Aru Shah and the Song of Death Read online

  But lately it hadn’t felt very homey.

  When Aru opened her eyes to the lobby, she saw the memory of her battle against the Sleeper, her…dad. It was still too weird to process. Sometimes when she slept, their epic fight replayed in her mind. And yet the worst nightmare of all wasn’t how awful he was then…but how kind he’d been long ago. In the Kingdom of Death, she’d seen a vision of him in the hospital when she was born, his T-shirt reading I’M A DAD! He must have held her when she was a baby. He must have once, even if only for a second, loved her.

  “You okay?”

  Aru shook herself. She’d almost forgotten that Mini had asked to come over.

  “Yup!” she said with false cheer.

  “Need help packing?”

  “Not really?”

  “Okay, but what about a first-aid kit? Or I could help your mom around the house? Or—”

  Aru crossed her arms. “Why are you avoiding your own home?”

  “Am not!”

  “Are too!”

  “D2—” Mini broke off with a grumble. “I hate when you do that.”

  “Just tell me,” said Aru.

  Mini sighed. “I love my parents, and I know they love me, but they’re…”

  “Putting a ton of pressure on you?” asked Aru.

  “A bit, yeah.”

  She’d been over to Mini’s house loads of times, and “a bit” of pressure was an understatement. Mini’s parents had a full-blown Pandava regimen for her—Run two miles a day! All the vitamins! No Internet after 8:00 p.m.!—on top of a five-year schedule to get her into a top college and a top medical school.

  “They’re going to freak out once they hear that we could be banished,” said Mini.

  “That’s not your fault.”

  “Might as well be,” said Mini. “I know what they’ll think…. If my brother was the Pandava, this wouldn’t have happened.”

  Aru shook her head. “If they get mad, just tell them it’s not like you gambled away your whole kingdom and got everyone exiled to the forest for a bajillion years.”

  Mini frowned. “What are you taking about?”

  “That’s something Yudhistira—aka you a bajillion years ago—did. He set the bar pretty high for mistake-making, so don’t worry so much.”

  Aru’s mom had told her the story a while ago. The eldest Pandava brother, who had a reputation for being morally upright, lost a game of dice, and his family was kicked out of the palace and into the forest as a result. Imagine having to explain that during a family meeting. So…good news and bad news. First, who likes camping?

  If Mini’s parents honestly thought a guy would’ve made a better Pandava, this story might raise some doubts. But instead of laughing, Mini’s face paled and she walked back to the elephant statue.

  “Hey!” said Aru. “Where’re you going?”

  “Home,” huffed Mini. “I got the message, Aru. If he made a mistake like that, imagine all the things I might do wrong. I gotta go and get ready.”

  Now Aru felt ridiculously guilty. “Mini, that’s not what I meant….”

  “I’ll see you at the warehouse.” And with that, Mini disappeared into the portal.

  Aru was about to go after her when she heard her mom call down from the top of the stairs. “Let her cool off, Aru,” she said. “She’ll come around.”

  Aru glanced up. As always, Dr. K. P. Shah looked beautiful but exhausted from doing research long into the night. Ever since the Sleeper had reappeared, Aru’s mom had been tireless in her search for a magical artifact that could stop him. Her travel schedule was still brutal, but she was making an effort to be “more present” when she was home. Recently, they’d had lots of great talks. Just not about Aru’s dad.

  Your mother needs more time before she can talk about him, Boo had tried to explain. It’s hard for her.

  That had just left Aru more frustrated. As if this wasn’t hard for her? How much time did her mom need? What if they were running out of time and there was something she wasn’t telling her?

  As her mom walked down the stairs, Aru saw she was carrying the morning newspaper and Aru’s “emergency quest” backpack, which was full of clothes and snacks so that she wouldn’t be stuck wandering through the Otherworld in Spider-Man pajamas…again.

  “I know you have to go soon,” said her mom. “Urvashi sent me a message. And then there was the news this morning.”

  She held up the newspaper, where a bold headline screamed:

  MASS KIDNAPPINGS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD!

  THE SEARCH CONTINUES…

  Aru shuddered, thinking of the crowds of Heartless she’d seen in the Otherworld. They only had ten days before those people would be stuck like that forever.

