“No problem, Big Sister,” Athena said. “I just need to know more or less where she is. I can keep one eye closed.”

“Good,” Emily said. Her spur-of-the-moment plan was fairly simple. She’d let Athena distract Glamazon and . . . and hopefully that would be enough. If Jacob could run away, then maybe Emily could intercept Glamazon and pretend to be . . . well, herself, coming over to help. She pulled out her phone and prepared to text Jacob.

She paused.

“We should probably get to cover first.”

“That’s real clever,” Teddy agreed.

The three of them moved over to some wooden crates collecting dust to one side. Emily had to squat to keep her head below the edge of the boxes, something her summons didn’t have nearly as much trouble with.

“Okay,” Emily said. “Athena, you distract her. Teddy, when I move over to Glamazon to talk to her, turn into a bear, just in case. And, while she’s distracted . . . Athena, can you grab Alea Iacta’s attention?”

“Sure,” Athena said.

“Good, then lead him to the exit and tell him to just run away. We can call him later or whatever.” Emily shifted a little. She really had to start exercising more if squatting for a minute was so much of a strain. “You girls got that?”

They nodded.

Emily smiled. “Then, Athena, start as soon as you’re ready.”

The owl girl leaned forward, her head sticking out of the side of the crates to fix onto Glamazon.

Her power, Emily knew, was about as subtle as they came. There were no lights, no flashes, no noise. One moment Glamazon was using language that wasn’t appropriate around children, the next . . . she was still swearing, but now she was looking around a lot more, and her voice took on a waver that sounded just shy of fearful.

“Come on out, d-dammit!”

Emily licked her lips and pulled up her phone, one hand up to hide the screen’s light. She sent a text to Alea Iacta:

E-Wright: Get ready to move soon. We’ll cover for you. Run.

Somewhere, way off in the far end of the factory, a phone jingled.

Emily wanted to smack herself.

“There you are!” Glamazon said.

“Uh,” Athena said. “I was trying to be subtlelike. I’m not done yet.”

Emily bit her lip. With one hand against the nearest crate, she lifted herself up just enough to see Glamazon moving deeper into the factory. “Okay, okay,” she said.

She was not the best at doing things with any sort of spontaneity. She glanced over to the stairs leading down. It was still possible to run away, maybe catch Glamazon after she caught Alea Iacta. But by then there might be cops on the way.

“Stay here,” she said.