Fic: Uncharted Territories (7/14) (SPN, Gen)
Chapter Seven: The Calm Before the Oncoming Storm
Chapter Word Count: 3,021
Total Fic Word Count: 14,112/?
Chapter One || Chapter Two || Chapter Three || Chapter Four || Chapter Five || Chapter Six ||
Inias floated in an sea of darkness, his entire vessel suspended effortlessly by the inky void surrounding him. He wasn't sure if he had died or not; if he had, he was seriously disappointed by the afterlife given to him by his Father. He also wasn't sure how long he'd been here, as his usually impeccable sense of time had fallen by the wayside. With nothing better to do, Inias amused himself by trying out various ways of moving. He was flexing his wings, trying to see if he could get any forward momentum going-- though he wasn't sure how he'd be able to track his progress, given the lack of visual landmarks --when a far-off point of light caught Inias's attention. It slowly grew closer to him, bringing a warmth with it that the angel hadn't even noticed was absent from the area around him. As the light grew nearer, Inias could see that the light was in face in the shape of a small bird.
It was mercury silver and ethereal, trailing wisps of vapor from the tips of its fluttering wings as it moved. Inias reached out to the pigeon with one hand, and it landed delicately on his fingers, idly preening its gaseous wing feathers before looking up at him. The bird was cool to the touch and seemed almost weightless; there was only the faintest suggestion of pressure to indicate that it was there. It tilted its head inquisitively to one side and then cooed at him, the soft sound low and comforting. Inias lifted his hand until he could look the bird in the eye. Its glow illuminated his face, throwing it into sharp relief.
“Hello, little one,” Inias murmured, a gentle smile curving his lips upwards. “It's been a while since I've seen something like you. I don't suppose there are many in Heaven who would remember how to make anything similar.”
The bird cooed again and then shuffled a little on its perch before rubbing its head briefly against Inias's cheek. It then launched itself into the air, circling around Inias several times before soaring away. Inias mourned the loss of his all too brief companion as the area around him returned to its prior state. Said state didn't last very long, though, as the Grace-sending (the proper name for the little bird, though the term hadn't been used in millenia, not since the baptism at Galilee) returned, accompanied by a small flock of its fellows. The flock surrounded Inias and flooded the area around him with light and warmth. The original Grace-sending landed on top of Inias's head and settled in with a smug air.
Inias couldn't help but to laugh, particularly so when the little bird chirped authoritatively at the others from its perch. The rest of the flock got into orderly concentric circles stacked around Inias, arranging themselves so that they had but a fingertip's worth of space between their wings and that of their brethren. The flock began to move around Inias, the top ring going clockwise while the one below it moved counter-clockwise; the rest of the rings did the same, alternating the direction of their movement in accordance to the rings above them. An ethereal melody began to form as the rings of Grace-sendings spun ever faster, surrounding and filling the air around them. Inias's eyes slid shut as he took in the wordless song, letting the chords and progressions fill his ears and mind.
The melody spoke of home to him; home and hope and peace and absolute love. It filled the angel's heart and mind and Grace so entirely that he thought he might burst from the overabundance of emotions. The music blazed through and around him, banishing the darkness and replacing it with light. A warmth spread through Inias's entire being, bathing every cell in his vessel so thoroughly that his breath was stolen away. The melody reached a crashing crescendo and then stopped abruptly, sending Inias's mind reeling. He strained his ears to hear any echoes of the song, but instead of the brilliant strains, Inias could make out the soft sounds of someone breathing slowly and regularly nearby.
Inias slowly opened his eyes to find himself staring up at a ceiling that was yellowed by spidery water stains. There was a soft snuffle and a gentle movement to his left that caused Inias to carefully turn his head towards their source. Lee was sitting in a chair next to Inias's bed, slumped against the edge of the mattress with her head resting awkwardly in the cradle of her arms. She held Inias's closest hand in both of her own, her fingers wrapped gently around Inias's hand and pressing lightly into his palm. Inias couldn't help but smile at the sight.
“She's been like that for the past four hours. I was going to try and wake her if either of you didn't do anything soon.”
