The shield broke. Down came the pincer. The four of them rolled in different directions. The crab rotated, trying to catch them all at the same time. Brynne conjured another bubble storm around her. Aru threw out her lightning bolt, intending it to be a distraction. After all, her lightning bolt was a weapon of the sky, so it probably wouldn’t work well in here either. But, to her surprise,a net crackling with electricity covered the crab’s eyes.
“What the—?” breathed Aru.
Vajra, sensing her confusion, weakened. The crab tore the net from its eyes.
“Mybrothercan sing,” said the crab furiously. “But me? Oh no! I HAD TO PLAY THE CLARINET!”
It stabbed the ground angrily. As Aru dodged out of the way, she sent messages through the Pandava mind link:
Brynne,turn into a fly! Mini,we’re going to need a distraction. Tell Aiden.
I don’t want to go in there!
Just do it, Brynne! Mini, you’ve heard the crab. You know what it doesn’t like. Count down….
“Three!” shouted Aru.
Mini popped out of her shield and screamed, “Why don’t you have a Jamaican accent?”
The crab whirled on her, pincers raised. It roared.
“I mean, youareunder the sea, you might as well sing it!” shoutedAiden.
“Two!” called Aru.
The crab paused. And then it let out a long shriek. It sounded like someone had dropped a death metal band into a thunderstorm and thrown in a braying donkey just for the heck of it. “Is this what you wanted, Mother? Me to be taunted and tortured? Are you happy now? Yes, Jayesh is talented, but I bet he’s never eaten a Pandava!”
“One!” Out of the corner of her eye,Aru saw a flash of blue light. Brynne had disappeared.
Aiden held out his scimitars and said hurriedly, “Aru, touch these with your lightning bolt—”
“You’ll get electrocuted!” she said.
“Trust me,” said Aiden. “Light ’em up, Shah.”
Something in Aiden’s voice made her believe him. She tapped both of his weapons with Vajra and electricity crackled around the metal.
“Whoa!”
“Told ya,” saidAiden, running forward. He must have adjusted his pressure to account for the strange air resistance, because this time his scimitars connected with the crab.
“Hot! Ow! Too hot! Stop that!” shouted the crab. Its weird stem-like eyes waved wildly. With each stab Aiden made, the crab let out a shriek, its blue jaws gaping wide. It lifted its legs, trying to get them out of the way, but Aiden wasfaster.
Aru cast Vajra. Her lightning bolt soared to the right. Mini threw Dee Dee to the left. Each of the crab’s eyes went a different way, which left a blind spot in the center, where a small blue bug sailed through, right into its mouth.
Aru heard Brynne in her head:
I hate you guys.
You’re a heroic parasite!sent Mini.
Brynne went silent.
Brynne?called Mini.Did I say something wrong?
Now all that was left was a waiting game. The three of them dodged the crab, but within moments, the electricity had faded from Aiden’s scimitars. It was taking Mini longer and longer to bring up new shields. Aru was getting tired.
“Enough!” shouted the crab. “Daughter of Indra, you have failed to keep your word! I—” The crab stopped and its eyes bulged out. “I—”
