For the first time since Demon Dean jogged my memory, I was with Castiel on the road 24/7.
He absolutely refused to leave me under my brothers' supervision ever again. Taking his new role as a mobile prison guard very seriously. He kept dead man's blood on his person at all times for God's sake. And for once, he barely spoke to me. Not opening the locked doors of his mind for even a second.
It had been days, searching the lower Midwestern states like this. Riding alongside my ex in quiet melancholy. We didn't resume training whatsoever. We didn't stop anywhere but for gas and a one time stop with a black market merchant for my sustenance. It was then that my noble knight realized he was running out of money.
After a series of fruitless interrogations with demons along the Mississippi River, he landed us in Illinois on a lead to a potentially more connected demon.
We stood on a public dock at dusk where dozens of people were loading onto a large river boat casino. Scanning the crowd for the demon.
"I dont think he's here," I said after awhile, as the crowd became more of a group of stragglers still buying tickets. All human. Not even one of my kind, to my surpise.
"He must already be on board," the angel suggested, briskly planting a foot towards the ticket booth.
"Hey whoa whoa! " I stopped him by the coat sleeve, "You're just gonna leave me?"
His brows furrowed together, with one raised in inquiry, before realizing the problem and rolling his eyes.
"No, you're coming with..."
"Ohhh no I'm not," I laughed out nervously, back stepping off the dock into the muddy grass.
"Its just a river, Hazel," he encouraged with little sympathy.
"One of the largest in the country," I pointed out, "and rivers have currents, w-which drag you under and sometimes they don't find your body for weeks till it washed up in another state and-"
"Hey," Cas breathed more gently, remembering he used to be comforting, "I'm not gonna let you go overboard. And you're a vampire, you're not gonna drown."
"No, no...see, I'm not gonna die, when I drown. There's a difference. And that makes it worse!" I argued, feeling frozen in place.
Cas tugged on my elbow till it gave way. "We can do this the hard way, if you prefer."
"Which is...?"
"I carry you over my shoulder kicking and screaming, and everyone stares."
Angry exhales seethed out my nose, tensing my body with every breath.
"You're an asshole..."
The angel just shrugged. "So I've been told," he said uncaring, then extended a hand for me to take, "come on."
I growled wordlessly before taking it, muttering, "I hate you," as he led me away.
"So I've been told," he repeated, an amused grin playing at the corner of his lips.
"You think this is funny!?" I hissed lowly as he bought our tickets.
"That the great Seer, a vampire no less, is petrified by open water? Yes. It's a little funny," he replied as he attempted to drag me up the ramp.
"So glad my fears amuse you..." I spat, planting myself firmly and not wanting to go another step.
Truthfully, I was petrified. Cas had never seen me face this before. Had no idea just how serious this phobia was. He thought he could just force me on board and I'd be fine. But this wasn't like being afraid of the dark, a fear now long gone thanks to my vampiric sight.
It took the rigid trembling of my hand in his, and the wide eyed stare at the rushing river beneath the boat for him to realize he was being pushy. He came back to my side from pulling ahead, and hooked his whole arm around mine.
"Ok, sorry...Just..one step at a time."
