FIC: Broken Hallelujah (4/11)
Chapter 4
Anna: "I disobeyed. Lucifer disobeyed. It's our Murder One, and I knew it. Maybe I gotta pay."
Anna had once thought that Heaven was a beautiful, peaceful place where no pain or ugliness could ever intrude upon any inhabitant's pleasure and happiness.
That was before she had known about the prison.
It was a place that had originally been built to contain Lucifer when God had begun to suspect him of pride. Here he had been locked away until God's punishment could be decided - that punishment being eternal banishment. This was a mistake that God would never make again after the trouble Lucifer caused for His creation. Now the prison was used to hold disobedient angels until their execution or "rehabilitation," or in some cases their exile to the fiery pits of Hell.
Anna wondered which of these fates would befall her.
She paced the tiny room restlessly, the shackles on her wrists making her feel more confined and powerless than the walls that threatened to close in around her. Both the restraints and the room itself were made of the only material known to have the effect of draining an angel of its strength and ability to fly. Her wings had essentially been clipped. She now understood firsthand how it felt to be a bird in a cage.
But none of this troubled her so much as the silence. Raguel hadn't spoken a word since leading her out of the praise room. Not to chastise her, not to issue an order or attempt an interrogation, not even to lay charges against her. He had simply escorted her to Heaven and locked her away in this place. He had been gone now for hours, and no matter how hard she listened, she heard no evidence of guards outside her door.
She wasn't sure how arrests were usually made, but this just didn't seem right.
Not that anything else about her situation seemed right either.
She finally sank down onto the floor, knowing for the first time in her life what it felt like to be tired. She had always heard tales about this material that acted as poison to angels, but she had never come in contact with it before. She was only glad that it did not seem to hinder the foreign energy inside her from moving and growing at its usual rate. It had spread throughout her entire being and was now beginning to change the colours of her energy completely, though it was happening so gradually that she had barely noticed until now.
"Surprising how quickly I'm getting used to you, little one," she murmured. She felt a thrill at the thought that it might have heard her. She could sense that it was alive and had its own consciousness, but beyond that, everything about it was a mystery to her. She wondered how long her gestation period might be, and how the child would eventually separate itself from her. She wondered if her birthing process would be as painful as it appeared to be for humans and other creatures.
She wondered if she would live long enough to find out.
Finally, just as she felt that morning must have been breaking back at her station on Earth, she heard someone approaching her cell. She scrambled to her feet with great difficulty as the door swung open and Raguel appeared.
He stepped gingerly into the room, clearly affected to some degree by the energy-draining walls. Anna watched his every move closely, bracing herself for whatever he was about to do.
"Do you know why you are here?" he asked in a low, solemn voice.
Anna decided it was best to feign ignorance. "No. You told me to come with you, so I came. Now I have been locked away with no charges laid against me. So please, Raguel... why don't you tell me why I'm here?"
Raguel sighed heavily and stepped further into the room. "There have been rumours," he said. "Only vague whisperings, but they concern me nonetheless. There is talk of dissension, of doubt... and worst of all, of blatant disregard for our orders and code of conduct."
"I have heard those rumours, too," Anna said, encouraged by his hesitation. "What does any of it have to do with me?"
Just like the night before, Raguel's piercing stare sought to read her innermost thoughts, but this time she refused to give him what he wanted. Her expression remained impassive as she waited for his reply.
"Your heart was not in your praise last evening," he finally said.
"I have had a lot on my mind. I realize it was inappropriate, and I apologize. I just didn't realize we were now being arrested for such small matters as that."
Raguel's anger sparked. "You call worshipping our Father a small matter?"
Anna was tempted to say yes, but she held back. She felt that she was close to being released, and she did not want to jeopardize her escape yet again. She hung her head as if in shame. "Of course not. You misunderstand me, Raguel. I simply meant that I fail to see why I should be arrested for simple preoccupation."
