The cell phone was lying on the car’s center console. As Sylvana spoke, Eden looked down at it. On the screen was a photo of a dark-haired woman—presumably, the person she was speaking to. Beneath the photo was a single letter: V.
Something twisted in Eden’s stomach.
The woman in the photo was the same V who’d approached her on the beach. The one who’d wanted to buy her bracelet and the lamp.
“Violet, I don’t care,” Sylvana said as she veered wildly around a car. “Whoever wants to fly it.”
Violet. The name of another alum who’d been cut off from the lamp.
An unnerving revelation struck Eden like an electric shock:
V and Violet were one and the same.
She sat back in her seat. Now that she thought about it, the woman at the beach had looked a little too radiant to be mortal. If those big sunglasses hadn’t covered Violet’s eyes, maybe Eden would have recognized her.
Eden picked up the phone to see the photo more closely. As she did, something on the back of the gold-plated case caught her eye. Engraved across it was a word: ELECTRA.
The same word that was on Violet’s business card.
Sylvana hadn’t noticed that the phone was in Eden’s hand. Carefully, she returned it to its place on the center console.
She’d been having so much fun for the past couple hours that she’d forgotten how strange it was that Sylvana had shown up at school. Suddenly, it all seemed pretty bizarre. She’d known exactly where Eden was, and what to say to get her away.
Eden had seen Violet when Sasha’s ankle was hurt at the beach. In fact, she’d hung around pretty closely. Could she have heard Eden telling the Rockwells she was from Sweden? Or that her mother was coming into town?
Suddenly she remembered that Tyler had thought someone was following them home—and then they’d all heard the beep outside the living room window.
Had Violet followed them?
Eden’s heart was pounding. The pieces were coming together quickly—and forming a picture she didn’t want to be true.
If Violet was an alum, that meant she knew about the bracelet’s power. She’d know what would happen to Xavier and Goldie if it were removed. What’s more, she’d know that if it were to come off, the lamp and its power would be up for grabs.
And if Violet was working with Sylvana…that meant Sylvana was after the same thing.
Eden shook her head. It seemed impossible. Sylvana was just like Eden! Anyway, she hadn’t said a word about removing the bracelet.
But would that come later, once they were halfway across the world?
“Look, I’ve got to go.” Ending her conversation, Sylvana tapped the phone’s screen and removed the earphones.
Eden swallowed. If Sylvana’s intentions were evil, she needed to know now. And she could only think of one way to find out.
“Let’s not go back to school,” she blurted out. “I don’t ever want to see that lamp again.”
Sylvana glanced at her. “But we’re almost there.”
“Do we have to? I just want to get to Paris.”
Sylvana was silent for a moment, and Eden thought she might agree. With everything in her, she hoped she would. She wanted so badly to be wrong.
But then:
“Have you granted any wishes since you’ve been on Earth?”
“Just one.” Eden’s mind raced, wondering where the conversation would lead. “Yesterday I met a brother and sister. I thought the girl was going to die, so I panicked and told the brother to make a wish to save her life.”
Sylvana tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. “So you’re in the middle of a granting.”
“Technically. But they don’t know I’m a genie. And the second wish he tried to make was ungrantable, so they think the first one was a fluke. They don’t know they have two more.”
Sylvana pressed the gas a little harder. “At some point, that boy is going to say he wishes for something. Whether he intends to or not, he’ll use those wishes. And when he does, you’ll be sent back to the lamp.”
The traffic light in front of them turned red precisely as they pulled beside a police car. Sylvana slammed on the brakes so violently, Eden’s seat belt cut into her collarbone.
“Smile,” Sylvana instructed as she beamed at the officers. Eden watched her in awe. To someone who didn’t know better, she’d look positively angelic.
Sylvana turned to Eden. “What if I told you I can guarantee you’ll never have to go back? Never have to grant another wish. You’ll have total freedom on Earth, forever.”
Eden started to feel light-headed.