Inias turned his head to see Becky sitting in a chair in a corner of the room, her legs drawn awkwardly up against her chest. She was barefoot and looked about as good as Inias felt. Inias gave Becky a weak smile and then returned his attention to Lee. He reached across himself, gently prised Lee's hands apart, and then sett them on the mattress. Lee stirred at the motion; she lifted her head and blinked blearily at Inias before focusing entirely on him. The two angels were so focused on one another that they didn't even notice Becky putting her shoes on and then slipping quietly out of the room.
“Inias,” she breathed, smiling wearily at her brother. “How are you feeling?”
“Better, thanks to you,” Inias replied, returning Lee's smile. “It's been a while, Alinarael.”
Lee's smile turned bittersweet. “It's been a long while since anyone's called me that,” she said quietly. “Then again, it's also been a while since I've spoken with any of our family for a substantial length of time.”
“That's to their detriment, then,” Inias told her firmly, placing a hand over one of Lee's. Lee nodded and then sighed.
“You caused quite a bit of fuss, turning up like you did,” she informed Inias. “I had to wipe the memory of the waitress when you were finally stable. Thank Dad the others kept her from telling anyone about your flashy entrance.”
“Sorry about that,” Inias said, sounding mildly sheepish, “but I was more focused on escaping the Leviathans and finding a safe place to heal than worrying about potential witnesses.” He paused for a moment. “Thank you, by the way, for healing me. I wasn't sure I would survive.”
Lee frowned a little at her brother's words. “Why wouldn't I have healed you?” she asked, confused. “You're my brother; of course I'm going to heal you. Idiotic goose.”
“Silly pigeon,” Inias retorted, a fond grin on his face. He carefully sat up, Lee moving to help him when he struggled to get properly upright.
“Well, now that you're actually conscious, I can do a bit of more intensive healing on you,” she said. Inias arched an eyebrow at this.
“'More intensive?' Alinarael, you just performed a near-total Grace mending. What more do you think you can do?”
“This.” Lee reached out and touched Inias on the forehead with two gentle fingers. Inias blinked and then sighed softly in relief when he realized that the bone-deep ache that had permeated his vessel had disappeared entirely. He could breathe regularly now, and his heartbeat had settled into normality as well. Inias blinked and then smiled.
“Thank you again, sister,” he said softly. Now that his attention wasn't focused on his various aches and pains, he realized that he was entirely unclothed under the blankets, save for his underwear. “I don't suppose you know what happened to my clothes?”
Lee chuckled. “They were pretty torn up when you flew in, and to be honest, they weren't fit for the rag bin once I got finished healing the worst of your wounds. Not to worry, though,” she said when she saw Inias's expression, “some of the others went to the nearest clothing store and picked up a few things for you after we checked your sizes. I mean, the outfit's not exactly a suit like you had, but it'll work for your needs.”
Inias shrugged. “I think I'll be all right with whatever you give me.”
“I should hope so,” Lee said dryly. “Anyways, your clothes are over there”--- she pointed at a neatly folded stack of clothes sitting on top of the low bureau across the room ---“so when you're feeling up to it, we should probably go and meet up with the others.”
“That woman who was in here before--”
“Becky?”
“I suppose. Anyways, she said that you had been healing me for the past four hours. Given that it was evening when I arrived-- or at least, that's what it seemed like; I wasn't really paying attention --wouldn't they be asleep by now?”
“I suspect most of them are, but I'm sure that some of them are still awake. Becky still is, at least; that much I do know,” Lee told Inias, getting to her feet and stretching the kinks out of her back. “Look, why don't you get dressed and then we can go see who is still up and about.”
Inias nodded and then pushed back the blankets. Lee turned her back out of deference to her brother's privacy, one of the many habits picked up from two millenia of interacting with humanity. Inias got out of bed and then crossed the room to where his clothes were, getting dressed quickly and efficiently. He had been provided with a light blue dress shirt and plain black slacks, as well as black dress socks and shoes. Inias finished buttoning up his shirt and then looked up to see Lee still waiting with her back turned to him. Inias grinned and then quietly padded across the floor until he was right behind her. Lee didn't turn around at Inias's approach, and only acknowledged his presence when he wrapped his arms around her waist in a tight hug.
