Chapter One
“I swear that’s the truth.” The young woman said, straining against the rope which held her to the chair. She heaved a heavy sigh. “The proof is all over my walls. What more do you want?”
The two men in the room questioning her stepped away to converse in private. The restrained woman looked at the cut on her forearm. Man, had that burnt like hell. Blood made dark, crusty lines going down her arm. The men’s whispering carried to her ears.
“The silver burnt her, Sam.” The older one said. His bright green eyes trying to convince the other male.
“Yea, but how many monsters have we met that weren’t evil? Maybe she’s another.” The younger one countered, his voice pleading the other to see his side. “Let’s just try having a more civilized conversation with her.” The older male said nothing, but crossed his arms not at all happy with the decision. Taking that as a silent ‘okay’, the younger man stepped over to her once more.
“So, let’s start with your name.” He said, pulling up one of the other chairs and sitting on it. “I’m-”
“I know who you are, Sam.” She said, cutting him off a bit harshly. She couldn’t help the sarcasm that fell off of her next flow of words. “And that is your big, bad brother Dean. You’re the Winchesters. There aren’t many people that don’t know who you two are.” Sam seemed to be surprised by this. Dean, on the other hand, cared not. He had found a seat as far away from the other two as he could get, taking a swig from his beer.
“Well, since you know who we are, can we know who you are in return?” Sam asked.
“Depends.” She countered. “Can I be set free from these ropes?”
“Yes, of course.” He said. Dean glared at them, unsure if he could trust her. Sam unbound her wrists, then her ankles. He stepped back and waited for a surprise attack that never came. Now free of her restraints, she rubbed at the red marks on her wrists.
“My name is Rinda Mikaels.” She told them, relaxing back into the chair now. She crossed one leg over the other at the knee. “I am a Half-Shifter.”
“A half-shifter?” Sam asked, clearly intrigued.
“Yea, ya know like Daddy was a Shifter. Mommy wasn’t.” She said, sarcasm clearly evident in her voice again.
“What is a ‘half-shifter’ doing hunting a Demon?” Dean asked, speaking to her now. His tone suggested that he didn’t quite believe her.
The time had come to spill her dark secret. She wasn’t sure if she should tell them, but something in Sam’s curious, dark green eyes convinced her that she could trust them. After all, they kept their “profession” a secret from all those that didn’t know of monsters and the like.
She let out a deep breath. “Because my mother was possessed by a demon when she conceived me. This vile creature sought out the Alpha Shifter, wanting some kind of Shifter-Demon child. The demon left once I was born, though not before telling my mother that it would return for me.”
“So, you’re the daughter of the Alpha Shifter and a demon?” Sam asked, amazed. “Why would a demon want a child with this kind of mixed blood?” He looked to his brother, as though Dean would have the answer.
“I have no idea, but that is why I’ve been hunting demons. I left home the day my mother told me everything, vowing that I wouldn’t return until the demon was returned to hell.” She said, answering before Dean could say anything. “Once they are trapped, I ask them that very same question. For the longest time, none would say anything. Eventually, one slipped up and said something about this higher up demon being here.”
“You think he may know something?” Sam asked.
“It’s probably a trap.” Dean commented.
“If he doesn’t, he’ll know someone that does.” She said, ignoring Dean’s comment.
“That settles it then.” Sam said, a big goofy smile on his face. “We’ll hunt this bastard down together.”
“I don’t think big bro likes me, nor do I think he trusts me.” Rinda said, casting her pale blue gaze over in Dean’s direction. Sam followed her gaze, giving Dean the ‘come on’ look. Dean rolled his eyes and shook his head, finishing off his beer.
“Fine.” Dean said. “Let’s find this asshole and be done with it. But I still say it’s a trap.”
“If it is, we will deal with it later.” Rinda said, her tone not betraying the way she felt. The thought that it could be a trap had occurred to her, but she was so close to finding the answers that haunted her mind at night that she didn’t care.
“So, where exactly have you tracked it to?” Sam said, breaking Rinda’s thoughts. She smiled up at him, as he was much taller than she, even when they were both sitting.
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“You’re sure this is the place?” Sam asked, looking back at the blue heeler sitting in the back seat of the Impala. The heeler stuck her nose out of the open window and inhaled. So many smells assaulted her senses, but the strongest among the smells was that of sulfur.
“Yes. This is the place.” She said. The once blue heeler was now Rinda. She sat in the middle of the backseat, leaning up into the front seat. “It reeks of sulfur, but it’s strongest up there.” She pointed to a dark window where candlelight flickered.
“Alright. Let’s do this.” Dean said, climbing out of the car. Sam and Rinda followed and met him at the back. Dean opened the trunk, then propped open the secret panel where they hid all of their “hunting supplies”. Dean took the Colt, sliding it into the back of his pants, and Sam took the Demon blade. Dean looked at Rinda, skeptical about arming her.
