Heaven's Child ≫ SPN

30.2

It was resolutely silent, I realized, because everyone, including Cas, was watching in as much wonderment just as I was. I was curious about what they were thinking.

I had blood stains all over my shirt and jeans, and my chin and jaw was coated in it. My arms were glowing brilliantly, and I couldn't control the victory that tugged at my mouth. Maybe, I thought, I scared them.

The idea came with a buzz.

I could see the dumbstruck disbelief on Sam and Dean from the corner of my eye, but somehow, I didn't care. I was too stimulated.

I felt like a fingerless pianist who was given a brand new set of hands and presented with ivory keys. I was itching to finally play my song, and Bartholomew was right here to watch me do it.

The forced calm betrayed Bartholomew's air of indifference. He was terrified, just like the rest. Suddenly, he began to move. He snatched a blade from the nearest hand and impatiently shoved angels aside until he reached Cas.

I watched him silently, anger slowly building but not yet brimming. He grabbed Cas by the neck and locked his head in his elbow, holding him against his body, the knife inches from Cas's face.

"It's too late for all this. You already chose sides." I kept eye contact, but the only thing in my focus was the blade inches from Cas. "You're not one of us. They've turned you into one of them. And once you become one of them, you become so easily heeded. Like your animal. All I have to do is this," he raised his arm and I took a breath, feeling my heart collapse as he forced the blade into Cas's side, evoking a loud groan unbridled with pain from Cas.

"Cas!" Dean hissed from beside me, the ferocity of all of hell's raging fire on his face.

"...and you bow to me even lower," Bartholomew continued, pulling the knife out of Cas harshly, letting go of his limp body and allowing him to slip to the ground. I couldn't tell if Cas survived. He was bleeding from where the blade pierced him, it bled through even his trench coat, but he did little else.

My glare flicked to Bartholomew. He was watching me, a calculating expression on his face. Like we were on a chessboard and he was waiting for me to pick a piece.

So I picked them all.

There was a flare of light as a ribbon of flame encircled the open field, trapping us all inside of it. The holy fire rose at least a foot off the ground, flames dancing wildly, daring someone to test it. It wasn't hot, even though it looked like it could burn through hard rock. It gave off an unnatural cool, sending a silent warning.

Bartholomew's piercing eyes flicked to the ring before they locked on mine.

I located every angel body excluding Cas and Bartholomew as easy as it was to take a deep breath or swing an arm. With an imperceptible amount of effort, I had an army of angels under my control.

Their eyes flashed the same color—brilliant, ebullient, heavenly blue.

It was completely silent. Even the busy life in the forest seemed to pause in that moment.

"Take one step forward."

They were one entity as they moved. They all stirred in exact fashion, the same foot forward after the other. My eyes flicked to Bartholomew who no longer looked guarded. Overtaken with overwhelming shock, he couldn't keep a poker face. "Take out your blades." Twenty something blades were unsheathed in the same movement.

I landed my eyes on Bartholomew. "Kill him." The command jolted him, his eyes grew wide, his shoulders tensed.

The angels scrambled, surrounding him, approaching him together with the sharp end of their knives in his face.