Page 76 of Song of Her Siren

I willed back my tears. She had no idea what those words meant to me. I pushed off my chair and knelt in front of her, taking her hands in mine.Thank you, sister.

She squeezed my hands, a gleam in her eyes.Although, that black magic might come in handy when the demons attack.She frowned, giving her sleeping mate a wistful look. I should’ve gone in there with you.

No.I released her hands and stood, my gaze flitting toward the strange ivory-colored box on the table by the hearth.Then you would’ve been disoriented too.I grabbed the box and set it down on the low table between us, praying the book was inside, because I certainly didn’t want to go back into that cellar.

Tari scooted toward the edge of the sofa. “Is the book in there?”

I bit my lip while smoothing my hands across the beautiful carvings on the box, a scene depicting the silhouette of a siren resting on the shore, her tail slapping the water’s edge while she held up her hands to the sky. “I hope so.”

She moved to the floor, eyeing the box. “How do you open it?”

I felt the lip of the box for any latches. “I’m not sure.”

She helped me try to find the opening, but we couldn’t find a latch or even a seam.

“The box must be enchanted,” she said.

Ember walked up to us with her doll tucked under her arm. She pulled her thumb out of her mouth while gaping at the circular lamp hanging over our heads. Then she fixed us with a cute but serious expression, her brows drawn low and a glint of determination in her eyes. “My friends say it’s the same spell to open the cellar door.”

“Apertis?” I asked her, then jerked back when the box rattled and jumped as if it had suddenly sprouted legs. It bounced before tipping on its side, and a split seam appeared, widening until a small leather book fell out.

Tari gasped, snatching the book. Scrunching her eyes, she flipped the pages before dropping the book onto the table. “We have a problem.”

I froze, gaping at her like a deer in a hunter’s crosshairs while praying we hadn’t grabbed the wrong book. “What is it?”

She nodded toward the innocuous-looking leather book sitting on the table. “It’s written in a language I don’t recognize.”

Cassandra crossed over to us and picked up the book, smoothing her fingers across the strange symbols carved into the leather surface. “The book of demon spells.”

I stood and peered over her shoulder. “You understand this language?”

“Of course.” She slanted a smile before flipping open the pages. “That’s my magical gift.”

“What is?” Tari asked as she stood beside us.

“The ability to understand any language,” she said, “even demon tongue.”

Demon tongue? The book was written in demon? How could we trust such a book? My veins turned to ice at the thought of her reading the spells aloud. What if she accidentally opened another demon portal—or worse? I had the sudden urge to fling it into the fire.

“Any language?” Ember tugged on Cassandra’s skirts, blinking up at her with scrunched features. “What about when birds chirp?”

Cassandra smiled down at her. “I can understand them.”

How odd. I’d never heard of such a magical gift. It must’ve been a rare magic, like our mother’s.

Aurora skipped over to us, her slingshot in her hands. “What are they saying?”

Tari took the slingshot from her, giving her a stern look when she tried to protest. “You can have it back when you go outside.”

I was proud of my twin for being firm with the children. I knew firsthand how taxing they could be.

“Simple things, usually: Warning predators and other birds away, calling to their mates, excitement over finding food.” Cassandra knelt beside Aurora and stroked her cheek, turning her frown into a smile.

I loved how easily Cassandra loved the girls, never picking one favorite over another, so opposite of their other grandmother. I imagined she’d been a kind and loving mother to her sons, too, and I wondered if Tari’s mates knew how lucky they were to have her.

Ever oblivious to personal space, Ember leaned against her grandmother, her face within mere inches of Cassandra’s. “That’s a neat gift, Grandmother.”

Cassandra smiled, bopping Ember’s nose. “It’s served my sister priestesses handy as I help them interpret ancient scrolls.”

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