Piaras turned his face toward me and away from the squad room. “You think you could see it because of the you-know-what?” His voice was barely audible.

“I suspect so, yes,” I told him. “And you seeing it is probably just another talent you didn’t know you had.” I didn’t believe it for a second, but I didn’t want Piaras thinking otherwise.

And speaking of manifesting new talents, there was the not-so-small matter of Talon needing to come clean with his father.

“Does Tam know you can do what you did?”

Talon winced. “I think he’s starting to suspect there’s more to me than meets the eye. Are you going to tell him what happened?”

“No, I’m not. Unless you don’t do it first.”

“But-”

“Talon, there were witnesses,” I told him point-blank. “Hundreds of them. Tam will find out, if he hasn’t already.”

Talon was a half-breed, and that was reason enough for the old blood of both races to despise who he was, what he was, and the very fact that he existed. The kind of power he’d thrown around today wasn’t about to change anyone’s mind. Talon was probably in more danger than he’d ever been in his young life-and the kid didn’t have a clue. He had to know there’d be rumblings, but not that some of the Conclave would be calling for his blood-and his head. Especially considering who and what his father was.

Talon thunked his head against the back of his chair and hissed a chain of obscenities in Goblin. I had to admit, if you needed to do any quality swearing, Goblin was the language to use.

Then Talon turned on the charm and grinned slyly, fangs peeking into view. “You of all people should know what a burden it is to be gorgeous and a magical prodigy. People just don’t understand.”