Mira's fingers were still trembling from the dinner confrontation as they traced the gold letters on the book's cover.
She took it in her hands and was immediately surprised by how heavy it was. "What's in here, bricks?"
The cover felt strangely smooth and cold, like it was made from some kind of hide she couldn't identify, not like any leather she'd ever touched.
Something that made her skin crawl just from touching it.
When she opened it, the spine cracked so loudly she jumped.
"Great," she whispered to herself. "Now everyone in a five-mile radius knows I'm snooping."
The pages released a smell of ancient paper and dried herbs and it all smelled musty and strange to Mira.
The first pages were written in flowing, elegant handwriting that looked like it came from centuries ago such that she even had to squint to read it.