Raguel came closer, studying her carefully. "I have had my eye on you for some time, Anna," he said. "There have been many changes in your behaviour over the past weeks. Now... I am beginning to see changes in your appearance also. Are you well?"
Anna kept her head bowed, refusing to meet his gaze. "I have been working hard," she said. "I am under stress, nothing more."
"And yet your productivity is lower than it has ever been."
"I have had many different projects to oversee, some more taxing than others."
"Hmm."
She could tell that he did not believe a word she was saying, but it was too late to turn back on her lie now. She stood still and waited silently for him to speak again.
He circled around her thoughtfully until he was standing behind her. Then he pressed so close against her back that she could feel his energy rippling against her own. "Anna..." he said slowly, almost whispering the words directly into her ear. "Did you know that there is a prophecy regarding the offspring of two rebellious angels?"
Anna felt cold with fear. He knew.
"Angels cannot procreate," she said numbly.
"Oh, but we can," Raguel said, finally moving away to stand in front of her again. "It has only happened once or twice in all of history, but it is possible." He levelled an accusing glare at her. "And I see the signs in you."
She wanted to protest, but her mouth seemed sealed shut. Even if she could have spoken, she had no idea how she could deny such a direct accusation.
This was it. Her punishment was about to come. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists, willing it to be quick.
"I do not believe you are to blame, Anna."
Her eyes opened again in surprise. His tone sounded soft, almost sympathetic. She was sure she must have heard him incorrectly.
"Lucifer has many friends here even now," Raguel continued. "Something has been happening over the past few years... more and more among us are choosing the side of evil instead of good. I do not believe you are one of them. I have seen your anger over those who are beginning to stray onto the dark path. You are not a willing accomplice in this crime. Someone has done this to you."
Anna stared at him, not daring to believe her ears. "You mean... I won't be punished?"
Raguel shook his head gravely. "You cannot go back to your old station, Anna," he said. "I brought you here for your own protection the moment I began to suspect what was happening to you. There are spies everywhere, and they must not discover your whereabouts. If your child falls into the wrong hands, it could mean the death of us all."
There was such sincerity in his words that Anna had no choice but to believe him. For the first time in a long time, she felt as though God had heard her prayers. She was not to blame after all, but was simply being used by those who wished to bring down the Heavenly hierarchy. She did not know how her child could figure into such a plot, or how they had caused her joining with Castiel in the first place, but it seemed to make sense and eased her mind considerably.
"What should I do?" she asked.
Raguel took a key out of his robe and motioned for her to hold up her hands. She did so, and a moment later her shackles fell to the ground. "You must stay here where you are safe," he said. "I will guard you until the child is born. At that time, we can decide whether you should flee or simply take on another assignment far away."
"What of the child?"
He paused, seeming unsure of how to answer. "I am afraid we must hide it until it is fully grown," he said gently. "Once it is an angel like any other, there will be no way to discern its true origin. If the enemy discovers you or it before that time... we may have to take drastic action."
Anna nodded, knowing what he meant by "drastic action." The child would have to be killed rather than be taken by those on the side of evil. "I will do as you say," she said. "Only keep us safe."
Raguel smiled softly and touched her cheek. "Remain here until I return," he said.
Then he was gone, closing and locking the door behind him.
Anna looked around her little room in weary despair. She longed for freedom, but the life of her child was more important to her than anything. She would wait here until it was born, and then...
Then she would see where fate led them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Castiel could still feel someone watching him.
Every moment of every day, someone was there in the shadows - behind him, beside him, in front of him, everywhere he went. When he turned to look they would vanish, but he could still feel their presence somewhere just out of eyeshot. It was enough to drive him mad.
And it was preventing him from finding Anna.
He wondered if that were the point.
But who could know what they had done? If he had not been arrested, then Anna could not have named him. If knowledge of their friendship alone was enough to cast guilt on him, he would have been taken for questioning by now.
"It must be in my mind," he told himself over and over again. Usually knowing this would be enough to calm his thoughts and return him to rational thinking. This time it only heightened his sense that something was very wrong.
