where you can find things most Arcanea would disapprove of, her customers wouldn’t go so far as thinking Unseelie magic’s okay for personal use.”
“If that’s true, why did you make it such a big deal that I used the dark necklace in the King’s Contest?” I asked.
“I didn’t care that you used dark magic, only that you cheated,” Kiara explained. “I don’t think Unseelie magic is a bad thing. In my eyes, shadow magic can be a tool used for good.”
“But what’s the real difference between Unseelie magic and Seelie magic, besides one is considered good and the other evil?” I asked.
“Seelie magic comes from your own power, your own source— which is our connection to Edinmyre,” Kiara clarified. “Unseelie magic can be drawn from any object or being that’s not your own, like through rituals, or by using crystals and wands. Seelie magic is internal, while Unseelie magic is external. It has to take energy from something else. It’s not technically your magic, but you can cast it for your own purposes.”
“Isn’t that inherently evil?” I asked.
“Not if you use it the right way. If you drew enough power from a living creature and killed it for your own material gain, that would be considered evil, but if you’re using a tool like a wand that has its own energy, it’s just dark magic,” Kiara said. “People say that casting Unseelie magic opens you up to demon possession, but that’s just not true. Yes, you can pull magic from demonic sources, and it’s incredibly dangerous, but there are so many other things you could use instead.”
She grabbed at her crystal again. “I’d like to experiment with Unseelie magic, but there’s so little knowledge about it out there, I’m not sure how.”
I reached out to take her hand. “Well... if it helps, I agree with you. And I’d like to experiment with Unseelie magic, too. It’s part of my blood. And I want to learn more about my heritage.”
Kiara smiled. “Thanks, Emma. At least you’re not a dolt like the rest of the fae.”
Her eyes shifted downward as we came to a deserted area of the school. “What’s that you got?”
She stopped, and I showed her the black book. “It’s the book I got from Enchanted Whispers last year. I carry it around because—”
Kiara let out a huge gasp. She took the book out of my arms and started thumbing through the pages. I startled. “What?”
“I didn’t know what this was before, but I do now,” Kiara said in a hurry. “I’ve been writing my essay for Protection Against Black Magic on Unseelie items, and this is one of them!”
My heartbeat picked up. “Really?”
“Yes!” Kiara gushed. “It’s an Unseelie grimoire!”
“A what?” I asked, confused.
“Faeries used to keep grimoires. They’re books of spells and invocations. They’re usually filled with all kinds of neat tricks and tips,” Kiara said. “It was a very private and personal thing for a fae to have.”
My heart glowed with respect for whoever had authored this grimoire. It must’ve meant a lot to them. For some reason, I felt an unspeakable connection with the writer of this book I couldn’t explain. “Okay, then why isn’t it written in Malovian?” I asked.
“Because Malovian is a Seelie tongue. This book is written in the Unseelie language!” Kiara burst excitedly.
“Can we get any books on the Unseelie language at the library? We might be able to translate.”
Kiara frowned. “No. They’ve all been banned from the library.”
Well, so much for that. I’d lost hope I’d ever figure this thing out, until Kiara tapped her chin. “Siona has a book on Unseelie translations.”
“I’m guessing it’s contraband?” I asked.
“It’s not something you should get caught with. Come on. Let’s go.”
Kiara and I hustled off campus. Spring was beginning to venture into Malovia now, and most of the snow had melted, leaving fresh grass to bloom beside the cobblestones, which were full of puddles from the recent rain. We hurried to Enchanted Whispers and gave the password to the stone griffin guarding the door. It moved aside.
As usual, the shop was bustling with customers. I smelled the fresh brew of coffee beans mixed with the pages of books wafting throughout the shop. Siona waved to us. “Hey, sis,” she called Kiara. “What brings you by?”
Kiara tucked a curl behind her ear. “Do you still have that book on the Unseelie language?”
Siona tilted her head. “I just might.” She handed a customer a coffee, then slid out from behind the counter. She browsed the shelves