The voice Castiel hadn't heard for centuries made her heart skip a beat. She turned slowly, her eyes locking onto the familiar figure of her sister. "Uriel, by El, it's you!" Castiel exclaimed, her excitement getting the better of her as she embraced Uriel warmly.
Uriel chuckled, returning the hug before pulling Castiel out of the embrace. "Azzie girl, I've missed you too, kid," she said with a grin, her red hair shining in the dim light.
Castiel coughed, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment at her loss of composure. It seemed that around Uriel, she reverted to the awkward angel she once was. The sisters sat on a nearby rock, and Castiel asked, her curiosity piqued, "How did you find me, Uriel?"
Uriel's grin widened. "I woke up, found a bunch of ravens and reapers along Imperial Highway in LA, and...persuaded them to talk." Her eyes sparkled with amusement, and Caleb, the Raven, gulped, knowing he had been the one to betray Castiel's location.
"I never said I knew where she was!" Caleb protested, trying to defend himself.
Uriel chuckled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Nah, I just let you go, kid, then followed you. And boom, here we are in Argentina." Caleb's face paled as he realized he'd been outsmarted by Uriel.
Castiel let out a chuckle, shaking her head. "Don't bother feeling guilty, Uriel's that good," she said with a smirk, rolling her eyes at her sister's antics.
Caleb looked crestfallen, and Castiel's expression softened. She remembered when she'd first recruited him, just six months ago. He was barely seventeen, a runaway from an orphanage in Brooklyn, hanging out with the wrong crowd. She'd seen the mark on his forehead, a tattoo of a black raven that only angels and demons could see, and knew he was one of them - a Raven shifter.
Castiel sighed, exasperated, as Caleb still looked at her with concern. "Caleb, you're free to go. I'm not mad at you. You brought my sister to me, and for that, I'm grateful."
Caleb's eyes lit up with happiness. "Really, master?" he asked, relieved.
Castiel nodded. "Yeah. Now shoo, why don't you scram, little bird? I need to discuss things with my sister." Uriel added, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Caleb scowled at Uriel before shifting into a Raven and flying away.
As soon as he was gone, Uriel turned to Castiel. "So, where's Mikhael? I expected her to be here."
Castiel ran her fingers through her perfect hair, mussing it slightly. "I don't know where she is or if she's even awakened. It's not like wisdom is my strongest suit. I can't figure out what Samael had planned." She rubbed her temples, frustration evident on her face.
Uriel nodded thoughtfully, her mind racing. There were so many unknowns, so many things she needed to understand.
"What's really going on, Caz? No lies, I need to know," Uriel pressed, her eyes intense.
Castiel hesitated, then decided to trust her sister. "Samael's planning something big...Armageddon, I believe."
Uriel's eyes widened in horror. "What? That's crazy! He's joking, right?"
Castiel shook her head. "Nope, he's been trying to recruit me. He's serious, Uriel."
Uriel's expression turned incredulous. "He's insane!"
Castiel laughed humorlessly. "I know, right? But we're talking about Samael. His entire existence is a sick joke."
After a moment of comfortable silence, Uriel spoke up. "You need to tell me everything, Caz. I feel like there's something missing."
Castiel took a deep breath and began to recount the events of the past month, from Emily to President Carolyn, leaving out her recent decision, which she kept to herself. "Samael has unleashed his arch demons on Earth...and I've been on the run ever since."Here's a revised version of the passage with some minor edits for clarity and flow:
"So Rafael's here," Uriel stated, her tone more affirming than questioning.
Castiel nodded, confused about why Uriel was focusing on Rafael after everything she'd just shared. "Yeah."
Uriel's eyes narrowed, her gaze intense. "When was the last time you saw him, Caz?"
Castiel furrowed her brows, trying to understand Uriel's line of questioning. "I think it was after he hid the president and her husband in some unknown country."
Uriel's impatience grew. "How long ago was that, Castiel?"
Caz's nerves began to fray. "Twenty-nine hours, fourteen minutes, thirty-one seconds, and nine nanoseconds ago."
Uriel's expression turned grim, her pacing back and forth alarming Castiel. "This is bad, extremely bad. I should have been here sooner."
Castiel's frustration boiled over. She grasped Uriel's shoulders, halting her pacing. "What's wrong, Uriel? Just spit it out already!" she yelled, tugging at her short hair in exasperation.
"Rafael's in danger, Castiel, and so is Emily!" Uriel exclaimed, her voice laced with urgency.
Castiel's fear surged, and she swiftly moved towards the mountain's edge, ignoring Uriel's frantic pleas to stop. She spread her wings, ready to take flight, but Uriel grasped her arm, holding her back.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Uriel demanded, her eyes wide with concern.
Castiel shot her sister a mocking glance before gazing down the mountain. "I'm going to save Emily and Rafael, and you can't stop me," she declared, her voice firm and determined.
****