Eden's Escape

by M. Tara Crowl

  “Bring her to the bedroom!” Athena shouted, leading the way.

  Monroe picked Eden up with one hand and flung her onto the bed in the other room. It took her no more effort than sending a paper airplane on its way. A few seconds later, Tyler crash-landed on the bed too.

  “Violet, what were you thinking?” Kingsley yelled. “You left them out on the balcony? She could have escaped!”

  “Why would she do that? She came to me!” In her bathrobe and topknot, Violet looked frumpy and flustered compared to the others.

  “Well, she’s not going anywhere now,” Monroe growled. She bared a mouthful of teeth that Eden would swear looked abnormally sharp.

  “Violet, you’re so gullible,” Athena said scornfully.

  Kingsley stabbed a finger at Eden. “What have you done to Sylvana?”

  “Nothing!”

  “Why do you want us to go to Brightly Tech?”

  Eden scooted up on the bed and leaned back on the pillows. Next to her, Tyler did the same. The Electric had surrounded them.

  “This is crazy,” Eden protested. “My friends are being held by Brightly, and I happen to know that Sylvana is too. I thought we could team up and go rescue them.” She crossed her arms angrily. “Apparently I was wrong.”

  “You can say that again,” Kingsley snapped. “Dead wrong, to think we’d fall for a stupid story like that. And now the two of you are going to stay here until Sylvana gets back.”

  “But she’s not going to!” Eden exclaimed. “Don’t you understand?”

  “Unfortunately for you,” Athena said, “Violet’s the only one here who’s dumb enough to believe you.”

  Violet’s eyes sparked with indignation. “Fine,” she said. “Maybe I’m wrong. But what if I’m not?”

  They rolled their eyes.

  “We’ve all been trying to get in touch with Sylvana. But has anyone heard from her?”

  They all checked their phones. “Not yet,” Monroe murmured.

  “Doesn’t that seem strange?” Violet said. “We all saw her leave the auction with Brightly, so it’s safe to assume she’s still with him. Why wouldn’t she be answering her phone unless something was wrong?”

  Kingsley, Athena, and Monroe looked at each other and shrugged.

  “Think about it. What if she is in trouble, and we’re sitting here doing nothing about it?”

  “What about Heloise?” Athena asked. “She left the auction early too, but I didn’t see her at the party. Has anyone spoken to her?”

  The others shook their heads. Athena pulled out her phone and dialed.

  “Heloise!” Athena left the bedroom to talk to her.

  Kingsley glowered at Eden. “How’d you make it to this hotel without being caught?” she asked. “All of Paris is searching for you.”

  “She was wearing a wig,” Violet said.

  Kingsley snorted. “Mortals. Their stupidity baffles me more every day.”

  “Why are you here?” Monroe asked Tyler in her low, raspy voice.

  Tyler cleared his throat. “I came to help Eden,” he said.

  The alumni groaned. “Thirteen-year-old mortal to the rescue,” Kingsley chided. “Nice try, Romeo.”

  Eden was mortified. Tyler had come all the way to Paris only to wind up at the mercy of the same cruel women who’d terrorized his family in San Diego.

  Athena reentered the bedroom triumphantly. “Everything’s fine,” she announced. “Heloise is with Sylvana.” She glanced at Eden. “The girl was right—they’re at Brightly Tech. And the lamp is there too.” A smirk crept across her face. “Lucky for us, we’ve got the last piece of the puzzle. Now we just need to get her there.”

  Eden closed her eyes in dismay. She’d messed up again! She’d gambled on the plans she’d overheard Brightly making, thinking he wouldn’t fall victim to Sylvana’s charms again. But she must have underestimated Sylvana’s power of persuasion. It seemed she really was unstoppable.

  “Everything’s going according to plan!” Kingsley cackled.

  “Even better than we planned,” Athena said with relish.

  It was infuriating: Eden had played right into their horrible hands. She’d wanted to fix everything, but just like when she’d been invisible in Brightly Tech, she’d made the wrong decision. This time, she’d really made a mess of things. She’d let down everyone she cared about: not only Pepper and the Loyals, who she had no hope of rescuing now, but also her masters, who were still stuck in the lamp, blind and helpless, and Tyler, who’d spent all of his and Sasha’s savings to come here.

