Terminal C. Get It? LOL
The four of them walked quickly down a long tunnel—well, everyone except Aru.
“Whyare you moving so slowly?” demanded Brynne. “Stop gawking!”
“Can’t help it!” said Aru, awed. “We’reunderwater.”
Aru gestured around her. They were walking through an invisible tube that kept them completely dry. Outside, jellyfish bobbed peacefully. A shark darted overhead. Mini, however,was not convinced by the magic. She was huddled beneath a spotted umbrella, which made her look like a traveling mushroom.
“We’re also on a deadline,” said Brynne. “You heard Kamadeva.Ninemortal days left—”
“And time moves faster in the Otherworld,” Aiden pointed out in a worried tone. “We’re obviously not in Atlanta anymore.”
“This is as fast as I can walk, honest,” said Aru. “So unlessyou want to carry me, then— Wait, Brynne. Why are you looking at me like that? Hey!”
Brynne lifted Aru and threw her over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
“Shouldn’t you at least take a vote?” asked Aru.
“All in favor?” asked Brynne.
“Aye,” said Aiden.
“Aye,” said Mini sheepishly.
“Betrayal!” shouted Aru.
Actually, Aru found it pretty comfortable. The walk to the aquatic airport waslong, and her legs were tired from all the walking through Kamadeva’s endless Soul Exchange and the running from the Heartless. It wasn’tsobad being carried. In fact, it was kinda nice….
A few minutes later, she was unceremoniously dumped on the floor.
“Hey!”
Brynne had her hands on her hips. “You fell asleep.”
“Did not!”
“You started snoring.”
“Oh …”
“I can’t have you drooling down myback,” said Brynne.
“Look!” said Mini, lifting her umbrella and pointing up ahead. “We’re almost at the entrance to the aquatic airport!”
Something zoomed past them on the right: a giant eel with a transparent bubble on its back crammed with members of the Otherworld. Beyond the eel, Aru could see what looked like a runway in the distance. Large glowing fish swam in straight lines, guiding orcasand humongous sea turtles that were carrying their own passenger pods. As for the arrivals, a huge octopus detached the pods from the aquaticrafts—handling several at once—and then slotted them into hatches in the “airport.” Aru wondered if the octopus ever got things mixed up.
Through the water, she could hear the dim crackle ofsomeoneannouncing, “Leviathan, you’re cleared for Runway One withservice to Avalon.” Aru looked around, trying to choose which of the sea creatures she’d want to take them to the naga realm.
“Hopefully they’re not boarding immediately,” said Brynne, patting her stomach. “I’m hungry again. Aiden, got anything?”
“You ate it all,” said Aiden distractedly. He was staring at his phone screen. Though there was no cell service or Wi-Fi in the Otherworld, Aiden’senchanted camera was somehow still able to transmit his digital photos to the phone.
Brynne’s stomach grumbled louder.
Frowning, Aiden lifted his phone to show them a picture of a zombie. “You know what’s weird?”
“The fact that you don’t have any snacks?” asked Brynne grumpily.
