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"Contained?"

Dad looked at one, Sophie The Daisy part of her, at least Once the roaned, her eyelids fluttering, as if there were some tiny sliver of her left in there that had heard and understood "Sohed and loosened his tie "Of course Jenna"I glanced up, surprised, to see Jenna standing a few feet behind Lara She must have heard al the commotion Her face was pale, her eyes wide as she hurried across the hal way and grabbedher uilt or froo find Nick and have him meet me in the conservatory,"Dad said to her She looked up, surprised, but said she would, then headed off toward the back hal way

Crouching down again, Dad brushed Daisy's black hair fro I couldn't understand, and she stil ed, see to fal deeper asleep "I'l see that she's taken care of,"he said "And Lara, after I meet with Nick, I want to talk to you Is that understood?"

She gave a tiny bow, but her one, I gave in to my wobbly knees and sat down on the steps Roderick and Kristopher showed up a few entleness, and carried her off to one of those ht of Daisy, even a demoned-out murderous Daisy, locked away, sent a fresh wave of sadness rol ing over me

I rested my head on folded arms and tried to process what had just happened "Dad,"I said at last, "Daisy was going afterof "Oh, Sophie, but that is i word, and also this abstract concept"But for once, he didn't He just sat down next to ht before she attacked And al that with the dagger You were the bigger threat I was too wiped out froht her off But she only went for you when you got in front of e of his nose "I told you ards to the Brannicks, but not for the entire trip The warlock I visited in Lincolnshire, Andreley, had some very useful infor deies? I believe it's in chapter five"

"Umno"

Irritation flashed over his face "Honestly, Sophie, I gave you that book for a reason"

Chapter 18

"And I', and can we just skip to the part where you tel ends of witches and warlocks su their powers"

"Like what Elodie's coven was trying to do with Alice"

Dad shook his head "No, that was trying to summon a demon and hold it That's different Had their ritual worked, they would have been able to use Alice, to some extent, but they wouldn't have control ed her She stil would have had free wil "He studiedto Mr Crowley's research, in order to truly control a demon, you have to be its maker-the witch or warlock who performed the possession ritual"

"Lara That word, or sound, or whatever it was It stopped Daisy dead in her tracks"

Dad released a shaky breath "Yes"

Everything started clicking into place, but that only made me feel worse "So it is her She's the one who , like a particularly awful snowbal"She knoas on Graymalkin, Dad I don't kno, but she does And she sicced Daisy on me because of it She only cal ed her off because Daisy was about to hurt you"Sweet, friendly Lara Bizarro World Mrs Casnoff, Jenna and I had cal ed her And she had just tried to kil ical y arrest her?"

"I can't"

That was just about the last answer I'd been expecting, and I stared at Dad in shock "Dad, she just tried to kilthem as weapons"

"You don't understand,"Dad said, weary "Lara, Anastasia, and I are bound by blood oaths If I throw theeon with no proof, it could look like a political power play"

"But you have proof The place on Graymalkin Trust me, Dad, anyone would be able to tel there was hard-core stuff going down there"

"It wouldn't be enough And Anastasia does have co that happens at Hecate She could easily come up with a plausible excuse"

Frustrated, I shook my head "But Daisy and Nick-"

"Daisy in co that happened before he became a demon They're of no help in this"

I shot to ic and too ainst the railing and said,

"So you're not going to do anything?"

Dad stood up, too "Sophie, I told you once that being head of the Council required a great deal of sacrifice That wo wohter"Magic was rol ing off hiain "Believemore than to smite her out of existence But I can't Not until I have concrete evidence"

Sood to ht "Man, politics suck,"I et to the bottom of this And e do, Lara and Anastasia and anyone else who had part in this madness wil be punished"

"Thanks, Dad"

I wanted to wait for Nick to show up, o on up to my roo et Cal-"