“We don’t even know who he is,” pointed out Mini.
Boo held up a wing. “I am getting to that. He is a brilliant student: exceptional with a sword, familiar with the Otherworld—thanks to his semidivine lineage—and quite knowledgeable. As a student of ours, it ishis duty to fight on behalf of the devas alongside this generation’s Pandavas. Therefore, he has been granted temporary Pandava security clearance.”
Right on cue, a door opened in the sky, and the clouds parted. Sunrays illuminated the court.
Aru considered herself something of a “film buff” (a phrase she only recently learned did not mean that watching movies gave you muscles). She knew a lotabout Bollywood movies in particular. There was a formula to them: Someone always got slapped. Someone always cried. The movies almost always endedwitha wedding. And, oh right, everyone knows when the love interest shows up, because the wind starts magically blowing their hair.
At that moment, wind started blowing. But that was because Brynne had dropped her mace. Aru literally started chokingon the rush of air. Then Mini panicked and started clapping her on the back, which didn’t help. In the middle of a coughing spell, Aru lost hold of Vajra.
“Uh-oh,” said Brynne.
Aru looked up in time for Vajra to bonk her on the head, knocking her to the ground.“Ughhhhh,”she said, rubbing her crown. “Today is not my day.”
In the midst of all this chaos, a boy walked up to them. He was tall,with sandy brown skin. A shock of black hair fell over his forehead, and he wore a dark green long-sleeved hoodie, faded jeans, and bright red sneakers. Slung against his hip was a serious-looking camera.
“Girls,” said Boo, “allow me to introduce your companion, Aiden Acharya.”
Aiden?As in the dimpled, curly-haired new boy at school? The person she accidentally word-vomited to and told himshe knew where he lived? He made eye contact with Aru for a split second before quickly looking away.
Aru pinched Vajra, and the lightning bolt sent a shock through her skin. Well, she was definitely awake. Aru could forget about today not being her day.
Nope, thought Aru.Today is cancelled.