“Inias!” Lee yelped, jumping a little in place. Inias didn't let go but merely held onto her, chin nestled on top of Lee's head. Lee sighed and then relaxed into the hug, leaning back against her brother's chest. They stood there quietly, simply reveling in one another's presences. The two of them had been particularly close when they had both still been in Heaven; they had trained and fought side-by-side before Lee had been assigned to watch over a particular bloodline throughout the centuries that was known to play an important role in the Apocalypse. Inias had been created before Lee, and had been tasked in training her and several other angels of her generation before he had been assigned to Castiel's garrison. The two of them had grown close during their time together; after several centuries, their wing-based nicknames had become as regularly used as their true names.
Inias let Lee go after about a minute, stepping away from her as he did so. “Should we go and talk with the others, then?”
“Yeah,” Lee replied, and then paused. “It might be better to walk to the diner, though. Just in case.”
Inias nodded and then the two of them left, locking the room behind them after magically cleaning everything within said room. They walked quietly to the diner, never straying more than a step or two away from one another. Their shoulders brushed as they went, and the two angels stayed close to one another even as they entered the diner. It was almost deserted, with only a few people still hanging around. There were three truckers sitting at the bar, each more focused on their coffee and food rather than their fellow patrons. Sam, Becky, and Jody were sitting in a round booth in a far corner, keeping their voices low as they conversed.
Becky was the first one to look up as the two angel approached, smiling brightly when she saw Inias's restored state. “You're okay!” she said happily, getting to her feet. Lee stepped in front of Inias just in time to intercept Becky's enthusiastic greeting.
“Beck, hon, let's not glomp the newly healed angel, okay?” Lee said, keeping her voice down. “I've only just got him back up and working; he still needs some time to recover.”
Becky blinked in mild consternation and then nodded. “Yeah, okay. Um, do either of you want anything to eat?”
“I don't--” Inias began as Lee led him to the table, but his sister shook her head.
“Maybe some fries or something,” she told Becky. “Nothing real heavy right now.”
“Cool. I'll go find the waitress.” Becky wandered off to the front counter, allowing the two angels to take their seats at the table. Lee rolled her eyes fondly at her friend's actions and then turned to Sam and Jody.
“Sorry about leaving you so abruptly earlier,” she apologized.
“Don't worry about it,” Jody replied. “So, you two are angels. Wasn't expecting that.”
“Yes, well, I wasn't expecting to let people know until it was absolutely necessary,” Lee said dryly, appreciating the Sheriff's to-the-point manner. “Out of curiosity, how did the others react?”
“Well, Quentin and Jake weren't particularly keen on sticking around, but Missouri and Sam managed to bring them around,” Becky said, dropping into the booth beside Jody. “The others seemed pretty okay with it; Sasha said that having as many allies as possible in the fight was a good thing, especially ones as powerful as you two.”
“We'll do the best we can,” Inias said, “but the main enemy-- the Leviathans --they're angel-killers. We are going to have to be very careful around them.”
Sam nodded. “Yeah, but according to Crowley”--- and here Sam scowled in annoyance at the demon-king's actions --- “the Leviathans will be easier to deal with now that Dick Roman's gone. Let's hope he wasn't lying.”
“He's a demon; it's probably a--” Jody began, but stopped when the waitress dropped off a basket of freshly made French fries on the table. The Sheriff only resumed the conversation when the waitress moved away. “Anyways. He hasn't exactly proved to be entirely trustworthy in the past; we should probably take his 'advice' with several heaping tablespoons of salt.”
“Yeah, probably,” Sam said, leaning back against the squeaky vinyl-covered seat. Lee snagged a few of the fries and then held one out to Inias.
“Fry?” she asked before munching on one of her own. Inias regarded the proffered snack curiously and then looked up at Lee.
“You eat food, Alinarael? You do know it's not necessary, right?” he asked. Lee shrugged.
“Yes, well, it helps to blend in with the locals,” she said once she'd finished her food. “You might want to try doing the same, especially if you're going to be hanging around for long. You are going to stay, right?”
