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She gave me a cool look. “When has that argument ever keptyouaway from trouble, Mom?”

This time, it was Nero who snorted. “She’s right, Pandora. You always dive into disaster.”

“I need to get a closer look at that debris to search for clues.”

“You know, I think those were her first words,” I told Nero.

“No, I’m fairly certain her first words were, ‘fluffy teddy bear’.”

Good thing Angel wasn’t here. She didn’t care much for explosions. They took away from her all-important napping time.

“What I need is in that debris,” Sierra insisted. “I’m sure of it.”

A chunk of the wall broke off and hit the ground. Sierra was not deterred. Not in the slightest.

I tightened my grip on her hand, pulling her back. “Let’s not be reckless.”

“She can’t really help it, Pandora,” said Nero. “She is your daughter after all.”

But Sierra was not just my daughter. She was his too. She was reckless and cautious—and so was her magic. She gave me a sharp zap through our connected hands.

“Nice,” I said, letting go.

“I have to figure this out,” she said, either to herself or to me.

“She has that look in her eyes,” Nero commented.

“What look?”

“The same look you get right before you stick your nose in something you shouldn’t.”

“That’s just my default look.”

“Exactly,” he purred.

Sierra stopped her pacing and turned to face us. “We need to figure out where the ring is and get it back.”

“We?” said Nero.

“Yes, Dad.We. I was the one who had the vision. I’m the whole reason you even knew about this guy.” She glanced at the thief, then back at us. “I will be involved in this investigation. You aren’t keeping me away from it.”

Nero sighed. “I suppose there’s no talking you out of this once you’ve made up your mind.”

“Exactly.” She nodded in victory, then continued combing the scene for clues. “This is where the portal was.” She waved her hands through the air, wiggling her fingers. “I can still feel the residual magic.”

Nero came up behind her. “Can you tell where he sent the ring and the book?”

“I don’t know…”

“I wonder what that ring does,” I said to Nero as Sierra continued waving her hands through the air, swimming through the fading magic.

“The lab techs haven’t discerned its purpose yet,” said General Fireswift.

“Maybe we should askhim?” I tilted my head toward the thief. “He must have wanted the ring for a reason, right?”

“A surprisingly sensible suggestion,” General Fireswift said, the syllables just rolling off his tongue. He started to move toward the prisoner, then just stopped. He looked at Nero. “After you.”

An eerie cackle cut through the room, stopping the two angels in their tracks. The terrible noise had come from the thief.