Last of the Portal Keys — Patti Larsen

Stealing the Prize

The artifact flared to life, the glow of it throwing so much heat through the room Aiden winced back. He caught a glimpse of his parent's shocked faces as the glow enveloped them. As suddenly, the light vanished. He blinked, fighting to regain his night eyes as sparkles shifted and whorled across his vision, heart hammering suddenly so loud in his ears he couldn't hear past his own pulse. It only took seconds, but it seemed an eternity while he fought off the last of the afterimage and stared in disbelief.

The prize lay on the pedestal, the glass case resting on the floor beside it. Two black backpacks lay collapsed nearby. But his parents... they were nowhere to be seen.

Twelve-year-old master thief Aiden Trent has been trained by the best -- his parents. It is rumored there is nothing they can't steal. So when an easy job in an old museum comes up, they take it. Trouble is, the goal is no ordinary prize. In a flash of light, his parents disappear, leaving Aiden to uncover the secret behind the artifact while he flees from the man who hired them to steal it in the first place.