Non Timebo Mala: Chapter 14
Chapter 14
The three day journey back to Rome flew by much faster than anyone had hoped despite their attempts to move at a much slower pace than before. Castiel had been irritated at Dean on the first day for not trusting him earlier when it came to Sam’s transfer but his attempts to remain angry had been thwarted when his lover had ridden next to him and done everything in his power to get back in good graces, including apologizing repeatedly. When Dean finally slipped his hand into Castiel’s and gave him a sad smile, the walls of reserve Castiel had came tumbling down. Sam refrained from making any commentary about how sickeningly cute it was that they rode the rest of that day hand in hand, owing mostly to the fact that he knew his brother would punch him for it, but he couldn’t wipe the smile from his face regardless. It was a relief to see his brother so happy and it helped assuage some of his nervousness about the insane plan they were about to put in motion. He could only hope everything would work out as they planned and he spent much of their trip trying to refine it so as little was left to chance as possible.
When they got back, they would drop Castiel off at the senator’s home. They would collect Dean’s note of favor and then head to Michael’s house to look the place over. Castiel penned up a note for Anya which would convince her to trust the Winchesters and once she was safely outside the city walls with Sam, Dean would head back to the senator’s home. Castiel, meanwhile, would wait till an hour after sundown and then ask to take an evening walk outside for a bit of fresh air. Dean would meet him at Azazel’s gates and the pair would slip out to meet up with Sam. Castiel and Anya would ride to Gabriel’s residence and the brothers would go back to the city to check in with their new unit. It seemed simple enough but Sam couldn’t shake the feeling that this was going to horribly awry somehow. He knew Dean wouldn’t be put off though so he was left checking and re-checking for contingency plans.
As they finally approached the northern gate of the city on the third day, everyone’s spirits were more subdued than they had been the whole trip. Dean shoved away his nervousness and convinced himself this would work. It had to. He couldn’t bear losing Sam and he wasn’t about to lose Castiel now that he had him. Dean reined Impala back to Castiel’s side. “Remember, one hour after the sun goes down,” he said with authority, “that gives us enough time to get Anya and get back.”
Castiel nodded and tried to latch onto his partner’s confidence as much as he could. “I am aware of the plan, Dean.” He felt his stomach go sour at the idea of having to be in Azazel’s presence until sundown but thoughts of freedom and memories of his time with Dean and Sam would hold him through it. He doubted his conversational skills were high on the senator’s list of priorities so with any luck he could simply find a spot to sit quietly and bide his time. And if Azazel decided to seek out the only asset he did care about…well, Castiel would cross that bridge if he came to it. He would just have to fend off the senator for as long as possible. Castiel looked up into Dean’s eyes and reminded himself that this was all worth it if he could wake every morning to that sight. He watched Dean tense and start to reach for him but there were too many eyes to see them now and Dean let his hand drop back to his lap with a disappointed sigh.
The procession made its way through the gate and into the overcrowded streets of the city. The smells of baking bread, honey, and curing meats wafted up from an adjacent market alley and it offered a note of comfort to welcome Castiel home. He lifted his chin as much as possible and rode with all the stiff importance of a high ranking patrician now that he knew people were watching. Azazel’s influence stretched far through the city and Sam had been right in insisting that he should act as distant from them as possible to prevent later suspicion. Every step closer to the senator’s home only worsened the sour taste in his mouth and by the time the dreaded villa was in sight, Castiel was thoroughly miserable at the idea of parting with his new companions when he couldn’t even offer them a proper goodbye. He consoled himself with the knowledge that it wasn’t going to be for long as the gates slid open and admitted them. “Tell senator Azazel that Castiel Novak has arrived,” Cas said with more authority than Dean had ever heard him use before and he tried not to think about just how immeasurably hot that was.
A guard at the front door poked his head in, said something clipped to an unseen person within, and a few minutes later the door opened. Tennen, the slave Castiel had met before marched out onto the steps. “We’re very glad to see you arrived safely, Master Castiel,” he said in a way made it clear he couldn’t actually care less, “Please step inside. Master Azazel is waiting for you. He arrived just last night himself.”
Castiel nodded at Dean and Sam before slipping from his horse and striding purposefully into the cool depths of the house. The Winchesters ignored the disapproving look from Tennen as they followed in Castiel’s wake. “Your services have been most appreciated,” the servant offered when it became clear the soldiers weren’t taking his subtle hints, “We do not wish to take up more of your time than is necessary.”
Dean looked him over with a raised eyebrow, his expression saying clearly what he thought of the little man. “Our orders were to deliver Castiel Novak into the hands of Azazel himself. When that’s done, we’ll leave.”
“Ah, the tenacity of Rome’s Legions,” a smooth voice interrupted them, “following orders to the letter. Good. It does you justice.” Azazel stepped out into the meager light afforded by the open atrium to his right and Dean decided in that instant that he hated this man even more than he thought possible. Every inch of the guy radiated pompous self-importance and it was exactly that kind of attitude that irked Dean to no end. It didn’t help that this was the scum trying to lay claim to his Castiel either. Azazel gave them all an oily smile and glided across the room toward them, the folds of his long toga swishing around his ankles. He strode up and laid his palm affectionately against Castiel’s cheek while Dean tried to fight down the urge to punch him in the face. “Castiel,” he gloated, “I do hope your time here goes better than our last meeting.”
