Presents from Uncle Agni
“Well?” Agni asked. “Go on, then! Go forth and kill and what have you.”
Agni snapped his fingers and their weapons appeared out of thin air and zoomed back into their hands.
“Vajra!” said Aru joyously.
She never thought she’d want to hug a lightning bolt, but today was one of those days. Her lightning bolt thrummed in her hands, then dove into her pocket as if relievedto be home. Mini was fussing over Dee Dee, inspecting it for any kind of fire damage, while Brynne’s mace blew her hair around her face like a happy blow-dryer. Aiden slid on his scimitar cuffs without saying anything, but Aru saw him double-check that Shadowfax hadn’t gotten singed by Agni’s flames.
“Let’s go!” said Brynne, pointing in the direction of the archway. “How many days do we haveleft, anyway?”
Aiden checked his watch, his face paling. “One.”
One day left?Aru thought she’d hurl. Through the archway lay the entrance to the Ocean of Milk. They were so close; theyhadtheir weapons back … they even had the blessing of the god of fire … and they were running out of time … but Aru couldn’t make herself take a step forward.
She knew who she would have to face in the Oceanof Milk.
She was ready for Surpanakha. But there was someone else, too … Takshaka, the naga king.
He had lost his wife in the Khandava Forest fire because of Arjuna and also, apparently, Agni. Arjuna hadn’t acted alone, of course. In the stories, the god Krishna always fought beside him. But Aru didn’t understand why Takshaka’s friends and community had had to die in those flames. Why hadn’tthe gods spared them if they hadn’t done anything wrong? It was unfair, and even though she was mad at the serpent king, she also understood why Takshaka would want to take everyone down.
“What’s up, kid?” asked Agni, raising a knowing eyebrow. “You look confused. You’ve only got one opportunity, so you might as well ask me your question.”
Aru checked her friends. Brynne seemed mildly irritated,but she bowed her head as if to sayGo ahead, if you must. Beside her, Aiden and Mini nodded encouragingly.
Aru turned back to Agni, who showed no traces of his former raging self. Now the heat radiating from him was as comforting as a roaring hearth in winter. His expression was warm and lively, exuding a coziness that draws families and friends together, and his eyes flickered with the kindof light that inspires stories.
Aru took a deep breath before asking, “Why did Arjuna kill Takshaka’s family?”
Agni leaned against one of the golden trees that only minutes ago had been a pile of ash.
“That’s not the real question you’re asking, kid, but I get it. Here’s the truth. A long time ago, I got really sick. WhenIget sick,everythinggets sick.”
“You don’t say,” Brynne said drily.
Agni ignored her. “I’m a sacred part of every prayer! You know at weddings, there’s a holy fire that the bride and groom walk around? That’s me! So it’s not good when I’m not well. And when nothing could cure me, I went straight to Brahma himself. He told me that I had to eat the Khandava Forest. Only by doing so would the universe be in balance again.”
The universe being out of balance definitelydidn’t sound good…. “But what about—?” started Aru.
“Let me tell you another tale. Ever heard of Jaya and Vijaya?”
“No?”
“They’re, like, attendants to the god Vishnu, aren’t they?” asked Aiden.
“How do you know that?” asked Aru.
“My mom used to tell me their knock-knock jokes. They’rereallybad. Trust me.”
“Ah, yes, your mother,” said Agni, stroking his chin. “It’s hard to forget the famousapsara dancer Malini. Tell her I finally mastered the salsa. She taught me, you know.”
“You could tell her yourself?” tried Aiden hopefully.
“Against the rules,” said Agni, shaking his head. “Malini gave up her connection to the Otherworld when she married a mortal man. They made an exception for you, though.” Agni shrugged. “Hope it was worth it for her. Anyway—”
Aru snuck a glance at Aiden.He was standing there, stricken, and Aru wasn’t sure what to do. Brynne reached outtohold his hand, and Aru looked away, feeling as if she’d been caught spying.
“Jaya and Vijaya are the doorkeepers to Vishnu,” Agni continued. “One day a group of four sages shows up. Only problem is, they look like kids. Jaya and Vijaya don’t know they’re sages, so they tell them to get going, because Lord Vishnuis sleeping. Well, the kid-sages don’t like that, and they curse them to live human lives—”
