Mayberry's eyes flashed in angry confusion at the trio. "This isn't how you win friends and influence people!"

"No, this isn't," the wolf Goetia said morosely. "This is the will of my house. Grief has cast its shadowed hand over everything here. As a result, anyone who walks these cursed grounds will see the darker sides of themselves manifest."

The prince affirmed. "Yeah, it's messed up if you're not used to it."

Mayberry almost didn't hear them, so fixated was she at the vision standing before her, just as it took quiet delight at being gawped at. "You mean, she really is me?"

Her host nodded. "Your inner demon, yes. My own haunts me often, but, in any event, you should probably go, Mrs. Mayberry. I just remembered that we are currently in the midst of a problem that demands our full attention, so we cannot have you."

"He's right, May." Treat agreed. "We better go. You've got children to rescue, and I have to laugh in your face when it goes tits-up."

Mayberry did an annoyed double-take. "What? Shut up!"

"Why can't she stay, Marco?" Seir asked him, suddenly serious. "Because of the letter?"

"It's Marchosias, and why else?"

"What letter?" May asked, struck with curiosity.

Amy spoke up. "Someone recently tried to expose us. We were lucky to find out in time, but it may happen again. If we don't find the culprit soon, we may face King Paimon's wrath."

May looked askance. More royalty to remember. "Not good?"

"Very much so."

"We can still work on that while we get her into shape," the prince pressed. "It's not like she's the leak."

Marchosias gave her a quick, suspicious glance that caused May to raise her hands in pacification.

"Hey, I've just got here," she said. "The last time I leaked anything, I was potty training."

The marquis returned his stern gaze to the prince. "I don't care about your rank, Seir. The answer is no. Our cause and our lives are under threat."

"Maybe mine is, too," May added worryingly.

The wolf smiled pityingly. "Since you are not one of us, Mrs. Mayberry, I would think not."

"See? You're fine," Treat agreed again. "Now, come along. You're much too busy to get involved in all of this. Two jobs, a hopeless romance, and a foolish crusade."

"Shut up!" May snapped. Then, she turned her attention to the wolf.

"That's not what I'm talking about. I thought you wanted me on board because we were all on the same page. But look at me! Right now, I'm just running on good intentions. How can I keep living up to our lofty goals if I end up in an ER? I want you to train me."

Marchocias gave a indolent wave. "The others can do as they please, but what if I refuse, Mrs. Mayberry?"

"Then, Your Majesty, you're full of shit."

The wolf raised an eyebrow. "Have a care. You may serve a Goetia but do not enjoy his protection."

"Like I need it. First of all, I don't serve him. I work under him. Big difference," she clarified. "Second, if you don't help me get better at what we all agree is the right thing to do, and I go out there and get killed...for real, or someone I could have saved dies, it'll be because you knowingly didn't equip me with what I needed to get the job done."

The room grew surprisingly quiet under the weave of logic and accountability she made as she continued.

"You talk big, but if you turn your back on me, then you turn your back on every child out there."

"Every child?" Marchosias countered dubiously. "Methinks you overestimate yourself."

"And methinks you're a coward," May challenged. "'The only thing necessary for the survival of evil is for good men to do nothing.' You are helping evil, Scruffy!"

Having said their peace, both stood their ground across a gulf far wider than the table in the hall. But finally, calmly, Marchosias acquiesced.

"Very well. I will train you," he announced, his eyes flashing with an inner fire. "Though you may break."

"Good. That'll mean it's working," Mayberry said resolutely before adding, worryingly, "Even if I don't have the time."

Then, Prince Seir of the Ars Goetia sauntered confidently from his spot near the marquis and said, "I believe I can help you with that."

Standing with the three Goetia and her darker half by the fountain in the front yard, all May could think about was how angry and put out whoever the last-minute substitute teacher probably was. She knew she would be if things were reversed.

The prince strutted over to the fountain and gestured theatrically. "And now, for my first trick, I'm going to make time my bitch!"

