Chapter 7

The house was dark when I got home. I had never seen such an unwelcome sight.

"Did you want to come in for a drink Ms Bridger?" I asked, my eyes staring up at the house through the window, my body unwilling to leave the safety of the car just yet.

"What was that?" the woman asked.

I turned my head in time to see her startle upright, her eyes blinking wearily up at me, her phone for forgotten in her hand for the first time I had ever seen her.

Smiling, I shook my head. "It doesn't matter. Good night, Ms Bridger."

"Goodnight Ms Holmes." She replied, her voice cracking from weariness.

With a nod, I grasped the handle and pulled. Immediately the cool evening air rushed in to greet me. It sent a shiver down my spine. Once free of the car, I started to close the door but my assistant's voice called me back.

"Ms Holmes?" She called, the tired woman leaning across the seats so she could meet my gaze "Savannah, you did really did well today. I know it doesn't feel like it with the outcome you had but I heard from the waiters you held your own in there. Well done. "

I tried not to but I could feel the blush warming my cheeks.

"Thank you Ms Bridger." I muttered before clearing my throat loudly.

"Now, get some rest. We have more press meetings on Monday so you want to be looking your best." She commanded firmly before grasping the handle to the car and tugging it closed.

I snorted and shook my head.

A moment later the car was pulling away and I was stood on the street before my house – alone.

The house was eerie in its silence. I wished that I'd had the forethought to leave a light on to welcome me home. Lucius wouldn't be back for a few more days so it would just me and no one else.

Stepping into the house, I quickly disable the alarm before shutting the door behind me. Once the door was locked and bolted, feeling particularly jittery after my meeting with Lyle, I rest the alarm and felt comforted in bright green light. It was stupid really, it's not like there was much that the electronic alarm could protect me from but it was enough to sooth my nerves.

At least it did until I realised that I was not alone in the house. There were no noises to give away their presence but I could sense it. Instinct had me drawing my angel blade from the air and feeling its weight settle into my palm. The blade, understanding the need for stealth, had muted its glow.

My eyes adjusted to the darkness of the house. Taking a step forwards on the balls of my feet, I kept my sword poised before me. My shoes clicked against the floor loudly. I closed my eyes and wished I had decided on something other than laminate flooring for the hallway.

A second later I could sense someone moving towards me. I swished my blade once in warning. The sound of the sword cutting through the air was lethal and I heard the intruder halt.

"Whoa, don't attack me Miss Holmes. I'm not going to hurt you."

That voice. I stilled for a moment, disbelief freezing each of my muscles into place. Then my free hand was scrabbling against the wall, searching for the switch I knew was there. My fingers caught. The light switch clicked and the hallway was suddenly illuminated. I blinked in the sudden brightness, desperate for my eyes to adjust.

"Is it really you?" I asked, my eyes watering.

"It's really me." Castiel replied, a small smile on his lips.

I dropped my sword, the blade vanishing into nonexistence before it could ever touch the floor. And then I was rushing forwards. My body collided hard with his, my arms going around his waist as I buried my face in the jacket of his suit. I squeezed a tight as I could.

"It's alright Savannah, I'm okay now." His hands gently tugged on my arms and I reluctantly let go, allowing him to pull me away so we could meet each other's gaze.

"I've missed you." I muttered, wiping at my cheek where a tear had made its way down my cheek.

"I've miss you too," he replied, a smile upon his face. I smiled back but it quickly transformed into a scowl. Without thinking about it, I threw my fist into his shoulder in a not so playful jab.

"If you missed me so much, you could have come and visit before now." I stared him down; poking a finger into his chest with each word so there was no mistaking my mood. "Lucius told me you had made your way up here a fortnight ago and yet this is the first we are seeing of you."

"Would it help if I said I'm sorry?"

I huffed and stepped away from the man. "Maybe but you'd still be on probation."

"I really am sorry Savannah. I've had duties to complete which required my urgent attention. Unfortunately, having His blessing means I am now getting pulled into Angel duties too these days. Until my brothers are allowed to leave once more, those of us left behind are forced to do the duties of the many."

"Damn it. I want to be angry with you but when you go dutiful angel on me I just can't manage it."

The forgiven angel before me smiled, blinked his eyes at me. He looked the picture of innocence.

"Come on, let's go and sit down. We can catch up with each other and then you can tell me why you were sitting in the dark."

"I wasn't sitting." He protested so I shot a glare at him over my shoulder. "I was standing."

Laughing lightly, I turned on the light in the lounge and gestured for him to take a seat.

"Don't be difficult Castiel. You've been around Lucius for too long and its starting to rub off."

"I was sitting in the dark because I may have fallen into a restorative slumber while leaning against the counter in the kitchen." Castiel scratched the back of his neck before sheepishly looking my way. "I may have lied to Hades when I said I was feeling one hundred percent better. My body will require me to partake in nightly slumbers until I am back to full health."

