The ring used to be his mom’s wedding band before it was refashioned for Emmett. He once told me, in a rare moment of candor, that the ring was special to him because it represented his parents’ love—and their love created him.

I pull Emmett in for a hug. “Thank you.”

He scowls and pushes me away. “You’ve heard me before—emotions give you wrinkles. Simple cause and effect.”

Noah passes the handwritten incantations to Hattie. “So, that just leaves the elixir of life.”

“That’s here somewhere, right?” I ask, remembering what Hattie had said. The Miru had one of the things needed for the spell.

He frowns. “Well, not exactly. The Joseon Chalice is kept here at the dojang, yes. It’s the sacred chalice of King Sejong the Great from the Joseon dynasty. Did you guys know he was gifted? Anyway, the artifact itself is not the elixir of life. The witch has to collect the elixir in the chalice along with the ashes for the spell to work.”

“So what is the elixir, then?” I ask, my stomach dropping. “Do we have to find an infuser or something? David Kim is the only Tokki I sort of know, and he lives on the other side of the city.”

Noah pauses cautiously before answering. “The elixir of life is blood. Blood must be drawn from the witch and collected in the chalice.”

I freeze. Did he just say blood?

I turn to Hattie. “You knew, didn’t you?” I feel bubbles of anger rising in my throat. “And you purposely didn’t tell me.”

She looks sheepish. “I knew you’d try to stop me if I did.”

“Of course I’d stop you!” I shout. “I can’t make you bleed for me!” It’s enough that Emmett is giving up his mom’s ashes without my sister having to hurt herself, too.

Hattie comes over and grips me by the shoulders. “Riley, I know you’re just looking out for me, but I’m doing this for me, too, okay? They’re also my parents, and the last thing I want is for them to lose their gifts. And you know what else I don’t want? I don’t want to lose my only sister. A few drops of blood to prevent that from happening is a price I will happily pay. Besides, Eomma or Appa can heal me later.”

I take a big breath. I still feel nauseated at the thought of Hattie having to bleed for this spell to work. But she’s not wrong. We’re in deep now, and this is our only way out.

“Fine.” I squeeze her so tight, her eyes start to bulge out of her head. “I owe you. Big-time.”