Chapter 7

I did anything but what I was told. I waited for him to come back for an hour before I made the decision to explore a little. I pushed open the front door to Ketch' house, wanting to see if it only opened to Hell or would open to the forest. The first seemed to be the only option as the door opened out into the red halls. I frowned a little, exploring the forest around the house would've been the safer option, but this seemed to be just a replica of the house. Something Asmodeus had created to make Ketch comfortable, but still keeping him contained in Hell with no real way out. Well, sneaking around Hell seemed to be the only option.

I pushed the door open enough to squeeze out before pushing it slowly closed again. No one seemed to be around, but that didn't mean the walls didn't have eyes. Like I told Ketch when we'd first arrived here, if there were a Winchester in Hell, every demon would know in a matter of minutes. It was hard to shake the family smell or looks when you'd faced off against so many. I stayed against the walls as much as I could and followed the hall until I found the end. It was marked with a large steel door pressed flush into the rock walls. Skulls and spikes adorned it from bottom to top, and four long chains stretched across from each corner, meeting in the middle around the handles. There didn't appear to be a lock or a keyhole to open it. I was busy examining it when I heard voices coming from behind me. Shit. I ducked into a shallow doorway not far from the large door, trying to make myself still enough to just pass by.

"You're going to make us late." One demon grumbled.

"You're the one who insisted they felt something off about that human's room." Another responded.

Fuck. Did they really already know I was here? Or was there another human staying in Hell other than Ketch?

"And there was wasn't there?" The first huffed, "You said you could tell someone else had been there, too!"

"That doesn't mean I think it's anything important." The second argued.

They were getting too close at this point. I held my breath and tried to squeeze deeper into the recess.

"Well, we can worry about it later." The first one passed in front of me, he was tall and thin. Red blonde hair and scruff covered his head. His natural eyes were blue. He was dressed like a typical demon grunt, nicely kept business attire.

"Ya, ya. Gotta report to the.." The second came into view now. He was shorter and rounder. His dirty blonde hair was shaggy and his face clean shaven. He was dressed like a demon who'd just been on the surface, in rugged street clothes. His green eyes met mine. "Intruder!"

I was made. I jumped from the small cut-out and tried to bolt, but the first demon was in front of me before I could move more than a foot. Double fuck. I'd be in so much trouble for this.

"Well looky here." The first demon said, stalking forward towards me, "Told ya so, Aamon."

Aamon, the green-eyed demon huffed, "You would've walked right past her if I hadn't seen her, Rarrith."

"What are you doing here, human?" Rarrith asked, now face to face with me.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. I never had liked working with demons, even working with Crowley still made me nervous sometimes. "I'm here to see your boss, Asmodeus." I tried to sound confident in my blatant lie. That was the last thing I wanted right now.

"Really?" Rarrith stalked around me, "Why don't I believe you?"

"Would you really defy an order from him?" I said, "You'd get in a lot of trouble if I don't see him."

"Because a Winchester never comes here just 'to see the boss'." Aamon mocked me.

"We're not all bad, ya know." I said, trying to keep my eyes on Rarrith as he continued to circle me.

"Right, you're just the reason Lucifer is gone and we have to rely on this asshole." Aamon spoke again.

"I had nothing to do with that." that part at least wasn't a lie. I had been healing when the latest stuff with Lucifer had happened, and Sam hadn't filled me in on what went down yet. You should've stayed put.

"Uh-huh." Rarrith said, "Well if you really wanna see him why don't we take you to him?"

My eyes widened, "There's no need for that. I'm sure he's busy. I'll just wait." I took a step forward.

Rarrith grabbed my wrist. "There's no need to wait, he'll see you right now."

