Linking Lives / Book 12 / The Life Series / Supernatural Season 13

Devil's Bargain

Castiel had finally come back to the bunker to talk to Sam, Dean, Amara, Aiden, Brandon and me.

"Let me get this straight," Dean told him. "You were kidnapped, weeks ago, locked up. Cas, I just talked to you on the phone."

Castiel shook his head. "No. No, Asmodeus had my phone. You've been talking to him."

"What did he want with you?" I asked.

"Well, he must have wanted Lucifer," Castiel answered. "I just--I just happened to be in proximity."

Sam looked a little fearful. "Lucifer? No, no."

"No, no, we slammed his ass back to apocalypse world," Brandon told him. "How did--"

"Kevin Tran," Castiel answered.

"Kevin Tran?" Amara repeated.

"Apocalypse world version, yes," Castiel answered. "He managed to open a rift using Lucifer's grace."

"They have an angel tablet?" Aiden asked.

"Yes," Castiel answered. "And the archangel, Michael, again the apocalypse world version, wants to use the spell to invade and conquer our world. That's why I met with Lucifer."

"So... you met..." Dean trailed off. "Cas, we specifically told you not to do anything stupid."

"Well, he was weak and given the context of our imminent annihilation, it didn't seem stupid," Castiel told us. "Lucifer wanted to help fight Michael."

I scoffed, sarcastically. "Oh, yeah. Lucifer wanted to help, sure."

"If he were lying, I'd have known it," Castiel told us. "He was--he was scared. But Asmodeus showed up before we could finish our conversation, and when wee finally managed to escape, Lucifer did try to kill me."

"Oh, so much for helping," Aiden told us sarcastically.

"He say anything about our mom?" Sam asked.

Castiel nodded. "She's alive."

"That all you know?" Amara asked.

"Yes," Castiel answered. "I'm sorry."

Brandon sighed. "You don't have anything to be sorry for. He does."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dean walked in, carrying the demon tablet.

"It's a long shot at best," Brandon told us.

"Yeah, well, most of what we do are long shots," Dean told us. "You get used to it."

"Cas, I'm sorry," I told him. "All that time, you were with Asmodeus. We should have known it wasn't you."

Castiel shook his head. "No, he's a shapeshifter. Besides, I was the one who got myself captured."

"Yeah, but if we knew, you know we would have--" I started.

"Yeah, I know you would have tried another long shot," Castiel answered. "I'm fine, Ness."

"You sure about that?" Amara asked.

"Right now, all that matters is getting Jack and Mary out of that place," Castiel told us. "Okay? Look, I promised Kelly that I would protect her son. I intend to keep that promise."

Sam and Donatello walked in.

"Hey, there he is," Aiden told him. "Donny, how you doing?"

"Uh, the usual," Donatello answered. "Bewildered."