“I had no idea what anyone would ever need a demon for.Errands? General evil tasks that needed doing around the house?”

“All right then, Daisy and I will have our usual."I wondered what that might be. Evil Juice? Some kind of demonic energy drink?”

“Thanks to all the moving around Mom and I had done, I hadn't had a birthday party since I was eight years old. That had been at Chuck E. Cheese. Something told me the Council had something more elaborate in mind."They don't need to do that," I said, shoving my hands into my pockets. "Especially with all that's going on right now."Nick flashed me a wolfish grin. "That's Prodigium for you. Very 'fiddle while Rome burns.”

“Well,if there's nothing else you ladies need in the library, Sophie, would you care to accompany me on a walk about the grounds?"I wondered if there were ever times when Dad didn't sound like he'd just escaped from a Jane Austen novel.”

“I've loved this house from the moment I set eyes on it," Dad said quietly."I just wish it were a little bigger," I said. "I need at least five hundred bedrooms to keep from feeling cramped, you know?”

“So the Casnoffs are at Hex Hall. Probably with however many demons they've managed to create. What are they doing there? Throwing a hellacious slumber party?”

“It is imperative that you have no further contact with Archer Cross."I knew all of that. But there was something about having it actually said out loud that physically hurt. "I get it," I said,looking down. "I'm a demon, he's an Eye. If we got together, think of how awkward family holidays would be. Magic and daggers flying around, knocking over the Christmas tree...”