“For as long as I can,” Inias replied, taking the fry from Lee with a small smile. He examined the salty fried strip of potato and then, with a shrug, ate it. He contemplated the mix of flavors as he chewed and then nodded.
“Not bad,” he said with satisfaction. Lee grinned at his reaction.
“Wait 'til you try steak,” she told him, amused. Sam chuckled softly and then took a few sips of his water. He sat there in silence, merely drinking in the peaceful atmosphere of the diner and the presence of friendly companions, until a thought struck him when he glanced at Inias, who was now happily eating the fries, occasionally dipping them in the ketchup Becky had provided him.
“Inias, where were you when you were attacked? Was it anywhere nearby?”
Inias broke off his conversation with Becky at Sam's question, a ketchup-tipped fry halfway to his mouth. He lowered his hand as he shook his head. “No. I believe I was somewhere near...” He paused, frowning for a second before continuing on. “Tillamook, Oregon. Yes, that sounds about right. There were four of the Leviathans fighting me; I managed to incapacitate two of them, but the other two-- Well, you saw what they did. I had to abandon the fight if I wanted to stay alive much longer.”
“Hey, you took care of two of the bastards; I think you can be forgiven for wanting to keep breathing,” Jody said firmly. She sighed and then ran a hand through her hair. “God, I need to sleep. Look, why don't we pick this up in the morning when we're all rested and together?”
“We'll keep watch,” Lee assured the others, sliding out of the booth and getting smoothly to her feet. Inias followed her example, snagging the last few fries from the basket and eating them. Lee idly handed her brother a napkin to use before the two of them made a swift exit, leaving by the door, as the truckers were still in the diner. Once outside and out of sight of the front windows, the two angels disappeared into the night, flying up to the roof of the motel and beginning to lay down some basic protection wards. Most of the wards were temporary and would fade in a few days; neither angel wanted to leave behind too much evidence of their location for potential enemies to use.
Once the wards were in place, Inias and Lee settled in on the roof of the diner, watching the stars wheel overhead in a companionable silence. They were ready to take on whatever might come their way, but for now-- well, for now, they planned on enjoying whatever moments of peace and quiet they could get; it would be much needed in the coming days ahead.
Chapter Word Count: 3,021
Total Fic Word Count: 14,112/?
Chapter One || Chapter Two || Chapter Three || Chapter Four || Chapter Five || Chapter Six ||
Inias floated in an sea of darkness, his entire vessel suspended effortlessly by the inky void surrounding him. He wasn't sure if he had died or not; if he had, he was seriously disappointed by the afterlife given to him by his Father. He also wasn't sure how long he'd been here, as his usually impeccable sense of time had fallen by the wayside. With nothing better to do, Inias amused himself by trying out various ways of moving. He was flexing his wings, trying to see if he could get any forward momentum going-- though he wasn't sure how he'd be able to track his progress, given the lack of visual landmarks --when a far-off point of light caught Inias's attention. It slowly grew closer to him, bringing a warmth with it that the angel hadn't even noticed was absent from the area around him. As the light grew nearer, Inias could see that the light was in face in the shape of a small bird.
It was mercury silver and ethereal, trailing wisps of vapor from the tips of its fluttering wings as it moved. Inias reached out to the pigeon with one hand, and it landed delicately on his fingers, idly preening its gaseous wing feathers before looking up at him. The bird was cool to the touch and seemed almost weightless; there was only the faintest suggestion of pressure to indicate that it was there. It tilted its head inquisitively to one side and then cooed at him, the soft sound low and comforting. Inias lifted his hand until he could look the bird in the eye. Its glow illuminated his face, throwing it into sharp relief.
“Hello, little one,” Inias murmured, a gentle smile curving his lips upwards. “It's been a while since I've seen something like you. I don't suppose there are many in Heaven who would remember how to make anything similar.”
The bird cooed again and then shuffled a little on its perch before rubbing its head briefly against Inias's cheek. It then launched itself into the air, circling around Inias several times before soaring away. Inias mourned the loss of his all too brief companion as the area around him returned to its prior state. Said state didn't last very long, though, as the Grace-sending (the proper name for the little bird, though the term hadn't been used in millenia, not since the baptism at Galilee) returned, accompanied by a small flock of its fellows. The flock surrounded Inias and flooded the area around him with light and warmth. The original Grace-sending landed on top of Inias's head and settled in with a smug air.
