Bloodline (Supernatural)

29 - A Win-Win Deal

I'm definitely giving Hell a bad Yelp review when I get out.

The showers seem to know what kind of water I want and then give me the complete opposite. Most days I prefer a cold shower to switch it up, but the water often gives me scalding. Some days I come away with blisters, but they heal. The food is crap, but I suppose it's better than eating literal crap. The water isn't much better.

My mind has gotten a break from Hell in terms of torture, but it likes to torture itself anyway. Sometimes when I blink, I see Cas. His face in a state of shock as his own blade runs through him. How the light protrudes from his body.

Hell made me do it. It sounds like an insanity plea. But will it ever hold up in the eyes of Sam and Dean? Surely in all their years hunting they've experienced Hell in some shape or form. I can't be the first to be here.

My nails have turned to nubs from all the scratching I've done against the brick walls. I should've marked my days, but time is hard to clock in here.

"How's our little celebrity doing?" Finn crows from the other side of my cell door.

"I'm not Hell's celebrity," I spit coldly. "Come to start me on another torture routine?"

"Er, no." He glances around, as though he thinks someone will overhear us. He beckons me to the bars with a hand gesture. "I got a deal you might want to be in on."

"Not interested. You've caused nothing but trouble for me from the start."

"Well, demons are supposed to create chaos. Kind of comes with the brand. If you don't want a chance of getting out of here, suit yourself. You'll be one of the Winchesters that's stayed the longest in Hell."

One? Is someone else here? He can't mean Sam and Dean. "If it amuses you so much, I'll bite."

"You gotta come closer, I don't want to exactly shout it to everyone. This is something only for you."

Swallowing, I rise, taking my slow time towards the bars. If this is some attempt to grab me...

Finn backs off some, giving me space. I lean heavily against the bars.

"You got me here. What?" I demand.

Again, Finn looks down the hallway to make sure it's just us. "I think I've got a win-win for us both."

"You want to stop being cryptic and just lay it out for me?"

"Fine. So impatient. There's been rumblings in Hell of a revolt against the current king. Not many have the balls to take him out. But if you and I do the deed..."

"Uh-uh, I'm done killing." I'll need all the therapy in the world if I ever get topside again. It'll be hard to find a therapist who won't ship me off to a nuthouse for the things I'd tell them. Or call the cops and have me arrested for confessing to murder.

"You won't have to. If you get him weak enough, I'll handle the kill. But, seeing as you're in a bad state right now...there's only one option that'll help boost your strength up."

Does he mean...? "You're coming back as my blood donor?"

"Er, yes and no. I can't be your only tap. I've got ways around it. You build yourself back up, and when you're ready and strong enough, we'll make the move."

I squint. "There's a catch."

Finn shakes his head. "No catch. We'll consider your time fully served. What do you say, Willa? One time team-up. That doesn't sound too awful a price to pay for freedom, does it?"

Am I really willing to aid Finn in this? How can I guarantee that he won't let me go once the job is done? What if this is a long con and I get the door shut in my face, again?

"I know, I know, you've got your reserves about it. Listen, Wills, if the king is killed, the demons will tear each other apart. Nobody's gonna care about you at that point, they'll want to fight for control of the throne. Surely you don't want to be around for that, do you?"

Definitely not. "Demons are confusing."

"We try our hardest to be enigmas. Look, you said it yourself: we demons are a deceitful group. Sure, the king is giving you some good grace now. Who's to say he doesn't change his mind about you down the road?"

I'm pretty sure the definition of insanity in this case is ever trusting the word of a demon. I've never trusted Finn, ever. Not even when he was my blood donor. He continues to baffle me. Not that I'm trying to figure out who he is as a person—or demon.

The sad part in this? I know him a little more than the King of Hell. Finn I've encountered enough. The King of Hell I've only met once, and he didn't seem super enthusiastic about me being around. What if he gets into a mood and does decide to have me killed?

"And you're sure I won't have to deliver the death blow?" I press hesitantly. The fact that I'm entertaining this...

Finn nods. "Like I said, if you knock him down, I'll take him out."

Demon blood and I get to help kill the King of Hell. It's a murky resume for a hunter, to be sure. "How do demons seal deals?"

"Usually a kiss, but even for a creature of darkness' sense of smell, you are too ripe. I'll settle for a handshake." He slides a hand through the bars.

It could be just me, but it feels as though he'll break my hand as he takes it and gives it one shake.