Lynn Ferguson contemplated the woman before her and the infant in the woman's arms. "Amina, what have you gotten me into this time?" She thought silently. She used her ability to see beyond the mortal plane and looked at the two figures before her. The mother glowed faintly, surrounded by a magical light. "A hedgemage." Lynn thought. The infant's aura swirled darkly, almost a burgundy color. She could see the faint bat-like wings in the aura. And she saw the fragile silver cord that traveled from the infant's body to the infant's soul attached to the mother's aura.

"Tell me what happened. Do not leave anything out, Kitarina."

The woman nodded. Kitarina looked like the stereotypical `gothic chick', complete with dark hair, black lipstick, black nail polish and black clothing in lace and leather. She looked very out of place in the sedate, comfortable office that seemed to be very conservative until you glanced at the books on the bookshelves. Then you saw books on mysticism, herbal potions, crystal healing and a myriad of other esoteric topics. "About 2 months ago, my brother came to me and asked me too make a woman fall in love with him. I, of cour--"

"Why would he do that? Come to you?" Lynn interrupted. Kitarina paused, weighing the fair haired woman behind the desk. She could See that this woman was special. The angelic presence behind her and the feeling of magic told Kitarina this. And if Amina trusted this woman, so would she. "I am a Celtic priestess. I have some - abilities."

Lynn nodded to herself and gestured for Kitarina to continue.

"Well, I told my brother no. And I told him why. He left in a huff, saying that he'd find someone who would do it for him." Kitarina stroked her shoulder absently. "A couple nights later, Katey woke up in the night, crying. I just thought she wasn't feeling good. I changed her diapers, fed her and put her back down to sleep." She sighs a little. "The next morning, I felt odd, full. Like I had over eaten. And... I felt Katey's weight on my shoulder. It felt just like it feels after I fed her and she's curled up to sleep." Kitarina stroked her shoulder again. "Then I saw Katey...." She swallows hard. "She was different. Like she is now."

"Please don't sugar coat it. I need all the information I can get if I'm going to help you. Be specific in what you saw that first morning." Lynn didn't mean to sound so cold, but it was all she could do to keep her own emotions in check. Something was obviously possessing the infant's body. And that something appeared to be a Fallen Angel.

Kitarina bit her lip and nodded. "I saw Katey's aura and the wings." She glanced over Lynn's shoulder for a moment and then continued. "I knew then that the weight on my shoulder was really my daughter's soul. And that something was in my daughter's body. I saw my brother that morning with the woman he had wanted me to bespell. I knew it was his doing. And I knew he didn't care about me or my daughter."

Lynn nods, thinking to herself. "Remind me to go after her brother when we are through with this." Lynn's angelic Avatar responded. "I shalt not let thee forget. He has earned the punishment he will receive." Kitarina obviously did not hear either of the thoughts. Lynn took a breath. "OK. I think I can help you but first, we need to put Katey's body in my work room. There are some things I need to discuss with you that I don't want that ... um... (she indicated the infant's body) to hear."

Kitarina nodded, her eyes pleading that Lynn's words were true, that everything was going to be all right. Lynn turned to her and stated, "You and your daughter are invited within the Workroom." Kitarina's eyes widened at the small rush of power she felt at Lynn's words. Then she followed Lynn into the Workroom.

Walking into the Workroom was like walking into a soundproof room, only with magic and outside influences. Of course, you could only really feel it if you were sensitive to such forces. If not, the room felt `good' or `right'. Of course, if you were not invited in, you would feel much differently. Kitarina looked about the room. It looked like any `health' or `beauty' workroom. There was a massage table to one side and Romanesque couch to the other side. The shelves were full of neatly stacked jars and bottles. The room had the faint scent of citrus. Then she noticed the crib next to the couch. It seemed a little odd that there was a crib in here, but in Lynn's line of work, anything was possible.

"Here, why don't you lie Katey down to nap." Kitarina did. She watched Lynn intently as she murmured quiet words over the crib and then rubbed blood from a cut on her finger along the edges of it. Lynn answered Kitarina's unasked question. "To keep the intruder trapped within the crib. I've warded against the spirit wandering. This way, you and I can talk." Lynn stepped aside to allow Kitarina to look over her daughter's body and the magic, letting the woman assure herself of her daughter's safety. After a moment of silence, Kitarina stepped back with a small smile and nodded, satisfied with the setup.

