The excitement over it left her body when she remembered that it had to be enchanted to be opened. She would have to take it home to have either Circe or Agatha enchant it open. But they would have to determine which unlocking incantation would work on it.

She throws it at the wall across the room, vibrating the room ever so slightly.

Kellan’s warm hand grabbed her wrist.

‘What is it?’

‘It’s a journal I gave Dana, but I can’t open it because I have no magic,’ she yelled in frustration, snatching her wrist from his grasp.

He left his spot on the bed and picked the discarded journal from the ground. He tried to use his strength to pry it open, but the lock would not break apart.

He growled at it and dropped it beside her, slumping back on the bed.

The hair stood from the back of her neck when something tickled the crook of her neck.

She flinched away from it. Kellan knitted his brows.

Her fingertips thrummed with a familiar feeling; it was like something wanted to escape from the confines of her skin.

Open me, it whispered. She stared at Kellan, who didn’t notice, even with his fae senses. Something brewed within her.

She drew her eyes to the journal.

Open me, it whispered again. She jumped.

‘What?’ Kellan growled.

‘It spoke.’

‘What did?’

‘The journal.’

‘No—’

She nodded. His eyes widened.

‘Bullshit.’

Bethan used all her strength to punch his shoulder.

‘You have done nothing but injure me today,’ he said, rubbing his freshly bruised arm.

She scoffed at him, returning her attention to the talking book.

The thrumming in her fingertips continued. It almost felt like—

Magic, the wispy voice returned. I’m back.

She stroked the spine, bringing it to her lips; her eyes fluttered shut, and the speaking returned.

Yes, yes, open me, use me, Maiden’s daughter. The demon won’t know.

The power was pushing out of her, swirling inside her, waiting to be used.

She brought the spine to her lips.

‘Vorreia apeire quena libro. Apeire. Apeire. Open. Open,’ she chanted.

Kellan said something, but she couldn’t hear over the book.

The mistress allows it, Grey, Green, Blood, Maiden, Mother and Crone, the book chuckled.

Her eyebrows rose.

‘Apeire. Apeire. Open. Open,’ she chanted again.

Kellan’s breathing fell as heavy as her own.

Okay, Kore witch.

It clicked.

The crisp pages splayed open.

Bethan cried, hyperventilating.

She leant back into Kellan, but the Small magic within in her dwindled to the familiar sense of nothingness.

chapter twenty-three

chapter twenty-three

bethan kore

‘are you all right?’ kellan asked.

She shook her head. She didn’t know how she felt. She’d used her magic, but she tried to use it again, and it didn’t work. The journal no longer spoke. It laid on the bed, open and waiting to be read.

‘I felt like me again,’ she said.