Cas tried not to flinch from the touch as Azazel thumbed across his cheekbone. “I apologize for my earlier actions. You startled me,” he lied as smoothly as he could, “I am flattered and grateful for your generosity in not taking offence.”
“These things happen,” Azazel purred in a way that made it very clear he knew Castiel didn’t want to be there, and it made Dean’s skin crawl. It wasn’t until Sam nudged his arm that he realized he’d balled his hands into fists and he struggled to unclench them. He hated the way the senator was looking at Cas and for a moment Dean wasn’t sure he could do this. He didn’t want to leave Castiel with this monster, wanted to skin the guy for even daring to touch him that way, but Sam stepped in and stopped what might have gone very poorly otherwise.
“Senator Azazel, we do not wish to take up any more of your time,” Sam said pointedly.
The senator peeled his eyes away from Castiel with a last crooked grin and turned his attention finally on the other two men in his presence. The way he eyed Dean made the soldier feel ill and he got the impression that Azazel would happily have added him to his list of conquests if he could have done so. Dean clenched his jaw shut so as not to say anything he might regret. “Of course,” Azazel said patronizingly, “I must thank you gentlemen for going above and beyond the call of your duties. You have had to escort my Castiel,” MY CASTIEL, Dean thought angrily, “all the way to the front lines and back again. Who would have expected such treachery from the Gauls? And to think, it was one of my own servants I am told who betrayed you that night.”
Castiel’s head snapped around in surprise. So that’s who owned the slave that had opened the gates. “He was sent ahead as a gift to your general for his kindness in indulging me. You can imagine my embarrassment,” the Senator continued, though Azazel most definitely didn’t sound embarrassed. If anything he sounded mildly annoyed but he let the subject drop without further comment. “I suppose I wouldn’t be a very good host were I not to reward you both for going so far out of your way on my account, would I?” He gestured to Tennen who drew out a money pouch from his waist. “Will 2000 sesterii each be sufficient?”
Dean almost choked. That was a whole year’s pay for him and he almost reached for the coins before he remembered why they were there. “Actually, we were hoping you might be able to help with something of a different nature,” Sam interjected. Dean could have cried when Tennen closed the money pouch back up. “I’ve been transferred to the 32nd Bellus Monstrum Legion but my brother Denarious has not yet been able to secure a transfer. If there were anything you could do to help…,” Sam trailed off.
Azazel nodded. “Of course, family is very important, isn’t it?” He flicked his wrist and Tennen scurried off only to return a moment later with a quill and some papyrus. He handed the items to Azazel and then neatly bent himself in half so his master could smooth the paper across his back. Azazel scrawled something quickly onto the sheet and then handed it over to Sam. “That should take care of things. Now if you’ll excuse me,” he said with finality before turning and striding toward a door in the back of the room without waiting for a reply. He paused at the threshold and held out his hand. “Come, let me show you around, Castiel. I want you to feel at home.”
Castiel swallowed down his uneasiness and resisted the urge to look to Dean for comfort. He knew he couldn’t afford to give them away now and so he marched stiffly in the senator’s footsteps. Dean watched them until they disappeared into the darkness of the next room and it took every ounce of will power he had not to chase after them. An insistent tug on his sleeve clued him in to Sam saying his name and he let himself be led back out of the house. He hadn’t counted on it bothering him so much when the time came to leave Castiel alone with Azazel but he couldn’t help wanting to run back into the home and tear that man apart for even looking at Cas. It was obvious to Dean that Azazel knew well enough what Michael was doing, he knew Castiel didn’t want to be there, and the pleasure Dean could see he was taking from that made him sick to his stomach. The creep had better not so much as stare hard at his lover before he made it back to collect him.
Dean trotted out of the gate and back onto the street, the space at his side feeling somehow emptier now that Castiel wasn’t sitting there. It was like there was a hole in him he didn’t know existed until it was filled by blue eyes and dark hair and now he was painfully aware of it being hollow again. Sam trotted up next to him and shot his brother a worried look tinged with annoyance. “You know, that would have gone better if you hadn’t been glaring daggers into the senator’s back, Dean. We’re lucky he didn’t suspect anything.” Sam sighed and pulled out the note Azazel had handed him. It was pretty cut and dry, a simple request from the senator making it clear that it would please him greatly if Dean was transferred to Sam’s unit and it carried the unspoken undertone that such a request was best not refused.
“Did you see the way that creep was looking at Cas?” Dean growled. “Freakin’ slimy, self righteous, son of a bitch.”
Sam tried to steer Dean’s thoughts away from the encounter before his brother got the disastrous idea to try going back. “It’s only for a little while Dean. Cas can take care of himself. We just need to focus on doing our part.”
“I know Cas can take care of himself,” Dean snapped, “I just don’t like leaving him with that jerk.”
“Well, the sooner we get this note to the command of the 32nd, the sooner we can get Anya out of Michael’s hands and then you can go get Cas back.”
Dean snarled unhappily but followed his brother regardless down to the main legion headquarters in the city. He just had to hope Cas would be ok till he could get back to him.
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