They got Rowena back. She was just sitting there, drinking tea from a glass, waiting for them.
Rowena was quick to pull Crowley aside the second she could, claiming to need a moment alone with her son. In turn, Castiel was more than happy to comply and have a moment to himself (re: a moment outside of the demon's company).
Once he was gone, Rowena smacked Crowley's arm. "What aren't you telling me, Fergus?" She demanded, her voice just barely above a hiss.
"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about, mother." He responded. "But, you know, a thank-you for the rescue wouldn't be out of order."
"You know damn well what I'm talking about." She hissed. "Who's the other witch?"
"Pardon?" Crowley did his best to keep a neutral face.
"The witch you summoned the damned Devil with in the first place!"
"And I will say again, I have no idea what you're talking about." The lie came easy to the King's lips, and for a moment he wondered why. He should feel conflicted about lying to his own mother; after all, he'd felt conflicted about involving her and guilty when she'd been forced. But lying about this random girl…
That was easy.
"You forget, I'm your mother." She stated. "I know what all your lying faces look like."
"Really?" Crowley asked. "And what does this face tell you?" He donned his best poker face, the same one that had gotten him out of enough bad situations to prove worthwhile.
"It tells me that you're hiding something." She replied, crossing her arms. "Now tell me, Fergus, or I'll tell the angel that you had a different witch on the payroll."
Crowley thought for a moment. "What did Lucifer say?"
"He said that you had Kylie," she said. "As a better-made imitation of me with red hair of her own. But we both know that this isn't true because Kylie died, right Fergus?" When he didn't answer, she pressed again. "Kylie is dead, right Fergus?"
"Yes." He said. "Kylie is dead." Not exactly a lie, those were the same words she'd said. Kylie was dead. Diana Nyx lived on in her stead.
"Then why did Lucifer seem so sure of otherwise?"
"Beats me." That was a blatant lie this time, accompanied by a shrug.
"Then who might this new cheap knock-off version of me be?"
"Diana Nyx." The alias was familiar to him, now. "Mother was a witch, father was an angel."
For a moment, Crowley feared he had blown everything. He saw something flit across Rowena's eyes, almost like recognition at the name and backstory. He relaxed internally, though, when he saw Rowena shake it off as déjà vu.
"A Nephilim witch?" She asked. Crowley nodded. "And you didn't think to introduce me?"
"I haven't known her for long." He answered. "You didn't need to be involved, so I found a new witch."
"Still…" She huffed. "Fine. Enjoy gallivanting off with a new witch. I feel like retiring with Republicans and martinis and yachts out on foreign waters."
"Best of luck, mother."