"Cass, what will we do with you?" I chided. "I'll set you up in Lucius' room for tonight, he won't mind."

Cass raised his brows at me.

"He's been staying here. I haven't been doing so well recently."

The man nodded his head. "I understand." And from the look in his eyes, I believed he truly did understand.

"How are you doing?" I asked, my eyes doing a sweep from head to toe. All external injuries appeared to have been healed but I knew that there were many other ways in which a person could be hurt.

"I am well." He started but caught the disbelieving expression on my face. "I am well as I can be. Hades' healer did her job well. I think I may have been permanently damaged if now for her skill."

There was something in his tone as he spoke about the healer that had my curiosity peaked and yet looked his face, it was clear the man was oblivious to his own interest.

"I remember everything the horsemen did to me. I sometimes wish I could forget like human's can. Instead I suffer through all of the tortures over and over again the moment I close my eyes." Cass shuddered and shook his head. "They actually made me believe I had killed Lucius and you and my brothers. It was just them toying with me but I will never get over the horror of feeling your blood on my skin and your death burdening my soul."

We lapsed into silence. What could I say to that? He knew it wasn't real but it didn't change the fact it had been real to him at the time. Poor Castiel, I thought. It was best he didn't know that his blood and his broken body were the source of my own nightmares. I wanted to wrap the man up in cotton wool and shelter him from any more harm.

I shook my head. He was an angel. He has lived millennia longer than me and here I was trying to treat him like a child.

"So what you have you been doing? What does Angel duties entail?" I asked, curling my feet up underneath me.

"It entails me keeping watch over certain individuals. Several on our Father's watch list have disappeared in the last few weeks. They're people he has given purpose to – for example prophets, miracle doers, and prodigal artists. From what I can understand, those who have disappeared are not dead. We would know about it. Yet, I fear that the missing being alive and untraceable is not necessarily a good thing."

"No, I wouldn't think it a good thing either Cass." I rubbed a hand over my face tiredly, not caring that it would rub off the makeup I had painstakingly applied to my face prior to dinner with the Prime Minister. "So who is watching over them now?"

"I have employed the services of a few of the fae to assist."

I blinked. "Fae?"

Cass laughed. "After everything you have seen, how can you still be such a non-believer?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I was born human. We tend to be of the 'seeing is believing' line of thought – at least in my family anyway."

"Fae is a broad term. Those I have employed are descended from Calantha's kind and witches. They are a little of both."

"Oh so Calantha's kind and humans can you know – procreate."

Cass chuckled and shook his head.

"Yes, they can procreate. In general, Calantha's people like to keep to themselves. It is very rare that they will choose a mate outside of their own kind."

"I feel like I still know so little about the world." I whispered with my eyes wide as I stared back at Castiel. "Is there a manual or a cheat sheet I can get?"

"No, unfortunately with life you just have to learn on the job." Cass leant back into the sofa and closed his eyes. "That's half of the fun."

As he sat there with his eyes closed, I took note of the dark circles under his eyes and the way that his jaw clenched. His hands which had been relaxed only moments before were now fisted at his sides.

"Are you in pain Cass?" I asked, reaching out and laying the back of my hand on to his forehead. It felt hot and feverish. "And don't even think about lying to me."

He opened and closed his mouth once before he let loose a sigh.

"I am in pain but I am afraid there is little you could do to heal this ache. Human medicines do not work on us." He cracked open an eye and stared over at me for a long second, a sad smile playing on his lips. His eyes slid closed again and it touched the part within me I usually reserved just for my son.

I couldn't believe I was doing it but the mother in me hated to see him suffering. "Human medicine might not work but a mother's medicine can cure even the worst injuries." I murmured, stroking my fingers through Castiel's longer shaggier hair like I had done so many times before with Danny.

Then leaning forwards I placed a chaste kiss on to his forehead. "I'm sorry I can't do more for you Castiel. I don't like seeing you hurt."

The man sighed softly as he relaxed into the chair. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm starting to feel better already."

Seconds later his breathing had deepened and soft snores filled the room. I shook my head and tried not to smile at how adorable he looked.

When I was sure it wouldn't wake him, I slipped from the sofa, bent down to his feet and slipped off his shoes. Then with a bit of careful manoeuvring and gentle prodding, I turned Castiel so he was laid out on the sofa with a cushion under his head and a blanket draped over his body. Satisfied he was as comfortable as he could be I turned off the light and tiptoed from the room.

In the darkness I crept up to my own room. Castiel was home which made me happier than ever. I had feared for many nights I would never see him alive and conscious. He was finally here and yet Lucius and Danny were gone. My heart hurt at the reminder. It felt like our strange dysfunctional family would never be together in its entirety.

As I finally lay in my own bed, exhaustion pulling at every part of me, I could not help but think about Victor Lyle and this new registration bill. Dread caused knots to form in my stomach.

Sleep took a long time coming.