Mini took a deep breath. “I don’t know how much of this you’re going to remember, and I’m going to try my best to tell the others too, but just try, try,tryto remember what I’ve told you. Music and Durvasa.”
Someone was shaking Aru’s shoulder.
“What year is it?” she asked muzzily. Then she laughed. “Gotcha.”
“Shah, wake up!” the voice said.“It’s almost dawn! We should be able to get into the naga treasury soon. Let’s get moving.”
Aruopened her eyes. Aiden was crouched beside her.
Behind Aiden, Brynne was still waking up. She yawned and said groggily, “I had theweirdestdream.”
Aru blinked. In bits and snatches, her own dream came back to her.Mini. Mini talking about using something? Cows … ? She distinctly remembered someonesayingMooooooo.
“Mini was in it,” said Brynne. “Warning me about dancing? No, that’s not right—she was telling metodance. But I was mad that the grocery was out of salt and basil leaves, and I didn’t want to make pesto without them.”
That made Aru sit up straight. “Wait, really?”
“I mean, youcanmake pesto sauce with cilantro, too, but basil adds—”
“No, about Mini! I dreamed about her,too.”
“Same here!” said Aiden.
“Were you in Home Depot?” asked Aru.
The others looked at her funny.
“No? Okay, never mind.”
“If we all had the same dream, maybe Mini was trying to reach all of us,” said Aiden. “Sheisin the land of sleep. Maybe she had special access to our dreams?”
“Yeah, maybe,” said Aru.
Aiden looked between Aru and Brynne. “Mini is okay … for now, at least. She wantsus to keep going, so we can find the song and save her. But we’re not going to get far if you two can’t get along.”
“Ugh,” groaned Brynne. “Don’t say it….”
Aiden crossed his arms. “I think you guys should talk.”
His words hung in the air. Brynne and Aru caught eachother’seyes and then looked away quickly. Aru remembered Mini telling her not to be mad at anyone. It was hard, when she was missingMini so much … but fighting with Brynne seemed pointless.
While Brynne had her back to them, Aiden wordlessly handed something to Aru—a brown paper bag labeledFOR EMERGENCIES ONLY. Inside was a slightly smushed 100 Grand candy bar. Aru bit back a scowl. She hated 100 Grands. They tasted great, but she would never forget when a neighbor offered to pay her “a hundred grand” to clean out the garage.Aru had spent hours battling spiders (death) and cobwebs (more death) in mid-July inGeorgia(such death that she’d been reincarnated twice in the space of an hour) only to get a melted chocolate bar as payment.
“Betrayal …” said Aru, glaring at the candy.
“I’m going to check the door,” Aiden said, leaving them.
Aru knew what he wanted her to do. He and Mini were right. She took a deep breath.
“Brynne?”
“No.”
“I’ll give you a hundred grand.”
“What?”Brynne turned, then saw the chocolate bar. “Very funny, Shah. Are you trying to bribe me with candy?”
“Will it work?”
