Daughter of Heaven (WIP - On Hiatus)

Chapter 16 - Unleashed

Allegra tried to get up but immediately staggered forward again, breaking her fall with her hands. She managed to push herself back up and sat on her knees, one hand against her head. She tried to remember what had happened. Balthazar. Moses' Staff. And... Castiel! Had he brought her here?
Allegra looked around her for him, but she was alone. Or at least, she thought she was. She heard a rustle in the grass and then... hissing? Her eyes searched for whatever was making the sound and then widened when she saw a huge black king cobra inches away from her hand. Allegra tried to keep as still as she could. There were no cobras in the US, not that she knew anyway. What the hell was that thing doing here?

"Castiel," she whispered the angel's name fearfully. "Please help me."

The cobra lifted its head, its eyes locked on Allegra. Its tongue slipped in and out of its dark mouth, taking in her scent. Even though it came closer, it made no attempt to attack.

"Don't be afraid."

Allegra almost jumped at hearing Castiel's voice behind her, but she remembered in time that there was a giant snake in front of her and stayed in place.

"Pick it up," said Castiel.

"Are you crazy?" 

"It will not harm you. Touch the head first and then pick it up."

Allegra groaned and took a deep breath, not believing she was actually going to touch a king cobra just because a stupid immortal angel who probably couldn't even get poisoned from a snake bite told her to. Her trembling hand stretched out a bit. She froze when the cobra moved toward her, but it only grazed the top of its head against the palm of her hand. The scales felt cold, but they were beautiful and glistened in the sun.
The snake stretched itself out further toward Allegra and transformed. Black to brown. Scales to wood. Cobra to Staff. Moses' Staff... It was whole again. Allegra stared at the wood in her hand and then looked up at Castiel.

"Did... I do this?"

The Angel simply nodded. Allegra crawled up and measured herself with the Staff. It was only a head smaller than her, reaching just above her shoulder. Her fingers traced the fine lines in the wood. It radiated warmth and chill at the same time. There was a certain familiarity in holding it.

"You will finally be able to use the full extent of your powers," said Castiel. "We must put it to the test, though."

Allegra's eyes flicked to the angel. 

"What are you talking about?" she demanded.

"A town not too far from here. This river flows through it."

She realized with a shock what his intention was and violently shook her head.

"Demons have already taken root." Castiel continued unperturbed as if that fact would make any difference. "Their followers are murdering innocents in their name. You have to put a stop to it."

"No, no, no!" yelled Allegra. "I told you I'm not doing that anymore! Hundreds of innocents get lost in the crossfire just because we want to get a few rotten apples! The death toll is too high! I won't do it, Castiel!"

"I'm sorry, Allegra." The angel approached her steadily. "But you have no choice in the matter."

Before Allegra could stop him, Castiel had already pushed her away. She'd been standing closer to the riverbank than she thought and landed right in the icy water. Allegra had been holding the Staff of Moses the entire time, and as soon as it touched the surface of the water, the first plague was unleashed, spreading faster and faster downriver. When she came up again, sputtering and splashing, she was alone again... swimming in the middle of a river of blood.