Page 167 of The Fifth Heir

“You’re making a joke,” I said.

“Technically, you made it.”

“You found it funny.”

“Moderately.”

“I didn’t think you knew how.”

“I know how to do many things you haven’t observed.”

The gold deepened.

I looked at him.

His expression remained composed, but something had changed in his eyes.

Heat moved into my face.

Sebastian looked toward the wall.

“The runes are inconvenient.”

“Rafe likes them.”

“That supports my conclusion.”

He wrapped the black metal fragment and returned it to his coat.

“Come with me.”

“Where?”

“The observatory.”

“Why?”

“I want to test the scale under natural light.”

My brief warmth disappeared.

“Of course you do.”

Sebastian heard the change.

“Talia—”

“You stayed because I asked you, and now you’ve found a reason to examine me again.”

“The observatory may tell us whether the scale responds only to magical light.”

“I already spent the day on a platform while people tested what kinds of power my body would accept.”

“This is not the demonstration.”

“It always becomes a demonstration.”

I stood too quickly. The chair scraped against the floor.