“Don’t worry about me.” She said, practically reading Dean’s mind. “I’m good.” She pulled an Angel blade from her boot, a mischievous smile on her face. “Now, let’s go boys.” She turned away from them and headed toward the abandoned looking building. Sam and Dean stared dumbfounded after her before quickly jogging to join her.
“Okay, Sam and I will go in this way and you stay here.” Dean said. The three of them stood just outside the main door into the building. Rinda glared at him. “Must I repeat that this is-”
“Probably a trap. I know. You wouldn’t shut up about it the whole way here, Dean.” Rinda said, their voices just whispers. “Being a shifter, a second gen shifter at that, has it’s perks like heighten senses.” Dean glared back at her. This girl was a menace! She looked so normal and yet she was something else. They stared at each other for a long minute. “And your plan, sucks.”
“B-but-” Dean sputtered, taken aback. He turned to look at Sam who just gave him a ‘Leave me out of this’ look. “Okay, then what would you suggest, Miss Know-It-All?”
It took most of her self-control not to smack him. Oh, how she longed to see the look on his face after that. Though, given who we were talking about, he was probably used to being slapped in the face by women.
“My plan is that I go in, alone, and confront this demon.” She held up a hand as Dean was about to interrupt her. “The fact that we have any inkling that this could be a trap for me is exactly what makes it so perfect.” She continued to lay out the plan and slowly, very slowly for Dean, they all agreed to it. Dean seemed to pout a little as they carried it out, though.
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Rinda stood at the open doorway. Just inside the dark, candlelit room she could see the shadow of someone. She took a deep breath and gripped the Angel blade tighter. She took soft, slow steps into the room. She barely even breathed. As she neared, she could hear it mumbling something. She stopped when it turned around to face her. His eyes flashed black before returning to normal.
“Hello, Rinda.” It greeted her, as though they had been friends at some point. “I was wondering when you would show up.” The demon, dressed to the nines in a black suit, stood before her. “Sorry, where are my manners. The name’s Dominic.” He extended his hand for her to shake, but let it fall when he saw how her face contorted in disgust. This only made him laugh.
“Are you the demon that possessed my mom?” She asked, her voice steady. Her knuckles started turning white with how tight she gripped the blade.
“Perhaps and perhaps not. Either way, I know the answer to the question that eats at you day and night.” He said, the smirk never leaving his face. “‘Why was I born?’” He said, trying to sound like a young girl.
“Well? If you know the answer, I suggest you tell me.” She said. She was growing angry now. She felt the itch to drive the Angel blade through his chest, but her need for answers kept her somewhat level-headed.
“But this is so much fun.” He gestured between them. His fingers flicked to the side and a loud crash sounded behind him. “Did you really think that you could sneak up on me, Winchesters?” He turned and saw Dean pinned to the wall, unconscious, and Sam standing further back with the Demon blade pointed at Dominic.
“No, but I can.” She said, wrapping one arm around his waist and the Angel blade up to his throat. “Now, no smoking out, okay?” The Demon said nothing, but his smirk was completely gone.
Sam put his blade away and helped Rinda put Dominic into a chair positioned in a Devil’s Trap. They bound his wrists to the chair. Dominic’s black eyes glared at them. Rinda slid her Angel blade back down into her boot, then ran over to Dean.
“Dean.” She said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Dean?” She shook him slightly. She was beginning to worry when he stirred beneath her. “Oh, thank God!” Her desperate blue eyes searched his green as they blinked open.
“Don’t think God had anything to do with it.” He joked. Rinda just shook her head, a small smile playing at her lips. She stood up and offered to help Dean up, but he didn’t accept it. When he was on his feet once more, Rinda stood behind him. She felt the side of his head that had collided with the wall. No blood. That was a good thing.
“What are you doing?” Dean asked.
Rinda walked around him and faced him. “I was just seeing how badly you hit your head.” She said. “Luckily, you aren’t bleeding, but you’ll probably have a terrible headache for a while.”
“Uhh….Thanks?” He said, confused that someone with so much Monster blood running through them would even care. They stared at each other awkwardly for a moment before Sam broke through their concentration.
“We gonna question this dude, or what?” Sam stood near the Demon, waiting for them. Rinda felt the heat rushing to her cheeks, but said nothing. They both just walked over to where the Demon sat, waiting for interrogating.
“Would you like the honor, or would you prefer I loosen his tongue a bit first?” Dean asked, rolling the sleeves of his shirt up. He cast his gaze over at her. Candlelight flickered off her dark burgundy hair making it come to life almost.
“I think I can handle it.” She said. She drew the Angel blade from her boot and stepped closer to the Demon. He stared at her, eyes completely back, as she approached him. She drew the tip of the blade across it’s right forearm. He only chuckled at her.
“That the best you got, you dirty little mongrel?” It asked. Rinda only grinned back.
“Oh, no.” She said. “But it’s a good place to start.” She drew an identical line on his left forearm. “Now, I’m gonna ask some questions. And you will give me answers, honest answers.” She walked around the chair to stand behind him. She leaned over his right shoulder. “Why would a demon want a child with a shifter?”