He found himself looking upon the faces of his friends and superiors with suspicion, which made him feel just as guilty as his initial sin. Every now and then he would ask himself whether it would be better to confess and be done with it, but then he would think of how hard Anna must be fighting to keep his secret and how he had vowed to return her devotion. He just wished that he could discover where she was and what was happening to her.
And then, three Earth weeks after her disappearance, he did.
The call had come down from high up on the chain of command for two experienced soldiers to carry a very important, top-secret message to their superiors inside Heaven's gates. It was an event that occurred only once or twice each year, and only those who had shown the greatest loyalty, commitment, and courage were chosen for this most critical mission.
Castiel was stunned when he was informed that he was one of the chosen two.
It was the highest of honours, and one for which he had always been overlooked. He wasn't sure which of his superiors had submitted his name for consideration, but it quelled his fears once and for all that they knew or suspected anything of his improper conduct.
"Thank you, Father," he whispered after receiving his orders. He did not understand why, but he had clearly been forgiven if God was allowing him to be honoured in such a way. "I will not fail You."
Despite the need for extra care and security on this mission, or perhaps because the necessary steps were taken to attain it, the journey to Heaven was quick and uneventful. Castiel and his companion for this mission, Israfel, were escorted through the gates immediately upon their arrival and instructed to take the golden staircase down to the lowest level, where their superiors were awaiting them.
The lowest level - aside from the war room where the strategies of every celestial battle were devised, Castiel knew of only one other use for this most secretive and isolated level of Heaven - the prison.
If Anna had been captured and was still alive, this must be where she was being held.
He gave a silent prayer of gratitude for this stroke of good fortune. It must truly be God's will for him to find her if events had come together so perfectly towards making such an act possible. He was not going to waste the opportunity.
There were guards at both the head and foot of the staircase, but they allowed Castiel and Israfel past when they spoke the password their superiors had ordered them to give. Once reaching the bottom, the war room was just a short distance away, a long dark corridor extending far beyond it and out of sight.
Castiel shuddered. He had never before seen darkness in Heaven. He knew where that corridor must lead.
As much as he longed to follow it, his duties came first. He and Israfel cautiously entered the war room where a dozen or more high-ranking angels were sitting at a long silver table in deep discussion.
One of them, whom Castiel recognized as the leading general Ezekiel, approached them and held out his hand. "You have brought the reports from Earth?" he demanded.
Castiel bowed his head in respect as Israfel reached into his robe for the scroll they had been given. He kept his eyes focused on the floor as Ezekiel took it and looked it over, remembering the order that he was not to speak to or make eye contact with anyone in the room unless directed to do so.
After a long moment, Ezekiel grunted in what Castiel assumed was satisfaction and tucked the scroll under his arm. "Very well," he said gruffly. "You will wait outside while we prepare a reply."
Castiel and Israfel nodded silently and left the room.
Once they had closed the door behind them and were alone in the long corridor, Israfel sighed in relief. "I have fought many battles in my time," he said breathlessly, "but I have never felt such a weight of responsibility as from that little scroll." He laughed as though amused by his own admission.
Castiel smiled. "If it would ease your mind, brother, I will carry the returning message myself."
"You will whether you like it or not," Israfel said jauntily with another laugh.
Castiel laughed with him. He had always enjoyed Israfel's company, as Israfel always knew how to lighten the mood in any circumstance.
The two of them then fell into silence, standing at attention on either side of the door as they waited for further instruction.
"How long do you think it will take for them to formulate a reply?" Israfel whispered after a few minutes had passed.
Castiel shook his head. "I have heard of it taking up to three Earth days," he said. "There is no way of knowing."
Israfel shuffled his feet and ruffled his wings impatiently. "Three days..." he murmured. "How long have I yearned to set foot in Heaven again, and this is how I spend my time once I'm here?" He chuckled good-naturedly. "I guess the human saying is true - be careful what you wish for."