  She couldn’t seem to do the right thing. Lately, it seemed like there was no point even trying.

  “Put some clothes on, Violet,” said Athena. “We need to get to Brightly Tech.”

  It was nearly midnight when they arrived at Brightly Tech. The lights were off, and all the employees were long gone. Anyone looking at the building would think it was vacant.

  “Heloise said the door on the far right is open,” said Athena, leading the way.

  The Electric had put the wig on Eden again so they could smuggle her out of the hotel. They’d also left Tyler behind. Thinking about him standing on the sidewalk outside made Eden sick with sadness.

  Gripping Eden by the arms, Monroe and Kingsley dragged her across the lobby and onto an elevator. After witnessing Monroe’s supernatural strength in action, Eden knew there was no use trying to break free.

  Athena pressed the button for the eighth floor. When they reached it, she had no trouble opening the door behind the reception desk, even without an ID card. They crossed into the room with the wood-paneled walls. The fish tank glowed softly, providing the only muted light.

  “No one’s here,” Eden said. “You sure you know where you’re going?”

  Athena shot her a malicious glare. “They’re here, don’t you worry.”

  Monroe squeezed her arm so tightly, it felt like she might crush the bone.

  “Ow,” Eden squealed. “Geez!”

  They followed Athena through the door on the right into Brightly’s office. In addition to his massive desk were a foosball table, a few arcade-style game machines, and a leather sofa that faced a gigantic television screen. On the walls were autographed photos, guitars, and sports jerseys.

  Athena led them to a tall display case on the far wall. It was filled with tiny soldiers, model airplanes, and small brawny figures in colorful costumes. She opened the glass door, then reached toward a muscular figurine with a black cape and a black mask. She pressed a button on his stomach.

  “To the bat cave,” the figurine growled. And with that, the display case slid aside to reveal a white staircase.

  Eden’s eyes widened. Here was the way to the ninth floor. Even if she’d spent hours exploring Brightly Tech, she never would have discovered this.

  At the top of the stairs was the bright white hallway Eden had seen two nights earlier. “Second door,” said Athena, walking past the first door they came to. She opened the next one and held it open while Monroe walked through, pulling Eden by the wrist. Kingsley and Violet were close behind.

  Like before, the lab was dark. Only the purple light of the plasma shield glowed from the middle of the room.

  “Who’s there?” someone cried as they walked in. “Help!”

  Behind them, the door slammed shut.

  Sensing danger, Eden squinted in the dark.

  A little more than halfway down the wall next to them was a figure with long dreads: Bola. She was standing with her back flush against the wall.

  Eden hooked her head around to see beyond Bola. Was that Pepper behind her?

  “What—” Eden began—but in the next instant, the breath was sucked out of her as her own body slammed against the wall.

  She screamed, but the sound was lost in the chorus of cries from all the others.

  “What the—?” Kingsley gasped from behind her.

  In front of Eden, Monroe had managed to keep herself a foot away from the wall, and was t
rying her hardest to flee. But the force overcame even her supernatural strength, and she slammed against the wall too. She howled in agony—more likely from the sting of defeat than any physical pain.

  The others had probably never experienced anything like this—but Eden had. The same inconceivably strong magnetic force that had pinned her to the chair was now pinning them to the wall.

  They’d walked directly into a trap.

  “Eden, is that you?” came Pepper’s voice. Despite the circumstances, hearing that lovely, melodic voice gave Eden a surge of joy.

  “Pepper!” Eden cried. “Is Delta there too?”

  “Over here,” said Delta. Her voice was muffled. “Face-first against the wall.”

  “Pepper, I’m sorry about before!” Eden said. Normally she would have been embarrassed to say it in front of the Electric, but now she didn’t care. “I’m so sorry. I love you!”

  “No, I’m sorry!” Pepper said. “I never meant to make you feel that way. I love you too!”

