Mini looked confused but dutifully created a shield.
“All right, Brynne, blast me forward!”
“Uh … okay …”
Brynne hit Aruwith a wind gust just as she ran toward Mini’s shield and jumped on it. In her head, Aru had envisioned this epic leap where she soared through the air on the shield and pinned someone with her lightning bolt. In reality,shejust slid forward and crashed into the back wall with a loudthud. Mini dropped her shield and Brynne ran to her.
“What the heck wasthat?” demanded Boo.
Aru groaned. “Idon’t know…. It worked inWonder Woman.”
“Are you Wonder Woman?”
“I … am facedown in a pile of shame.”
Not too far from where Aru was sprawled out, Aiden appeared from a portal. She rolled onto her back only to hear the familiarclickof Aiden’s camera. She blinked open her eyes and there he was, waving down at her.
“Why are you here now?” she demanded. “You’re not supposed to be here foranother hour.”
Aiden shrugged. “Got bored. Decided to record a behind-the-scenes look at the intense lives of Pandavas.”
“And?”
“And I may have to change the title of the documentary.”
“Go away.”
“Not a chance, Shah,” said Aiden with a wide grin, and then he helped her up.
An hour later, Aru, Mini, Brynne, and Aiden stood in front of the entrance to the Soul Exchange. Aiden was carryingthe bow and arrow. They were encased in an enchanted box carved out of ice to prevent the weapon from feeling the pulse of human hands. Apparently, the bow and arrow couldn’t help but want to shoot every time they sensed a heartbeat.
Fortunately, the monstrous guard swan was nowhere to be seen. When the door swung open, they entered not a pristine office building like last time, but a beautifulpalace. The floors weremadeof interlocking golden tiles with rubies at the center. Above them, the ceiling was the actual night sky, and Kamadeva didn’t need a chandelier, because constellations twisted in the air, casting silvery light. All along the walls were images of famous couples throughout history and legends: Tristan and Isolde; Héloïse and Abelard; Nala and Damayanti; and even thefive Pandavas and their wife, the beautiful and wise Princess Draupadi. Aru scanned the statue of Arjuna. She didn’t look anything like him. She had no muscles. And no mustache (thankfully). But Draupadi looked familiar. Something about her eyes …
“So, you survived!” said Kamadeva, appearing before them. He clapped, and Aru looked away from the statues. “Oh. Excellent. I love it when storiesdon’t end in dismemberment!”
Mini’s eyes widened. “Me too?”
Aiden offered the box nervously, shifting back and forth on his feet…. After all, Kamadeva had promised him an arrow of love. And Aru knew exactly what Aiden was going to use it for. Brynne had told her that Aiden’s dad was stopping by tomorrow to pick up the last of his stuff. His parents would be seeing each other for the first timein months….
“He’s going toParent Trapthem?” Aru had asked.
“That’s the plan,” Brynne said. “But, if you ask me, I don’t think it’s a good one.”
When Kamadeva reached for the bow and arrow, the ice case turned to vapor. He beamed as he caught the weapons and lifted them up into the air.
“Hello, old friends,” he said, before swinging the bow over his shoulder. He slid the arrow into a quiverhanging on his other shoulder. “You did well by defeating Surpanakha—”
“That’s not her name,” said Mini quietly.
Kamadeva startled. “Pardon?”
Mini turned bright red, and Aru jumped in. “She didn’t like to be called Surpanakha. She preferred Meenakshi. Or Lady M.”
Kamadeva looked at them thoughtfully. “And this is the name you wish me to use?”
All four of them nodded.
“Then I will,” he said.