A light dawned in Castiel's mind as Israfel spoke, and he knew that this was his chance. "We were not specifically ordered to stand here," he said slowly and carefully.
Israfel paused for a moment before looking over at him. "Castiel," he said, wonder in his tone, "I have never known you to read between the lines of our orders."
Castiel shrugged. "As you say... it has been a long time since we set foot in our own home. I see no harm in one of us leaving this post while the other remains."
Israfel smiled as he understood Castiel's plan. "You will cover for me?"
"I will. Just don't wander too long."
"I will be back in time for you to take a wander yourself, my friend," Israfel said as he patted Castiel's shoulder gratefully. He vanished before Castiel had a chance to speak again.
Now was the time.
With a quick glance up and down the corridor to make sure no one was watching, and after pressing his ear to the door of the war room to listen for any sign that his superiors were ending their discussion, he set off down the dark corridor with hope in his heart. He knew he would find her. He knew she would be well. He knew that all of this could not be for nothing.
But when he reached the doors of what must be the prison, he found them unguarded. Surely that must mean there were no prisoners inside?
He almost turned back in defeat... but then he felt a familiar presence.
"Anna," he whispered. He would know that aura anywhere. She was close.
He quickly swung the doors open wide and entered the dimly-lit corridor beyond. Right away, he was amazed at how uneasy a part of Heaven could make him feel. It was as though he could sense the essence of the sins that had been punished here.
"Anna?" he called softly as he made his way into the depths of the prison. He wasn't sure who else might overhear him, but if anyone but Anna were there, he saw no reason to hide from them now. He would more than likely stumble across them sooner or later as he searched every inch of the prison for her. "Anna, are you there?"
"Castiel?"
"Anna!" He followed the sound of her voice, which seemed to have come from behind the door closest to him. He pressed his hands to it, even that slight touch draining some of his energy thanks to the angel-proof material that covered it. "Thank God I found you in time. I'm here."
"You shouldn't have come," her muffled voice said, proving that he had chosen the correct cell. "They will kill you if they find you."
"As they will you," he said firmly. "I will not let that happen." He tried to open the door, but he could see symbols on the handle indicating that some sort of binding chant was sealing it shut. He did not know the words that had been used to lock the door, and therefore had no way to open it. "I'll find a way to release you," he said, looking around for some other way inside the room.
"No. I'm safe here. Raguel is protecting me."
Castiel stopped and stared at the door in surprise. "Protecting you?" he asked. "What do you mean?"
"He says that all of this is part of a plot to bring chaos and disorder," she said, her voice sounding weak but confident. "The child will be of use somehow, though he does not know why. He is keeping me here until the child is born so that he may hide it and keep it safe. Please, Castiel, you need to leave before someone finds you."
Castiel couldn't believe what he was hearing. The fact that Raguel knew everything was not much of a surprise - he was well known for knowing and seeing all - but why had he not turned them and whoever was conspiring in this plan over to his superiors? Why was he going out of his way to keep Anna and the child safe?
"Are you sure he can be trusted?" he asked.
"I'm alive," Anna said. "That is all the assurance I need."
Castiel was still hesitant. Why had he been offered this chance to save her if she did not need to be saved?
"Cas, please," Anna said softly. "Go."
Castiel could feel the warmth of her hand on the other side of the door, and it gave him comfort. "If you're certain," he said, unwilling to leave her in this awful place but deep down wanting to follow her orders as he always did.
"You're a good friend, Castiel," she said. "I will always be grateful to you for that. But yes... I'm certain. I will be safe here. Go."
Castiel nodded and drew his hand away from the door with a heavy heart. "Goodbye," he said. He waited a moment for a reply, but there was none.
He left the prison silently, closing the doors behind him and hurrying back to his post outside the war room door. No one was around. It seemed that his absence had gone undetected.
Somehow, that brought him no relief. Ever since Anna's disappearance, he had felt that he must make it his mission to help her. Now that he knew there was nothing to be done, he felt lost.