Inias couldn't help but to laugh, particularly so when the little bird chirped authoritatively at the others from its perch. The rest of the flock got into orderly concentric circles stacked around Inias, arranging themselves so that they had but a fingertip's worth of space between their wings and that of their brethren. The flock began to move around Inias, the top ring going clockwise while the one below it moved counter-clockwise; the rest of the rings did the same, alternating the direction of their movement in accordance to the rings above them. An ethereal melody began to form as the rings of Grace-sendings spun ever faster, surrounding and filling the air around them. Inias's eyes slid shut as he took in the wordless song, letting the chords and progressions fill his ears and mind.
The melody spoke of home to him; home and hope and peace and absolute love. It filled the angel's heart and mind and Grace so entirely that he thought he might burst from the overabundance of emotions. The music blazed through and around him, banishing the darkness and replacing it with light. A warmth spread through Inias's entire being, bathing every cell in his vessel so thoroughly that his breath was stolen away. The melody reached a crashing crescendo and then stopped abruptly, sending Inias's mind reeling. He strained his ears to hear any echoes of the song, but instead of the brilliant strains, Inias could make out the soft sounds of someone breathing slowly and regularly nearby.
Inias slowly opened his eyes to find himself staring up at a ceiling that was yellowed by spidery water stains. There was a soft snuffle and a gentle movement to his left that caused Inias to carefully turn his head towards their source. Lee was sitting in a chair next to Inias's bed, slumped against the edge of the mattress with her head resting awkwardly in the cradle of her arms. She held Inias's closest hand in both of her own, her fingers wrapped gently around Inias's hand and pressing lightly into his palm. Inias couldn't help but smile at the sight.
“She's been like that for the past four hours. I was going to try and wake her if either of you didn't do anything soon.”
Inias turned his head to see Becky sitting in a chair in a corner of the room, her legs drawn awkwardly up against her chest. She was barefoot and looked about as good as Inias felt. Inias gave Becky a weak smile and then returned his attention to Lee. He reached across himself, gently prised Lee's hands apart, and then sett them on the mattress. Lee stirred at the motion; she lifted her head and blinked blearily at Inias before focusing entirely on him. The two angels were so focused on one another that they didn't even notice Becky putting her shoes on and then slipping quietly out of the room.
“Inias,” she breathed, smiling wearily at her brother. “How are you feeling?”
“Better, thanks to you,” Inias replied, returning Lee's smile. “It's been a while, Alinarael.”
Lee's smile turned bittersweet. “It's been a long while since anyone's called me that,” she said quietly. “Then again, it's also been a while since I've spoken with any of our family for a substantial length of time.”
“That's to their detriment, then,” Inias told her firmly, placing a hand over one of Lee's. Lee nodded and then sighed.
“You caused quite a bit of fuss, turning up like you did,” she informed Inias. “I had to wipe the memory of the waitress when you were finally stable. Thank Dad the others kept her from telling anyone about your flashy entrance.”
“Sorry about that,” Inias said, sounding mildly sheepish, “but I was more focused on escaping the Leviathans and finding a safe place to heal than worrying about potential witnesses.” He paused for a moment. “Thank you, by the way, for healing me. I wasn't sure I would survive.”
Lee frowned a little at her brother's words. “Why wouldn't I have healed you?” she asked, confused. “You're my brother; of course I'm going to heal you. Idiotic goose.”
“Silly pigeon,” Inias retorted, a fond grin on his face. He carefully sat up, Lee moving to help him when he struggled to get properly upright.
“Well, now that you're actually conscious, I can do a bit of more intensive healing on you,” she said. Inias arched an eyebrow at this.
“'More intensive?' Alinarael, you just performed a near-total Grace mending. What more do you think you can do?”
“This.” Lee reached out and touched Inias on the forehead with two gentle fingers. Inias blinked and then sighed softly in relief when he realized that the bone-deep ache that had permeated his vessel had disappeared entirely. He could breathe regularly now, and his heartbeat had settled into normality as well. Inias blinked and then smiled.
