CHAPTER FOUR

Castiel POV

I came the second I heard Belle scream my name. Her mother was dead. Demons had gotten to her while Belle was at school. The note was addressed to me. Although I had never interacted with Lyla directly after saving Belle at the hospital, I knew she knew I was still around. She knew the demons were after her and wanted me to take Belle to her father.

"Belle, I'm so sorry."

I turned to see her backing up, a hopeless expression on her face.

"N-no. She's not... She can't be," she squeaked out, voice breaking.

She squeezed her eyes shut against the onslaught of tears threatening to fall and I made my way over to her once more, drawing her into my chest tightly.

"Shh. It's going to be ok, Belle. Everything is going to be ok."

She didn't respond, just crying as I held her. We remained there for several minutes until her tears subsided, turning into dry heaves.

"Belle, your mother... She wants me to take you to your dad."

"She... What?"

Blue-green eyes met mine as her brain worked to understand what I had just told her.

"M-my dad?"

I nodded, maintaining eye contact.

"She thinks it will be safer for you, and I agree."

"Y-you do?"

"Belle, this was demons. They got to her. We can't let them get you too."

"Demons," she repeated.

Her voice was still small and scared.

"Come on, Belle. Let's go pack some things for you before we go."

I led her to her room, grabbing her backpack from the hall as we went. Once there, I emptied the school supplies out of the bag onto her bed.

"Pick out a few outfits and put them in there. I'll be right back, ok?"

Belle just nodded numbly and walked over to her closet as I headed back out of her room. I went into the bathroom and grabbed her toothbrush and anything else I thought she might need before returning to find her packing a small stack of clothes into the bag. I handed her the items I had gathered and she added them to the pack as well. Once she had finished and the pack was slung onto her back, I took her hand.

Giving it a reassuring squeeze, I flew us out of the only home she had ever known.