But then, he realized, there was still one thing he could do for her - hope. And that he did with his whole heart.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 5
Anna: "I disobeyed. Lucifer disobeyed. It's our Murder One, and I knew it. Maybe I gotta pay."
Anna had once thought that Heaven was a beautiful, peaceful place where no pain or ugliness could ever intrude upon any inhabitant's pleasure and happiness.
That was before she had known about the prison.
It was a place that had originally been built to contain Lucifer when God had begun to suspect him of pride. Here he had been locked away until God's punishment could be decided - that punishment being eternal banishment. This was a mistake that God would never make again after the trouble Lucifer caused for His creation. Now the prison was used to hold disobedient angels until their execution or "rehabilitation," or in some cases their exile to the fiery pits of Hell.
Anna wondered which of these fates would befall her.
She paced the tiny room restlessly, the shackles on her wrists making her feel more confined and powerless than the walls that threatened to close in around her. Both the restraints and the room itself were made of the only material known to have the effect of draining an angel of its strength and ability to fly. Her wings had essentially been clipped. She now understood firsthand how it felt to be a bird in a cage.
But none of this troubled her so much as the silence. Raguel hadn't spoken a word since leading her out of the praise room. Not to chastise her, not to issue an order or attempt an interrogation, not even to lay charges against her. He had simply escorted her to Heaven and locked her away in this place. He had been gone now for hours, and no matter how hard she listened, she heard no evidence of guards outside her door.
She wasn't sure how arrests were usually made, but this just didn't seem right.
Not that anything else about her situation seemed right either.
She finally sank down onto the floor, knowing for the first time in her life what it felt like to be tired. She had always heard tales about this material that acted as poison to angels, but she had never come in contact with it before. She was only glad that it did not seem to hinder the foreign energy inside her from moving and growing at its usual rate. It had spread throughout her entire being and was now beginning to change the colours of her energy completely, though it was happening so gradually that she had barely noticed until now.
"Surprising how quickly I'm getting used to you, little one," she murmured. She felt a thrill at the thought that it might have heard her. She could sense that it was alive and had its own consciousness, but beyond that, everything about it was a mystery to her. She wondered how long her gestation period might be, and how the child would eventually separate itself from her. She wondered if her birthing process would be as painful as it appeared to be for humans and other creatures.
She wondered if she would live long enough to find out.
Finally, just as she felt that morning must have been breaking back at her station on Earth, she heard someone approaching her cell. She scrambled to her feet with great difficulty as the door swung open and Raguel appeared.
He stepped gingerly into the room, clearly affected to some degree by the energy-draining walls. Anna watched his every move closely, bracing herself for whatever he was about to do.
"Do you know why you are here?" he asked in a low, solemn voice.
Anna decided it was best to feign ignorance. "No. You told me to come with you, so I came. Now I have been locked away with no charges laid against me. So please, Raguel... why don't you tell me why I'm here?"
Raguel sighed heavily and stepped further into the room. "There have been rumours," he said. "Only vague whisperings, but they concern me nonetheless. There is talk of dissension, of doubt... and worst of all, of blatant disregard for our orders and code of conduct."
"I have heard those rumours, too," Anna said, encouraged by his hesitation. "What does any of it have to do with me?"
Just like the night before, Raguel's piercing stare sought to read her innermost thoughts, but this time she refused to give him what he wanted. Her expression remained impassive as she waited for his reply.
"Your heart was not in your praise last evening," he finally said.
"I have had a lot on my mind. I realize it was inappropriate, and I apologize. I just didn't realize we were now being arrested for such small matters as that."
Raguel's anger sparked. "You call worshipping our Father a small matter?"
Anna was tempted to say yes, but she held back. She felt that she was close to being released, and she did not want to jeopardize her escape yet again. She hung her head as if in shame. "Of course not. You misunderstand me, Raguel. I simply meant that I fail to see why I should be arrested for simple preoccupation."
Raguel came closer, studying her carefully. "I have had my eye on you for some time, Anna," he said. "There have been many changes in your behaviour over the past weeks. Now... I am beginning to see changes in your appearance also. Are you well?"
