Page 207 of The Fifth Heir

Leander entered and closed the door. “Explain.”

I showed them the mismatched carving and the sealed residue beneath it. Leander examined the letters through a magnifying lens while Rafe held the rubbing toward the light.

“If someone changed it,” Rafe said, “they did a poor job.”

“They did an excellent job,” I replied. “Thousands of scholars accepted the official explanation.”

Talia took her place beside me again. “What do you need me to do?”

“Call your power, but do not direct it into the page. Hold it above my hand.”

Torren moved closer. “Is that safe?”

“No.”

Talia gave me a flat look.

“It is unlikely to harm her,” I clarified.

“That wasn’t better,” Torren said.

“The rubbing may burn. The seal could discharge. The study wards should contain either reaction.”

“Should?”

“Nothing involving Talia’s power has behaved according to established rules.”

“I’m standing here,” she reminded us.

Torren folded his arms. “I’m aware.”

Talia removed the glove from her right hand and pushed back her cuff. The transparent scale shone faintly.

“Show me where.”

I placed two fingers over the word FOUR and released a narrow thread of shadow. Darkness entered the lines on the page, tracing the altered letters.

Talia held her palm above mine.

Clear light gathered beneath her skin.

“Not into the shadow,” I warned. “Across it.”

“How?”

“Think of what you did in the demonstration hall. You didn’t stop the elemental streams. You changed the direction they traveled.”

“That happened by instinct.”

“Use mine.”

Her eyes lifted to my face.

I should have found a more precise way to express it. Instead, I let the shadow rise from the page and curl between our hands.

“Feel where it wants to go,” I said.

Talia closed her eyes.