"Shall we?" Lynn indicated the office door again. Kitarina nodded and both women walked back into the office.

As the women settled back into their respective seats, Lynn spoke softly. "It's going to be OK. I can and will help you." Kitarina looked relieved but didn't want to hope as much as she did. She didn't think she could take the disappointment of failure. She nodded slowly. Lynn continued on. "Normally, this would be very difficult but I have a few aces up my sleeve that I didn't want the intruder to know about."

Kitarina smiled a little. "OK." is all she said. She listened to the woman's quiet, confident voice.

"First, this is my place, my... Realm. I decide what is Reality here. Second, I specialize in the magic that I'm going to have to used to remove the fallen angel from your daughter's body." Lynn watched Kitarina carefully, gauging her reactions. Seeing little reaction, Lynn suspected that Kitarina knew enough about fallen angels to not be surprised. Then again, Amina, of all beings, sent Kitarina to her. "And third, I have a - colleague - that who will be willing to help me. And he is also strong in the spheres of magic needed."

Kitarina tensed. "Colleague? Who...?" She knew about Amina's "colleagues."

Lynn smiles softly, "Another mage, like me. He is very good at what he does."

Kitarina nodded. What choice did she have? She just wanted her daughter back, safe and sound and whole of body.

"Oh, one more thing. I am going to need you to protect and guide your daughter's soul back into her body. Can you do that?" Lynn looked at her critically. "I am probably going to have my hands full with a pissed off demonic angel.

Kitarina paused. "Yes. Yes, I can. I will." `Or die trying' was her unspoken thought.

Lynn nodded, taking the mother at her word. "Hmmm, I don't suppose it told you it's Name, did it?" Lynn asked the question without any hope of an affirmative, but it was worth a shot.

Kitarina frowned and started drawing on her memories.... soon she was in a meditative trance, searching all of her memories for the past couple of months. Lynn watched her with mortal and spiritual eyes. Kitarina's aura was one of pure Light. Lynn considered her. Perhaps this one could be Awakened. She was already half aware.

"Xan'nath." Kitarina murmured. She didn't seem to know she was speaking. Lynn leaned forward, suddenly intent on her. "Xan'nath." Kitarina opened her eyes. "I heard the name that night as I fell asleep. It was whispered to me. I had totally forgotten it."

Lynn looked like the proverbial fat cat. "Hot damn, we've got him! Not only will I be able to remove him from your daughter's body, if I cannot banish him to Hell, I will be able to Bind him such that he will never, ever harm another!" Lynn was fiercely joyful. And Kitarina smiled, looking more confident about the whole thing.

Lynn picked up her phone. "I need to call Jared." Kitarina nodded, picking at her nail polish nervously. And try as she might, she could not understand anything of Lynn's conversation with Jared, even though Lynn was only about 6 feet away from her. Soon, Lynn hung up the phone with a small smile. "He's on his way."

Jared headed over to Lynn's office, pleased that she called and even more pleased that she had asked him to assist her with a client. Perhaps they were going to be able to create that Cabal after all. He wondered a bit about her client. If Lynn needed help, it must be something very interesting. He smiled upon seeing the familiar sign. The "Lynn Ferguson's Natural Healing" sign hung in front of an old Victorian house. He saw and felt the wards she had place around the place, smiling at the `feel' of them. He entered the front room with a jingle of the front door and hear Lynn call out, "Come on in, Jared. We're in my office." He already knew that, but fronts must be kept in front of the Sleepers. He walked to the familiar office door and opened it.

Kitarina sat up straighter as the darkly attractive man walked into the room. She sensed but did not see the magic about him. And, for some odd reason, she got the impression of a winged panther padding along side him. She watched Lynn greet him with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, idly marveling at the visual dichotomy they presented; Lynn, captivatingly beautiful with long flaxen blond hair, blue eyes and small stature next to Jared, tall, dark, handsome with glossy ebony hair pulled back in a braid and piercing green eyes. His dark intensity to her light. He turned to look at Kitarina as Lynn returned to her seat behind the cherrywood desk. "Hello." was all he said to her as he sat down.

"Jared, this is Kitarina, my client. Kitarina, this is Jared, my colleague." Both nodded at each other as Kitarina shifted nervously in her seat.

Jared cleared his throat. "What can I do to help two beautiful women?" He smiled a very charming smile, intending to put Kitarina at ease. She smiled back at him, relaxing.