Anna kept her head bowed, refusing to meet his gaze. "I have been working hard," she said. "I am under stress, nothing more."
"And yet your productivity is lower than it has ever been."
"I have had many different projects to oversee, some more taxing than others."
"Hmm."
She could tell that he did not believe a word she was saying, but it was too late to turn back on her lie now. She stood still and waited silently for him to speak again.
He circled around her thoughtfully until he was standing behind her. Then he pressed so close against her back that she could feel his energy rippling against her own. "Anna..." he said slowly, almost whispering the words directly into her ear. "Did you know that there is a prophecy regarding the offspring of two rebellious angels?"
Anna felt cold with fear. He knew.
"Angels cannot procreate," she said numbly.
"Oh, but we can," Raguel said, finally moving away to stand in front of her again. "It has only happened once or twice in all of history, but it is possible." He levelled an accusing glare at her. "And I see the signs in you."
She wanted to protest, but her mouth seemed sealed shut. Even if she could have spoken, she had no idea how she could deny such a direct accusation.
This was it. Her punishment was about to come. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists, willing it to be quick.
"I do not believe you are to blame, Anna."
Her eyes opened again in surprise. His tone sounded soft, almost sympathetic. She was sure she must have heard him incorrectly.
"Lucifer has many friends here even now," Raguel continued. "Something has been happening over the past few years... more and more among us are choosing the side of evil instead of good. I do not believe you are one of them. I have seen your anger over those who are beginning to stray onto the dark path. You are not a willing accomplice in this crime. Someone has done this to you."
Anna stared at him, not daring to believe her ears. "You mean... I won't be punished?"
Raguel shook his head gravely. "You cannot go back to your old station, Anna," he said. "I brought you here for your own protection the moment I began to suspect what was happening to you. There are spies everywhere, and they must not discover your whereabouts. If your child falls into the wrong hands, it could mean the death of us all."
There was such sincerity in his words that Anna had no choice but to believe him. For the first time in a long time, she felt as though God had heard her prayers. She was not to blame after all, but was simply being used by those who wished to bring down the Heavenly hierarchy. She did not know how her child could figure into such a plot, or how they had caused her joining with Castiel in the first place, but it seemed to make sense and eased her mind considerably.
"What should I do?" she asked.
Raguel took a key out of his robe and motioned for her to hold up her hands. She did so, and a moment later her shackles fell to the ground. "You must stay here where you are safe," he said. "I will guard you until the child is born. At that time, we can decide whether you should flee or simply take on another assignment far away."
"What of the child?"
He paused, seeming unsure of how to answer. "I am afraid we must hide it until it is fully grown," he said gently. "Once it is an angel like any other, there will be no way to discern its true origin. If the enemy discovers you or it before that time... we may have to take drastic action."
Anna nodded, knowing what he meant by "drastic action." The child would have to be killed rather than be taken by those on the side of evil. "I will do as you say," she said. "Only keep us safe."
Raguel smiled softly and touched her cheek. "Remain here until I return," he said.
Then he was gone, closing and locking the door behind him.
Anna looked around her little room in weary despair. She longed for freedom, but the life of her child was more important to her than anything. She would wait here until it was born, and then...
Then she would see where fate led them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Castiel could still feel someone watching him.
Every moment of every day, someone was there in the shadows - behind him, beside him, in front of him, everywhere he went. When he turned to look they would vanish, but he could still feel their presence somewhere just out of eyeshot. It was enough to drive him mad.
And it was preventing him from finding Anna.
He wondered if that were the point.
But who could know what they had done? If he had not been arrested, then Anna could not have named him. If knowledge of their friendship alone was enough to cast guilt on him, he would have been taken for questioning by now.
"It must be in my mind," he told himself over and over again. Usually knowing this would be enough to calm his thoughts and return him to rational thinking. This time it only heightened his sense that something was very wrong.