"What do you mean?" May asked.

"Let's just say that when you're as fast as I am, time ain't no thang. It's a little party trick I do sometimes. I'm going to give my speed to the property. While we're here, time is sped up. You said you wanted to get better, so we'll give you twelve months to swing that."

Mayberry sputtered. "I can't stay here a year!"

"Don't worry," he placated. "A month in here is just an hour out there. You can hack it for half a day, can't you?"

Mayberry didn't answer, but Seir could see the indecision in her.

"Look, you're already with us, in spirit." he reasoned. "You're living for kids in the daytime and risking your life for them at night. I thought you wanted an edge."

"Be honest with yourself, Mrs. Mayberry," Amy pressed. "Remember, you convinced us to keep you this time."

"No!' Treat interjected, clutching May's cheeks and staring into her eyes to drive home the point. "Don't ever be honest with yourself! Don't listen to them!"

The marquis growled. "Do you hear that? She wants you to fail and the children to suffer, and this time she's not whispering in the back of your mind; she's telling you in your face! Will you let this go unchallenged?"

May shook herself from Treat while her ears flushed. He was right. It was an argument she had with herself, with this Ms. Treat, ever since she used The Mirror and saved that first child. A debate that never seemed to end after that.

"I thought you wanted me gone," she said.

"This isn't about me," he countered bluntly. "Prove to yourself to be a woman of conviction, or prove your shadow right."

His point was blunt, but it struck deeper than any blade.

'You started this, May. Gotta put your money where your mouth is,' she thought ruefully, remembering that first girl again. The one who christened her with a hero's name.

"Are you sure this'll work?" she fretted.

Seir brightened. "Oh, yeah. You'll be stuck with us chuckleheads for a while, but you'll be fine."

May felt like Alice in Underworld, waiting for time to get pulled inside out. But, she had to remember that, apart from Ms. Treat, they did seem to want to help her. "All right."

"Yeah, let's kick it!"

Closing his eyes, Seir raised his hands outwardly and focused. First, the arms shook, then the ground shook. Then, floating crimson sigils and runes branded the air around the crowd, bleeding arcane, reality-twisting sorcery into the surroundings.

Above the mansion, the flight of birds slowed, and the reddish sky became a painting of near-frozen, warped, and abused local space/time.

Then, it was over.

The teacher blinked at the swift wonder of the moment. No pyrotechnics were needed, just quiet, tremendous power applied. Apart from the occasional run-in with Lady Leverage, it was rare to witness such open displays of deep, infernal magicks affecting such a vast space and even rarer to be the reason for it.

Looking at the others, their expressions didn't register. To them, it was old hat.

Knowing that she had crossed the Rubicon, Mayberry asked, "What happens now?"

"Now, the teacher becomes the student," said Marciosias. "I will teach you how to fight properly in the mansion, and Seir will have the rest of the house to instruct you in infiltration and stealth."

She turned to the prince, surprised. "You can do that?"

"Oh, yeah! We're gonna try on disguises and everything!" Seir told her. "Are you a Summer or a Winter?"

"What about you?" May asked Amy. "What are you going to do?"

Amy gave a self-conscious smile. "Give moral support and advice. Oh, and when you 'graduate,' I'll give you something to help you when you emerge as a new Guardian Demon!"

Her curiosity as to what that would be soured when Treat draped a disingenuous arm around her double's while beaming a dubious smile.

"Guess who's going to be roommates?" she asked in sing-song. "This is going to be just like college! I can't wait! Oh, remember that time you and that girl Shelley "experimented?"

Any other words Treat wanted to say were suddenly cut off by Mayberry's rapid throttling of her.

"What-the-hell?" Treat protested in rhythm to her strangling. "I'm-just-telling-them-that-you're-in-tres-ting! Agh!"

"Shut-up! Shut-up! Shut-your-mouth!" May yelled along in time.

"Oh, yeah!" Seir grinned at the sight of Treat being choked to the ground. "This year's gonna be bitchin'!"