a world above water (destiel)

Chapter 10

"The rain broke a little before supper, and Naomi called Castiel to her with Dean's letters in her fist.

"Where did you get these?" she demanded. Her eyes flashed with the fury of the storm. Lucy stood behind her with a match in hand; behind her, the fireplace smoldered.

Castiel paled. He wet his lips and stammered, "I—I can explain..." but Naomi cut him off, opening the first letter and reading it aloud. Dean's words sounded perverse from her mouth.

"This is where you've been going?" she asked when she was finished.

He lowered his chin. "Yes, my lady." Naomi threw the letters onto the fire. Castiel cried out in protest, dropping to his knees to retrieve them, but the fire had already begun its consumption. With a hand on his arm, Gabriel held him back.

"You'll burn yourself," he whispered.

The ivory paper curled, glowing bright red along the edge before the black leached in. A few more seconds and the writing was gone. Castiel felt blank.

"Bring me the switch," he heard her order and closed his eyes to wait.

She wrenched up his shirt. He was numb as the strokes fell across his back; he lost count of them after thirteen. She lashed him until she'd appeased her own anger and the pain throbbed in his teeth. He crawled up to the attic and lay on his stomach, weeping into his bed. Naomi would never grant his freedom now. He was bound for a life of servitude, all for a handful of ashes and a day by the lake.

But even now, his heart wanted nothing more than to see Dean, to know that Dean was home and safe. What if Castiel went to the palace? Would Dean listen if he tried to explain? Or would Castiel find himself exiled or hanged, knowing he had brought this on himself, that he'd given up everything for one man?

Anna brought a bowl of water and strips of cloth that she used to wash away blood and laid across his back to relieve the swelling.

"Oh, Castiel," she murmured.

"The Bible," he croaked. He pointed toward the open piece of flooring. "Did she take it?"

"No," Anna said. "Lucy found your hiding place. I knew I had to leave something there. I'm sorry it was his letters, but the Bible is safe. It's under my mattress."

He sagged with relief. "Thank you."

She was quiet. She laid three more strips on his back. "You should've let them send me to Campbell."

"Don't say that."

She wrung out the last cloth and placed it across his right shoulder blade. "This wouldn't have happened," she said.

"It would be worse for you."

She smiled down at him. "You never think of yourself," she said. She kissed his cheek and collected the bowl of bloody water. "I'll wake you as soon as the rain stops."

"Did you read them?" Castiel asked.

Anna blushed and went out.

#

Castiel sneaked out of the manor, limping to Balthazar's, but refused to answer any questions. He begged for clothes, begged for a horse, and came to the ruins an hour before sundown.

It had been a church once, but what remained was the east wall with a hole where a window used to fit. It rose to a point under a stand of oaks, looming over as if in worship. Dean sat in the remains of a large window in the stone wall, but he got up as soon as he saw Castiel.

"Hey." Dean cupped Castiel's face in his hands and kissed him for a long minute. "I waited for you all day."

"In the rain?" Castiel asked, touching Dean's wet shirt.