“And I sawyourunning through my neighborhood with a bow and arrow that I’m prettysure weren’t yours.”
“Are you calling me a thief?” said Brynne.
“Well, I know for a factIdidn’t steal it.”
Brynne gave her a head-to-toe look and smirked. “Actually, I believe that. The thiefIwas fighting actually seemed like a Pandava. You, on the other hand, barely look trained.”
Oh no she did not.
“Wearetrained!” said Mini.
“We are seriously deadly,” added Aru.
“Yeah!” said Mini,taking a step toward Brynne.
At that moment, Mini stumbled. She would’ve fallen face-first into a cloud without her enchanted slippers, but instead she just vibrated in place like a plucked guitar string.
Brynnerolled her eyes and deadpanned, “I’m screaming.”
“You know what?”
“Girls!”hissed Boo.
All three of them snapped to attention. The round table had disappeared, and the Council ofGuardians’ thrones were now fanning out around them. On the one hand, Aru was glad she wasn’t wearing pajamas this time. On the other hand, she really wished her backpack weren’t bright purple withHAKUNA MATATA! spelled out on it in huge letters.
“You have all been judged,” said Uloopi.
“But wait a minute—” said Aru.
Takshaka’s tail whipped out, stirring mist off the clouds as he hissed, “Keepquietwhen your elders are ssspeaking!”
Even Boo shot her a disapproving look. Aru had a horrible feeling of acid spreading through her veins. Red-faced, she hunched her shoulders and looked at the naga queen. Up close, she was even more intimidating. Uloopi sat high on her throne, her emerald serpent tail coiled beneath her like a cushioned seat.
“The theft andmisuseof Kamadeva’s bow andarrow will have serious consequences in the mortal world,” said the queen.
Duh, thought Aru angrily. People would start screamingZombie apocalypse!and lose their minds, and the Internet would probably crash, and then it wouldreallybe an apocalypse.
“The thief is kidnapping human men at an alarming rate, turning them into those slack-jawed creatures you saw in the Otherworld.”
That wasnotwhat Aru expected to hear. That meant all those zombies weren’t zombies at all … but kidnapped victims. Her stomach churned.
“If the bow and arrow are not recovered soon, the effectsonthose men will be permanent. They will be Heartless for all eternity.”
Heartless?Aru gulped, remembering the weird scars on the zombies’ chests. Had someone actually … ?
Uloopi interrupted her thoughts witha declaration. “The Pandavas must prove their innocence.” She leaned forward, her crown glittering so brightly that Aru couldn’t look at it straight on. “You are hereby charged with retrieving the bow and arrow in ten mortal days’ time. If you fail, there will be a cost. Your memories of the Otherworld will be wiped. You will not remember you were ever Pandavas, and your Pandava souls will go dormant.Furthermore, you will be banished from the Otherworld. Forever.”
