Destined

Chapter 5

  Over the course of the next few days, Hannah quickly began to look and feel at home with the Winchesters. She spent most of her time with Charlie, and the rest of her time she spent with me, sometimes including others. I didn't mind, I was glad she was making friends, but... I still couldn't help but wish I saw her more. She was the only familiar thing in this place and it was always a comfort for me to see her. The only time either of us saw Dean after I trained with him was at meals, and he wasn't always there for those. I wasn't aware how he spent most of his time, but I didn't need to know. I would have been more comfortable if he'd spent more time with Hannah, but I couldn't tell him what to do.

  Eight days after my sister and I arrived at the Winchester court, I was sitting in my room, reading as I usually did, when there was a knock on the door. I swung the door open to see Dean standing there.

  "Hello Dean," I said.

  "Hi Cas. Sam and I were going to take Hannah on a ride around today, show her some of the sights. Do you want to come?" Dean asked. I felt my heart drop a little.

  "I... No thank you. I am not much of a rider. I appreciate the offer, but I believe I shall simply stay here," I said. Dean's face fell for a second before he smiled again.

  "Of course. Your dislike of horses. I forgot. Well, we'll be back in time for dinner," Dean said, turning away and walking down the hall and I watched him go, only closing the door when Dean turned a corner and was lost from view. I wished I could go with them, but... I hadn't ridden in years, so even if I could bring myself to go near a horse, which I couldn't, I would surely embarrass myself. Hannah would have a wonderful time, and that was what mattered. Dean surely only invited me as a courtesy, so it was probably better for all of them that I didn't go. I sat back down in my chair, but I didn't stay that long, choosing instead to go to my window. 

   The Winchester castle sat by the sea at the top of a cliff, bordered on one side by the sheer drop down to the sea below and on the other side by the city of Lebanon. Lebanon was a city famed for many things. Many people talked of it's beauty, many of it's rudeness and danger, others of the opportunities that it had. I hadn't ventured into Lebanon during my time at the castle, but I wouldn't have been surprised if, when I did, it lived up to all of the things I had heard spoken of it. My window overlooked the sea, though, so I didn't see much of Lebanon. As I looked out the window, I took in once again the vast ocean that stretched out as far as the eye could see, deep blue waves rolling in and crashing at the base of the cliff. When I'd first arrived here, I'd thought the sound of the waves far below might have caused problems for me, but I found them quite relaxing.

  My mind found itself turning back to my home, wondering what my family was doing at that moment. My mother could've been doing any number of things, from reading to taking care of things around the castle. My brothers and sisters would be studying something or another, be it swordplay or needle point or something in between. I missed the business of my own home, with all of my siblings there. There always seemed to be something exciting going on, and never a day passed there where I was completely left alone. I didn't really mind being left alone, it was quite peaceful, but... I did miss it a little. It was different here. Quieter. 

  I turned back to my chair and sat down again, picking up my book. It was no use thinking of such things, they wouldn't do me any good.

***

  I was brought from my book a few hours later to the sound of someone banging on my door. 

  "Prince Castiel! Prince Castiel!" I rushed to the door and opened it to see a young serving girl standing there, her face flushed, breathing heavily, suggesting she'd run here.

  "What is it?" I asked, concerned.

  "Your sister, Your Grace, she-" I was seized by a sudden panic at the words, stepping out of my room and closing the door.

  "Take me to her now," I said. The girl turned around and led me down the hall at a swift pace. As we walked, my mind was left to imagine the worst. Was Hannah hurt? God help me, was she dead? My mind stilled finally when the serving girl led me around a corner and I saw Hannah and Sam standing in front of a door. Hannah had a bandage around her arm.

  The moment I saw her I started running, unable to keep myself calm.

  "Hannah! Are you alright? What happened?" I asked, reaching toward her bandaged arm. Hannah hugged me suddenly and tightly, burying her face in my shoulder and crying. I hugged her in return, wrapping my wings around her tightly.

  "What happened?" I asked again, this time asking Sam.

  "While we were in Lebanon, Hannah had stopped to look at something, and someone shot at her from a rooftop. Dean saw it coming, he jumped in front of her, the arrow caught him in the shoulder. They shot again, but it just grazed Hannah's arm. I tried to follow him, but he lost me. I'm sorry," Sam said, running his fingers through his long hair.

  "Where is Dean?" I asked. Sam gestured at the door we were in front of him.

  "The physician is in there with him now. He lost a lot of blood," Sam said. Hannah pulled away from me.

  "I was so scared," she said. "He just fell over, I didn't even know what had happened until the next arrow hit me. Do you think he'll be okay?" I nodded absentmindedly, trying to wrap my head around this. Why would someone wish to hurt Hannah? She had done nothing to anyone. 

  Before I had any more time to think, the door opened and Dean stepped out, looking surprised to see us standing there.

  "Lighten up, guys, this isn't a funeral, I just caught an arrow in the shoulder," he said. Hannah looked around at him, her face lighting up, and she rushed over to him, hugging him tightly.

  "Thank you! Thank you so much, I'm so sorry!" Hannah exclaimed. Dean blinked, taken aback.

  "Hannah," I said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. She let Dean go and stood beside me as I spoke again. "We would both like to thank you, Dean. It was very brave of you to do what you did. Do you know who might have done this?" Dean glanced at Sam.

  "No. I couldn't say," he said. "Are you okay?" he asked when he noticed the bandage on Hannah's arm. She glanced down at it herself.

  "I'm alright, thank you," she said. Dean nodded.

  "If you will excuse us, Sam and I should go talk to our father about this," he said. I nodded and the two of them left. I turned to Hannah.

  "Are you sure you are okay?" I asked.

  "I'm fine, Castiel, really. I'm just worried. What if this happens again and someone gets really hurt? I... I don't want anyone to get hurt," she said. I put a comforting hand on my sister's shoulder.

  "Hannah, we are in the Winchester castle. We have heard stories - we have heard legends of their strength. There is no safer place in the world for us to be. Everything will be just fine, I promise," I told her. She nodded absentmindedly.

  "You're right. I must go find Charlie," she said, starting down the hall. I watched her as she turned a corner and continued staring at the spot where she'd vanished from my line of sight. As much as I trusted the Winchesters, I wasn't as confident in our safety as I'd tried to suggest to Hannah. If anything happened to her, I... I wasn't going to let anyone harm her, no matter what.