  “Urvashi told me a lot of things, actually,” said her mom.

  Oh no.

  “Anything you want to talk about?” asked her mom.

  “No.”

  “What about the Acharyas’ son across the street—?”

  “No.”

  “Because you know you can tell me anything.”

  Aru mumbled, “I’d rather walk in front of a bus.”

  “What was that?”

  “I’d rather get going and not…make a fuss.”

  Aru liked talking with her mom about lots of things, like the newest acquisitions for the museum. Or movies that Aru loved or hated. Or student gossip, like how Russell Sheehan somehow smuggled in a herd of llamas and let them loose on the football field of Augustus Day School. What she did not like to discuss had, unfortunately, become her mother’s new favorite topic….

  Feelings.

  Sometimes after dinner her mom would make them cocoa and they’d snuggle on the couch and watch movies (which was nice), but sometimes Aru’s mom would launch into a discussion about the “tumultuous adolescent psyche” (which was not so nice) and start spouting things like You’re a young woman now. Which made no sense, because what was Aru before? A young horse?

  “What about your new Pandava sister?” pressed her mom. “I hear she’s rather accomplished. She goes to one of the top private schools in the country.”

  “Ugh,” said Aru. “Not you, too. I get it. Brynne is the best.” She waved an imaginary tiny flag.

  Her mom got that I-am-feeling-wise-and-maternal look. “Did I ever tell you the story about Ekalavya’s thumb?”

  “Who? Is this about that family friend’s son who stapled his hand on a dare?”

  Her mother sighed. “No, Aru. It’s a story from the Mahabharata.”

  “Oh.”

  “Arjuna was a great warrior—”

  “Breaking news,” grumbled Aru.

  “—but he had flaws, too. He could be prideful and insecure.”

  That was unexpected. Whenever Boo told them stories about the legendary Pandavas, he pretty much stuck to all the happy look-how-awesome-you-used-to-be versions.

  “When Arjuna was a student, he witnessed an incredible feat of archery,” her mom began. “It made him very jealous, and he got scared that he would no longer be the best archer. His famous teacher, Drona, discovered that the impossible shot had been made by Ekalavya, the son of a tribal chief. Ekalavya asked Drona to train him in archery, but the teacher refused him because of his lower status. Ekalavya meditated on Drona anyway, and even went so far as to build a statue of him out of mud. This led Drona to demand guru daksina, a way of honoring a teacher. He asked for Ekalavya’s right thumb, so no one would be better than Arjuna, and Ekalavya agreed.”

  Aru gagged. “One, that’s gross. Two, that’s awful. Why didn’t Ekalavya just say ‘no thank you’?”

  “He was honorable, and he’d agreed to do anything his guru asked of him.”

  “Mom, what’s the point of this story?” asked Aru, shuddering. “Don’t be insecure or someone will get their thumb chopped off?”

  Her mom sighed and put the backpack on Aru’s shoulders. “All I’m saying is that no one can take your place if you make room for them. Trust yourself more than you
distrust others. Does that make sense?”

  “I’m still thinking about how that guy gave up his thumb.”

  Her mom shook her head and hugged her, and Aru breathed in the smell of her jasmine perfume.

  “You’ve got so much potential,” said her mom.

  Aru cringed. Potential could go either way. Even now, Aru couldn’t forget what the Sleeper had said. You were never meant to be a hero…. What if she was more like him than like her mom?

  “What if it’s the wrong kind of potential?” she asked quietly. “He said—”

  Her mom pulled back immediately.

  “I don’t want to hear about him,” she said sharply. “Forget what he said.”

  Aru’s jaw clenched. Every time. Every time she brought him up, she got shut down.

  “I love you,” said her mom, pushing the hair back from Aru’s forehead. “Think about what I said, okay? And just know that I believe in you, my Swedish Fish–eating, slightly bizarre child.”

  “Love you, too,” said Aru, but she didn’t raise her gaze from the floor.

  She hoisted the backpack higher, stepped into the portal of the elephant mouth, and waved good-bye to her mom. Magic from the Otherworld prickled over her skin, waiting for the command for where to take her. Aru breathed deep and said:

  “Take me to the Warehouse of Quest Materials.”