  “Shut up!” Kingsley yelled.

  “What’s going on?” came Athena’s voice from the far left. She’d held the door open for the rest of them, so she would have been the last one to enter. If she was stuck to the wall, that meant none of them had escaped.

  “Where’s Sylvana?” Kingsley screeched.

  “Over here.” Sylvana’s voice came from the very back of the room, past Pepper and the Loyals. “And to think, I thought you all were here to rescue me.”

  “What do you mean?” Kingsley cried. “Can’t you tell Brightly to let us go?”

  “I’m stuck here just like you,” Sylvana growled.

  “But Heloise said everything was fine!” Athena said.

  “What are you talking about?” Sylvana roared. “Heloise isn’t here!”

  “She’s not?”

  “No!”

  “But—”

  “He tricked us all!” Sylvana said bitterly. “And now we’re all trapped here together.”

  “He did?” Kingsley asked.

  “Yes, I suppose I did.” Brightly’s cane clicked on the floor as he limped out from the shadows. Evidently he’d been watching from the other side of the lab. Since the back of Eden’s head was stuck to the wall, she had a clear view of him, decked out in a black suit with a bow tie.

  Her eyes had adjusted to the dark, so now she could make out more of the lab. In the dim half-light, she saw Jane Johnston near the lamp’s purple glow. As usual, she was holding a Brightly tablet. It seemed to be permanently connected to her hand. Eden didn’t see Jean Luc or Dr. Evans, but she did see the damage from the fire she’d caused among the oxygen tanks (which were, of course, no longer there). She could also see that the section of wall she’d cut with the laser had been sloppily patched up.

  Eden gritted her teeth. With all her might, she wished she had a laser in her hand now. Too bad she wasn’t the one with wishes to make.

  “Look at y’all, caught like little flies on sticky flypaper.” Brightly giggled in glee as he limped past them. “I thought I was lucky to get four, and then five more showed up!”

  Eden noticed that he stayed about six feet away from the wall, behind a line of electrical tape on the floor that ran parallel to it. Her guess was that it indicated the reach of the magnetic force.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Athena thundered.

  “Since you asked,” Brightly said, “I’ll tell you. I’m an honest guy—well, when I can be.” He smiled that big horsey smile. “I’m going to siphon every little secret about that lamp from your brains. And if you try to lie to me, I’ll know it—thanks to my Veritas.”

  “Your what?” Athena hissed.

  “The thing I told you about!” Eden said. “I saw it when I spied on him and Sylvana.”

  “Excuse me—what?” Sylvana said. “You spied on us?”

  “What if we won’t tell you anything?” said Kingsley defiantly.

  “Then you can forget about gettin’ off that wall,” Brightly said. “Only a few of my most trusted employees know that this lab exists. We can keep you here for weeks. However long it takes till I get what I want.”

  “Ha!” Bola spat. “Weeks are nothing to us. We’ll wait for decades.”

  “Is that right!” Brightly said, grinning. “Well, I don’t think it’s going to take that long. Sylvana here told me over lunch today that she knows how to get all the power in that genie lamp.” He limped over to stand in front of Sylvana. “I kept my end of the bargain. Now that you’ve seen the lamp, it’s time for you to spill—just like we discussed. Except I don’t think we’ll be partners after all.”

  “David, darling,” Sylvana said. “You’re making a mistake.” Her tone was light, but it sounded forced—as if she were straining to keep her composure.

  “I disagree,” Brightly said. “Seems to me, the mistake would have been listenin’ to you. You’re used to people believin’ all your lies. But that’s about to end.”

  “You can’t do this without me!” she said. “You need me!”

  “Need you?” Brightly hobbled back down the line of alumni. “I don’t need anybody! I built this company all by myself!”

  Sylvana began to laugh a low, menacing chuckle.

  “What are you laughin’ at?”

  “You’re nothing but a boy,” she said. “A boy with a lot of toys, and a secret lair full of science experiments that you get to by pushing a button on your little action figure.”

  Brightly’s face had gone crimson. “A boy? I’m the most powerful man in the world!” All traces of the humility he’d tried to feign were gone.