"3, actually." Lynn spoke up. She marveled at Jared's ability to charm the stars from the sky, much less a single nervous young lady.

Jared raised an eyebrow. "Please continue."

Lynn looked at Kitarina, who nodded to her. Lynn's mouth twitched a little. "In a nutshell... a fallen angel has possessed the body of Kitarina's infant daughter and I am going to remove it. Kitarina is going to guide Katey's soul back into her body and protect her daughter while I deal with a pissed off fallen angel."

"Which is where I come in." Jared rejoined smoothly. He understood immediately what Lynn needed of him. It pleased him that she trusted him enough to guard her back.

"Exactly." Lynn smiled. "I am asking that you protect Kitarina and Katey while I deal with the fallen angel... and run back up to me if something, ah, `interesting' should happen."

Jared grinned ferally. "I will need my sword." He enjoyed action and this was promising to give him some. Yes, a bit of combat to hone the skills.

Kitarina watched the exchange, not knowing if she should be jumping for joy or cowering in fear. She didn't really understand what these two people where saying, really... but it didn't matter as long as Katey was returned to her body and was safe.

"Of course, Jared. I expected as much. We will be in the work room and not my s--- and not my personal workroom. You will be better able to assist me there." She turned to Kitarina, "And it will be better for Katey and you."

Jared nodded. "When is this going to happen?"

Kitarina spoke up. "When do you have time?" Her whole body told of her hope that this crazy plan would work and her fear that it would fail. She'd lived with this for over two months. The sooner it was over, the better.

Lynn looked at Jared. He nodded his willingness to begin right away. "Oh." Lynn told Jared in an offhand manner, "We have it's Name." She grinned ferally, like a cat with trapped prey.

Jared chuckled low, almost a growl. "I see." was all he said. Lynn smiled at him.

"Well, shall we?" Lynn asked. "I'd rather not give it time to plan. And we do have it where we want it." Kitarina and Jared both nodded. "Jared, Kitarina, you are invited into the Workroom."

Jared indicated his pocket. "May I?" Lynn nodded and watched Kitarina jump in surprise as Jared pulled a katana from his coat. Seeing her look, he quipped with an enigmatic smile, "It's a kind of magic." Everyone laughed at the mild humor and then walked into the Workroom.

Lynn rolled away the throw rug on the floor, revealing a pentagram carved into the stone. She sprinkled some salt around it and paused for a moment. Then, nodding to herself, she went over to the crib and released the wards. Katey's eyes were wide open, watching the three people in the room. Kitarina came up next to her. "Pick her up and go to the center of the pentagram. And remember, you must guide Katey's soul back to her body and protect her." Kitarina nodded and picked the baby up, cooing to it a little. The baby burbled happily at her.

Jared had stepped to the side, out of the way. His katana was unsheathed, non-combat position and he was breathing slowly, centered. He and Lynn had worked together briefly once before but found that their magics and styles were compatible. Kitarina stood in the middle of the pentagram. Lynn put a small glass jar to the side and picked up her athame. The black obsidian blade shone with a comforting other-world feel.

Lynn stepped forward towards the circle, Jared on her left, katana at the ready position. She raised her athame, drawing on the magic around her and her Will to change reality. She made a circle with the blade. "The Circle is now closed. Let none who are not meant to be here cross it's boundary." There was a stirring of Power and the fallen angel within the baby glared at Lynn.

`OK, short and simple and sweet.' Lynn thought to herself. "May the Maiden cleanse me, the Warrior strengthen me, the Mother guide me and the Crone revenge me." She prayed to the Goddess for protection in this quest. Lynn's angelic Avatar shone brightly and mantled her wings.

Lynn looked the fallen angel, gathering her Will. Slicing her palm with her athame, she intoned, "Xan'nath, I name you. Xan'nath, I call you. Xan'nath, I bind you! By the Goddess and my Will, I command you forth from the body of the child!" There was a stirring within Katey. Lynn felt the fight. She repeated, voice steady and strong, "Xan'nath, I name you. Xan'nath, I call you. Xan'nath, I bind you! By the power of your Name, I cast you from the body of this child!" Lynn flung her bloody hand at Kitarina and the baby. Both jerked as the blood splattered them

The fallen angel screamed in rage and fear as it was driven out of Katey's body to the opposite side of the room. It immediately dived back towards the mother and child, claws out to attack them. "Jared!!" Lynn cried out to him. Kitarina curled herself about Katey, protecting her with her own body. Jared was already moving to intercept the fallen angel. He stabbed it once, warding it off. It jerked in pain but was determined to hold its claim on the infant's body. Jared guarded the mother and child, expertly fending off the attacks of the fallen angel as Lynn continued to bind it.