  The Warehouse of Quest Materials, aka “Do Not Touch That”

  Aru looked out of the portal tunnel and saw the vast night sky salted with stars.

  The portal had opened a foot above a thin cloud upon which sat a white marble mound with a little door and a sign that read WAREHOUSE OF QUEST MATERIALS. The structure was so small, Aru doubted even she—at her magnificently intimidating height of five foot nothing—could stand comfortably inside of it.

  “What is this?” scoffed Aru. “A warehouse for ants?”

  Out of habit, she looked to her right, where normally Mini would’ve been on the verge of laughter. But she wasn’t there, and Aru remembered with a pang that her friend was angry at her.

  She sighed and prepared to jump through the door. Before she did, a pair of slippers peeled off the cloud and covered her feet.

  From behind the mound came a muffled squeak. “Aru?”

  Mini poked her head out.

  Then they spoke at the exact same time: “I’m sorry.”

  “I overreacted—” started Mini.

  “I didn’t mean it like that—” said Aru.

  They stood there, waited a moment, and then started laughing. It wasn’t their first fight, and it wouldn’t be their last. But fights between good friends are a bit like lightning: a flash of anger, and then it’s fine.

  “We should go in,” said Aru.

  “I know, but I was waiting for you,” said Mini as she walked out from behind the mound.

  Aru’s eyes went wide. Mini was dressed in head-to-toe black, including black combat boots. Her shirt had a skull on it, and there were faint traces of eyeliner under her eyes.

  Mini frowned. “What is it?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Say it,” said Mini.

  “Nothing. You’re just leaning into the whole daughter-of-the-god-of-death thing pretty hard. I dig it.”

  “Is it too much?” asked Mini, glancing at her own outfit as if she’d just seen it. “I only wore black because dirt doesn’t show up on it that easily.”

  “What about your goth shirt?”

  “Oh, that?” Mini smoothed down the front. “I like being reminded of my own mortality, you know? It makes stuff meaningful.”

  “You do you, Mini.”

  The warehouse was a whole lot bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. When the doors opened, Aru saw rows upon rows of shelves disappearing into the distance. Once she stepped onto the polished marble floor, her cloud slippers vanished.

  Aiden, Brynne, and Urvashi were waiting for them. Brynne muttered, “Way to show up on time.”

  Aru ignored her, choosing instead to skim the small labels affixed to the bottom of each shelf. They had strange names, like OMINOUS DREAM SEQUENCE and A SHARP KICK IN THE REAR.

  “This is our Warehouse of Quest Materials,” said Urvashi. “Each of you is allowed to take one item. The item will vanish on the tenth day, so use it wisely.”

  “But how do we know what to pick?” asked Mini, looking overwhelmed.

  “Choose what speaks to you,” said the apsara. “I cannot tell you any more than that. Remember, you are considered suspects until the bow and arrow of Kamadeva are found.”

  “But you know we didn’t steal them!” said Aru. “It isn’t fair.”

  Urvashi smiled sadly. “What is fair and what is just do not always look the same. I know only that I believe in you, but I cannot help you beyond offering this piece of advice: as with any lost item, the best way to find it is to speak with the owner first.”

  “You mean Kamadeva?” asked Aiden.

  “That’s all you want us to know?” asked Mini.

  Urvashi sighed. “Though it doesn’t help you, know that I do not agree with the naga queen’s decision.”

  “What’s Uloopi’s problem, anyway?” asked Brynne.

  Urvashi’s eyes looked far away, and even though she was eternally young, she seemed old in that moment. “She is very powerful, and she suffered a great tragedy. I believe it hardened her. Besides, she bears an incredible burden.” The apsara raised her hand in blessing. “Be well, children. I eagerly await your return.”

  With that, she dissolved into the moonlight.

  Aru looked around at her questmates: Mini, trying to pretend she wasn’t feeling anxious. Aiden, seemingly preoccupied with his camera. Brynne, who clearly wished she and Aiden could go off on their own. Not exactly primed for success.

  “Well,” said Aru, “I guess it’s time to go shopping.”