“Because you don’t have it yet, do you? You’re here, but you still belong to the lamp. You’re still at a wisher’s mercy.”
Sylvana reached across the console and slid a finger under the gold cuff around Eden’s wrist. “All you have to do is take this off.”
Eden shivered. Sylvana’s touch was as soft as a feather.
“My bracelet?”
“Bracelet? More like a shackle. You’ll never be free while you’re wearing this thing.” Sylvana’s voice was low, and her eyes were entrancingly bright. “I took mine off, see?” She held up her bare right wrist. “To break my ties with the lamp forever.”
Eden sat frozen, unable to speak.
“Do you know how to do it? I can tell you, if you like.” She smiled disarmingly. “It’s easy. Doesn’t hurt.”
The light turned green, and Sylvana sped off, blowing a kiss to the cops.
Watching her, Eden felt like she might cry.
“Having that thing off has made my life a whole lot better,” Sylvana shouted over the wind. “Now they can’t even send me those stupid messages!” She accelerated to pass another car. “Once it’s off, you’ll be just like me. Free as a bird! Isn’t that what you want?”
Eden swallowed. “But…if I take off the bracelet, the lamp’s enchantment will be broken,” she said. “I wouldn’t get my thousandth wish.”
Sylvana shrugged. “If you stay here on Earth the way you want to, you’re not going to get it anyway. Plus, if you come to Paris with me, I’ll make sure you never need it.”
“But what about Xavier and Goldie? Wouldn’t it kill them?”
“What does it matter? You escaped! You don’t want to go back. They’re dead to you already.”
Eden’s light-headed feeling had swelled into a dizzying sense of disappointment. How could she have been so wrong about her hero?
“So what do you think?” Sylvana purred. “Does that sound like a plan?”
“Sure,” Eden said flatly. “Once we’re in Paris.”
“Once we’re in Paris.” Sylvana couldn’t hide her delight. “Gosh, it’s going to be great.” She stepped on the gas, and her hair flew behind her like a cloud of pure spun gold.
The convertible squealed to a stop in front of Mission Beach Middle.
“Make it quick.” Sylvana pushed up her sunglasses. “The sooner we get to the airport, the better.”
As Eden jogged away, she took a final glance back. Sylvana was already on her phone. Probably telling Violet, or someone else in her organization, that the lamp would soon be theirs.
Before long, she’d find out she was mistaken.
She should have known that the genie who was smart enough to escape the lamp was too smart to fall into her trap.
Eden picked up her speed and sprinted through the front doors. The truth about Sylvana had shot adrenaline through her veins. Nothing in the world could slow her down.
Just inside, Mr. Willis was standing by the office with his feet planted wide.
“Sweden! You’re back!”
“My mom wants to talk to you!” Eden said as she whizzed by. “She’s outside in the red car!”
At her locker, she fumbled with the combination lock. It took three tries before she got it right. At the very instant it popped open, the bell rang to end the school day.
Students swarmed the hall as she removed the borr
owed denim backpack. She unzipped it a tiny bit—just enough to peek in at the lamp. Along with it was a brand-new parchment paper message. But there was no time to think about that now. Quickly, she zipped it back up and closed the locker.
When she looked up, Sasha and Tyler were coming toward her.
“Sasha! Tyler!” She was elated to see them. But it didn’t look like they shared the sentiment.
“We need to talk to you,” Tyler said sharply.
“Me too! I need your help!”
“First, maybe you can explain this.” Sasha held up her phone.
On the screen was a text message:
Eden’s not who you think she is. Ask her why she doesn’t want you making any more wishes.
A ripple of anxiety ran through Eden. “Who sent you that?”
“We were hoping you could tell us,” Sasha snapped.
“I don’t know!”
“But is it true?” Tyler demanded. “Is there something you aren’t telling us?”
Eden bit her lip. As she tried to think of the best way to respond, Bola rounded the corner.
Eden took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. “Look,” she said. “I promise I’ll explain everything. But first, I need help getting out of here. Fast. And—not through the front door.”
