find it. Ember is the first place. It’s likely that you’ll figure the rest out from there.”
“You say it like you know it for sure.”
“There are many things I know,” she said. “And many I don’t.”
It took all of my effort to stop from rolling my eyes and huffing.
Why were the people with divine knowledge always the most hesitant to share it?
“The journey to Ember is a one-way trip,” I said, since I’d learned it in my studies. “Once you enter, you can’t leave.”
“That’s because it’s used as a realm for the fae and mages to send their prisoners,” Ethan said, scowling. “The spell keeping them there is stronger than any barrier spell in existence. Not even the strongest, darkest supernatural prisoners can figure out to escape. My dad was the only one who could come and go as he pleased. But he never told me how…” Realization flashed over his eyes, and he reached for the chain around his neck.
“What?” Mira asked.
“My dad wore a similar chain around his neck,” he said slowly, as if he were trying to recall something he’d learned long ago. “I can’t remember what hung from it. But according to Hecate, I have witch blood in my veins. Which means either my father or mother had to have witch blood, too. What if it was my dad? And what if he also had a key?”
“You’d know if your dad wore a key like ours,” Mira said. “Right?”
“Except I didn’t have a key until recently,” he said. “The magic of his key could have stopped me from knowing what it was, or even from remembering it was there.”
“Maybe.” Mira didn’t look convinced. “But you said the spell on Ember is stronger than any other barrier spell. That no one can leave once they’re there. What if the barrier blocks us from being able to use our keys, too?” She quickly glanced at Hecate. “That question was directed toward Ethan,” she clarified. “Not to you.”
If Hecate was put off by Mira’s snapping at her, she didn’t let it show. “I know,” she said simply. “Now, what’s your question?”
Mira didn’t look at either me or Ethan. “Will the keys be able to take us to and back from Ember?”
Hot anger swirled within me. Why did Mira ask her question without consulting us first?
Don’t be a hypocrite, I thought. You asked your question without consulting either of them.
But my question had slipped out. Which, I supposed, Mira’s had, too.
Besides, it was information we needed to know.
“Since I created the keys, I don’t need to consult a book to answer your question,” Hecate said. “My keys allow to you walk through the door of the Library and into any place you’ve ever been. This applies to every realm, including Ember.”
“But we’ve never been to Ember,” I said. “So we can’t use our keys to go there.”
“Yes, that’s how the keys work,” Hecate said.
“So how are we supposed to get there?”
“I’m afraid you’ve used up your questions for the day,” she said.
“Then it’s a good thing I know the answer,” Ethan said. “Because there are only two portals that lead to Ember. And I’m pretty sure we can get to at least one of them.”
8
Gemma
Instead of returning to our rooms in the Haven, we went straight to the tearoom.
I picked up the pen and notepad sitting on the coffee table.
Meet us in the tearoom, I wrote. We have news.
I ripped the paper of the notepad, folded it, and placed it in my upturned palm.
“There’s a witch stationed outside this room,” Mira said. “She can send fire messages to Mary.”
“I know. But I can’t get better without practice.”
Every time I’d tried to send a fire message so far, I’d burned the letter with my elemental fire magic instead of sending it to the intended recipient with my witch magic. It was a medium-level spell—Mira still hadn’t succeeded with it, either—but our phones wouldn’t work outside of the Earth realm. And we needed to be able to communicate no matter where we were. Especially because we had no idea what was in store for us in Ember.
So I was determined to master this spell.
Put an imaginary barrier around your elemental magic, I remembered what Harper had said during our lessons. Focus only on your witch magic.
I stared at the paper and recited the incantation.
Magic tingled up from my core, traveled through my arm, and released out of my palm.
A small flame engulfed the letter, then disappeared.
No ashes remained on my palm.
“Yes!” I