Brynne frowned. “You got incinerated?”
“A little.”
Aiden shookhis head, which was hard to do with a blade at his throat. “That’s not whatIheard.”
Kamadevascowled. “Let’s just call it a beta test that went wrong, okay? As it turns out, immortal beings don’t like their hearts being tampered with. You cannotrushlove. And I wasn’t! I’m simply one aspect of attraction. Like a prickling awareness, you know? In this form, I’m just here to open your eyes andopen your heart, you understand?”
The four of them wore matching expressions ofnope.
“What about the bow and arrow?” asked Brynne. “The ones wedidn’tsteal,” she emphasized.
Kamadeva’s expression turned sly. “Oh, I believe you,” he said. “While you were watching my stories, I had a peek inside each of your hearts. Very interesting things there. Lots of sorrow. Lots of yearning. So very, veryripe.” His gaze lingered on Aiden. “You, especially. Look at that handsome face! All the makings of a tortured, brooding hero. I could make you a star!”
Aiden looked horrified. “Please don’t?”
Aru was tired of people looking inside her without her knowledge or permission, but she let it go for now. “If you’ve seen our hearts,” she asked, “then can you tell Uloopi we’re innocent?”
Surely thegod of love could convince the naga queen, Aru thought. Then they wouldn’t have to be banished from the Otherworld. And Boo—poor Boo—he’d be free.
“She’d never listen to me, I’m afraid. She blames me for making her fall in love with Arjuna, which led to her present condition …” said Kamadeva. His face turned rather solemn. “But that is not my story to tell. What I can tell you is that the onlyway you’ll convince Uloopi of your innocence is by bringing her my bow and arrow.”
Miniraised a timid hand. “But … it’syourweapon.”
“True, but I had to put it away. You see, after I was blasted to smithereens, my beloved wife, Rati, carried the bow and arrow for me while I awaited reincarnation. But she felt the pain of my loss so keenly that the song in her soul—”
“What song?” cut in Brynne.
Aru gently tapped her collarbone (is that where souls hide?), wondering if a song might burst out someday. What if her song was really dumb? What if, when she was about to die, every cell in her body started singingThe hills are aliiiiiiiive with the sound of musiiiic—?
“It’s not a song you can perceive,” said Kamadeva, with a sharp look at Aru. She dropped her hand back to her side. “It’s thehumming of harmony, the subtle dance of pulses, the rhythm that two hearts beat together in blissful accord.”
Aiden looked like his eyes were going to roll back in his head out of pure boredom.
“My Rati’s soul song fled … and it granted my bow and arrow a dark power. Anyone struck by grief and armed with the knowledge of enchantment could carve out their own soul song. The sheer desperationof that act would give them the power to wield the bow and arrow for a terrible purpose, allowing them not to join hearts together, but torip them outinstead. That’s why, after Rati’s soul song returned and we were reunited, I gave the weapon to Uloopi. The queen has kept it safely stored in the great vaults of the naga realm for thousands of years … until now.”
“Does that mean you don’t usethe arrow anymore to make people fall in love?” asked Aru.
“Correct,” said Kamadeva. “But trust me, I don’t miss it. These days I’d have to lie in wait at coffee shops, or youth group lunches, or take intro to philosophy classes at eight thirty a.m., or scroll through RedditFortnitethreads. No thanks.”
“You said that the bow and arrow could rip out people’s hearts …” said Mini. “Is that whatthat wound was on the Heartless?”
Kamadeva nodded, and Aru shuddered, remembering the strange scars in their chests where frost spiderwebbed out onto their skin.
“Why would someone want an army of Heartless?” asked Aiden.
That was the same question Aru was going to ask. She glared at him.
“As you’ve seen, they’re nearly invincible,” said Kamadeva.
“Nearly?” asked Brynne.
“Their strengthis tied to the one who made them Heartless. If that person’s soul song is returned, then the negative effects of the bow and arrow would be reversed, thus changing them back into human form.”
“Do you know who the thief is? Could you help us?” asked Mini excitedly.
“Or … you know … go after yourownbow and arrow?” pointed out Aru.
For a moment she thought the god of love would curse her andturn her into an unfeeling toad or something, but instead he shook his head sadly.
