When they reached the top floor, it was to find a familiar pair running circles around each other. Alea Iacta was diving behind pillars and using boxes as cover, always moving just as the one attacking him looked the other way and avoiding the flying sparks by a hair.

In the center of the room was Glamazon, the woman in her spandex armor, anger writ large on what was visible of her face, and around her, a storm of sparks and flaring lights.

“Okay,” Emily whispered.

Now she just had to get Alea out of the factory and subdue an angered Hero.

Easy.

CHAPTER SIXTY

Being Clever

Emily took in the situation as best she could. That was, she took a moment to breathe in, heart racing from running around and climbing up the stairs.

Glamazon screamed something incoherent, her arm swinging forward with a straight punch that launched a cascade of sparks.

They were nice sparks.

Bright. Shiny.

They were pretty and glimmering, like raindrops sparkling off a streetlight, and they glowed a myriad of colors. Beautiful colors, some of which Emily was sure she’d never seen before.

She took a step closer, trying to see the sparks better, but they escaped around a pillar and out of sight.

Emily gasped and screwed her eyes shut. Her arms snapped out and, on instinct, caught her sisters by the shoulder.

She had been forming a plan, and then the sparks . . . that had to be some sort of power. Like turning someone’s brain into a cat’s while wiggling a laser pointer before them. She licked her lips and crouched down. “Be careful,” she whispered, eyes still closed. “Those lights are dangerous.”

“But they were pretty,” Teddy whined.

“You idiot. They’re a trap,” Athena said, as if she hadn’t stepped toward the lights too.

“Give me a moment. I need to come up with a plan,” Emily said.

Her goal was to get Alea Iacta out of the room, but as it was, she didn’t think there was another exit but the one they’d taken, and Jacob didn’t look athletic enough to jump out of a window without hurting himself.

That meant either talking Glamazon down, or distracting her enough that Jacob could get away.

Glamazon roared. “You complete ass! Just come out already! I’m tired of running after you!”

“She says a lot of bad words,” Teddy said. “You’re only supposed to talk about asses when you’re pooping.”

Emily sighed and opened one eye. Glamazon didn’t seem to have noticed them. She was crossing the room, disappearing and reappearing behind pillars. Emily glimpsed someone else move deeper down the factory. Glamazon didn’t miss it, either, firing off a glowing barrage.

Emily shut her eyes. “Okay. Okay,” she said.

There was no way that they’d be able to distract Glamazon long enough, not by just showing up and talking.

Although.

“Athena,” Emily said. “Can you confuse her?”