Lynn gathered herself and grabbed the small glass jar in her bloody hand. "Xan'nath, I name you! Xan'nath, I call you! Xan'nath, I bind you! By the Maiden, the Warrior, Mother, Crone and the power of your Name, I bind you to this vessel until the end of Time!" The fallen angel screamed again as it was drawn to the small jar in Lynn's hand. "Kitarina!! Now! Do it now!"

Kitarina had already started guiding her daughter's soul back to its rightful place, gently, protective... sheltering it from the raging battle. Lynn was shaking with the effort to control the fallen angel, forcing it into the jar. It clawed at her as it disappeared with a cry of pain. For a single moment, all was still and Lynn could see that Kitarina had been successful. Jared moved closer to Lynn, a determined, cautious look on his face.

Lynn looked at jar that the fallen angel was bound into. She spoke soft, intense "Xan'nath, I name you. Xan'nath, I call you. Xan'nath, I bind you! By the power of the Goddess and your True Name, I banish you to the 7 planes of Hell for all time!!" She smashed the glass jar on the stone floor and there was a fading scream of rage as the fallen angel was banished.

Jared moved next to Lynn to make sure she was OK. Lynn smiled at the mother and child within the Circle. Kitarina was sitting on the floor, cuddling her daughter to her. She was laughing and crying at the same time. Her daughter was saved!! The baby wriggled, all limbs kicking and waving happily. Then the baby stopped, looking at Lynn. Or rather, over her shoulder. Everyone turned and there was a collective gasp of amazement.

An angel floated there. Lynn was dumbfounded. Her Avatar on the mortal plane?? The angel smiled gently at Lynn, "Thou hath done well." The voice was like birds, like bells, like rain. It was beautiful. The angel kissed Lynn on the forehead and faded away. Lynn's eyes rolled up in her head and she collapsed to the floor in an untidy heap.

Jared was by her side in an instant. He cradled her body to him. "Is-is she going to be OK?" Kitarina asked, worried.

"Oh yes, better than you could know." He smiled that enigmatic smile of his and stroked Lynn's face gently. Her closed eyes moved rapidly, as if dreaming. She was breathing shallow and fast. Jared monitored her closely.

Lynn's eyes fluttered open and she gasped, becoming aware again. She looked up at Jared, eyes shining and moist. "I understand it now. I can see it all." He hugged her close. "I was so blind before, how could I have not seen it?" Lynn was overflowing with happiness. "She said she didn't have to protect me now. That... we could be as we were meant. I feel her all around me."

Jared held Lynn while her spirit soared the stars. Then he helped her up, supporting most of her weight, while making it seem as if he was only standing there. She raised her athame once more with a shaking hand. "The Circle is now broken, may the power that was raised here move on to where it will do the most good." Everyone felt the energy slip away.

Kitarina got to her feet and smiled a real smile at Lynn. "If there is ever anything I can do for you. Ever. Just ask."

"You've done more than you know, but I will remember. You may sleep here tonight as a precaution or go home. I think Katey will be fine."

"She's wonderful. So wonderful. My daughter is back. I think I'd like to take her home. To just be with her."

Lynn nodded. "OK. But get some rest. You two have been through a lot."

Kitarina nodded and walked out the door to go home, gently hugging Katey to her. Lynn turned to lean against Jared. Jared scooped her up in his arms and carried her the stairs to her living room. Lynn was so tired/happy that she didn't even protest. He got her a cup of tea

"How do you feel?" He asked.

"Like a blind person who didn't know she was blind and can now see." Jared sat next to her and nodded. "And very, very tired." Her voice was soft, barely heard. He smiled, holding her close to his warm body. He grabbed the cup of hot tea out of her hands just before it slipped as she fell asleep, cuddled to him.

"I know exactly what you mean, Lynn. Exactly what you mean." He whispered to her sleeping form and kissed her on the head. He gently picked her up and took her to her bedroom, lying her on her bed and covering her with the blanket. Then he settled into the comfy chair to watch over her for the rest of the evening.