---- "Good, Katherine.


    Now, where do you keep your familys journal? Do you remember? That strange page that fell from your book in the garden," his hand reached across the table, gripping mine.


    I felt Brendas murderous intent spike, but she held back.


    I suppose he told her this was part of thepulsion, when in reality, it wasnt.


    He just wanted an excuse to touch me.


    Oh, Brendita, youre downright pitiful.


    "Its here.


    Is this what you mean?" I asked, lowering my hands to keep from vomiting at the feeling of his fingers brushing over mine.


    Trummaged through the small handbag I carried and pulled out the journal he so desperately coveted.


    "Is this what you''re looking for?" "Yes, yes!" he eximed, snatching it from my grasp.


    Iwatched as he eagerly flipped through the pages.


    His grin was obvious, but nothingpared to the moment he found the map.


    "Js that the location of the exit?" Brenda immediately leaned in, both of them hovering over the table, unfolding the ancient parchment.


    "Yes, yes, you have no idea how many times Ive dreamed of seeing it again." Suddenly, I saw him searching through his clothes.


    Thats ittake it out, take out the missing piece! ---- A brownish scrap of parchment, aged and even more worn than mine, appeared in his hands.


    He ced it on the table, fitting it perfectly with the rest.


    There it wasthe breach, the way to escape the Realm of the Elementals.


    Thad read the study notes; one of the first witches in my family discovered it.


    Over the millennia we had been trapped here, each one contributed whatever knowledge she could They had found that some specters escaped through that spot into the outside world.


    It seemed impossible.


    Specters were pure dark energy, but we were flesh and blood...


    If the King was trapped here, unable to leave, how could we? With transmigration magican extremely rare power that even the Specter King did not possess, one that only a handful of witches carried.


    A unique magic that allowed for the opening of portals and breaches between dimensions.


    Be had possessed it, but for some reason, she neverpleted the ritual to fix the w in the barrier.


    1 didnt know if I had it.


    I could only tryfor my familys sake.


    can you read this spell?" he pointed to a page in the journal.


    ---- I can, but it looks iplete," I answered truthfully.


    "T have the missing page.


    All we need is...


    No, no, better yet, lets go there together and see if it works." In the blink of an eye, everything spiraled out of control.


    With adrenaline and excitement coursing through them at the thought of freedom, I found myself dragged to the treacherous mountain range.


    Standing under the nights veil, before the passage framed by colossal stone pirs, I knew the battle was about to begin.


    Red eyesthey were always watching us from the darkness.