SWNOVELS Chapter 34: A Promise
Castiel’s POV
Angel hadn’t spoken a word since everyone left. He had a few times just to ask her if she wanted anything, but she had even refused jukebox tokens. She seemed to want the safety and silence of the bar to ponder everything that had happened. He had locked the bar door earlier to give her the peace, and busied himself with the crudely drawn city map plans from Syndicate of where to aim the wolfsbane fireworks tomorrow night.
He admitted to himself that he had lost his cool when they came early morning asking who dropped the blood vials. Despite the necklace charm, he still felt too strongly for Angel most of the time. Even Taala had seen the dam break early this morning and recruited Gabriel from the Church himself to lend physical touch and a voice of reason to Castiel’s fiery rage. And Taala hadn’t been near a Church in a century.
He looked up to Angel padding on bare feet to slide into a stool opposite him. “What’s that song?” She asked. Castiel hadn’t realized he was humming out loud and laughed when she repeated the melody, complete with spoken ‘guilty guilty!’ that he had obviously sung out loud.
“Oh, hah! Taala’s favourite song. Here, number 45.” Angel smiled and took the offered token to the jukebox and turned on ‘Devil in a Midnight Mass’ by Billy Talent.
“Cheerful.” She teased from the far dance floor mid-song. Yeah it wasn’t exactly sex-fiend party music.
“Hm, try number 67 then. Set the right mood for tonight?” He walked around the bar with a few tokens and dropped one into her hand as he leaned on the wall beside the music box to face her. ‘Crazy Bitch’ by Buckcherry blasted and she laughed loud after the crude words in the chorus.
“Never in a million years would I expect an angel to even know of this song. Wow.”
“Mm, I particularly like the ‘scratches all down my back to keep me right on’ part.” He winked but his heart did that stifled pang thing it had done a million times today watching her with others. “I AM Castiel Whitesong after all. Practically a born DJ.”
“Are you coming to the party?” She asked. There was a smile on her face but it was her fake one.
He nodded slowly. “I’ll be the only angel tonight. From what you and Dai describe I can’t risk my saints with temptations of sin. I’m already long gone according to Taala.” He meant it as a joke but it came out sad. In actuality Taala was doing everything he could to stop Castiel from meeting his same fate for some reason.
“Castiel?”
“Yes love?” Her fingers had reached out to trace the cross shape on his necklace.
“Is this thing less strong if it’s not touching you?”
He hadn’t tested it. Taala had expressly threatened him not to remove it in his seriously scary voice. Plus it didn’t seem to be completely effective in holding back his passions as it was, so he was convinced it would spontaneously combust at any moment. Any less control if offered and it would be non-existent. Castiel shook his head. “I don’t know.” She pulled back and brushed hair behind both ears and looked to the now quiet jukebox.
“I.. might need you tonight.” His face must have shown confusion. She would always have him and he wasn’t about to ever let her out of his sight again. “I mean like.. need-need. Without that thing. I don’t think anyone in the city has been through a live feed before, so if the vampires come I feel like I should show it is safe, you know? Their venom is strong and overwhelming and I only want to go to you after.”
Her logic made sense but the thought of her being fed on made his blood boil. “Not with Damien.” He stated forcefully.
“He’s leader of the Coven though Castiel? He already said he wants first bite.”
“No. Make Dai do it. Leader with leader. You’ve given everyone enough blood.” She couldn’t possibly argue any of that and just nodded. He ran a hand through his hair. Was his current anger from true worry over her and what she’d been through, or from being unable to give her what they both truly wanted physically? “Love, I promise I will give you everything you ever need, I just can’t trust myself with.. that part yet.” He smoothed her hair with a hand and sighed.
“So.. does that mean no funny business for me at all?” Her blush was cheeky and it changed his mood instantly. She was another Goddamn Gabriel.
“Help keep me on the straight and narrow between humping others tonight. I’m on a tightrope as it is, but this thing should help keep the jealousy away.” He touched his necklace not fully trusting the assertion. .
She fake smiled, then fussed with hair around her neck and pretended to dust off her pants. “Okay Mister Whitesong, then you can now escort the guest of honour to her own party.”
She hooked his arm and they stepped out into the street.