The boys in orange jerseys from lunch barreled noisily down the hall, whooping and yelling. One even roared.
“Haven’t we helped you enough already?” Sasha raised her voice to be heard over them.
“Eden!” Bola had spotted her through the madness. She started coming toward them fast, pushing kids aside to get through. She seemed to have grown even taller and more powerful during the day. Eden half expected her to breathe fire.
“Please?” Eden begged, feeling desperate.
Tyler had seen Bola too. He set his jaw. “Follow me.” He grabbed Eden’s hand and pulled her in the same direction as the football players.
“Tyler!” Sasha protested.
“Come on, Sash,” he said. Then, to Eden: “Don’t let go.”
“I need to speak to you!” came Bola’s voice from behind them.
The three of them darted into the thick of the crowd. Football players jostled and elbowed Eden as the horde carried them along. But she didn’t dare let go of Tyler’s hand, or even look back in Bola’s direction. She understood what he was doing. The orange jerseys were serving as a moving shield around them.
They exited the building through a back door that opened to a parking lot. A long, dingy yellow bus was parked there, stretching across several spaces. Keeping as close to the center of the mob as possible, Eden and the Rockwells hustled across the pavement and onto the bus.
Tyler led them down the narrow aisle, past rows of well-worn black leather seats quickly filling with boys, to the very back. “Stay low and keep quiet,” he murmured. “If we’re lucky, they won’t even notice we’re here.”
While Sasha slouched and sulked in the back corner, Eden and Tyler crouched on their knees and peeked through the back window. As the bus filled, the football team’s chants and cheers escalated. So far, it seemed, they were successful stowaways.
“There she is,” Eden whispered as Bola stormed out of the school. She jogged around the parking lot, searching frantically. Finally, she went to a sleek black sedan about fifty yards behind the bus.
As she did, four women got out of the car. Eden gasped when she saw who they were.
Emerging from the driver’s seat was Noel, the tough-looking genie who’d enabled Columbus to reach America.
From the passenger side came Ivy. Her silver-blond hair and pale skin were unmistakable. She was just as ethereal-looking on Earth as in the course guide.
Tabitha and Nala came out from the backseat. Naturally, Nala looked just as she had in the message from Capri. And Tabitha was no less blond or bodacious in real life.
Bola threw her hands in the air as she approached. She spoke with big hand gestures, presumably explaining how Eden had eluded her. Tabitha gave her a consoling hug, but the others stood around with their arms crossed.
Bola turned toward the bus, and Eden could swear she looked directly at them. She dropped flat on the seat. Her heart was pounding; she was sure she’d been caught. But just in time, the engine came to a shuddering start, and the bus rolled reluctantly forward. Stealing one more peek through the window, Eden saw that Bola’s attention had returned to the other alumni.
As they rumbled out of the parking lot, she and Tyler sat up.
“Gosh, that was close.” Eden sighed. “Thank you.”
Sasha glared at her. “Are you ready to give us some answers?”
Eden glanced at the mass of orange jerseys in front of them. “Yeah. But not here.”
“Well, then where?” Sasha was thoroughly annoyed.
“Should we go to the scrimmage?” Tyler asked. “It’s at another school, farther inland.”
“No, they might look there.” Eden faced him. “You saw those women getting out of the car. Can you think of somewhere women like that would never go?”
He nodded slowly. “I’ve got an idea.”
“This better be good,” Sasha grumbled. “I’m going to miss volleyball practice.”
“Now the question is, how do we get off this bus?”
But that problem, at least, solved itself. A football player’s big red face appeared in front of them. “Hey! You’re not on the team!” he shouted.
“You’re right!” Eden said, smiling sweetly. “My bad. Now, would you mind dropping us off?”
The place Tyler had in mind was on the way to Mt. Carmel, so the bus driver agreed to drop them there. Tyler called it a skate park, but Eden couldn’t understand why. The only green in sight was in the fronds of the palm trees that lined it.
