"According to Zara, Arthur's been locked in his office with the door shut since we left," said Diana.

"I would be too, if I had to put up with Zara," said Dru. Lila snickered and Dru looked up with a slight smile.

"I still don't see why Arthur didn't come with you," sniffed Evelyn. "He used to live in this Institute. You'd think he wouldn't mind paying a visit."

"Look on the bright side, Livvy," Diana said. "When Julian and the others return from—from where they are—they're most likely to go straight to Los Angeles. Would you want them to find an empty Institute?"

Livvy poked at her food and said nothing. She looked pale and drawn, purple shadows under her eyes. Which was a contrast to Lila, who seemed to have slept perfectly. Ty seemed closed off amongst all the unusual sights and tastes and smells.

"We could go to Baker Street," Kit said suddenly. "We are in London."

Ty looked up then. He'd pushed his dinner away; Lila had explained to Kit that Ty took a long time to warm up to new foods and flavours, so for the time being he had really only been eating potatoes.

"To 211B Baker Street?" Ty asked.

"When everything with Malcolm is cleared up," Said Diana. "Until then, No Blackthorns and no Herondales are leaving the Institute. I'll be in the parlour. I need to send a fire message."

The door closed behind her. Just then, Tavvy—who sat at the end of the table—giggled, looking into thin air.

Lila froze and looked between Tavvy and then to Livvy and Ty. Everyone else turned to look in surprise—Tavvy hadn't been laughing very much lately.

"Jessie," Said Evelyn Highsmith in a scolding tone. Lila saw Kit actually look around as if there were someone else with them. "Leave the child alone. He doesn't even know you." Evelyn looked around the table. "Everyone thinks they are good with children. Very few know when they are not. I am not," she said, "I have never been able to stand children."

Lila snickered when she looked at Tavvy, who was looking at Evelyn as if he wanted to throw a plate at her.

"You might as well take Tavvy to bed, Dru," Said Livvy hastily, "I think we're all done with dinner here."

"Sure, why not? It's not like I didn't find clothes for him this morning or put him to bed last night. I may as well be a servant!" Dru snapped, snatched Tavvy from his chair and then left the room, Tavvy trailing behind her.

Livvy put her head into her hands. Ty looked at her, "You don't have to look after everyone, you know," he said.

"It's just—without Jules, I'm the oldest here. By a few minutes, anyway." She looked sideways at Ty, then to Lila.

"Diana is the oldest," Lila told her.

Nobody mentioned Evelyn, who had a pair of glasses on her nose and was reading a newspaper.

"But she's got so much more to do than look after us," Livvy said, "I mean, look after the little things. I never really thought about it before, all the stuff Julian does for us. It's so much. He always holds it together and looks after us and I don't get how—"

There was a sound like an explosion overhead. Ty's face paled almost instantly. Lila looked up at the dusty ceiling, raising her eyebrows.

"Livvy, Lila, the accords hall—"Ty said.

The noise had changed then, going from the sound of an explosion and more like thunder. Lila took peace in it; she loved thunder.

Dru burst into the room then, Tavvy right behind her.

"It's them," She said, looking between Ty, Livvy, Lila and Kit. "You won't believe it, but it's them, on the roof—"

"Who?" Asked Lila, rising from her seat, her dress swishing slightly.

"Who's on the roof, Dru?" Asked Livvy, as the others stood, all besides Evelyn.

Dru swept Tavvy up into her arms. "Everyone," She said.

—

The Institute roof was flat and long, with tall iron railings and a chimney in the far corner.

Everyone besides Bridget and Evelyn had arrived on the roof, Lila stood with Ty and Livvy, Dru and Tavvy in front of them, Diana to the side of them all and Kit slightly behind Ty, Livvy and Lila.

"There," Said Dru, pointing up to the sky where dark clouds were gathered. "Do you see?"

Lila did see. She first saw Emma on a horse laughing with glee, then Cristina behind her on another horse with her arms held out. She saw Mark and another boy, then at long last there was Julian.

The second Emma slid down from the horse, Lila ran so fast that when she wrapped her arms around Emma they nearly lost their footing.

"You were gone for ages!" Mumbled Lila. Emma held her tightly.

"I know, we're really sorry."

Lila could hear Dru and Tavvy talking to Mark and Cristina, could hear Livvy and Ty asking Julian questions.

Cristina came over then and Lila threw herself into Cristina's arms. Then Diana came over, crying tears of relief, and so Lila left them to talk. When Ty had walked over to Livvy, Lila barrelled herself into Julian's arms, swinging her arms around his neck tightly. He held her just as tight.

And when Kit looked at them, looked at the fierce look of love on Julian's face as he hugged Lila tightly, he felt a pang in his chest at the realisation nobody had ever loved him that much, never loved him the way the Blackthorns all cared for one another.

—

They sat in the parlour after, the fire roaring and warming the room. The room had been cared for, the wallpaper faded slightly but was still beautiful, the armchairs and sofas arranged in a cosy semi-circle around the fire, the heavy curtains which hadn't lost their colour after all the years they'd been there.

Lila was sure this was where she wanted to be during her travel years when she turned eighteen.

Bridget had brought them sandwiches, tuna and sweet corn, chicken and bacon. Julian, Emma, Cristina, Mark and Kieran all grabbed them as if they were wildly starving. Julian had to eat awkwardly with his left hand, balancing Tavvy on his lap with the other.

"How many days passed for them?" Kit whispered to Ty as Mark told the story of what had happened in Faerie. Lila was sitting in front of the fire, her knees drawn to her chest, listening intently to her brother.

"It sounds like a few less days than what passed for us," Ty replied. "Some time slippage, but not much. Cristina's necklace seems to have worked."

Kit whistled under his breath. "And who's Annabel?"

"She was a Blackthorn," Said Ty, "but she died. Malcolm brought her back to life."

Kit's eyes widened in shock. "From the dead? But that's necromancy."

"Malcolm was a necromancer," Ty pointed out.

"Shut up." Livvy elbowed Kit, who was lost in thought.

"The head of the Los Angeles Institute is dead?" Evelyn exclaimed, dropping her sandwich onto the expensive table.

Kit didn't really blame her for her surprise. The Blackthorns didn't seem like a family who were grieving. They acted as though Arthur wasn't someone they knew. He knew they weren't close, but they were still family.

"Is that why he wanted to stay behind in Los Angeles?" Asked Livvy, "so he could sacrifice himself for us?"

"By the Angel." Diana had her hand against her chest. "He hadn't replied to any of my messages, but that wasn't unusual. Still, for Zara not to notice—"

"Maybe she did, maybe she didn't," said Livvy. "But it's better for her plans if he's out of the way."

"What plans?" Said Cristina. "What do you mean, Zara's plans?"