Lady M Makes a Request
Aru wished Vajra would snake through her fingers and send her a little shock, something that would clear her mind and help her sort out her feelings. But her lightning bolt had remained a dead weight in her pocket ever since Mini had touched the metal dome covering the nectar of immortality. Aru was on her own.
Her friends’ reactions to Lady M’s tale were mixed. Miniappeared to be frustrated, like she couldn’t decide whether Lady M was telling the truth or lying. Brynne looked angry (which, Aru knew by now, was her usual expression). Aiden’s face was strangely blank, as if he were trying to hide his thoughts.
As for Hira, she was entranced. She kept nodding, encouraging Lady M to continue with the story.
“Now do you understand why I need the amrita?” saidLady M, her hands joining together. “The stories about me do not resemble my truth. As a result, my outer appearance no longer reflects my inner soul.”
She held up gnarled hands, which now had claws at the end.Herfish-shaped eyes had a sallow look to them, and her skin was paunchy.
“If my true tale is never told again, I will suffer a fate worse than death. I will have to live out my daysas nothing more than the worst that others believe of me.”
“But … I still don’t understand how the nectar will help you,” said Aru. “Couldn’t you just write down your story?”
A flicker of impatience crossed Lady M’s face before she collected herself again. “This is bigger than just me, child. You think this army is the only one preparing to storm the world? There are many of us who feel we donot deserve the treatment we received from the gods.” Her eyes penetrated Aru. “Your father being one of them.”
She didn’t mean Indra…. She meant the Sleeper.
“We find ourselves on the same side,” said Lady M. She gestured at the golden dome. “This was all his idea. His way of allowing us to take back what was stolen from us.” She gave Aru a doleful look. “He misses you, you know.”
Aru’s jawclenched and she gripped Vajra tighter in her pocket. “Yeah, well, considering he tried to kill me, I doubt that’s true. He’s really not that great. Trust me.”
“He reacted in fury as I once did,” said Lady M. “You mustn’t—”
“You attacked Sita even though she did nothing to you!” Aru blurted. “And you let your brother Ravana abduct her! Just because you feel bad about it now doesn’t mean you’renot guilty.”
“I apologized to her later, when she was exiled to an ashram,” said Lady M. “We both found it in our hearts to let go of our anger, and eventually we became friends.”
Thatknocked the breath out of Aru’s lungs.
“You … you weref-friends?” sputtered Brynne, her eyes narrowing.
“Rama abandoned Sita,” said Lady M, unable to hide a little vicious glee. “After he fought to steal herback from my brother, the god king banished her. His people thought she was impure despite her faithfulness. Rama believed her, but he didn’t defend her, and he sent her away when she was pregnant with his children. She even walked across open flames to prove her fidelity, but it wasn’t enough.”
That …sucked.
Did any girl in these stories enjoy a happy ending where she didn’t a) get her nosechopped off, b) get turned into a rock, or c) get barbecued? It was bad enough that Sita had married a god king only to have him say,JK! We’re going to live in exile and wander through forests for a billion years!
No thank you.
“I leave you to confer among yourselves for five minutes, Pandavas,” said Lady M. “After that, you must choose your side. Help us become as powerful as the gods, or… well, I’m afraid you’ll find I also fight hard for what I believe in.”
She turned away then, gliding toward the row of Heartless. As she walked, Aru saw that she was changing even more. Her once lovely hair had now become wild and brittle. Two knobs protruded from her forehead … the beginnings of horns. And her skin had turned ashen.
Once again, she was turning into the story people told abouther.
“Is anyone’s weapon working yet?” asked Mini. She shookDeeDee, but the Death Danda currently had all the personality of a pencil.
“Nope,” said Brynne.
“Me either,” said Aru.
“What are we going to do about Lady M?” asked Aiden.
Hira, who had been silent until then, pulled her ragged sweatshirt around her body. “I feel really bad for her.”
Once she said that, some of the tension fledout of Aru’s bones. She’d been worried that she was the only one who felt any pity for Lady M.
