Innocence (Burning Beliefs #1)

Chapter Ten *edited*

Chapter Ten

GRACIE'S POV

I wake up in my bed, sweating, with the covers pushing down on my body like I'm underneath the mattress. The back of my neck is sticky, and my stomach feels like I just swallowed a ton of salt water. I can tell I had a nightmare.

I only remember snippets: Castiel holding me, Lucas staring at me angrily as I walk away, and Serena shoving me with feral eyes. It felt so much like a vision, but I know that it couldn't have been. Castiel was apologizing to me, and Lucas was in some kind of motel, and Serena was dressed up like some kind of slutty Princess Jasmine. Definitely some kind of creepy dream. Whatever is running through my head can't be anything good.

Warily, I look sideways at the cot next to mine. Still empty, the covers perfectly straight from when Serena made her bed this morning. She left earlier this afternoon, and I haven't seen her since. But Dean says she's fine. The brothers saw her, apparently, in the closest town. Sam wouldn't talk about it, though, which I found odd. It just makes me concerned.

The sun is just beginning to peek out over the horizon. Musty streaks of white-yellow light crawl in through the windows. I start up the coffee machine, yawning in the comfort of my make-shift pajamas. A blue plaid pair of PJ pants and a large gray t-shirt with the Rolling Stones logo on it. Not to mention my hair. Pulled back into a messy ponytail, it's frizzing up all over the place. I don't feel like even touching it yet. After breakfast, I just need to take a long, long, LONG burning hot shower to keep my mind off of my crappy life. Or to think about it more. To figure out Serena, to figure out Cas's trust issues, or why Sam and Dean have been acting so weird. It's like everyone around here knows something that I don't. At least I have my secrets.

Lucas. I've been meeting up with him. You know, for an attempted rapist, he's pretty okay. A bit cynical, yes, but really hot. He told me that before Dad imprisoned him, he had a model airplane collection and excellent grades in school and his own personal gym in his basement. But then his mom got caught, for killing an Angel Hunter. Lucas explained to me that hunters are like doctors, they have specialists. Some hunters only go for vampires, or shape shifters, or, in the dead woman's case, Angels. So the Angel Hunter was murdered and Lucas's mom (named Stella) was tracked down and captured. Put into another one of the "research facilities" up in Heaven. More like torture chambers if you ask me.

That's another thing that I've been thinking about a lot. The whole Galilee incident. It's interesting how the people who are supposed to be the "warriors of Heaven" and "the protectors of humanity" are the ones who end up murdering the most. Demons are actually pretty badass, too. For the "villains" in this world, a lot of them are cool. I mean, Ruby did seem nice until the whole "Yay setting Lucifer free!" thing. And Meg was really cool once she mellowed down her sociopathic personality. And Lucas? Total catch. I mean, I can't think of anyone nicer or cuter or sexier than my Luke.

"Good morning," someone yawns as they walk into the kitchen.

I turn around, pulled out of my thoughts, as Dean grabs a mug from the cabinet. Did I mention we had to go out and buy an entire new dish collection after my temper tantrum? The Winchesters, and their generous amount of fake money, paid for almost all of it. I managed to provide 50 cents (because I've never had a job, and chores aren't my forte), while Cas gave a few tens. The reason I bring this up is because Dean insisted on buying us all "custom mugs" to drink from. His, of course, has "Badass of the Century" on it. Cas has the cheesy "Father of the Century" mug. Sam's doesn't have a caption, just a picture of a very bored looking moose grazing at some grass. Sam really had no say in the matter of buying it, but he uses it. Serena got this epic all-black cup with skulls and guitars paint spattered all over it. My mug is entitled "Hissy Fit of the Century", which I completely agree with. Though some good things can come out of drama. Like Lucas, and his perfect eyes... and perfect hair... and perfect abs... and perfect --