He found himself looking upon the faces of his friends and superiors with suspicion, which made him feel just as guilty as his initial sin. Every now and then he would ask himself whether it would be better to confess and be done with it, but then he would think of how hard Anna must be fighting to keep his secret and how he had vowed to return her devotion. He just wished that he could discover where she was and what was happening to her.
And then, three Earth weeks after her disappearance, he did.
The call had come down from high up on the chain of command for two experienced soldiers to carry a very important, top-secret message to their superiors inside Heaven's gates. It was an event that occurred only once or twice each year, and only those who had shown the greatest loyalty, commitment, and courage were chosen for this most critical mission.
Castiel was stunned when he was informed that he was one of the chosen two.
It was the highest of honours, and one for which he had always been overlooked. He wasn't sure which of his superiors had submitted his name for consideration, but it quelled his fears once and for all that they knew or suspected anything of his improper conduct.
"Thank you, Father," he whispered after receiving his orders. He did not understand why, but he had clearly been forgiven if God was allowing him to be honoured in such a way. "I will not fail You."
Despite the need for extra care and security on this mission, or perhaps because the necessary steps were taken to attain it, the journey to Heaven was quick and uneventful. Castiel and his companion for this mission, Israfel, were escorted through the gates immediately upon their arrival and instructed to take the golden staircase down to the lowest level, where their superiors were awaiting them.
The lowest level - aside from the war room where the strategies of every celestial battle were devised, Castiel knew of only one other use for this most secretive and isolated level of Heaven - the prison.
If Anna had been captured and was still alive, this must be where she was being held.
He gave a silent prayer of gratitude for this stroke of good fortune. It must truly be God's will for him to find her if events had come together so perfectly towards making such an act possible. He was not going to waste the opportunity.
There were guards at both the head and foot of the staircase, but they allowed Castiel and Israfel past when they spoke the password their superiors had ordered them to give. Once reaching the bottom, the war room was just a short distance away, a long dark corridor extending far beyond it and out of sight.
Castiel shuddered. He had never before seen darkness in Heaven. He knew where that corridor must lead.
As much as he longed to follow it, his duties came first. He and Israfel cautiously entered the war room where a dozen or more high-ranking angels were sitting at a long silver table in deep discussion.
One of them, whom Castiel recognized as the leading general Ezekiel, approached them and held out his hand. "You have brought the reports from Earth?" he demanded.
Castiel bowed his head in respect as Israfel reached into his robe for the scroll they had been given. He kept his eyes focused on the floor as Ezekiel took it and looked it over, remembering the order that he was not to speak to or make eye contact with anyone in the room unless directed to do so.
After a long moment, Ezekiel grunted in what Castiel assumed was satisfaction and tucked the scroll under his arm. "Very well," he said gruffly. "You will wait outside while we prepare a reply."
Castiel and Israfel nodded silently and left the room.
Once they had closed the door behind them and were alone in the long corridor, Israfel sighed in relief. "I have fought many battles in my time," he said breathlessly, "but I have never felt such a weight of responsibility as from that little scroll." He laughed as though amused by his own admission.
Castiel smiled. "If it would ease your mind, brother, I will carry the returning message myself."
"You will whether you like it or not," Israfel said jauntily with another laugh.
Castiel laughed with him. He had always enjoyed Israfel's company, as Israfel always knew how to lighten the mood in any circumstance.
The two of them then fell into silence, standing at attention on either side of the door as they waited for further instruction.
"How long do you think it will take for them to formulate a reply?" Israfel whispered after a few minutes had passed.
Castiel shook his head. "I have heard of it taking up to three Earth days," he said. "There is no way of knowing."
Israfel shuffled his feet and ruffled his wings impatiently. "Three days..." he murmured. "How long have I yearned to set foot in Heaven again, and this is how I spend my time once I'm here?" He chuckled good-naturedly. "I guess the human saying is true - be careful what you wish for."
A light dawned in Castiel's mind as Israfel spoke, and he knew that this was his chance. "We were not specifically ordered to stand here," he said slowly and carefully.