It was a large structure, made entirely of concrete, with high sides that dropped to form a bowl-shaped hollow. At several points within the bowl, the concrete rose to form elevated flat-topped islands. Guys and girls ranging from elementary school age to adults swooped up and down the sides on boards like the ones in Tyler’s half of the bedroom. Tyler, Sasha, and Eden sat cross-legged a few feet behind one of the ledges. And as the skateboarders dipped and rose, Eden turned the Rockwells’ world upside down.
“You’re a genie?!” Sasha burst out. It was maybe the third time she’d said it. The news seemed to be sinking in slowly.
“Let me get this straight. You’re telling us that most of your life you’ve been miniature?” Tyler raised an eyebrow.
“Small as a bug!” Sasha marveled.
“Living in an oil lamp?”
“With your little parents!” Sasha added.
“They’re not my parents.” Eden supposed it was a lot for mortals to take in. “They’re the masters of the lamp.”
“So when I met you yesterday, where had you really come from?” Sasha asked.
“Under the sand, where the lamp was buried.”
“You’re serious?” she squealed. “That’s why you were buried up to your face!”
“It definitely wasn’t by choice,” Eden said.
“Can I see the lamp again?” Tyler asked. Eden pulled it out of the backpack, and they stared in astonishment. “You lived in there?”
Sasha took it from her and put the spout to one eye. “Can they see me when I do this?”
“Actually, yes. Let’s put it away.” Hastily she shoved it back in the backpack.
“I think it’s incredible,” Sasha declared. “You get to live in this awesome little home and travel the world. And you get to help people. They must love you.” She sighed. “You’ve got the best job in the universe. And you didn’t even have to go to college.”
“Honestly,” Eden said, “you’re making it sound way cooler than it is. I’m stuck in there all the time.” She paused for emphasis, but they didn’t seem to get it. “And when I go places for grantings, I’m there for such a short time—sometimes only a few minutes.”
“But at least you get t
o go,” Sasha said.
“How many countries have you been to?” Tyler asked.
“This is the twelfth.”
He whistled, then drummed his fingers on his knee. “So you don’t normally see the sun.”
“Nope.”
“Or the ocean.”
“That’s why you don’t know how to swim!” Sasha said.
“Exactly.”
“And no people except your parents,” Tyler said.
“They’re not—”
“Your masters. Sorry. Wait.” He squinted at her. “Does this mean you’re, like, a thousand years old?”
“No!” Eden said, horrified. “I’m twelve and a half!”
“Okay, good. That would be weird.”
“No sun, no beach, no interaction with people your age. When you put it that way, it does sound sort of depressing,” Sasha admitted.
“Why do you think I escaped?”
She examined Eden. “I guess you’ve never been to school before?”
“Nope.”
“Well, that explains a lot.” She and Tyler looked at each other and started cracking up.
“Was it that obvious?” Eden cringed.
“I guess you’ve done pretty well, considering,” Tyler said, laughing. “But, yeah…we were starting to wonder if ‘Swedish’ was code for ‘alien.’”
“I have a question,” Sasha said, growing serious. “You told Tyler to wish to heal my ankle because you knew that if he did, you could grant it, right? But then you didn’t grant his wish last night. Did you just…decide not to?”
“No,” Eden said quickly. “I wouldn’t do that.” She remembered the look on Tyler’s face, and felt an uncomfortable pang of empathy. She shook her head. “Anyway, I can’t choose whether to grant a wish. That one didn’t work because of the rules.”
“There are rules?”
Eden recited them. “The second rule blocked that wish,” she said carefully.
They fell silent. The only sound was of skateboard wheels rolling against the concrete.
“We still don’t know who sent me that message.” Sasha rested her chin on her hand, thinking. “But whoever it was, they must want you to go back inside the lamp.”
“I have a pretty good idea of who it might be.” Eden explained what had really happened with Bola during World History. From there, she told them about Violet, Electra, the bracelet, and her afternoon with Sylvana.
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