“Perhaps she was in love with him.” He commented. Rinda didn’t like his tone. She pressed the blade into his back, just into the fatty portion under the right half of his rib cage. He groaned in agony as the blade seared through the skin. “Or perhaps she was commanded to.” Rinda withdrew the blade.
“And why would someone command her to conceive this child?” She asked. She was nearly overjoyed. She was finally getting somewhere.
“I’ve already said too much.” He said. Rinda walked around to stand on the demon’s right side. She lifted the blade up and held it over his right thigh. “Wait, wait!” He cried out, but it was too late. She drove the blade down into the thigh, all the way through to the other side.
“You have told me nothing!” She placed her hands over his wrists on the armrests and leaned over him so that they were practically nose to nose. “Tell me what I want to know or I’ll-”
“Or you’ll what?” He interrupted. “You’ll sick your Winchester hounds on me! Do your worst, you little bitch! They’ll do much worse to me in Hell if I tell you anything.”
Rinda was seething now. Her hands clenched and unclenched the arms of the chair, the demon’s wrists getting the brunt of the force. “Then tell me, why was it that I was led here? Why were you trying to lure me into a trap?”
“Because it was my job to bring you to Hell.” He admitted. “There was someone-” He stopped, knowing he was about to reveal more than he needed. The blood loss getting to him now. Rinda reached down to where the Angel blade still stuck out of his thigh and twisted. “Ahh! Okay, okay. I was to bring you to see Lucifer, okay?”
“Lucifer?” She whispered. Rinda knew who he was, there were very few that didn’t. But he was locked in the Cage. Why would he want to see someone as insignificant as her? What was it he wanted from her? She had relented on the blade, but her hand still gripped it. “Why? What does he want from me?”
The demon just sat there, refusing to say anything. She gave the blade another twist. He screamed in pain, but still he refused to say. She pushed up off the chair, pulling the blade out as she did so. She tapped the tip of the blade against the other thigh.
“Shall I make this thigh match the other?” She asked. The demon watched as the tip of the blade tap, tap, tapped the top of his left thigh, but still he said nothing. “And to think, we were having such a lovely conversation too.” She lifted the blade up and slammed it down into his thigh. He howled in pain, but that was the only sound he would make.
“Perhaps we should exorcise him now?” Sam asked. Rinda had nearly forgotten about the Winchesters. She turned to look at them. Her blue eyes seemed darker now as she searched their faces, for what she wasn’t sure. Terror, or perhaps pity for her. It didn’t matter either way.
“No, that’s exactly what he wants.” She said.
“Why would he want to go back to Hell?” It was Dean. Her eyes found his. “They would torture him worse than you have just for failing and more so for spilling as much as he has to you.” Rinda just stood there, taking in what it was he was saying.
“Fine then.” She said. “There is only one course of action.” She turned slowly back to Dominic. No, it has no name. It is simply a demon, she reminded herself. She raised the Angel blade up and positioned it over it’s heart. “Any last words, demon?”
“Just that he will never stop sending demons after you.” He seemed pleased with himself after that. Rinda pushed the blade into his chest, slowly, then hard. The tip broke through his back, killing him.
Rinda stood there a moment, trying to compose herself. She pulled the blade from the body, her limbs moving of their own accord. She wiped the blood off on her jeans and then slid the blade back into her boot.
She took a few steps back, before turning away from the whole gruesome scene. At first she was just walking away, but her pace soon quickened. Before she knew it, she was running. Running to where, she didn’t know.
She heard loud boot falls behind her. Someone was chasing after her. In one swift movement, almost too fast to be humanly possible, she reached down and drew her blade. She spun and faced her pursuer in the next breath, catching them off guard.
“Dammit, Dean!” She said, lowering her blade. “I could have killed you! Why are you following me?”
“Well, uh..” He ran his hands over his hair, messing it up even more than it already was. “Sam, uh, was worried about you.” He gestured back to where the abandoned building was. She could just make out Sam jogging out to join them.
“I...I’m fine.” She said, turning away from him. “I just needed some fresh air. The smell of sulfur was burning my nose.” She heard his boot scrape the ground as he took a step toward her, hand outstretched as if he meant to rest it on her shoulder. He didn’t though. He dropped it back to his side as Sam caught up.
“Hey, you alright?” He asked. He slowed to a walk as he neared, not stopping until he was right next to her. He wasn’t hesitant about laying a hand on her shoulder. She reveled in the warmth emanating from it. It was so comforting and familiar, but foreign all at the same time.
“I’m fine, Sam.” She said, laying her smaller hand on his. She turned to look up at him, her eyes back to their lighter blue color. “Is the body-?”
“Yes, I took care of it already.” Sam said. Rinda turned her whole body to face the brothers. “We should probably get in the Impala and get out of here.”
“And, please stay human.” Dean added. “I really don’t want her to smell like a zoo.” Rinda scowled at him. He didn’t seem to notice. Whatever he had felt running after her was completely gone from his voice. Rinda said nothing as they headed back to the car.