In the Mind (of Demons)

Chapter Eighteen

Castiel returned not much longer after Dean had called him to update him on the situation. He hadn't been able to acquire everything he needed for the spell, but he let the Winchesters know that he had another plan.

"So let's just keep with the running theme of bad ideas," Dean said when he heard the plan. He knew he didn't have to remind them that every plan they had made with Dark involved somehow always turned bad quickly. But this was just ridiculous!

Castiel's plan was for Dark to pretend to be the Prince of Hell Eirene was after to draw her in.

"And what do we do when she gets here?" Dean asked. "You said it yourself that you don't have everything for the spell. And the devil's trap sure as hell won't work. She's a goddess!"

"You and Sam can figure that out when she gets here," Castiel said which made Dean want to hit something, but he held back. He also told himself to not blow up about anything. So far, everyone was making it hard to keep his temper under control.

"Mark," Sam said. And as everyone turned to look at Mark, Dean caught on to his brother's plan. It was a lot better than what Castiel had just proposed.

Mark looked behind him as if there was someone else in the room named Mark. "What can I do?" he asked. "I'm the person here that would get killed off first."

"But you're still here," Sam said. "She already talked to you once."

"I won't be able to make her believe Dark is a Prince of Hell."

"Why'd she kill that other Mark?" Dean asked, needing to show that Mark was the only one qualified for this job.

Mark was starting to put it together. "She thought he was the Prince of Hell," he said. "She probably thought I was too since we literally look the same, but she dismissed it because she felt me." Dean raised his eyebrows at that, but said nothing, his mind immediately in the gutter. "Not like that," Mark added. Dean just smirked. "She won't believe Dark is this Prince for very long."

"Hopefully it'll be enough time," Sam said. "I'll start researching ways to trap a goddess." He walked over to the table and started working at the laptop that was there.

Dean turned to Castiel. "Is there any chance of being able to get the rest of the stuff for that spell?" he asked.

"Without going directly to heaven for help, we're a few thousand years too late for some of the ingredients," Castiel said, frowning. "Heaven can't spare anything right now."

"If she hadn't destroyed the World Between Worlds, I could have gone back to get those ingredients," Dark said, confirming their earlier thoughts that Dark could travel through time, using the World Between Worlds.

"Good riddance to the World Between Worlds," Dean said even though it could also have been their access to the apocalypse world where their mom was trapped right now. But, another opportunity would present itself. "You wouldn't have come back."

"Of course I wouldn't have," Dark said. "You actually think I want to be here?"

"You came back," Dean said. "No one brought you here."

"I only came back because Celine had me trapped in my own head," Dark said, a darkness forming around him. Dean reached for the angel blade he had tucked away, but the darkness was receding soon after. A moment later, it was gone. "I gave her what she wanted then I took it away from her."

"How did Celine have you trapped?" Mark asked. "Was she really more powerful than you there?"

"Not more powerful, just more clever," Dark said. "She knows me. She knew how to use that against me."

"Eirene was trapped in there with you, along with that other Mark," Mark said. "Did Celine hide them from you?"

"She was just as shocked to learn that they were there," Dark said. "I don't know how we didn't notice."

"Then there might be something else that got out," Dean said. "You have no way to know what else was in there with you if you didn't notice a goddess."

"They probably wouldn't end up here if there were more trapped," Dark said. "If she's as dangerous as you say, then they were trapped with her for thousands of years. They would have run away to everywhere but here."

"You better be right."

"We can only put her back by using that spell?" Mark asked. Castiel nodded. "You got to the mirror in my dream. The mirror that led to that world. Can't you just push her in?"

"She'd have to be inside you to do that," Dark said. "And me since I'm the only one here who's actually put someone in that world."

"Having you inside me wasn't fun the first time."

Dark just smirked. Dean knew what they were talking about, but it was still odd to hear and it made him uncomfortable. And from the look Dark gave him, he knew what was going through Dean's mind.

Dark winked and Dean suddenly had an image in his mind that he DID NOT want. It was like a bad porno, with Mark in the middle of Dark and Amy. Dean had to leave the room before he threw up, hearing Dark's laughter in his head.

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Mark turned his head when Dean just left the room with no explanation while they were talking. Dark chuckled as if he knew something. But before Mark could ask about that, Sam called him and Castiel over.

"I haven't taken into account that this Eirene is from a different world," Sam said. "I was starting to think that if we knew how she got here, it might tell us how to send her back."

"So you're not gonna kill her," Mark said. "Even after she lets Amy go?"

"I don't even think killing her is possible," Sam said. "Our only hope is to send her back. She came here for a reason. Maybe where she came from, the world's already ended."

"The apocalypse world?" Castiel asked. "You think she might be from there?"

"It's only a theory."

"Apocalypse world?" Mark asked.

"Don't worry about that," Sam said. "We're taking care of it."

"I'm not sure we'd want to send her back there if we plan on going there ourselves," Castiel said. "Trapping her elsewhere is the better option."

Sam nodded. "Trapping her in the mirror is a good idea," he said. "But as Dark said, that world was destroyed when she came here. Her powers were obviously the one thing sustaining that world."

"Then I convince her to make it again," Mark said. Sam and Castiel looked ready to protest. "I have the best chance. She pretty much told me she wouldn't harm me because Amy loves me."

"How are you gonna do that?" Sam asked. He looked away for a moment as Dean returned.

"Don't ask," Dean said, sitting down at the table. No one asked.

"I'm not sure how to do it," Mark said. "But I can keep her talking. It might come up."

"Are we still going with the Dark pretending to be a Prince of Hell thing?" Dean asked. "If she really hates this guy so much, she can take care of Dark for us."

Mark looked over at Dark, who was just standing there staring their way. For some reason, Mark didn't like the thought of just letting Eirene kill Dark. He didn't focus on that thought too much.

Mark looked back at Sam and Dean. "How do we even find her?" he asked. "We have no clue where she could have gone."

"This ain't the fun part," Dean said. "Amy told us a while back that Dark was once a beacon for Asmodeus and other demons by using his powers. We're gonna have to let him out of the trap."

Great.