“Well, that was … something,” Keeda says. She rallies and adds, “A bit useless, though.”

“I don’t know,” says Pandora thoughtfully, her head tipped to the side. She looks around the flame-lit cavern as if still seeing the night sky. “It’d be pretty handy if you’re having trouble sleeping. Or if you want to meditate or something.”

“Or just get away from the world for a few minutes,” Cami adds quietly, hinting that she, too, has been struggling with the confined space of the catacombs.

“I suppose,” says Keeda, scrunching her brow. “But let’s try something a little more practical.”

“I’m open to suggestions,” I say pointedly, still having no clue what she wants to see from me.

She blows out a breath and I know she’s going to tell me again to figure it out on my own, but Pandora snaps her book shut and stands to her feet.

“Keed, give her a break,” she says, walking over to us. Cami remains seated with Dinger in her lap but watches us all closely. “It’s like you’re asking her to make a meal without telling her what the ingredients are.” Turning to me, she says, “Let’s act as if you’re in a Speaker battle.”

My brows inch toward my hairline. “A what?”

“You know—like when you were trying to get away from Vanik and Manning. Lots of Speakers with different abilities, all of them trying to attack you. What do you do?”

I stare at her. The obvious answer is to say “stop them,” but I assume she expects more than that.

Licking my lips, I slowly respond, “It would depend on what their abilities are.”

Pandora nods approvingly, her purple pigtails bouncing with the movement. “What would happen if you were fighting Jet and me—how would you stop us?”

I consider what I know about the two of them. I met Jet on my first trip to the catacombs, the young teenager able to cloak herself and other people, concealing them from sight. Pandora I already know can infuse objects to … do things—like the glove and glasses she gave me to break into Falon’s office. It’s only a vague understanding I have, but …

“I would make sure you don’t have any physical materials that you can wield, since you could have infused them to do anything,” I finally answer. “And I would make sure Jet was visible and unable to cloak herself or you.”

“How?” interrupts Keeda, but there’s a glint in her eyes that makes me think I’m on the right track.

I mull it over, the options endless.

“Tick-tock, Creator girl,” Keeda singsongs. “You’re in a battle, remember? No time to sit around drinking tea—you have to think on your feet.”

It’s an impossible task. I don’t know where this scenario is taking place, if there are other people around, potential casualties. I don’t know why Pandora and Jet are attacking me or what they want. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with them if I manage to overcome them.