I knew I was in for more than I'd planned the moment I passed through the house wards and into the kitchen. There were strangers here, the feel of them clear to me now they weren't masked by the protections wrapping our house in magic.

It took me a moment to decide what to do. I heard voices talking, coming from the living room and was pretty sure Mom felt me the moment I arrived home. I tried to keep the rustling of my shopping bags to a minimum as I stuffed them into the ...