  “You’re dreaming!” Sylvana yelled. “You’ll never be as powerful as me!”

  Fuming, Brightly limped over and stopped in front of Eden.

  “I’m ready for my first wish!” He shot a finger toward Sylvana. “I wish that that woman would never be able to tell another lie—or withhold any little bit of the truth!”

  Eden’s jaw dropped open. She despised Brightly, but his wish was absolutely brilliant.

  The force holding her to the wall wouldn’t allow her to snap her fingers, but she could see light shine through the letters on her genie bracelet as the magical transaction took place.

  Every person in the room stayed silent, awaiting Sylvana’s next words.

  “I—I—” she sputtered.

  “Well?” Brightly prompted. “Tell the truth. Were you goin’ to use me?”

  “Yes!” said Sylvana. “I thought I could manipulate you like I manipulate everyone else!”

  Next to Eden, Kingsley gasped.

  “Is that right?” Brightly smirked. He indicated the other alumni. “Does that include these other ladies stuck up on the sticky flypaper wall?”

  “Yes!”

  “Hold up. Excuse me?” said Athena.

  “Yeah, what?” Kingsley chimed in.

  “All this time they’ve been working for me, to help me get the lamp’s power!” Sylvana cried. “Once I learned that you’d gotten ahold of the lamp, I thought I could finally get what I want!”

  “Well, well. That didn’t work out the way you planned, did it?” Brightly taunted.

  “No!”

  Although it was satisfying to hear Sylvana speak the truth, Eden knew that Brightly’s wish had made their situation much more precarious. Before, there was no chance Sylvana would have told Brightly what he wanted to know. Now, she had no choice.

  As soon as he finished teasing her and got down to business, he was going to ask how to get the lamp’s power. And Sylvana would tell him the key was getting the bracelet off the resident genie. Eden still didn’t even know what made the bracelet come off—but if Brightly asked, Sylvana would explain it.

  It was bad enough that if Brightly were to take the lamp’s power, he’d have the world at his horrible fingertips. But even worse, its current masters would cease to exist. Xavier and Goldie had raised Eden, loved her, and changed the lamp’s rules to let her live free on Earth. She sim
ply couldn’t let them lose their lives.

  Even though she couldn’t move, she had to take action.

  “Monroe!” she whispered. She couldn’t move her head, but she knew Monroe was close on her right side.

  “Yeah,” Monroe answered low.

  “I saw you trying to get away from the wall. You almost had it. If you focused, do you think you could pull yourself off?”

  “Maybe,” Monroe said. “But it would be hard.”

  Brightly was too busy ridiculing Sylvana to notice that Eden and Monroe were talking.

  “Do you see the line on the floor that he’s standing behind?” Eden asked. “I think that’s the threshold. If he stays on that side, the magnetic force can’t reach him.”

  “Yeah,” Monroe said.

  “Okay. Bola’s on your other side, right?”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Eden saw Monroe move her head slightly to see. The constraints of normal human strength made even that much movement impossible for Eden.

  “Yeah,” rasped Monroe.

  “Do you think you could pull her off the wall and throw her across the threshold?”

  Monroe was silent for a moment. Then:

  “Nah. I hate Bola.”

  Eden gritted her teeth in frustration. “I understand that. But she can’t feel pain. If you could get her off the wall, she might be able to get the lamp out of the cage. I think she’s the only one who could do it.”

  Monroe was silent for another few seconds.

  “Monroe,” Eden said, “if we don’t stop Brightly, he’s going to take the lamp’s power for himself. That would be bad for all of us.”

  “What’s going on over here?” Jane had strolled up to stand in front of Eden, right behind the line of tape.

  Brightly hobbled over to stand with her. He sized Eden up, leaning on his cane. “Hey, little genie. You causin’ trouble again?”

  Eden’s heart pounded in her chest.

  “Did you see all the damage you did to my lab?” He lifted his cane and shook it at her. “And what about my leg? You gave me second-degree burns!”

  “Well, you’d been torturing me for hours!” Eden fired back.