“No…. All the Heartless we’ve seen so far are all guys,” said Aiden. “Why would the arrow thief only choose men?”
“Because the thief hates the patriarchy?” suggested Aru.
Brynne raised a fist in solidarity, and Mini snorted back a laugh.
“I’m serious!” said Aiden. “It’s weird.”
Itwasweird, but they didn’t have long to sit with Aiden’s realization, because they’d pushed through the bright coral doors of the aquatic airport. Being inside was like standing inside a large, blown-glass jellyfish that protectedthem from the water outside. Slender, translucent tentacles disappeared into different transportation docks with the names of places that Aru had always thought were out of myth:LEMURIA,AVALON,ATLANTIS…NAGA REALM.
Therewere businesswomen typing away on glowing laptops. Men pushing strollers across the hard-packed sand floor. Naga kids dragging suitcases shaped like tiny BB-8s. Jellyfishfloated in the air overhead, carrying digital readouts announcing the departures and arrivals of various transports. A sea turtle flapped lazily through the jellyfish, trailing an ad banner that said:TIRED OF WAITING IN LINE?SIGN UP FOR EXPRESS PRECHECK SERVICE!COST=JUST ONE YEAR OF YOUR LIFE!
“‘Terminal C for Naga Realm,’” Mini read aloud from an information screen inside a giant open clamshell.She folded her umbrella, stuffed it in her backpack, and scanned more lines before groaning. “Oh great, there are no more departures to the naga realm after dusk.”
“What do they mean,after dusk? That’s so imprecise!” said Brynne. “The time for sunrise and sunset isn’t always the same. How are we going to know when—?”
Aiden coughed and pointed up.
In the ceiling above them, a large sand dollarslowly rotated. Words were written on it in different colors. A faint line of light shot out from its middle, looking like one hand on a clock. It was close to hitting a word in purple ink:DUSK.
“Oh no, oh no, oh no!” said Mini. “We gotta run!”
Aru was staring up at the inky water beyond the ceiling, where she was 99 percent sure she’d just seen a mermaid, when Mini’s words registered.
“Right,I’m ready!” she said quickly.
Aiden raised an eyebrow and Mini shook her head.
“Why are you guys looking at me like that?” Aru asked.
Brynne took a step closer.
“Not again—”
Once more, Aru found herself dangling over Brynne’s shoulder. To be fair, Brynnewasfast. Unlike Aru, she didn’t stop to look around at all the airport’s marvels. In a matter of seconds, they found themselves in thesecurity line, which looked almost exactly like the one at the entrance to the Night Bazaar. All passengers had to step through a glittering archway. To the right was a crystal conveyer belt. And at the end stood a very bored-looking naga flipping the pages of the latest Dan Brown book.
“Please take out all laptops, cellular devices, cursed items, and weapons of mild devastation. Bottled constellationsor enchanted bodies of water must be kept in a three-ounce container. Please note that Samsung Galaxies are now banned, as per the Otherworld Transportation Security Guidelines,” droned the naga.
Aiden went first, placing his camera and satchel onto the conveyer belt. He moved through the arch without incident.
The naga man pawed through Aiden’s bag and examined his wallet, pulling out a photothat had been tucked inside. “Is that … ? No, it can’t be!” said the security guard. “Is thatMalini? The apsara celebrity? She hasn’t been seen for ages! How do you know her?”
Aiden snatched back the photo. “That’s my mom.”
The guard blushed. Since he was mostly green, he didn’t turn red, but bright yellow. Aru quickly looked away.Nowshe knew why Aiden had called Urvashi his aunt. Maliniwas a famous apsara dancer and singer, one of the elite sisters of Urvashi. Aru vaguely remembered a signed poster of her in Boo’s classroom.
Next was Mini, whose purple backpack passed through easily. After her went Brynne. Aru lagged behind…. She’d neverhadmuch luck with Otherworld Transportation Security. Somethingalwayswent wrong.
The naga picked through Brynne’s stuff. “Why did youpacksalt? You are aware that this could be construed by some species of the underwater worlds as an act of aggression?”
A family of sea slugs on the other side of the conveyer belt huddled closer together.
Brynne crossed her arms. “I always carry salt with me. I hate when food doesn’t have enough salt.”
When Aru looked up again, the family of sea slugs was nowhere to be seen.
Probably forthe best.
“Tell the truth, asura girl,” said the naga man.