Aamon came up from behind me and took my other wrist. With their combined strength, I knew any amount of struggling was futile, so I let them drag me back toward the large steel door. I kept my head down as it creaked open and they dragged me inside. I looked up a little when the doors closed and looked around, catching Ketch' eyes when I found him in the room. He looked worried, shocked, and partially pissed I hadn't listened. But I couldn't focus on that now, I had to think of how we'd both get out of this alive. The chances would be slim to none. Rarrith and Aamon threw me onto my back in front of the throne I knew all too well. I rolled over and pushed myself up onto my knees. I looked up at the demon sitting in front of me. He was well dressed in a pure white suit. He had long black hair that was slicked back, a dark beard threaded with silver covering his cheeks and chin, and two thin scars that traveled over the bridge of his nose and past his left eye. His hazel eyes looked down at me with curiosity.

"And what's this?" His southern accent was thick.

"We found her walking around freely, sir." Aamon said.

"Technically I wasn't walking around when they found me," I said, staring right back at Asmodeus. "I was standing in a doorway."

The prince's eyes flashed the oh-so-familiar yellow as he smiled. Would he be just like his brothers? Cocky but easy to fool? Or was he smarter? Was that how he'd managed to escape our radar for so long? He already seemed nothing like Azazel.

"What were you looking for, Sweetheart?" The thick charm in his voice was fake.

"First, no one calls me sweetheart." I spit, "Second, I wasn't looking for anything. Just stretching my legs."

Asmodues' sickly sweet smile widened. It was unsettling, the way he looked at me brought old memories that I shook back down. This wasn't the time to get intimidated. I watched as he stood and walked away from the throne and over the Ketch. Ketch hadn't moved in the time I'd been talking, and his face had returned to an expressionless stone.

"Did you bring this with you?" Asmodeus asked, walking around him.

"Is there a problem?" Ketch questioned in return, "I thought I was free to do what I wanted when I wasn't doing something for you."

Asmodeus chuckled, "Listen closely," There was an edge to the charm now, "I own you. The moment you agreed to work for me, I owned your every breath. And now you've brought a Winchester into my domain. Did you expect me to do nothing about it? Or maybe you thought you could sneak her past me and have a plaything all to yourself?" At this point you could feel the anger in the air, It would be lucky if we got out of this situation at all now. Asmodeus was pacing behind Ketch now, looking at him like he was a plate of food.

"I agreed to watch them." Ketch said, no waiver in his voice, "She came with me willingly, I thought you could use an insider."

Asmodeus nodded, "So she's just another toy to you. Perhaps I should thank you, then. You did bring one right to my feet."

In a movement too fast for the human eye, I was thrown across the room, my body only slowing when it smashed into a wooden pillar. Even then I went through it as it splintered. All the air was pushed out of me as I hit the wall. I slumped against the ground, eyes blurry. In another instant I was in the air, being held up by my collar. I grasped at the arm holding me, looking into those sickly yellow eyes. A fist came into contact with my cheek, if he wasn't holding me I would've dropped to the ground again. A second hit collided with my temple, this time he let me fall to the ground. The room around me was going black, I almost didn't feel the boot that made contact with my side, sending me flying into the wall once again.

"What? All out of that Winchester fire?." Asmodeus said as he approached me.

He picked me up by my neck this time, dangling me in the air and leaving no room to breathe. I could feel the blood bubble in my throat and drool down my chin. Fear screamed in my mind as I desperately grabbed at his hand, but I was losing this battle of consciousness. It wouldn't be long now.

"Stop!" No...Ketch couldn't get in the middle of this….I'd be fine.

But the air around me seemed to stand still regardless. And in an instant I was on the ground again, slumped forward, gasping for what little air my shattered ribs could hold. Asmodeus had turned his attention to Ketch. I could barely see him through blurry eyes staring down at the prince. This wouldn't end pretty. Asmodeus may have been the weakest of his brothers, but his instability made up for it. He was willing to go much farther to get his way.

"And what are you going to do, boy?" I could hear the smile in his voice as he taunted. "You're nothing compared to me."

"Ketch.." I gasped, my throat sore and dry.

"Aww. You hear that?" The demon was next to me again in an instant. And in another, he held me by the back of my neck in front of those silver eyes. Eyes that were filled with fear. "She called out for you."

