Rowan left Sprigga with instructions to care for Lyn in case they didn't return. Crossing the caverns took considerably less time without the 8-year-old, but time nonetheless.

Racing up the stairs past the wine cellar, Rowan took the appearance of a guard. As Captain Reynard, Rowan knew each of the guards and their schedules, so they knew exactly who to impersonate.

Rowan quietly raced up to the bedrooms, checking Arthur's room first, finding evidence of a fight with blood stains on the floor. Then she searched Rafael's room and found nothing out of the ordinary. Finally, climbing the stairs to Morgan's room, they found two guards, Limu and Sifu. Wearing another captain's face, Rowan asked them what had happened.

"Steward Avalyn killed Good Brother Timothy, and the Holy Father struck him down. Rafael is missing and assumed dead. Morgan is in a coma," Sifu answered.

"Or Morgan killed her father in defense before succumbing to grief," Limu rejoined.

"No one knows what happened but Morgan, and she's not talking. Rafael was last seen going into the same room we found Morgan unconscious and Steward Avalyn dead. Maybe Adam obliterated him. Maybe Rafael killed his father and jumped over the balcony. Who knows?"

Rowan's heart sank. They were too late. "Who is in charge?"

"Godfather Adam named Milo Meiori Steward of Vulpex," answered Limu.

Rowan processed it all silently for a moment, then asked, "Can I see Morgan? I might be able to reach her, maybe even wake her up."

"What are you talking about? What can you do that church-trained medical professionals haven't already done?"

"Allow me to demonstrate," Rowan requested, putting swift hands on Sifu and Limu's foreheads. "Sleep," Rowan ordered, and they collapsed to the floor. Rowan stepped over the guards, opened the door, and locked it behind them.

There she was: darling Morgan, who Rowan had helped raise since infancy, catatonic. Cold beads of sweat ran down Morgan's face. She was in pain. Rowan gave in for a moment to despair, then shook themself and their tears, cleared their mind and sat down next to Morgan. Rowan gently caressed Morgan's face, then rested a hand on her forehead.

The attack was almost immediate. Rowan was expecting something, but the power and brutality were unlike anything they'd experienced. It was all they could do to withstand the onslaught and erect a defense simultaneously.

Once within the astral walls of their Inarin home, Rowan narrowed the barriers and felt outward into their psychic surroundings, sensing Morgan, miraculously intact but terrified and suffering immensely. Another presence was occupying Morgan's mind and body. Rowan couldn't see it yet in the darkness but sensed its hatred, anger, and dread.

Then it appeared to them, dressed as a firefox. It resembled Rowan's father, with key distinctions, particularly in the eyes. The false firefox's eyes were full of spite and wicked humor.

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"So nice to finally meet," the false firefox greeted cheerfully. "Even coming to me! How marvelously kind you are. You must be the teacher. You'll be pleased to know that Morgan has held on admirably, but I'm afraid she's about to break."

"Let's skip the pleasantries. What are you?" Rowan demanded.

It flashed a wry smile. "Haven't you already guessed? I'm an angel."

Rowan understood. "Fallen. How are you here? Your kind is supposed to be chained in Hell."

"Oh, I'm not here. My body is still in Hell, but my mind can travel anywhere I'm invited."

"So that explains it. Adam summoned you and gave you the body of a simpleton. Someone who couldn't resist and no one would miss."

"Aren't you the clever one? No wonder you survived the extinction of your people. Not clever enough to stay alive, I'm afraid. You should have stayed in that cave."

Rowan almost dropped their defenses in shock. It knew about the cavern? Did it know about Sprigga? How?

The fallen firefox laughed. "Of course, I know about the cave. I even know about your tree-friend and how you're teaching Lyn magic. The familiar showed us everything. What were you thinking, taking the monkey with you? Adam already sent a missionary to chop that underground forest down to firewood. Should be arriving any minute."

Rowan panicked. It was over. They were about to lose everything. Their hopes evaporated. The fallen firefox soaked it in with a grin.

"What did you do to Rafael?" Rowan asked. Their last hope.

"I threw him over the balcony right before I murdered Arthur and possessed young Morgan here."

Rowan screamed out. "Why are you doing this? Why serve Adam?" The fallen shrugged.

"It's like you said: Adam summoned me. He can banish me as easily, and I don't especially enjoy Hell. Whereas this is paradise. I'd much rather stay here. It's like a vacation for me."

"So you serve Adam because it's convenient. But why kill Rafael? Do you know what he was?"

"Of course, I know! You think I want to help Adam steal even more power? Hell no! Better it's free to reincarnate. How did you manage to channel the Holy Spirit into a body? That's what I want to know. Maybe I should just possess you and find out for myself."

"I think you'll find my mind less hospitable than that of a sixteen-year-old," Rowan threatened.

The false fox laughed. "That may be. That may be. Still, I think-" it stopped mid-sentence, seeming to have heard something. "Excuse me, I'm being hailed," it said with a grin and then disappeared. Rowan reached out and saw an image of Morgan, still alive with her defenses intact, speaking with the fallen. It lasted but a moment, felt like an eternity and when it finally ended, Rowan was thrown back into their own mind and body.

Rowan opened their eyes in time to watch Morgan's eyes open. A sinister grin broke across Morgan's face as it looked directly at Rowan. It sat up slowly, savoring the moment.

"So," Morgan said. "Where were we? Oh, right, I was about to possess your body. Well, good news, I already have a body, so I don't need yours anymore."

Rowan stared in horror. It looked like Morgan, but it wasn't Morgan. Her face had never before taken on such a spiteful and malicious quality. Rowan stood and backed slowly toward the door.

"Don't worry," Morgan said with a reassuring smile. "Morgan and I made a deal: her body for your life. I'm a man of my word, so you're free to go. If you hurry, you might make it back before Adam's missionary arrives."

Rowan reached the door and opened it without taking their eyes off Morgan, saying, "Morgan, if you can hear me, I will come back for you. We will get this thing out of you."

Morgan responded, "Sorry, ladies, but this body is mine until it dies."

Rowan turned and ran as Morgan's voice echoed down the hall, "Good luck making it back in time!"