“Thank you again, sister,” he said softly. Now that his attention wasn't focused on his various aches and pains, he realized that he was entirely unclothed under the blankets, save for his underwear. “I don't suppose you know what happened to my clothes?”
Lee chuckled. “They were pretty torn up when you flew in, and to be honest, they weren't fit for the rag bin once I got finished healing the worst of your wounds. Not to worry, though,” she said when she saw Inias's expression, “some of the others went to the nearest clothing store and picked up a few things for you after we checked your sizes. I mean, the outfit's not exactly a suit like you had, but it'll work for your needs.”
Inias shrugged. “I think I'll be all right with whatever you give me.”
“I should hope so,” Lee said dryly. “Anyways, your clothes are over there”--- she pointed at a neatly folded stack of clothes sitting on top of the low bureau across the room ---“so when you're feeling up to it, we should probably go and meet up with the others.”
“That woman who was in here before--”
“Becky?”
“I suppose. Anyways, she said that you had been healing me for the past four hours. Given that it was evening when I arrived-- or at least, that's what it seemed like; I wasn't really paying attention --wouldn't they be asleep by now?”
“I suspect most of them are, but I'm sure that some of them are still awake. Becky still is, at least; that much I do know,” Lee told Inias, getting to her feet and stretching the kinks out of her back. “Look, why don't you get dressed and then we can go see who is still up and about.”
Inias nodded and then pushed back the blankets. Lee turned her back out of deference to her brother's privacy, one of the many habits picked up from two millenia of interacting with humanity. Inias got out of bed and then crossed the room to where his clothes were, getting dressed quickly and efficiently. He had been provided with a light blue dress shirt and plain black slacks, as well as black dress socks and shoes. Inias finished buttoning up his shirt and then looked up to see Lee still waiting with her back turned to him. Inias grinned and then quietly padded across the floor until he was right behind her. Lee didn't turn around at Inias's approach, and only acknowledged his presence when he wrapped his arms around her waist in a tight hug.
“Inias!” Lee yelped, jumping a little in place. Inias didn't let go but merely held onto her, chin nestled on top of Lee's head. Lee sighed and then relaxed into the hug, leaning back against her brother's chest. They stood there quietly, simply reveling in one another's presences. The two of them had been particularly close when they had both still been in Heaven; they had trained and fought side-by-side before Lee had been assigned to watch over a particular bloodline throughout the centuries that was known to play an important role in the Apocalypse. Inias had been created before Lee, and had been tasked in training her and several other angels of her generation before he had been assigned to Castiel's garrison. The two of them had grown close during their time together; after several centuries, their wing-based nicknames had become as regularly used as their true names.
Inias let Lee go after about a minute, stepping away from her as he did so. “Should we go and talk with the others, then?”
“Yeah,” Lee replied, and then paused. “It might be better to walk to the diner, though. Just in case.”
Inias nodded and then the two of them left, locking the room behind them after magically cleaning everything within said room. They walked quietly to the diner, never straying more than a step or two away from one another. Their shoulders brushed as they went, and the two angels stayed close to one another even as they entered the diner. It was almost deserted, with only a few people still hanging around. There were three truckers sitting at the bar, each more focused on their coffee and food rather than their fellow patrons. Sam, Becky, and Jody were sitting in a round booth in a far corner, keeping their voices low as they conversed.
Becky was the first one to look up as the two angel approached, smiling brightly when she saw Inias's restored state. “You're okay!” she said happily, getting to her feet. Lee stepped in front of Inias just in time to intercept Becky's enthusiastic greeting.
“Beck, hon, let's not glomp the newly healed angel, okay?” Lee said, keeping her voice down. “I've only just got him back up and working; he still needs some time to recover.”
Becky blinked in mild consternation and then nodded. “Yeah, okay. Um, do either of you want anything to eat?”
“I don't--” Inias began as Lee led him to the table, but his sister shook her head.
“Maybe some fries or something,” she told Becky. “Nothing real heavy right now.”