Israfel paused for a moment before looking over at him. "Castiel," he said, wonder in his tone, "I have never known you to read between the lines of our orders."
Castiel shrugged. "As you say... it has been a long time since we set foot in our own home. I see no harm in one of us leaving this post while the other remains."
Israfel smiled as he understood Castiel's plan. "You will cover for me?"
"I will. Just don't wander too long."
"I will be back in time for you to take a wander yourself, my friend," Israfel said as he patted Castiel's shoulder gratefully. He vanished before Castiel had a chance to speak again.
Now was the time.
With a quick glance up and down the corridor to make sure no one was watching, and after pressing his ear to the door of the war room to listen for any sign that his superiors were ending their discussion, he set off down the dark corridor with hope in his heart. He knew he would find her. He knew she would be well. He knew that all of this could not be for nothing.
But when he reached the doors of what must be the prison, he found them unguarded. Surely that must mean there were no prisoners inside?
He almost turned back in defeat... but then he felt a familiar presence.
"Anna," he whispered. He would know that aura anywhere. She was close.
He quickly swung the doors open wide and entered the dimly-lit corridor beyond. Right away, he was amazed at how uneasy a part of Heaven could make him feel. It was as though he could sense the essence of the sins that had been punished here.
"Anna?" he called softly as he made his way into the depths of the prison. He wasn't sure who else might overhear him, but if anyone but Anna were there, he saw no reason to hide from them now. He would more than likely stumble across them sooner or later as he searched every inch of the prison for her. "Anna, are you there?"
"Castiel?"
"Anna!" He followed the sound of her voice, which seemed to have come from behind the door closest to him. He pressed his hands to it, even that slight touch draining some of his energy thanks to the angel-proof material that covered it. "Thank God I found you in time. I'm here."
"You shouldn't have come," her muffled voice said, proving that he had chosen the correct cell. "They will kill you if they find you."
"As they will you," he said firmly. "I will not let that happen." He tried to open the door, but he could see symbols on the handle indicating that some sort of binding chant was sealing it shut. He did not know the words that had been used to lock the door, and therefore had no way to open it. "I'll find a way to release you," he said, looking around for some other way inside the room.
"No. I'm safe here. Raguel is protecting me."
Castiel stopped and stared at the door in surprise. "Protecting you?" he asked. "What do you mean?"
"He says that all of this is part of a plot to bring chaos and disorder," she said, her voice sounding weak but confident. "The child will be of use somehow, though he does not know why. He is keeping me here until the child is born so that he may hide it and keep it safe. Please, Castiel, you need to leave before someone finds you."
Castiel couldn't believe what he was hearing. The fact that Raguel knew everything was not much of a surprise - he was well known for knowing and seeing all - but why had he not turned them and whoever was conspiring in this plan over to his superiors? Why was he going out of his way to keep Anna and the child safe?
"Are you sure he can be trusted?" he asked.
"I'm alive," Anna said. "That is all the assurance I need."
Castiel was still hesitant. Why had he been offered this chance to save her if she did not need to be saved?
"Cas, please," Anna said softly. "Go."
Castiel could feel the warmth of her hand on the other side of the door, and it gave him comfort. "If you're certain," he said, unwilling to leave her in this awful place but deep down wanting to follow her orders as he always did.
"You're a good friend, Castiel," she said. "I will always be grateful to you for that. But yes... I'm certain. I will be safe here. Go."
Castiel nodded and drew his hand away from the door with a heavy heart. "Goodbye," he said. He waited a moment for a reply, but there was none.
He left the prison silently, closing the doors behind him and hurrying back to his post outside the war room door. No one was around. It seemed that his absence had gone undetected.
Somehow, that brought him no relief. Ever since Anna's disappearance, he had felt that he must make it his mission to help her. Now that he knew there was nothing to be done, he felt lost.
But then, he realized, there was still one thing he could do for her - hope. And that he did with his whole heart.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 5