My gaze slides away from his. My hands tremble. “No,” I say quickly, “Second Sight. But if you’re thinking about the day in question while I do the reading, I might be able to see it.”

His eyes narrow. I can tell he doesn’t believe me, but he doesn’t challenge my statement. He simply offers me his hand. I prick his index finger and gather several drops of blood into the vial.

When I’m finished, I stand. “Thank you.”

“Good luck.” Something in his tone sends a shiver down my spine, and I get the sense he’s talking about more than just the reading.

I exit the cell and the guard locks the door behind me.

“Is there somewhere here that we could work for a bit?” Tessa asks the guard. “We might have follow-up questions for the prisoner after Saskia finishes the reading.”

He sighs as if this taxes his patience. “There’s an empty cell over here. Follow me.”

Talon’s jaw drops as he turns to me. “He expects you to do this behind bars?” His voice is low, but apparently not low enough.

The guard spins around. “You got a better idea, kid?”

Talon clamps his lips tightly together and shakes his head. “Nope. It sounds great. Perfect.”

The Breaker lets out a low grunt. “That’s what I thought.”

And then he opens the cell and ushers us inside.

Chapter Nine

I’ve never performed a bone reading with this big of an audience before. I’m not sure I can. The small space is hazy with incense, overheated with too many bodies. I can’t draw a proper breath.

I sit on the hard floor in front of the stone basin. The rest of the team has moved to give me space. Talon and Niklas sit together against one wall, the others settled on the opposite side. But the cell is still too cramped.

My magic feels private. More like bathing or dressing than performing, so it’s a vulnerable thing to be watched, studied.

I place the bone in the bottom of the basin and sprinkle it with a few drops of blood from the vial.

“What am I looking for?” I ask, letting my gaze fall on each of my teammates. I’ve been trying to formulate a point of focus that won’t make it obvious I’m using anything other than Second Sight, but I’m not sure how to direct my thoughts. “What are we supposed to find?”

“Evidence, I suppose,” says Talon with a small shrug that suggests he knows it’s not the most helpful answer.

I bite my lip. I guess the only way forward is through.