Desolation Comes Upon the Sky

First Born

July 26th, 2014
Rexford, Idaho

Blood stained the sink, dark red spatterings that faded to pink as the water washed it away. Alex dug her nails into her skin as she tried to scrape the dried layer that caked her hands. Her jacket lay in the bathtub, soaking in hot water in a half-hearted attempt to draw the blood out.

She had arrived in Hibbard late that evening. The folder the demon Del had given her had contained all of the information that she would need. No research was necessary; the job was purely dispatch. Her target was a small boarding school of witches just a mile west in the woods. Names and faces were included, as well as a list of all of their victims.

She had gone in under the cover of night, gun loaded and a knife stashed on her belt. The first two had gone down easily, caught by surprise as two bullets pierced their skulls. The next three had fallen in similar manners, cries of shock falling from their lips before the bled out on the ground. The fourth kill had been messy; it took three bullets to bring her down, and she had twitched uncontrollably for several seconds before she fell still.

There had been twelve in all. Many were young, students, novices to the world of hunters, and they fell easily beneath the muzzle of her gun. But there were others that had put up a fight, and the scuffle had been a bloody one.

But they were dead.

Alex looked up into the mirror, frowning at the faint splattering across her freckled face. Her gray eyes flickered, resting on the border between determination and exhaustion as she stared at herself through the familiar mirror.

She hadn't known where else to run, and so she had returned to the only place she knew; her and Castiel's home. The door was still unlocked, and everything was where they had left it. No one had been inside; this was her sanctuary, her safe haven. It belonged to her and Cas.

Her eyes fell onto her phone that sat on the counter beside her. The notification for Castiel's voicemail still sat displayed on her lock screen, a reminder of her deception. Alex wiped her hands off of her pants as she reached for it with a frown. He would surely be worried by now; best to soothe him before he grew suspicious.

Her phone rang, and a ding answered it. The house creaked, and the young hunter immediately snapped to attention. Her blood stained fingers closed around her gun, but before she could take a step towards the bathroom door, it flew open. Brilliant blue eyes flashed in surprise, and the gun fell back onto the counter.

"What are you doing?" Castiel stepped into the room, and his eyes went wide at the sight of the blood. "What happened?"

Alex didn't respond. "H-H-How..." she finally managed to get out. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Jody Mills said you never showed up." Castiel's gaze traveled across the entire room, taking in the blood-stained clothes and the red tub. "And our grace is connected." The seraph's face twisted in anger as he took in the blood. "What did you do?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Shame washed through her, and Alex's face grew red as her voice sharpened defensively. "I just took care of some things, alright? It's no big deal." She turned back to the running sink, watching as the blood slid down into the drain as she tugged softly on tendril of grace that connected her to her mate; she hadn't even thought about it.

"You were hunting." Castiel's voice was flat, and Alex's eyes closed. "You were hunting," he repeated. "After you promised me that you wouldn't." Disbelief hollowed out his tone as the realization came crashing down, and pity swept through the young hunter.

I'm doing this to keep you safe. Alex bit back the words as they rose in her throat like bile. She couldn't play innocent; not with blood all over her hands. "Yeah," she snapped instead, surprised by the sharpness in her voice, "that was before we were tortured by angels!" Lies.