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“This is allyourfault,” Faris snapped at me.

“Me?” I pointed at myself. “What did I do?”

Faris opened his mouth to deliver what was sure to be a very eloquent, very scathing review of my numerous sins, but Sierra cut him off before he could even begin.

“And besides, Grandpa Damiel makes the best pancakes.”

“Pancakes?” Faris spluttered in disbelief. “Your loyalty can be bought withpancakes?”

“You wouldn’t be saying that if you’d ever tried Damiel’s pancakes,” I told him.

His eyes narrowed. “You are not helping, Leda.”

“I wasn’t trying to.”

The next thing I knew, I was on the ground, looking up at Faris. The psychotic god had knocked me down.

“What the hell?—”

Something green and spiky burst out of the ground. Right where I’d been standing a moment ago.

I jumped to my feet as more spiky green things shot out of the ground. They looked like plants…like weeds. Except there weren’t many weeds that could walk on their leaves like they were legs, spit thorns out of their mouths, and fire baseball-sized seeds like they were torpedoes.

“Nightshade monsters,” Nero said, setting his blade on fire.

“Nightshade monsters?” I asked. “I’m afraid I haven’t had the pleasure.”

“Nasty creatures,” he told me. “They prefer darkness and solitude. They must have taken over this pyramid sometime during the centuries since it was abandoned. Watch out for their seeds.” He pulled me out of the way of a projectile seed. “If even the smallest fragment of one finds its way inside your body, it will take root there.”

I took his warning seriously. I had no intention of being turned into a plant.

“Arrr!” Sierra shouted, charging like a berserker at one of the monster plants.

She moved swiftly and surely, grabbing the plant by its leafy top. The monster wiggled furiously, struggling to free itself, but Sierra was having none of that. She used her fist to thump it on the head. She must have found the sweet spot because the monster spat out a seed. A calculating smile curled Sierra’s lips, and maniacal laughter burst out of her mouth. She turned the monster on its leafy brethren and fired.

The plants shrieked in terror and fled the seedy bullets. Sierra tossed the struggling creature in her hands at the others, bowling them down. They all scattered, shrieked some more, then dove back into the ground.

The hall fell silent. Everyone stared at Sierra.

It was Grace who spoke first, though it was more laughter than words that came out of her mouth. “Splendid!” She clapped her hands. “Marvelous!”

“Abhorrent.” Faris’s words sliced through Grace’s laughter like a hot knife. He didn’t have any appreciation for dirty fighting. “And undignified. I don’t even need to guess who taught her to fight likethat.” His gaze cut to me.

“Sierra truly is the daughter of order and chaos,” Grace said brightly.

“Indeed,” Faris replied, and there was nothing bright about his tone.

I stood with Nero just inside the vault chamber, watching Sierra move about the room, searching for the ring.

“It is here,” she muttered. “Or itwashere. Maybe both…”

“I’m worried about her,” I said to Nero.

“Sierra is strong.”

“I know.” I took a measured breath. “But she shouldn’t have to be.”

“I found it!” she declared, holding up the ring in victory.