That Went Well … Not
According to Kamadeva, the best way for them to get into the naga realm would be via the aquatic airport.
“You can blend in with the other tourists that way,” he told them.
“Why would an underwater transportation system be called anairport?” Mini asked. “Isn’t that an oxymoron?”
The god of love dismissed her questions with a wave. “The Otherworld authorities sometimespick names just because they like how they sound, like Abattoir Spa. It’s very French. It also meansslaughterhouse. Anyway, come with me to my office!”
The four of them followed him from the lobby to the vast floor of the Soul Exchange. All around them hovered giant monitors filled with long lists of names and zodiac signs. Overhead, swans swooped across the night-sky ceiling, honking and trumpeting.After their encounter with the swan outside the Soul Exchange, Aru had to fight the urge to yellBack, beast! Begone!
“The six o’clock news headlines are here!” shouted one of the swans. “‘Are the Pandavas on the verge of exile?’”
Arugroaned and pulled her hoodie tighter over her head. They’d gone from being legends to losers in the space of a day.
“‘Naga queen demands justice for stolen treasure—’”
“‘Mortal realm full of panic as the number of missing persons triples every hour!’”
Aru’s stomach dipped.Morepeople missing meantmorepeople who might never be human again … and all of it depended on whether they found the thief before time was up.
And finally: “‘Which Hollywood Chris are you? Chris Pratt, Chris Evans, or Chris Pine? Take the quiz and find out!’”
Brynne’s mace glowed asshe grumbled, “Someone should put a stop to the gossip about us. It’s not helping our case.”
“Ignore it,” said Mini mildly. “People enjoy seeing other people feel bad. It makes them feel better about themselves. Don’t feed the trolls.”
Aru had to hand it to Mini. She could be totally weird, but with her weirdness came wisdom. Brynne lowered her mace and it returned to choker form around herneck. Aiden, on the other hand, looked completely unconcerned with the rumors. He kept trying to take pictures of the Soul Exchange, but every time he came close, Kamadeva raised his hand, and light beamed off the camera lens.
“Can’t have my competitors learning my secrets!” said Kamadeva.
The tips of Aiden’s ears turned red, but Aru saw him try to sneak photos anyway.
As they approached theend of the atrium, the atmosphere of the Soul Exchange shifted. It became darker somehow. Brynne started anxiously spinning her many bracelets.
Aruwas close enough to see that they were all engraved …BRYNNE RAO,FIRST PLACE!BRYNNE RAO,CHAMPION!
Brynne caught her peeking and shrugged. “I had my trophies melted down to make bracelets,” she said, raising her hand proudly.
Aru’s mouth fellopen. “Whodoesthat?”
“Winners,” said Brynne smugly.
Aru shot Mini acan-you-believe-this?look, but her best friend was blissfully unaware, and too intent on following Kamadeva’s instructions.
At the far side of the Soul Exchange, the desks were pitch-black, and the space was divided into two large cubicles, one labeledSPITEand the otherINDIFFERENCE. Here, patches of fog hid the sky ceilingfrom view. In a few places, moonlight broke through, revealing delicate silver staircases that spiraled up to those gaps. The same pair of words appeared in the filigree of each step:LISTENandLAUGH,LISTENandLAUGH,LISTENandLAUGH.
A grand staircase made of polished silver and twined with jasmine vines suddenly appeared between the two desolate cubicles.
“Ascension!” called Kamadeva. “Finally.”
They climbed the grand staircase and entered an executive’s gigantic corner office. Rosy light filled the room. A hanging garden formed the ceiling, and lush flowering vines crawled down the walls. A pair of smoked glass doors appeared on the right wall, dark shapes shifting eerily behind them.
“All aquariums in the United States have access points to the underwater realms of the Otherworld,”explained Kamadeva. “The larger aquariums lead to major destinations.”
“Like local airports versus international ones?” asked Mini.
“Precisely,” said Kamadeva. “The one you’ll be taking has portals to many different underwater realms. Justbe sure to take the door on the left. Do you understand?”