I reached a hand forward, "It's ok. I'll be…"

The rest of the words I wanted to say were gargled. Asmodeus had crushed my throat.

"No!"

Warm. Dark. Comfortable. Endless sleep.

That's what death is like. There's always the light though. Don't go towards it if you want to keep living. In fact, you should walk in the opposite direction. Walk towards the voice calling your name. Walk into the endless dark.

"Alex?" The familiar voice echoed around me.

"What?" I groaned.

"That was a quick trip. What happened?" Elizabeth, "I thought you were gonna take some time to be home this time?"

"Elly…god. How can I have a headache? I'm dead." I opened my eyes to the darkness that was Elizabeth Castle's mind.

That was how it worked every time. I died, or at least had enough bodily injury to force my 'spirit' out of my body and into another's. Although this one I couldn't control this unless given permission, and it was very far away from home. Another world away to be exact. I swam around in this other being's consciousness until mine was healed enough to return to. Usually, I was pulled right back when it was time, but in different situations, like this one, I could force my way back quicker. Although that often resulted in recovering slower in my own body, and I wasn't sure I had time for that right now.

"Well, I'm studying. It's probably just my headache you're feeling." Elly said. I heard a book close, "So what happened this time?"

"It's a long story that involves the Brit and a demon prince." I sighed, I'd need to be here for at least 24 hours. That'd give Ketch enough time to, hopefully, get to the boys alive and for them to then get Rowena. She could heal me faster than anyone else, although I hated dealing with the after-effects of her magic.

"You mean Arthur Ketch, right? I just got to him in the show. He's kinda a dick." Monsters didn't exist in her world. The story of my life was a TV show, minus me it seemed.

I laughed, "At least they got that right."

"So what else happened?" I glanced to the side of the void that opened to her vision. It was like a screen constantly live-streaming her life. Right now she was putting her school books away.

"Demon prince beat the hell out of me. And now I'm here." I watched as she walked to her bed and sat down. "Are you going to bed already?"

"It's ten o'clock, Alex. I have midterms next week. Yes, I'm going to bed." She said.

"Oh, I'm probably a distraction then. Sorry." I felt my cheeks burn slightly. It always felt like I popped in at the worst times.

"You're fine. If anything you'll help." She yawned, "After all, not everyone has a voice in their head giving them directions."

"I never finished high school El, doubt I'll be much help on a college exam." I relaxed back, crossing my arms behind my head and using them as a pillow.

"Eh, You could always remember something." She closed her eyes, now laying in her bed. "Hey, I need to show you something at work tomorrow."

"Oh ya?" I smiled, closing my own eyes even though it wouldn't do any good. I didn't sleep here. "Find another cute guy you need help asking out?"

I felt her laugh, "No, I'm happy with Mark, thank you." That was the name of her boyfriend, "No, this is something more….supernatural. I'm not even sure how to describe it."

That wasn't good.

I was right. It was everything but good.

We'd gotten to the state park Elly worked for early in the day before too many people came to hike and camp. When we'd arrived she'd spent some time saying hello to co-workers before taking a small four-wheeler-type vehicle out onto the trails. We drove for about twenty minutes before she stopped on an off-branch of a well-traveled path. Then she climbed through trees and brush for another five minutes before getting to the spot in question. And what stood before us was my worst nightmare. It was a thin waving light of golden energy, no more than three feet tall and a finger's thickness.

"Have you told anyone about this?" I asked, staring down the opening to another world.

"No. I only found it yesterday evening after a hiker reported the light it gave off." Elly sighed, "It's bad isn't it?"

"It's definitely not good." How could this have happened? We had made sure to close all the ones Jack had accidentally opened with Kaia. So who'd made this one? Or had we simply missed one? It was too early to know. We didn't even know where this one went. "Have you seen anything come out of it?"

"No, but…" She went silent as a twig nearby snapped.

"Elly. Don't move. Don't even breathe. Just listen." I instructed her.

She nodded slowly. I focused on the sound of crunching underbrush. It didn't sound that far away. It could be anything. Anyone. But with our luck, it was something deadly from the other side of the rift. I listened carefully as the steps got closer, it was big whatever it was.

