Squatting on shaky knees, I peek inside. The interior is smaller than I expected—about the size of our microwave. But sure enough, next to Hattie’s Gi is the spellbook containing all our family’s healing spells, perfected and collected over generations.

My hand gravitates toward the precious volume like a moth to light, and I pull it out. I stroke its soft brown leather cover as Eomma’s words echo in my ears. Our family spellbook isn’t just a book, girls. It’s a private conversation with the divine, connecting us right back to our ancestor, the Cave Bear Goddess. It is a privilege.

I hesitate, my hand hovering over the book like an ominous storm cloud. What would Eomma say if she could see me right now…?

“Go on,” Hattie whispers. “Open it.”

That’s all the encouragement I need. I eagerly turn the front cover, anticipation sparking in my fingers. If we’re right, the magic-sharing spell is hiding somewhere within these pages.

My eyes gaze hungrily down at the first page.

Blank.

I turn another page.

Blank.

“What the…?” I flip more pages, only to find more emptiness. “I don’t…I can’t…” My throat starts to feel tight, and I pick up the spellbook with both hands, flipping the pages back and forth with greater urgency. But no matter what I do, they remain empty.

“Maybe we need to activate it somehow,” Hattie says. “Here, let me have a look.”

I place it in her hands, and immediately the spellbook starts making a soft murmuring sound. Slowly but surely, cursive Korean letters appear on the pages. First, they’re just smudges, appearing in little smears like Nutella stains. But then they spread and grow, until each of the empty pages is filled to the brim with words and symbols.

Hattie looks apologetic. “Sorry, Rye,” she mutters. “It must be spelled to activate when a blood Gom touches it.”

I shrug and pretend I don’t care. But of course I do. A lot. This is exactly why we need to do this spell—so I can stop being the odd one out.

Hattie skims through the book, and at first, all we see are healing spells. Spells for curing migraines to spells for clotting blood. They’re all spells we’re familiar with and, not to be a show-off or anything, I already know most of the incantations by heart.

But then we come across a chapter entitled “Miscellaneous.”

“This must be where it is,” Hattie breathes. We flip through the spell titles as my heart beats all the way up to my temples. And that’s when we see it: the words Temporary Gift-Sharing Spell in big, scratchy handwritten letters.

“Oh my Mago, we did it!” I whisper-shout at Hattie. “I can’t believe we found it!”

Eomma’s door suddenly squeaks open and we almost jump out of our skins.

“Eomma?!” I squeal.