And Then Came the Fiery Cows
Things that scared Aru Shah included the following:
1.Packets of only yellow Starbursts.
2.Butterflies. (Mini told her they’ve got really weird curly tongues…. That is not right.)
3.Mannequins. (Because obviously.)
At the top of the list of things that didnotscare Aru were cows. First, cows were adorable. Second, cows were about as terrifying as a loafof bread. Third, any animal that makes ice cream wins at being an animal.
But that was before Aru saw the red cows of Ushas.
The three of them had finally made it to the Bridge of Dawn and Dusk. From a distance, it had looked like a thin silver band because of how the light hit it. But now that they were close, they saw that the bridge was made of enchanted sky marble: clouds reinforced withthunderstorms. Aru willed her stomach not to lurch. She wondered if she would ever get used to the queasyfeelingof walking thousands of feet above the earth on what was really just a thin puff of water vapor.
Far below them sprawled the twinkling Night Bazaar. Even from where they stood, Aru could see the great blue lotus where Urvashi taught them dance. She spotted the forest of chakora birdswhere Hanuman taught them strategy. Hovering above the forest floated the glass bubble in which Boo held his lectures. It was empty now.We’re going to free you, promised Aru silently.I swear it.
Across the center of the bridge fell a sparkling veil. And just on the other side, a familiar shadow caught Aru’s eye.
“MINI!” she shouted excitedly.
Mini didn’t respond.
They ran faster. Aru bracedherself as they approached the veil. She’d learned to be more cautious about seemingly ordinary objects. She was half expecting the veil to goSurprise! I am actually a brick wall!But luckily, it remained quiet. Aru pulled it back gently.
“Woo-hoo!” yelled Brynne.
Mini was suspended in the air, hovering at eye level. Aru felt like sunshine had burst through her. Her best friend was safe! Miniwas curled on her side, fast asleep. But the best part? Mini—daughter of the god of death, who could not only wield the fearsome Death Danda but also talk to bones—was sucking her thumb.
Aiden immediately snapped a picture.
“Aiden!” yelled Brynne. “How could you?!”
“Yeah!” said Aru. “What about us?”
“My bad.”
Aru jumped in front of the camera and made bunny earswithtwo fingers behind Mini’shead. Brynne crouched down and pretended she was carrying Mini. Aiden snapped another picture.
“She’s totally going to kill us,” said Aiden.
“No selfie of all three?” asked Aru.
Brynne laughed and Aiden visibly recoiled.
“I don’tdoselfies.”
“Snob,” said Aru.
“Troll,” said Aiden.
Now that they had ducked under the veil, they could more clearly see the Palace of Day on the other side ofthe bridge. Ushas, the goddess of the dawn and sister to Ratri, lived there. It was Ushas’s duty to drag the sun from her realm to the rest of the world, and her palace was so bright, it was difficult to make out details. Here and there Aru could discern the shapes of golden spires. And was that an enormous gate lifting? What were those moving red things?
Sharp light—the kind of morning glarethat hurts your eyes—poured onto the bridge. But soon enough Aru could see dozens of red mounds as big as houses, with wicked sharp horns of molten gold, start to lumber in their direction.
“If Mini wants to kill us,” said Brynne, “she’s going to have competition from those cows.”
“Those arenotcows!” squeaked Aru. “They’re ginormous!”