"El, I need you to listen very closely." I tried to stay calm for her. "Turn around, and walk very carefully back towards the trail."

Elly nodded again as she started back towards safety. She took careful steps, minding the roots and dry leaves underfoot. I continued to listen to the footfalls of the other being with us. They were still getting closer, but at least it only seemed to be one. We were a few feet away from the rift when the steps stopped.

"Elly," I said.

She froze, the forest around us becoming eerily silent. That familiar silence as every living thing held its breath before the monster attacked its prey.

"Run."

Elly bolted through the brush, no longer caring about silence or being careful as she vaulted over dead logs and pushed through spiny bushes. I could hear the monster following us, a low growl coming from the shadows now.

"Faster El!" I yelled.

She pushed her legs faster, using every ounce of strength she could muster. We broke through onto the trail and she jumped onto the four-wheeler, throwing it into drive and racing down the trail before the thing could fully catch up.

"Look back Elly!" I said. I needed to see what it was.

"I can't!" I heard the fear in her voice. I didn't blame her, she'd never had to run for her life before.

"Elly! I need to see what it was!" I knew she could be brave, she'd have to be. "Elizabeth!"

She hesitated for another few seconds before glancing back over her shoulder. I caught a glimpse of foliage buckling and dirt being displaced, but the thing itself was invisible. A hellhound. Elly turned back around and focused on the trail ahead again. It was a few minutes of only the engine making a sound before anything was said.

"What do I do!" She yelled.

"I don't know." I answered honestly.

"What do you mean you don't know?! There's a thing out here that just attacked me and you don't know what to do?! Isn't this your specialty?!" She had every right to be scared and upset, but her thinking like this was making my own thoughts fuzzy.

"I'll figure something out, ok?" I tried to stay calm for her, but this was nothing to be calm about, "Just get back to a safe spot."

"It saw me didn't it…." her voice quivered, "Nowhere is safe."

"It'll be ok, El." I said. It was moments like this where I wished I could hug her. Be a physical form for comfort.

"Just don't leave yet, ok?" The request made me smile.

"I promise I won't."

It was a silent drive back to where Elly lived with her parents. And even when we got there nothing was said for almost two hours. And when the silence was finally broken it was Elly who did it.

"What the fuck was it?" She asked, pacing around her room.

"It was a hellhound, El." I sighed.

She was silent for another minute. "You're sure?"

"It's the only thing I know of that's invisible and sounds like that." I winced, "And trust me when I say I know what they sound like by heart."

"Fuck.." She whined. "What am I supposed to do with a fucking hellhound on my ass?!"

"I don't know. I'm really not even sure how it got here. They shouldn't know how to." I thought for a minute, it was a serious situation we were in indeed, but there was no use in getting myself worked up before we knew the full situation. "Plus, we're not even sure it's here for you. Could be anyone."

"Right! Cause there's totally another human walking around with a fucking Winchester in their head." She muttered.

I sighed, what would my brothers do in this situation? What would Ketch do? I thought about both for a second. I knew my brothers would take a second to think things through and find a safe solution. We didn't have the time for that. The odds were that this hound was after Elly, most likely because of me, and if that was the case, then we couldn't spare the time thinking of safe options. We had to act. But doing things Ketch' way was just as dangerous if not more so. I was sure if he were here he would have turned right around and tried to kill the thing and jump through the portal to see where it went, killing anything in his way on the other side. He always killed first and asked questions later, it was his training. I sighed again, I couldn't do either of those things, I knew we couldn't wait here and I would never put Elly in danger. I could feel her reaching the peak of an anxiety attack.

"Elly?" I asked softly, "Would you feel better if I calmed you down? Took some control?" I had limited control of Elly when I was like this, but only with her permission and only ever when she absolutely needed it.

Elly silently nodded. I pushed my way into her consciousness a little, finding her lungs, her heart, and her muscles. I relaxed each slowly, gently. When she was calm again I shared my idea with her.

