“What are they all doing there? Throwing a hellacious slumber party?” when no one said anything, I added, “Get it? Hellacious? Because they’re all…Forget it.”

“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?”

“Archer, Jenna, and I weren’t exactly clutching each other and sobbing, but we were pretty shaken as we formed a little huddle. “Okay,” I finally said. “Can we all agree that this is maybe the most screwed-up situation we’ve ever found ourselves in?”“Agreed,” they said in unison.“Awesome.” I gave a little nod. “And do either of you have any idea what we should do about it?”“Well, we can’t use magic,” Archer said.“And if we try to leave, we get eaten by Monster Fog,” Jenna added.“Right. So no plans at all, then?”Jenna frowned. “Other than rocking in the fetal position for a while?”“Yeah, I was thinking about taking one of those showers where you huddle in the corner fully clothed and cry,” Archer offered.I couldn’t help but snort with laughter. “Great. So we’ll all go have our mental breakdowns, and then we’ll somehow get ourselves out of this mess.”

“Dad was at his desk when I opened the door, doing what all British people do when they're freaked out: drinking tea.”

“Wow,Cal," I said, feeling a little bit like myself for the first time since I'd walked into this crazy house. "You will be able to have some awesome slumber parties in here.All of the other girls are gonna be so jealous."Cal shot me a half smile, and I felt some of the weird-ness between us dissipate. "It's not so bad," he said. Then he flopped down on the bed, only to sink out of sight in the middle of it. As Cal drowned in a sea of fluffy coverlets and throw pillows, I couldn't help but crack up.Lara looked offended. "That bed originally belonged to the third Duke of Cornwall.""It's great," Cal said, his voice muffled. He gave her the thumbs-up, which only made me and Jenna laugh harder.”

“Hellaciously Homely.”

“Weird it showed it me that when I've had so many other awful things happen directly to me," I said beginning to tick them off my fingers. "Elodie getting killed, having to kill Alice, escaping a burning building with the help of a ghost..." And then because both my parents looked so deflated I added, "Oh, and this really heinous pageboy haircut in the sixth grade.”