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When the plane had landed in London, I'd assumed the car would take us to a house in the city, or maybe to Council Headquarters so Dad could do business stuff But the car had driven out of the crowded streets and past sether that reminded me of a Dickens story

Gradual y, the brick buildings had given way to trees and rol ing green hil s I saw ht existed

"So we ca out in thehead on Jenna's shoulder

"We did,"Dad replied

Cal smiled Wel , of course he'd be thril ed to be stuck on soruhalish plants to heal-

Then I caught sight of a house

Although, cal ing it a house was like cal ing the Mona Lisa a painting, or Hecate Hal a school The terin to sum up the reality of the object

This house was one of the biggest buildings I'd ever seen, and olden-colored stone that looked warreen lawn stretching in front of it, while a forested hil rose in the back A thin, shining ribbon of water curved graceful y along one side of the property Literal y hundreds of s glittered in the sunlight

"Wow,"Cal said, leaning over to look out the

"This is where we're staying?"I asked

Dad just s way too satisfied with himself "I told you there would be roo back We held each other's eyes for a second, but I broke away first, nodding toward the house "Don't houses like that always have a name?"

"More often than not,"he answered "This is Thorne Abbey"

So about that name was familiar, but I couldn't think why "It used to be a church?"

"Not that actual house It wasn't built until the late sixteenth century But there was an abbey on the land"

He went into lectureabout how the abbey had been razed under Henry VI I, and the land given to the Thorne fa I atching several people walk out the front door of the house Then I spotted a pair of wings and wondered who exactly Dad's friends were

The car rue and pul ed into a circular drive Dad got out of the car first, and as he openednicer than a faded pair of jeans and a plain green T-shirt

Iolden-colored stone as the rest of the house There were six people standing there, two dark-haired kids who looked about iuic hovering around the rest of them, too

The day armer than I'd expected, and I felt a few beads of sweat pop out on ravel crunched underJenna appeared atover her bloodstone

Dad placed a hand on the smal of my back and steered hter"

Suddenly I felt soic, but darker, ers near the back of the crowd They were the only ones not s at me

Realization slaasp

They were de through me Dad and I were supposed to be the only de thought cas? Had Dad dragged land to play out some twisted version of the Brady Bunch?

"What is this?"I choked out,the other demons

But Dad smiled proudly "This is Council Headquarters"

Behindit, as a woroup and offered her hand "Sophia, we're so thril ed you'l be with us this summer I'lance at the de to each other

"Lara is a Council ht say,"Dad said

Lara didn't let go of ht away "I've heard so much about you, both from your father and from Anastasia"

"Mrs Casnoff?"Oh, God, if that's where this woossip, I was surprised she'd greeted me with a handshake instead of an exorcism

"Lara and Anastasia are sisters,"Dad said

"Okay,"I replied, trying to process that Then soht Council Headquarters was in London"

A deep vertical line appeared between Lara's brows "It is Due to some unforeseen events we've decided to relocate for the summer"Now that I knew she was Mrs Casnoff's sister, I could see-and hear-the reseers were the "unforeseen events,"or if there wasWouldn't have surprised me