"We need to get you to safety Elly." I said slowly, testing the water. "I want you to go through that portal."

"WHAT! You're insane!" She yelled, stopping in her path, her heart immediately jumping higher in rhythm again.

"Elly listen to me. My brothers will be able to help you. I will be able to help you. You'll be safer than here. If we stay here then you're at risk of it finding you. You put your family at risk Elly." I stated.

She was silent again, her heartbeat the only sound for several seconds.

"We don't even know where it goes…" She mumbled.

"That's ok. We'll find you. You just need to trust me in this." I was trying to be confident, but she was right. We had no idea where it went. But it was a better idea than keeping her here without me. "We'll wait until it gets a bit darker outside. You can say your goodbyes that way. Pack a little too. Don't make it obvious you're leaving, keep things simple and only grab what's necessary."

"You promise I'll be ok?" She asked, I could hear the hitch in her voice, she was crying.

"I promise I will protect you with my life."

We waited until after dinner that night to leave. That way Elly had one last meal with her parents and could leave without worrying them. She'd even told them she would be busy studying for the next few days and apologized if they didn't see her. She was a wonderful actress. Now that we were trekking back through the dark woods to the rift, she cried. The tears were constantly streaming down her cheeks, even though she didn't let out a sound.

"We'll have to tread carefully up here, El," I said, keeping vigilant as she walked. This was another reason I liked being in her head, I could watch her blind spots better than she could.

"Right," she answered in a small voice.

It didn't take us long to find the rift again, we could see its glow through the brush well before we got to it, although this time it was smaller.

"Shit, it's closing," I mumbled.

"Right, do I just jump right in then?" Elly asked, stepping around it.

"Not yet. I want to listen for…" A low, monstrous growl came from the dark. "That."

She still couldn't see it, but with the way it thumped through the brush, it wasn't hard to guess where it was coming from.

"Elly, let me take control for a minute." I didn't need to ask. Elly gave up control of her body and sank into the void I had been in, letting me take the driver's seat.

I pulled a large silver kitchen knife from one of her boots, it was the biggest thing we could find before leaving. I watched the grass and weeds crunch beneath invisible footsteps as the hellhound circled us. I waited for it to stop, listening to its breath and waiting for it to jump. When it did I had to guess where it was going, though it wasn't hard, they usually went for the throat. I didn't blame it when it smacked into Elly's body and I could feel the hot breath on her neck. Slobber moistened her neck and I could feel her cringe. I smiled and pushed back against the beast, forcing it away from her, but keeping a strong hold on its neck with one hand. With the other I took the blade and sliced it just under my hand, severing its throat. The thick black blood splattered over Elly's clothes and the thing yelped, pushing off and trying to run away.

"Not so fast." It was weird to talk with her voice.

It was easier to see it now that it had been wounded, and it was my turn to leap on the monster. I pinned it to the ground on its belly. It still had enough fight left in it to buck and nash its invisible teeth at me, but it only took seconds for me to finish it off with another drag of the blade across its neck, finishing a partial decapitation. The hellhound went limp below Elly's body, dead.

"That's that." I sighed.

"Great," Elly said, pushing forward again. "Now just to go through the portal to anywhere."

"No need to be sassy about it. I know you're scared, but if we don't go now more I just going to come." I could feel that she knew I was right. "It's time to go, El."

"I know, I know." She stepped towards the rift, "What will happen to you when I go through."

"I don't know. Hopefully, I go back to my body." I hadn't thought of that, but that wasn't a priority, and it wouldn't be the first time the boys would have to figure out how to put my soul back in my body. "We'll just have to find out."

"Ok." She took another step towards the fading rift. "Wait!"

"We need to hurry, Elly." I said.

"How will I find you? How will you find me?!" She made a good point.

I thought for a minute, "Write on your hand." I instructed, waiting for her to fish a pen from her pocket before reciting my phone number. She scribbled it down quickly.

"Ok, now I'm ready." She took a deep breath and stepped through.