“Go ahead, Aiden,” urged Brynne.
He took a deep breath, then stepped across the threshold.
“Aru, you go next,” said Brynne.
Just as Aru prepared to move, one of the naga guards started shifting from side to side. Aru hadn’t been listening to theirconversation,but she caught bits and pieces abouta new club opening up in the naga realm.
“I really cannot dance bhangra,” said Yellow Stripe. “What is it again?”
“Pat the dog, screw in the lightbulb, and just sorta bob around—”
“Like this?”
His tail whipped across the floor, catching Aru, Brynne, and Mini. They all tripped and fell. The wind mace faltered. Mini scrambled to hold on to Dee Dee, but the shield shattered. From the other side,Aiden tried to jostle the door and get back to the others, but he couldn’t.
“WHAT THE—?” screamed Red Stripe.
He and the other guard swung their tridents.
“Ew, ew, ew!” whined Yellow Stripe. “Human girls!”
“Remember our training,” said Red Stripe. “When confronted with unsavory individuals—”
“Who are you callingunsavory?” demanded Brynne, swinging her mace. “We’re not the bad guys here—youare!”
“Bad?Us?”
“Look at this sporty red stripe!” said the first naga, pointing at his luxurious tail. “Does that sayevilto you?”
Mini raised Dee Dee, as if to create another shield, but she was too tired to do it again. Even Brynne’s wind mace did little more than blow hot air in one of the nagas’ faces. It was up to Aru.
She threw Vajra like a Frisbee. Lightning and thunder crackled loudly,and the two naga guards drew back. Still, they got stung.
“Owee! Ow! Ow!” they said.
Arutried to get through the glass door, but the nagas recovered quickly. Their two tridents clashed down, blocking the exit with an X. Vajra boomeranged back to Aru, who caught it one-handed, and the lightning bolt shifted into a sword. She gripped its hilt with both hands and swung it, but the nagas movedaside in sync. Each of their tails lashed out, grabbed her wrists, and pulled them apart until Vajra dropped to the ground. It turned into a Ping-Pong ball and bounced back into her pocket, but the nagas didn’t notice. They were too busy high-fiving each other.
“You remembered our choreography!” Red Stripe said to his comrade excitedly.
Aru thought it couldn’t possibly get worse, but the universefelt otherwise. Because who should come strolling into the passage right then but …
Surpanakha herself, glossy black hair, golden skin, and all.
The demoness held out her hand, her long red nails flashing in the dim light. “Release her,” she ordered the nagas. “I will deal with them myself. After that, leave your station at once and investigate the outside of the sea-glass tunnel. I believeI’m being followed.”
“Of course, Admiral,” said the nagas immediately.
They dropped their tails, but before Aru could pull out Vajra, a pair of magical handcuffs clapped onto her wrists. Vajra remained in her pocket and tried to comfort Aru with a burst of warmth.
Brynne and Mini had also been cuffed, and they wore matching expressions of fury as Surpanakha walked toward them. She pushed openthe door, shoving the three of them through it.
Aiden was waiting for them on the other side, breathless andred-faced from trying to get back to them. Out of the corner of her eye, Aru saw the naga guards slithering away down the passage where Surpanakha had appeared.
“Get her, Aiden!” called Aru.
But Aiden didn’t move.
“Whoa!” said Mini.
Aru turned just in time to see Surpanakha transforming.Where the demon princess had once stood was Hira, the rakshasi girl from the nature preserve. She tucked her hair behind her ear and waved at them shyly.
“I … I thought you could use some help.”
