communication with the wall. I- I could feel how weak it is, how close to collapse- and I could feel why."

There was a pause as we all waited for her to continue.

"I could feel them. All of them."

"All of them?" Dean repeated. "Them who?"

"The spirits. Their anger and their hatred, writhing and raging. They're pressed up against those walls breaking them down. There are too many, and they're too wild and desperate and angry. Together, they are too strong. Those walls will fall, and there's no magic on earth that can stop it."

"How long do we have?" Cass asked.

"Hours, if we're lucky," Rowena shrugged.

"Then we get out of here, and we take out as many as we possibly can before those walls fall," I said. "Rowena, mix up some of those crystals you got."

"It wouldn't matter!" the witch laughed. "Those things? It would be like tossing mousetraps at the Great Plague. I'm telling you- it's over! Perhaps if I had gotten here sooner, there are any number of spells I could've tried to close the gate to Hell before it got to this point. But now it's too late. That cat's out of the bloody bag."

Sam, Dean and I exchanged a worried look, Cass shifting in place. Belphegor turned and started to make his way out of the crypt.

"Where the hell you going?" Dean asked him.

The demon didn't reply, continuing his course outside.

"Hey! Wh-"

"I got him," Cass said, heading after Belphegor.

⁘

Belphegor had the idea to get Lilith's Crook and use it to suck all the souls back into Hell. Once he did that, Rowena would be able to use a spell to slam the door shut behind them. So, we split up in pairs. Cass was heading to Hell with Belphegor to get the Crook, Sam was staying behind in the crypt to help Rowena with the spell, and Dean and I would be out by the rupture waiting to drop in the bomb for Rowena to help close it.

At first, it seemed like everything was working- the souls were flying back into Hell and the bomb Dean and I had began to glow, and then it just stopped.

"What the hell?" Dean asked.

"I don't know," I shook my head.

Dean pulled out his phone, calling Sam.

"Sam?"

"Hey. What's going on?" Sam asked. "Are the ghosts gone?"

"Hell if we know," I said. "But the crack's starting to close up. Something doesn't feel right."

"Fine, just... don't..." Sam trailed off.

"Sam?" Dean said.

"Just a minute," Sam replied, hanging up.

Dean and I looked back at the walls of the rupture rumbling down into Hell.

"Dean, Eleanor," Cass said, coming up behind us.

"Cass!" I cried. "What the hell happened?"

"Where's Belphegor?" Dean added.

"I killed him," Cass replied.

"You did what? Wh-what about the Crook?"

"It's gone. It was destroyed."

"What?!"

We both stared at the angel, unable to believe what we were hearing.

"Cass, this was our only shot," I growled angrily. "What were you thinking?"

"Eleanor..." Cass started, then paused.

The remaining spirits had begun flocking toward an open wound in Rowena's stomach as she walked toward the rupture. Sam was trailing at her heel, face stained with tears.

"Rowena?" I asked.

The spirits continued to flock to Rowena until finally they stopped, Rowena placing her hands over the wound to hold them inside. She looked over at us, standing on the edge of the rupture.

"Goodbye, boys. Eleanor."

We watched as she allowed herself to fall forward, the rift slowly filling up behind her.

⁘

Back at the Bunker, Sam shut himself in his room, broken up over having to kill Rowena. While Dean went to try and talk to him, I ended up in the kitchen with Cass.

"How's Sam?" he asked.

"Not great. Dean's with him."

"Sorry about Rowena."

"You're sorry?" I snapped, glaring at him. "Why didn't you just stick to the damn plan?"

"Belphegor was lying," Cass tried defending himself.

"Belphegor's a demon."

"He was using us. He wanted to eat every last soul to take over Hell, earth, and every..."

"Yeah, and we could've figure it out... after," I cut him off. "With Rowena."

"The plan changed, Eleanor. Something went wrong. You know this. Something always goes wrong."

I scoffed, turning away to pour myself a drink.

"Yeah, why does that something always seem to be you?" I bit out.

Cass stared at me with a mixture of shock and hurt.

"You used to trust me, give me the benefit of the doubt," he began. "Now you can barely look at me. My powers are failing, and- and I've tried talking to you and Dean, over and over, and you just don't want to hear it. You don't care. I'm... dead to you. You still blame me for Emilie and the kids."

My heart clenched in my chest, but I refused to start crying in front of Cass. Instead, I just nodded, still avoiding his gaze.

"Well, I don't think there's anything left to stay."

I looked over as Cass moved toward the door.

"Where you going?"

"Jack's dead. Chuck's gone. You, Sam and Dean have each other. I think it's time for me to move on."

With that, Cass took his leave.