Losing Hope | {BOOK 4}

58| Meeting with Crowley

The next few cases we worked were pretty standard. One dealt with a demon gone rogue, the next one was an old case that Bobby and Rufus worked that got reopened because a family moved into the house where the supposed haunting was and restirred up trouble. After that, we dealt with some werewolves. Sam almost died on that one, but it ended up being fine.

While Maddie and I were off doing some mother/daughter girl bonding, Crowley called me claiming he escaped from Lucifer and knew where another Hand of God was. So, we met him in an abandoned warehouse covered in cobwebs. I freaked out, clinging to Dean after running into one of them.

"They're just old webs. It's not like there are any spiders," he teased me and I shuddered.

"Stop. Talking."

He chuckled, looking over at where Crowley was waiting for us.

"Nice digs," he told the demon king. "The Crypt Keeper out of town?"

"I'm lucky to be alive," Crowley glared at him. "Lucifer had me trussed like a dog in my own palace."

"'Palace'?" I echoed. "Oh, you mean the abandoned nuthouse."

"He kept me in a kennel!" the demon got angry and Sam, Dean and I grinned in amusement. "And he turned all his demons... my demons... against me. They scour the earth, day and night, looking to kill me. He has to be dealt with."

"So, this is why you brought us here?" Dean asked. "Some lousy grudge match with Lucifer?"

"Yeah, where's this, uh, Hand of God you were talking about?" Sam added.

"I'm getting to that. Your only hope of subduing Amos is to match the level of power that he possesses."

"No kidding," I scoffed. "And?"

"And I have the Horn of Joshua," Crowley informed us.

"Joshua? As in the Joshua who won the battle of Jericho?"

"And I'm willing to entrust it to your capable hands."

Sam, Dean and I all exchanged a look and Crowley appeared confused.

"What? I just said I'd give you the thing."

"If?" we all chorused.

"Is that how you say 'thank you'?" the demon asked. "You think these things grow on bloody trees?!"

"Cut the crap, Crowley. With you, there's always an 'if'."

"Fine. I will give you the Horn 'if' you help me exorcise Lucifer from Castiel's vessel and then return him safely to the Cage."

"Oh, that's all," Sam nodded sarcastically. "Huh."

"Okay, and where is this Horn?" Dean asked.

"Safely hidden, naturally."

"Yeah."

"Crowley, even if we could exorcise Lucifer out of Cass, the Cage is damn near impenetrable," I pointed out. "It took a spell from the Book of the Damned to spring Lucifer, and Rowena hid the Book."

"And we need both the Book and her to even have a shot," Dean chimed in.

"Did I say this would be easy? No. I did not."

"Do you even know where Rowena is?"

"Rotting somewhere, I presume. Lucifer snapped her neck."

We all grimaced at that and Dean and I exchanged a look.

"Hold on, okay," Dean said, looking back at Crowley. "Let's just put it in reverse. We will put Lucifer back in the Cage after we put Amos back on ice. It has to happen in that order, otherwise there is no Lucifer, there's no Cage, there's no nothing."

"He spent years marinating in hate against us! He has to go!"

"Problem is, we may need him."

"He's been down this road with Amos before," I stated. "He might be the only one powerful enough to use the Horn against him."

"He had me cleaning the floors with my tongue! He called me 'puppy'! He made me beg!"

"You call me Puppy all the time."

"That's not the point!"

"Alright, come on," Dean rolled his eyes. "Is this what this is about? Huh? Your stupid ego? The fact that he dissed you in front of a bunch of stupid demons? You're smarter than this. Come on!"

"Dean's right," Sam added. "Priority is to put the Horn in Lucifer's hands and set him loose on Amos."

"After we exorcise Lucifer out of Cass and put him in a new vessel," I finished.

All three men looked at me like I was insane.

"What? Really?" Sam asked.

"Yes, really. We're not going to send Lucifer into battle inside Cass. What if he doesn't make it?"

"Ellie, it's a strong vessel. It's held Cass for years, and we know what he's been through. I'm guessing it can hold Lucifer."

"'It'?" Dean echoed, glaring at his brother. "It's not an 'it', Sam. It's Cass."

"And Cass wanted to do this."

"Yeah, well there are times I want to get slapped during sex by a girl wearing a Zorro mask. That don't make it a good idea."

My cheeks burned with embarrassment at Dean's words, despite the fact that nobody was looking at me.

"Guys, this is exactly how we screw ourselves," Sam reminded us. "W-we make the... the heart choice instead of the smart choice."

"Oh, okay. Thank you, Dr. Phil," Dean said sarcastically. "Cass is family."

"Yes, and his choice deserves to be respected."

"Even if it kills him?" I asked.

"It's killing me," Crowley groaned. "I would rather stick white hot skewers in my eyes than listen to you three bitches bicker! I gave you the terms of my deal. If Lucifer's not back in the Cage, the Horn stays hidden."

Before any of us could protest further, there was a loud crash coming from outside the warehouse.

"What the hell was that?" I demanded.

We all headed outside, looking up at the sky, which was stormy. As we watched, lightning broke through the clouds while thunder crashed.

"You know what, fellas? I think that's him," I swallowed.

Dean grabbed my hand as we made our way back inside.

"Okay," Sam said. "So now we all just saw what happens when he is in a bad mood, which, apparently, he's been in since the dawn of time."

"I think he just rattled Heaven with his pinkie finger," I glared in Crowley's direction. "That's not a big enough dose of reality for you?"

"Why are we arguing?" Crowley asked. "We all know that he has to go back in the Cage."

"Yes, when it makes sense," I argued. "Amos is the big picture here now, okay? Look, in order to take him out, Lucifer has got to have the Horn of Joshua. After that, we can get him locked back up. That's the way it's got to be."