26. Adina

26

ADINA

I t took nearly a full day of exhaustive exploration to concede that I was well and truly trapped in the Vault. No matter how Bingo and I tried to override the controls, the door remained stubbornly sealed. There were no other exits to be found, leaving me surrounded by treasures I couldn't escape with. The silver lining was the abundance of food and water—I wouldn't starve—but the prospect of being entombed here indefinitely was suffocating.

The one bright spot in this predicament was the knowledge that not only had Jeffry failed to obtain his prize, but Bingo had managed to snatch the genie ring off his finger before being flung aside. I didn't even realize my clever companion had acquired this trophy until I finally sat down to rest and check Bingo's joints, which had been gummed up with sand.

"You fantastic little thief," I said joyfully as I slipped the ring from one of Bingo's tentacles. "This is our ticket out of here!"

A genie ring... I could only imagine its potential. Eagerly, I rubbed the ring. A moment later, it began to blink, and then words appeared on the gem's surface—no, not a gem at all, but a tiny screen.

"Greetings, new owner."

"Greetings," I replied, a bit uncertainly. "I, um, my name is Adina."

"I am Genie-D39 at your service."

"Awesome." I lifted the ring, swinging it around so it could survey our surroundings. "Can you get us out of here?"

I watched as Analyzing... analyzing.. . scrolled across the screen, followed by a series of blips before the response appeared. "Negative. This construction appears to be pre-Disaster military grade. I do not possess the kinetic capability to remove us from it, nor do I possess the programming to link with the ancient technology and turn it to your goal."

My heart sank. I should have known escaping this place wouldn't be so simple. I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment. "I get it. Give me a moment."

I'd come up with another query soon, but first, I needed to take a second to rest, to breathe...

I need to get back to Londabad. I need to get to Jack—no, James, Prince James. I need to tell him I'm all right, that I wasn't hurt or killed, that I — My mental voice balked at confessing that I loved him, but I knew I did. Now more than ever, I realized what it had cost us for me to remain silent. We'd had a month of nights together, enough time for me to be sure of my feelings, but I hadn't said anything, not wanting to push him away or pressure him into speaking before he was ready. Now, I wished I had.

The ring buzzed, interrupting my reverie. I looked down at it, blinking away tears. "Consider turning on your second Genie device."

I frowned. "I don't have another genie."

"Disagree. The lamp attached to your pack is Genie technology."

It was? I reached for it, mentally kicking myself.

Of course, it had to be something extraordinary—why else would Jeffry have coveted it so desperately? I untied it and turned it over in my hands a few times. There was just the one button...

Well, here goes nothing.

I pressed it.

The inside of the lamp illuminated, and a moment later, a hologram projected from the top. It took the form of a man covered from the top of his neck down to below his ankles by a featureless black suit. He wore black shoes, and his hair was held up in a simple black topknot. His features were sharp, his skin the color of old parchment, and his eyes... those were the most striking thing about him, the same warm yellow as the light spilling from the lamp.

"Greetings," he said in a pleasant, remarkably human-sounding voice. "I'm Genie-500 at your service. You may call me Gene if you prefer."

I stared at him for a long moment, struggling to find words. "Ah, thank you," I managed at last. "I'm Adina."

"Mistress Adina."

"Just Adina is fine."

Gene tilted his head. "You don't wish for Mistress capacity?"

"What is Mistress capacity?"

"It is accepting the rights and responsibilities for my use. You must sign the terms of service before I can allow you access to my full capabilities."

Good grief. "All right, let's see 'em."

It took me an hour to wade through the list of dos and don'ts regarding Gene's use. Most intriguing were the revelations about a military-grade genie's actual capabilities. He could interface with and take control of all sorts of technology to save my life, and he was particularly adept with weaponry. He also had a whole host of interrogation programming, but he couldn't use it against anyone who wasn't threatening me.

That was undoubtedly for the best.

He could function as a mobile projector, equipping me with something akin to Bingo's invisibility skin but with the added ability to alter my features. I could become a whole new person...

A new person... someone who could get in to see James...

I finished reading and signed my name to the terms of service with my finger—no stylus needed—and watched in awe as Gene grew larger and larger, eventually large enough to push his scanning technology into every corner of the Vault. "You are currently trapped in this space," he stated.

"Yep."

"Would you like to be freed?"

Would I ever! "Of course. I mean, yes." It was always better to speak plainly and directly with these devices.

"And once you are freed? Where would you like to go?"

"Back to Londabad, and I want to set myself up as a person of means."

I couldn't just break down the walls and waltz into the palace, demanding to see James. I needed a persona, a cover.

Gene nodded. "I will identify the most valuable technology that will likely be useful to you in Londabad so we may bring it."

Sounded good to me. "How are we going to get there?" I asked.

Gene smiled. "Fortunately, I am familiar with this hovercraft's technology."

Oh, the hovercraft, of course. That was going to be amazing. But...

"But we're stuck in here," I pointed out. "There's a storm raging on outside, and even if there wasn't, we're inside a mountain."

"The storm ended 1.3 hours ago," Gene said. "And as for removing ourselves from the mountain, I have a solution for that as well." He sounded rather proud of himself.

Suddenly, one of the massive gunnery platforms sprang to life, knocking boxes akimbo as it swung around and pointed its long, intimidating barrel at a sharp upward angle.

"Wow."

Oh, yeah. I could see now why Jeffry had wanted Gene. But I was the one who had him now, and I also had the other genie, and Jeffry had none.

He was powerless without it, and when I got back, maybe I could set things right and tell James that I was alive and well, and somehow, we would make our escape.

As I stood there, surrounded by ancient treasures and cutting-edge technology, a plan began to form in my mind. It was audacious, perhaps even foolhardy, but with Gene's capabilities and Bingo's stealth, it just might work.

I would return to Londabad not as the street thief I'd been but as someone new—someone with the power and influence to reach James.

A smile spread across my face, "Let's talk strategy, Gene. We've got a prince to rescue and a city to shake up."

The genie's holographic form nodded, his yellow eyes glowing with what I could swear was anticipation. "I am at your disposal, Mistress. Shall we begin by selecting the most advantageous technology and resources from this vault?"

"Absolutely," I agreed, my eyes roving over the treasure trove surrounding us. "And when we get back to Londabad, I want you to compile everything you can find about Londabad's social structure, power players, and any weaknesses in the palace's security."

I felt a surge of hope and determination. For the first time since this whole ordeal began, I felt in control. With my wits, Bingo's skills, and the power of two genies at my fingertips, I was ready to take on Jeffry, the king, and the whole peerage of Londabad if needed.

I would save my prince.