Dehhhh-Spah-CITO
Takshaka slithered down the shelves of treasure. As he moved, jewels clattered to the floor. He swung his head, tasting the air with his forked tongue. The end of his jet-black tail quivered, as if the sound of the falling treasure had disoriented him.
Something dug at Aru’s thoughts. Something she was supposed to know. Like a name dangling at the tip of her tongue.
“Don’tthink that because I cannot see that you are invissssible,” he said softly. His face rippled as he transformed from his half-snake to full-snake form. He lifted his now scaled head. Ancient scars striped his diamond-shaped forehead. “There are three Pandavasss….”
Aiden opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. It’s best not to correct a gigantic, venomous serpent king.
Quietly, thethree of them spread out across the treasure room. Aiden stood by the wall behind Aru. Brynne was off to her right, out of whispering distance. But then she saw Brynne mouthing a word.
Thegood thing was that Takshaka couldn’t read lips.
The bad thing was that neither could Aru.
It looked like Brynne was saying …Stalin? What? Like the dictator from history? Then Aru heard Brynne screamingthrough her mind link:STALL HIM!
Aru didn’t have to try to get Takshaka’s attention, because he was headed straight for her.
“You laid wassste to my lands, Pandava. You killed every living creature that tried to escape the fire. You killed mywife. I thought I had ended your line,” said Takshaka. “But you came back. Like a pestilence.”
Aru’s head was still ringing from Brynne’s command. Veryslowly, she started to back away from the king. “That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?” she asked him. “I mean, that was like a millennium ago. And I’m not Arjuna. We just have the same soul. It’s like getting someone’s hand-me-down socks, honest. Why don’t we just start over? Like this: Hi, I’m Aru. I like Swedish Fish. Now it’s your turn.”
Takshaka tested the air with his forked tongue, gettinga bead on her. “I didn’t believe it at first. The great Arjuna’s soul harbored in the feeble body of a small girl.”
Vajra pulsed on her wrist, but Aru didn’t reach for her lightning bolt.Not yet.
“Surprise?” Aru said with false cheer.
“The gods are cruel,” said Takshaka. “Of course they would summon a uselessss girl. Of course they have no interest in protecting this world. Despite their immortality,despite their powersss, the gods never keep their word. Just like your father didn’t.”
Arufroze.The Sleeper?Her throat felt tight. She wondered whether Takshaka was going to tell her that she was just like him. Destined not to keep her promises, either.
But then Takshaka spat, “Indra failed me.”
Oh.Indra. Her soul dad. Not the Sleeper.
Takshaka’s tail whipped, agitated. He slithered fartherdown the shelves until he was barely twenty feet away. “Once, I lived in the great Khandava Forest with my family. Back then, Indra was my friend. But one day, Agni, the god of fire, grew hungry, and he decided that nothing would sate him except my forest. Myhome. And you helped him. You helped him burn it all down.”
Aru’s mouth went dry. Now she knew how he had gotten the scars on his faceand chest. That wasawful. And even though it had been Arjuna and not her, her heart ached with guilt.
“Your father was supposed to protect me,” hissed Takshaka. “He sent his favorite rain clouds to put out the fire. But it wasn’t enough to defeat you, O Arjuna the Great. You had Lord Krishna by your side, and it became too muchworkfor Indra to fight against you.”
Aru faltered. She had neverheard that story about Arjuna. Surely, it couldn’t be true…. Arjuna was supposed to be virtuous. He wouldn’t have burned down someone’s home … would he? Aru knew so little about him. Out the corner of her eye, she saw Aiden and Brynne circling their hands as if to sayKeep stalling!
But, for the first time in a while, Aru didn’t know what to say.
“Now you have no gods whissspering in your ear,”continued the serpent king. “You are nothing. And you are alone.”
“Listen,” said Aru, gentling her voice. “I’m really sorry that happened to you. Honest. But maybe, uh, you can talk to Indra about it? Meet up for coffee? Work things out? You guys were friends once….”
“I have new friendsss now,” said Takshaka. He smiled then, slow and vicious. “I believe you know one of themverywell.”
Arufelt nauseated.Nowhe was talking about the Sleeper. Of course he was behind this.
Takshaka reared back.
And then he struck.