“Cool. I'll go find the waitress.” Becky wandered off to the front counter, allowing the two angels to take their seats at the table. Lee rolled her eyes fondly at her friend's actions and then turned to Sam and Jody.
“Sorry about leaving you so abruptly earlier,” she apologized.
“Don't worry about it,” Jody replied. “So, you two are angels. Wasn't expecting that.”
“Yes, well, I wasn't expecting to let people know until it was absolutely necessary,” Lee said dryly, appreciating the Sheriff's to-the-point manner. “Out of curiosity, how did the others react?”
“Well, Quentin and Jake weren't particularly keen on sticking around, but Missouri and Sam managed to bring them around,” Becky said, dropping into the booth beside Jody. “The others seemed pretty okay with it; Sasha said that having as many allies as possible in the fight was a good thing, especially ones as powerful as you two.”
“We'll do the best we can,” Inias said, “but the main enemy-- the Leviathans --they're angel-killers. We are going to have to be very careful around them.”
Sam nodded. “Yeah, but according to Crowley”--- and here Sam scowled in annoyance at the demon-king's actions --- “the Leviathans will be easier to deal with now that Dick Roman's gone. Let's hope he wasn't lying.”
“He's a demon; it's probably a--” Jody began, but stopped when the waitress dropped off a basket of freshly made French fries on the table. The Sheriff only resumed the conversation when the waitress moved away. “Anyways. He hasn't exactly proved to be entirely trustworthy in the past; we should probably take his 'advice' with several heaping tablespoons of salt.”
“Yeah, probably,” Sam said, leaning back against the squeaky vinyl-covered seat. Lee snagged a few of the fries and then held one out to Inias.
“Fry?” she asked before munching on one of her own. Inias regarded the proffered snack curiously and then looked up at Lee.
“You eat food, Alinarael? You do know it's not necessary, right?” he asked. Lee shrugged.
“Yes, well, it helps to blend in with the locals,” she said once she'd finished her food. “You might want to try doing the same, especially if you're going to be hanging around for long. You are going to stay, right?”
“For as long as I can,” Inias replied, taking the fry from Lee with a small smile. He examined the salty fried strip of potato and then, with a shrug, ate it. He contemplated the mix of flavors as he chewed and then nodded.
“Not bad,” he said with satisfaction. Lee grinned at his reaction.
“Wait 'til you try steak,” she told him, amused. Sam chuckled softly and then took a few sips of his water. He sat there in silence, merely drinking in the peaceful atmosphere of the diner and the presence of friendly companions, until a thought struck him when he glanced at Inias, who was now happily eating the fries, occasionally dipping them in the ketchup Becky had provided him.
“Inias, where were you when you were attacked? Was it anywhere nearby?”
Inias broke off his conversation with Becky at Sam's question, a ketchup-tipped fry halfway to his mouth. He lowered his hand as he shook his head. “No. I believe I was somewhere near...” He paused, frowning for a second before continuing on. “Tillamook, Oregon. Yes, that sounds about right. There were four of the Leviathans fighting me; I managed to incapacitate two of them, but the other two-- Well, you saw what they did. I had to abandon the fight if I wanted to stay alive much longer.”
“Hey, you took care of two of the bastards; I think you can be forgiven for wanting to keep breathing,” Jody said firmly. She sighed and then ran a hand through her hair. “God, I need to sleep. Look, why don't we pick this up in the morning when we're all rested and together?”
“We'll keep watch,” Lee assured the others, sliding out of the booth and getting smoothly to her feet. Inias followed her example, snagging the last few fries from the basket and eating them. Lee idly handed her brother a napkin to use before the two of them made a swift exit, leaving by the door, as the truckers were still in the diner. Once outside and out of sight of the front windows, the two angels disappeared into the night, flying up to the roof of the motel and beginning to lay down some basic protection wards. Most of the wards were temporary and would fade in a few days; neither angel wanted to leave behind too much evidence of their location for potential enemies to use.
Once the wards were in place, Inias and Lee settled in on the roof of the diner, watching the stars wheel overhead in a companionable silence. They were ready to take on whatever might come their way, but for now-- well, for now, they planned on enjoying whatever moments of peace and quiet they could get; it would be much needed in the coming days ahead.