  Brynne was immediately drawn to a shelf marked SHARP THINGS. Mini ran a finger along the one that read MISCELLANEOUS SIDEKICKS. It held bottles marked with things like TALKING DEMON-HORSE, WITTY GHOST, and UNREMARKABLE DRAGON.

  Aru saw apples with golden skin, and those silver pistachio cakes from Indian weddings that always look better than they taste. Aiden had walked over to a shelf marked KITS OF NECESSITY that had small satchels filled with different materials such as SUNSHINE ON YOUR SKIN, A GULP OF AIR, A FIVE-SECOND PAUSE, TWO NAPS SQUEEZED INTO TWO SECONDS, and even A CLIF BAR.

  Aru couldn’t decide what to get. There were too many options, and she had no clue where they were going after this. She walked over to a shelf marked BRIGHT IDEAS. It was covered with slender glass vials, each filled with a cloudy, colorless liquid. Something about them drew Aru closer. She moved to pluck one off the shelf when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

  “No, Mini, I don’t think it’s poison,” said Aru tiredly. “And yes, if it was, it would probably kill me.”

  “It’s not Mini?”

  Aru whirled around to see Aiden. He had his hands shoved in the pocket of his dark green hoodie.

  “What do you want?” asked Aru, not very nicely. She didn’t feel very nice after Brynne had ridiculed her in front of him.

  Aiden flushed. “Listen, I know we got off to a bad start. I was thinking we should all just start over. Is that cool?”

  Aru glared at him. What did he want, a friendship bracelet? She crossed her arms and then, after a moment, let them fall to her side. Borrowed Jay-Z lyrics or not, Hanuman was right. Fighting would get them nowhere. She wasn’t going to hold on to a grudge if that meant Boo would stay imprisoned and she’d be exiled. Aru took a deep breath. From here on out, she resolved to be the best, heroine-est version of herself. She was ARU SHAH. Devourer of Twizzlers and Swedish Fish. Bearer of a Ridiculously Powerful Lightning Bolt. Daughter of the God of Thunder and Lightning. Vessel of Movie Quotes.

  She was not going to let herself feel embarrassed in front of anyone. Especially not Brynne and Aiden.

  Aru smiled at him, then looked over at Min
i, whom she hoped would say something like Good diplomatic Pandava move.

  Instead, Mini sent over a mind message: You’ve got something in your teeth.

  Aru stopped smiling.

  “Fine,” she said. She held out her hand.

  “Really?” asked Aiden, smirking.

  Aru said nothing, mostly because she was still trying to work out whatever was stuck in her teeth.

  Aiden sighed, then shook her hand. “Still can’t believe you’re a Pandava.”

  Aru glared, and sparks of electricity shot off her lightning bolt bracelet.

  Aiden quickly stepped back. “Not in a bad way! It was just weird to look across the street and realize—”

  “Hold up,” said Aru, raising her hand. “So you knew I was a Pandava before the gods told you?”

  Aiden went wide-eyed.

  “How?” demanded Aru.

  At this, Aiden looked a little shifty. “Uh, well, earlier today, I saw something kinda weird through my window. You had a lightning bolt.”

  “How did you know it was a lightning bolt?”

  Aiden ducked his chin and mumbled something. Aru only caught one of the words: zoom.

  She glanced at his camera. “Zoom lens? You took a picture of my lightning bolt?!”

  “I didn’t mean to! You were leaning out the window!”

  “And I’m the creepy stalker?”

  “Okay, I’m sorry!”

  “Say you’re a creep.”

  “Can’t I—?”

  “Say it.”

  “I’m a creep. And I’m sorry. But it was a lightning bolt…in your hand…and that threw me.”

  Vajra beamed, clearly flattered. Aru ignored it.

  “Don’t spy on me ever again,” said Aru, “or I will lightning-bolt you.” Aru was not sure lightning-bolt was a verb, but she also didn’t care.

  Aiden squared his shoulders. “Fine, then don’t spy on me, either.”

  “I didn’t—”

  “I saw you, Shah.”

  “Okay, fine. Sorry.”

  “Me too,” said Aiden. He shuffled in place for a bit before adding, “Also, I know Brynne can be a…a lot? But she means well. She just—”